By Gail Diedrichsen

As a feisty young girl growing up on a small farm in rural South Dakota, Ardis McCallion developed an affection for all animals. She especially adored her collie Pat — and perhaps her fondness for this dog became the inspiration for the remarkable contribution she made as the “founding mother” of the Naperville Area Humane Society.

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A little more than 35 years ago, a handful of citizens responded to a classified ad Ardis McCallion placed in the local newspaper. One such community member who did, Sharon Murphy, recalls that “Ardis’ ad invited fellow animal lovers to her home. Her goal was to organize a group to help abandoned pets in Naperville and I wanted to help.

“To tell you the truth, I felt bad for Ardis,” Sharon adds. “I had hoped more people would show. There was just a handful of people, but that was a start! Some people actually snickered and poked fun at Ardis’ vision, thinking it was silly to worry about stray dogs and cats.”

Fortunately for the homeless pets, however, Ardis’ critics foolishly underestimated her tenacity and unflappable dedication.

“It‘s hard to imagine how sad it was for homeless animals when I came to Naperville in 1965,” Ardis says. “With a population of 15,000, there was no animal control department and few places to take stray animals. Those few facilities were severely overtaxed and often could not accept animals from outside their own areas. Animal calls were handled by whoever happened to take the call. Strays were taken to the holding area on Ogden Avenue behind the sewage treatment building. It was small with inadequate heating and cooling. Animal calls were an additional burden to the police officers’ usual responsibilities and could not be their priority.”

As luck would have it, Cleo Keller, who was then working in the advertising department of the Naperville Sun, loved animals and knew many people in town. Her boss, Harold White, who was the owner, publisher and editor of the paper at that time, prodded her to attend Ardis’ meeting.

“The boss’ suggestion turned out to be a very good one,” Cleo says.

Cut from the same South Dakota, farm-girl cloth as Ardis, the duo formed a strong alliance. Cleo wrote about the Humane Society often in her column, “Sun Spots,” and arranged for available pets to be spotlighted as “Pet of the Week” in the paper. She also joined the Society’s building committee and, to this day, she volunteers at the Shelter’s front desk.

As a paralegal, Ardis herself was knowledgeable about the legal aspects of starting a charitable organization and knew how to run an efficient office. She had also volunteered with West Suburban Humane Society and understood the workings of an animal rescue organization. In 1979, she filed for recognition as an official nonprofit, paying for the registration fee out of her own pocket and giving herself a second fulltime job — without pay.

Partnering with Cleo, who was familiar with the political nuts and bolts of Naperville, proved to be a very effective alliance. Cleo was a dynamic and persuasive public speaker. Both women knew how to roll up their sleeves and get what needed to be done done!

As the grassroots organization gained momentum, Ardis recruited a number of like-minded volunteers willing to work hard. The naysayers became converts and positive support increased exponentially.

In time, the all-volunteer group, working from dining room tables, basements and garages, using their own phone lines and depending on foster homes to care for orphaned animals, came to a crossroad. As the population exploded, it became evident that Naperville needed a shelter.

“It all started because of strays,” Cleo says. “For example, there was the mother cat in a bushel basket with her kittens dumped along the railroad tracks. Then there was a box of puppies found abandoned under the viaduct on Washington Street.

”I said from the beginning, ‘We’ve got to have a shelter if we want to run a good adoption program!’”

A woman who stood by her convictions, Cleo made the first donation to the organization’s building fund. Volunteers worked hard to make every nickel and dime count. After many garage sales, bake sales, spaghetti dinners, raffles, and lots of good ol’ fashioned begging, their determination finally paid off.

With the guidance of the late Ward Sterns, then the president of Harris Bank Naperville, and the generous support of several philanthropic community members, Ardis and her volunteers finally moved into the shelter at 1620 W. Diehl Rd — and from the very first day it opened in February 1988, it has been constantly full!

Little did the small group that gathered all those years ago know what a long, hard and very ambitious journey it would be. Their eventual destination surpassed their intended goal to help stray pets in Naperville and the organization has now become an integral part of the community.

Today, Naperville is a pet-friendly town with two active humane societies, fancy pet boutiques, several animal control officers and laws on the books to protect animals. In fact, much of the community’s caring attitude for its pets may be attributed to Ardis’ efforts.

Now, the younger generation of volunteers who have inherited the shelter continue on Ardis’ mission. Not only do they rescue and place countless orphaned animals into loving homes, but they also provide many outreach programs. The “Paws for Tales” reading program in schools and libraries, the visiting pets program in nursing homes, the “Safe Pets Program” that shelters pets temporarily for victims of domestic violence, the educational seminars for adults and the camp programs for kids all make a positive impact in the community everyday.

“Our growth is the result of foresight, planning and work,” Cleo says. “Not only do the people who started the organization deserve credit, but also the many others that joined later, even very recently, deserve to be recognized. Volunteers are vital, but when we began to add paid staff, their knowledge and experience gave us the professional outlook that was needed. With Director Angie Wood’s leadership, the shelter continues to thrive and grow.”

When Ardis McCallion filed papers with the state of Illinois 35 years ago, she had no idea what the future would hold — but with the help of founding members like Cleo Keller, she has left an enduring legacy.

“Without Ardis, I don’t know who would have stepped up,” Cleo says. “I’ve never met anybody who could have done what she’s accomplished. She had a desire to help animals and did it!”

Sharon Murphy agrees: “Ardis was very determined… headstrong. She was adamant! It never would have happened

without her.”

To commemorate their 35th Anniversary milestone, a committee made up of founding members commissioned award winning artist Dale Rogers to create a whimsical sculpture of a dog and cat to celebrate the Society.

Working with the Naperville Park District and the Naperville Century Walk, the committee has selected an installation site adjacent to the Naperville Riverwalk and the sculpture is scheduled to be revealed August 17th during a dedication event. In addition to honoring volunteers and the community for its support, the accompanying plaque also recognizes founder Ardis McCallion and founding member Cleo Keller. Both women, deserving of accolades, celebrate their 90th birthdays this year.

“The resulting outcome of Ardis and Cleo’s desire to help a few strays is extraordinary,” says committee member Dave Schlotterback. “We want to recognize these two wonderful ladies, the dedicated volunteers and our community for supporting us for 35 years. The Naperville Area Humane Society has earned its place in our community’s rich history.”

Photo courtesy of Naperville Area Humane Society: sculpture by award winning artist Dale Rogers commissioned by NAHS