I appreciate the work that animal shelters do, which makes it disappointing to share that our…read moreexperience here fell short. Communication throughout the process was virtually nonexistent, and when we did interact with staff, the tone felt unexpectedly curt. Hoping this feedback can help improve the experience for future adopters and, most importantly, the animals who rely on this shelter.

We found our pup on Pet Finder. We submitted an application to RVAR and within a couple of days we…read moreheard back. Dawn, the Kennel Manager, was very responsive, very professional, and very concern about the welfare of all the pups at their facility. She called our vet and checked up on us, I thought that was great. The place was as clean as you can hope an animal shelter can be. We drove an hour to RVAR in hopes that this cute pup would fit into our family. Dawn brought us into a room and then brought our pup into the room. She sat with us for awhile and watched. Then she gave us as much time as we needed alone with our pup. We absolutely fell in love our new baby. He's the perfect fit for our family and we decided to adopt him. RVAR rescued him, his 2 siblings, and their mom from a kill shelter in Kentucky and we will be forever grateful to RVAR! Dawn took our first family photo and she even checked in with us the next day to see how we were all doing. Thank you Dawn and RVAR..... 5 STARS!!!!

Nice and friendly. The volunteers/staff were very friendly and told us all about the farm. The…read morehusband/owner is a great man telling us and showing us around. It's a shame how many mistreated animals are out there. But it's a nice knowing there are people at Settlers Pond who try their best to save each and everyone. The ones they do save they have a good life. Check it out!

Great place to get your Christmas tree this year. Nice selection of pre-cut trees. Very friendly…read moreowner. Very cool animals and stories about them. We brought our tree home and are already enjoying it. Happy to support such a nice business owner. Have a nice holiday.

The staff were very nice and knowledgeable. The place where the animals were kept was clean and…read morefree from odor. When I'm ready for another pet I will consider going here first.

I had 10 kittens I needed help finding homes & I called this place 3 separate times in Aug, the…read more18th, 19th & the 24th & still to this day, NO ONE has returned my calls! I left detailed voicemails. It's so hard to find help trying to rehome kittens & had I left them in a box in an alley somewhere, that would've been considered inhumane. But all the shelters I reached out too, including this one, offered no help or assistance. They don't care for real & the only real option is to just leave them in a box by their front door. If you're looking for help to rehome or surrender any animals, this definitely isn't the place!!

We waited three weeks for an open appointment. All the dogs we were interested in had already been…read moreadopted out. Great for those dogs!! When we arrived for our scheduled visit, we were not allowed to see a number dogs because "they don't get along with other dogs" even though we asked if we could bring our dog with for a meet and greet. We were only shown one dog, unfortunately, it was a three legged dog and we have many stairs. We were told we could make an an appointment with a dog being fostered. But they didn't tell us pre appointment. This all could have been communicated through email. What a disappointment.

South suburban humane society helped me a lot with the process of putting down my Roxy. Not only…read morewas it extremely affordable, but they also helped me get through the tremendous pain of losing a pet. The guy who put her down made sure that I took enough time with her & was very comforting. The whole staff was extremely kind through the whole process & never made me feel guilty for making the decision. I then bought my new puppy Duke from them & they helped me with everything to ensure that I left with him. This was very unlike the other shelters I went to because they want more than anything for every pet to get adopted. They had all his paperwork, microchip data, instructional tips, and even clipped his nails for me before we took him. Even though Duke has a couple fixable behavioral problems, he has become apart of our family. You can also tell they care for every animal in there. They knew all of the pets by name, and each pet had a huge space to themselves with a cot & occasional walks. All of the pets looked super healthy & I was glad to find a dog as great as Duke. South Suburban Humane Society has been there for me through my saddest moment to one of my happiest! I can never thank them enough for all that they have done for me.

