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Photo by Dallas Yanez
Whether you're looking for a mutt or a purebred dog, you need not look any farther than our own Chicago area shelters and rescue organizations. Chicago Animal Care & Control (which is city-owned and run) and The Anti-Cruelty Society come to mind for most people. At these facilities, one will find wonderful animals - stray and abandoned pets, as well as those surrendered by their owners through no fault of their own. These organizations do not actively market these animals with the intent to find them new homes. Almost all pets who enter are killed. Neither Animal Control nor Anti-Cruelty will turn away an animal, and although they have large facilities, there is not infinite space or resources. Therefore, they regularly kill animals which have not been adopted within a specific time frame. (If you have lost a pet, make sure you visit Animal Care & Control immediately and daily to see if your pet is there.)
This is a key reason why anyone looking to adopt a pet should visit those two places first. In recent years, both organizations have joined a group called Chicago Animal Shelter Alliance (CASA.) CASA was formed in 2002 with the belief that many Chicago area animal welfare organizations working together can lower the rate of animals killed in the City of Chicago each year. Their motto is "Finding Homes for Every Adoptable Animal."
Other member organizations include Animal Welfare League, ARFhouse Chicago, Chicago Canine Rescue, D.A.W.G., Felines, Inc., Harmony House, Lake Shore Animal Shelter, New Leash On Life, P.A.C.T., PAWS Chicago, Puppy Love/Love Cats Pet Rescue, Red Door Animal Shelter, Tree House Humane Society, and Windy City Animal Foundation. Most, if not all of these organizations are considered to be "No-Kill" and obtain some of their adoptable pets by working directly with Chicago Animal Care & Control. No-Kill doesn't mean that no animal is euthanized. In fact, some are too ill or aggressive to be rehabilitated and euthanasia is the humane solution. However, No-Kill organizations provide a safe environment where companion animals are rehabilitated, and sometimes fostered by volunteers, until they can be placed in a permanent home. CASA members are working towards converting Chicago to a "No-Kill City."
If you don't find your next pet at Chicago Animal Care & Control or The Anti-Cruelty Society, try one of the other CASA members. All adoptable animals are available to peruse at your convenience online at Petfinder.com. If none of these have what you're looking for, try specific breed rescues. There are rescues specializing in every breed. A good list of breed rescues can be found on the Chicagoland Tails website. If you still can't find what you're looking for, you're too picky!
For more information on No-Kill philosophy, please visit The No-Kill Advocacy Center.
Comments
Great article! It's hard for me to understand anyone buying a pet when there are so many wonderful animals looking for homes. My little beagle came from anti-cruelty and she's the greatest dog ever (with an admitted bias)
Everyone looking for a new pet should adopt! It's the best of all worlds.
I volunteer for one of the smaller no-kill shelters you mentioned, but I do think that Anti-Cruelty and Animal Care and Control actively seek out homes for the pets in their shelters via ads, websites, Petfinder, press releases, community events, and word of mouth.
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