IVAR shelter at capacity, seeking foster homes for senior, ill pets

The Illinois Valley Animal Rescue shelter, located at 116 Industrial Drive in La Salle is at capacity and in need of foster homes, especially for senior and ill animals, as dogs and cats continue to arrive from across La Salle County.“We’ve got three or four dogs needing to come in,” said Chris Tomsha, who founded the shelter 28 years ago and serves as its director. “We’re going to have to do some shuffling around and trying to figure out where to put them.”Among the animals in the shelter is a dog with cancer who was returned to the shelter after years in a home. The shelter hopes to find her a foster family for the time she has left.The intakes come from every direction: recently, a stray pit bull found in the country who was recovering after a seizure, and two Great Pyrenees that arrived unexpectedly.Animals often arrive for economic reasons.“We’re seeing a lot of homeless people,” Tomsha said. “They can’t afford their animals anymore. They’re getting evicted. People going to jail.