I want to give more than 5 stars for NLOL. Our adoption counselor Jackie is just amazing in terms…read moreof support she provides! She checks in with me about the dog almost everyday provide appropriate support and guidance every time when I was faced with difficulties because the dog was not fully house trained. NLOL offers two week foster period before adoption, which is a wonderful mechanism to get to know the dog before the big commitment. I am still in the middle of the foster period but I am just beyond impressed by the support I was given. It has been an wonderful experience so far. I would recommend NLOL to everyone who is considering adopting a dog!

If you read nothing else - fostering with New Leash on Life is the best, no-regrets decision I ever…read moremade. If you want more details about how and why I reached this conclusion, read on. I wanted to volunteer with animals, and I was frustrated by the larger organizations extremely limited opportunities and complicated process to volunteer. No, I didn't want to read a 50 page manual and take a test just to clean cages. I wanted to make a big difference in the lives of dogs and help Chicago become a no-kill city. Surely, it couldn't be that hard to find an organization with no red tape and an easy process to volunteer. Enter: New Leash on Life. I found them about 2.5 years ago on this Yelp page with their address listed downtown. I later realized this downtown address was only a PO Box which means NLOL does not have a physical location/adoption center. The implication of this is that all dogs go straight from rescue into foster homes until they find their forever families. This process can take weeks or sometimes months - depending on the dog. Don't let the uncertainty of a timeline deter you - fostering for New Leash is an absolute dream and here are my top three reasons why: 1. Unparalleled people - the nicest and most sincere adoption counselors. They constantly check up on the pups, their progress, and making sure you as a foster have everything you need. Not just via email- typically by text messages which means a quick response time. 2. Super flexible - a. Vacation or trip? No problem! New Leash will work with you and your schedule b. Work long hours? No problem! New Leash can schedule a walker to come during the day 3. And last but not least, THE DOGS. They really know how to pick them. Every dog that I've fostered has been kind hearted, adorable, and an A++ cuddler. Every dog deserves the right to a loving, safe home. Yes fostering is a short term arrangement, but it's a critical piece to helping these pups find their long term forever. Nothing makes me happier than seeing every dog I've fostered thriving in their forever homes. If you're on the fence about fostering, just try it. Anyone who loves dogs can do it and do it successfully. It is an extremely rewarding process and this organization makes it SO easy.

Because I am looking for a dog... And there is no place that shows the dogs they have available and…read moredescriptions of their temperament. What a home would be like for them... Like the perfect home. You can't have a website up and not have any information on your animals for people that are looking

I am a huge advocate for adopting dogs…read more This Rescue, Underdog Railway Rescue is unique because they have you foster to adopt an approved dog for two weeks to ensure it's a good fit for both the dog and the potential pet parents. Also, all these dogs are fostered at loving homes, which also makes it easier for them to transition to your home. Karen at the rescue also does a great job matching potential pet parents with their dogs. While the first dog I looked at unfortunately was not a good fit for me, the second dog was! Karen was very patient, kind and determined to find me a better fit! With the adoption it typically includes the rabies tags, neutering, a first free vet visit at certain approved locations within the first week, all required shots and Microchip (at least for our adoption). The adoption fee was reasonable all considering too. Adoption is the only option!! Please consider this small Rescue! They have certainly earned all five stars!! https://www.petfinder.com/member/us/il/elmhurst/underdog-railway-rescue-il843/

This is a GREAT rescue. We didn't end up adopting from here, but we visited and looked at a pup,…read moreand went to one of their events. The dogs all seem happy and very well cared for. The staff is great, you can tell they love these dogs. The facility was pretty nice - like a real house, with a side yard that the pups can run around in. The pups were all on the large side - I saw a couple really great dogs. I LOVE the big dogs, but I was really looking for a smaller dog. Definitely recommended to find your furry best friend!

I have been fostering with them for 6 months now and I can't say enough good things about this…read moreorganization. The staff loves their job, are on it when your foster is sick and are pros at social media marketing to show off the fosters cuteness. What I love most about this organization is that most animals are in foster homes. It gives them time to decompress and allow them to show their true potential. Future adopters are able to really get to know their likes, dislike and quirks. Don't hesitate to volunteer, foster or adopt your newest cuddle buddy