Chicago Animal Care and Control Executive Director Susan Cappello speaks at a city animal shelter press conference next to Mayor Brandon Johnson on Feb. 25, 2026. [Livestream]

The mayor and several alderpeople traveled to Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC) on Wednesday to extol the leadership and qualifications of the agency’s newly appointed director, whose selection has drawn some criticism.

Earlier this month, Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed CACC Executive Director Susan Cappello following a long tenure as the agency’s interim leader, which predated Johnson’s ascension to the fifth floor. Cappello has worked for the city for 36 years — including more than two decades with the animal control agency — and previously served as a deputy CACC director.