I rescued my senior dog from this rescue back in 2020. We loved this dog very much and he gave us such happiness for the last 5 years. Please beware of this rescue. Unless it has changed read their contract which states that they will not let you change the microchip to your name, it stays in the rescues name so that if your dog gets picked up by animal control they will charge you if you want the dog back. Quigley was my dog and I put my phone number on his collar but he was a very loyal dog and did not ever run away. My current vet said that rescues aren't supposed to refuse to change the microchip. You pay for the dog...it is yours forever. read more

I adopted a dog from this center and was told she was fixed. Come to find out she was not and because I moved to another state the agency said that they couldn't help but they would take the dog back. Ask for proof of spay and neuter! read more

We had a wonderful experience w Cry for Help. We found our sweet pug on Petfinder and contacted CFH. We were interviewed over the phone and went to an event at Petsmart to meet our now pup. From initial contact, through the home visit and trial, our experience was seamless and painless. Dana and Bonnie fostered our baby and it was clear how much love they pour in to the pets they care for. Highly recommend rescuing from Cry for Help. We can't imagine our lives without Sadie. read more

A Cry for Help Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me

After grieving my amazing ragdoll mix cat Chloe for months (and still not getting over her death), I decided to start checking Petfinder for a kitten or perhaps even a ragdoll. Not because I thought I'd be able to replace her, but because I knew that part of what made Chloe so special was her breed--ragdolls are among the most affectionate of felines. I have a tabby cat named Frida who is very sweet and fun, but she is not a lapcat. She sleeps with me but not ON me, and I really missed that kind of exuberant companionship and, well, I knew a ragdoll would give that to me. Getting a ragdoll from a breeder can cost well over a grand, and I wouldn't go the breeder route anyway (why do that when there are already so, so many perfectly sweet animals who need homes?) After a couple months of checking Petfinder and having no luck--either finding possible new feline friends but they were too far away OR emailing/calling about cats and not hearing back from the shelters--I found a listing for a guy named Aspen, a two-year-old ragdoll housed with A Cry For Help Rescue. He was left, the story was, at a fire station in Chicago with another cat who was euthanized at the first shelter they were brought to. One thing I really appreciated about A Cry For Help is that they have a one-week trial. I think that's such a good idea since adopting a pet is a huge commitment, especially an adult animal who already has his own quirks (and we had the special consideration of already having a cat who was probably not going to be pleased). A friend of mine recently brought home an adult male cat from a shelter and had a terrible experience--she was mislead about his issues and it did not go well. So I was nervous about the whole thing, especially because Aspen was two. A Cry For Help isn't a shelter in that they have no actual facility, but it's a small network of fosters. Aspen's foster mom brought him to my house with a Ziplock of the food he'd been eating and some of the treats he likes. She was genuinely sad to say goodbye to him and she wished she could keep him, but she said he knew that with his need for attention, he'd get more of it with us than her place where he had to share one human with eight other cats and five dogs. His foster mom and I don't see eye-to-eye on some parts of pet care (like how to introduce pets, for example) and I was a little uncomfortable with some of the rescue's rules (I'll get into those in a minute), but Aspen won us over in minutes. He was immediately curious, affectionate, and fun, so we agreed to the adoption. (In a week, I was to call and have them cash the check for the adoption fee or ask them to come back for Apsen and return the check). We kept him--it's been over a month now--and he's wonderful. Even Frida mostly thinks so. I've never gotten a pet from a shelter or rescue before (my previous cats were given to me by friends who had rescued neighborhood cats themselves) so I don't know how normal these rules are, but l found some of the rules a bit odd, invasive even. First: He is micro-chipped by the rescue which will not change to my contact info, so if he's lost, he'll be returned to them (and then it's questionable if I'd be able to get him back from them). Next, I can't give him to anyone unless they approve them. It's like I have guardianship but he's never really mine. Also, I had to promise that he wouldn't go outside. If they find out I broke their rules, there's mean wording that says I'd be sued and have to pay for their court costs. Is this normal? I don't know. Frankly, their terms seemed a bit odd but basically were fine with me because I don't take pet guardianship lightly and this sweet fella is worth it. I've made a commitment to Aspen (now called Will) to care for him his whole life, and I will (unless I die first). The microchip does bug me a bit, but I got him a collar and name tag even though he is an inside cat because he's sneaked into the garage a couple times, so in case he does get out, I want the neighbors to call me. He's so friendly and trusting that I know he'd let someone read his tag. (Plus, it is pretty cute to hear the jingle of his bell coming down the stairs). We are a testament to the fact that you don't need to pay a breeder for a sweet cat. Or even a designer cat. You can add sweetness and joy to your family for a reasonable adoption fee and a little patience. read more

A Cry for Help Rescue - My sweet ragdoll from A Cry For Help Rescue. - Animal Shelters Near Me

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Don't waste your time, during the almost month and half I spent contacting them about possibly adopting a dog not once did I hear about someone else being interested in the dog until after I submitted paper work they needed. I would have liked to have been informed before hand about this other person so that I could have kept looking in case it didn't work out. It also took days or almost weeks to hear back from them about anything. I understand that they may have had something happening on their end (considering there was one point where I was unable to contact them back for a little while) but that is no excuse to not at least tell me about this other applicant before hand that already had a date set up to meet the dog. I don't need personal info just a simple, "Thanks for being interested but we would like to inform you that there is another person interested in this dog as well." or something to that respect much earlier then shortly after I sent the paper work. Finding out so late made me feel scorned and brushed to the side. read more

To answer your question Denise D. yes, those rules on adoption ARE in fact normal. We go to great links to rescue these animals, most from some of the most horrific situations that you can never imagine in your wildest dreams and we take our responsibility of protecting them for life VERY seriously. If an animal is no longer wanted or can no longer be cared for it MUST be returned. We are dedicated to them for life, not just until they get adopted. As for the microchip, each rescue has it's own policy. When we microchip our animals, the lot of chips are registered to us as the implanters. Some rescues allow transfer of microchip info, others do not. Though YOU are responsible, MANY people move, change numbers, etc and never update their pet's microchip information. What you can count on is that Cry for Help Rescue will ALWAYS be there as backup. Rest assured, you'd be contacted! Sincerely, Lorrie Harris Founder and Director Michiana Animal Rescue Coalition South Bend, IN A rescue partner of Cry for Help Rescue, IL read more

Excited to have Mimi and Jojo for my 1 week pre-adoption trial. I had been looking for months for a child and dog friendly dog, since I watch my grandkids a few days a week and wanted to take my dog with me. I passed up many dogs that were listed as having sight issues or deafness. I didn't want the dog to get scared if it didn't hear or see the child approaching and react negatively. Mimi had some cloudiness in her eyes and I discovered after 1 day she was deaf. No mention of this from the rescue. Who had her for 2 months. The rescue did disclose she had bladder stone surgery. They sent home Bill Jac dry food with the dogs. I read in the medical records that Mimi was supposed to be on Vet prescribed food to prevent more problems. Jojo was toy possessive she nipped at my granddaughter. I tried to rationalize how to keep them but I didn't want my grandkids to possibly get hurt, so I contacted the rescue to bring them back. They said Mimi would be Jean's forever dog and they would only adopt Jojo out. Both dogs are back up for adoption and no mention of Mimi being a Special Needs dog. read more