*update* We highly recommend Wright-way Rescue in Morton…read moreGrove. Amazing, welcoming staff- and we brought home a kitten. They deserve the business! As for Animal Care League- cery disappointed with how my wife and two young daughters were "welcomed" as we inquired about adopting a kitten. We felt dismissed simply being told to fill out paperwork and return later. It's not as if they were busy with other customers as a lot of the volunteers were standing around, simply staring at us as we stood at the counter. It wasn't until we were already out the door that a a volunteer (not the staff person at the desk we spoke to) thought to invite us to their BBQ event later today, which included children's activities. How could you miss on offering that? We would have loved to give a kitten a home, as we had given their thrift shop business and my parents had adopted two dogs from this place over the last couple decades.

The staff was awesome! They were very friendly and answered every question…read more They were genuinely happy for one of their animals to be adopted.

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/

Could not have had a better experience here! Sage, our adoption counselor, was super knowledgeable…read moreand took the time to really get to know us, answer any questions and suggest which cat would be the best fit for us. He did a phenomenal job, as the "Duchess" is already bein' a lap kitty the first night home. We're really so appreciative and are excited to give this lil' girl a loving home experience. Also this is a beautiful facility! It's heartwarming to know that these rescue animals have a wonderful space to stay until they are carefully placed in their new homes. Well done HHS!

Adopted my most amazing dog Marco from here 9 years ago :) he's the sweetest boy I'm so lucky to…read morehave him. Thank you for saving him off the streets

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

Staff members at OTAT were very helpful and informative, their dogs are clearly loved and well…read morecared for. They gave us great tips and resources after we adopted Fitz! The process was easy and affordable. Thorough medical record keeping. The only bad thing I could say is the facility does feel a bit under-resourced for a rescue group that has been around for 3 decades. Feels like walking into a rental home, but I assure you this group and their team were highly professional and high quality! Will certainly be recommending OTAT to others. :-)

They treat the animals so well here. It's great! A huge selection of kittens and cats of all types…read more They give them shots and fix them. Great place to support!

Felines and Canines is the most wonderful shelter! I had to put down one of my cats recently and…read morewhen I began looking to adopt a new friend, I stumbled upon Felines and Canines. They were so helpful from the start and made the adoption process so easy. After filling out the application, they were very prompt with responses (even during a holiday week!), I was able to schedule an appointment to meet the available cats. I absolutely loved that they are a "cage less" shelter and I was able to really see all the different personalities of the cats. I met this sweet little Tuxedo cat and knew he had to come home with me! The staff were so helpful in answering all my questions and made the paperwork process very smooth and easy. I've now had Joey (formerly Darth Vader) for two weeks and couldn't be happier!!

Great staff. I had researched cats on line and knew the one I wanted to meet. The staff were great,…read moremeet went well and the adoption process was easy. The huge problem was my cat was starving. When I looked at the records this small cat lost 20% of her body weight in about 3 months. When I got her home and fed her the same food she couldn't keep it down. If I continued with feeding her that food, and I added a good quality canned food, same issue, she wouldn't have last 6 weeks. Luckily a friend gave me a bag of food which I tried. 3 months later she is healthy, great weight and happy. I know they are a huge number of animals to watch but even their vets commented on how skinny she was and how she was losing weight. There is some lack.

Have been trying to adopt a surrender. We've talked to several people about this and each one…read morepromised to call back. We know the person that surrendered him and this is where he took him. First we were told he had been neutered and it would be a couple of days. They knew we were going to take the dog! Called today, got the run-around, put in hold and then disconnected. Called back and was told the dog was "transferred" but they would not divulge where he was taken. We were told a manager would call back ... didn't happen. Sent an e-mail to Darlene, the president, again no response. How sad. I used to donate a lot of money to this shelter, but stopped because of poor practices. I'll send my money to Felines and Canines. They genuinely care about the animals. Please don't take your dogs there!

I had a very beautiful experience with wagon tails they were so nice and so kind and so helpful…read morethat I really appreciated I wish all the dog services that are out there like the one on Western were like this the woman really helped me out and I thank her very much thank you

During my visit, I was treated in a beyond unprofessional manner by one of the security guards at…read morethe facility. The interaction made me feel unwelcomed. After multiple remarks were made, the security guard then expressed frustration that I had not called ahead, even though I had made multiple unsuccessful attempts to contact the shelter by phone beforehand. I brought in a stray kitten hoping to receive guidance and support from the facility. What disturbed me most was a comment: when discussing the kitten's condition, the security guard stated that the cone would not be necessary because the kitten would be euthanized due to being found with a prolapsed rectum. I found this comment extremely insensitive and upsetting, especially considering the vulnerable and emotional nature of the situation. Despite being there for a matter involving a hurt animal seeking support. I was under the impression The Department of Animal Welfare, Care & Control states that it is dedicated to protecting the well-being of both animals and residents while promoting humane and responsible treatment. Unfortunately, my experience did not reflect those values. The manner They spoke to and approached me was unnecessary and disrespectful. After looking further into the matter, I also noticed multiple public reviews from others describing similar experiences. One review left by Natalie Flores approximately three months ago stated that a security guard and another worker were overheard speaking negatively about residents and making comments about "how dumb residents are and their lack of brain cells." Reading that, alongside my own experience, was extremely concerning and disheartening. As a young resident in the community, seeing residents and visitors being treated poorly in a place that is supposed to provide care, compassion, and support is honestly hurtful.

We adopted a dane/lab mix from Almost Home last year. I really appreciated the foster-to-adopt…read moresystem they have to give you a clearer idea of what the specific animal is all about. I've had dogs my whole life and when I filled out their paperwork I was of the opinion the only reason I might return a dog would be aggression or if my personal financial situation changed dramatically. The fostering system gave me a much better idea of what I was committing to in this case. My wife, kiddo, and I all came to meet the dog we thought we wanted and after that went well we took her home. It became immediately clear that this girl had not been indoors or socialized very much, if ever. I was very surprised to have essentially a 70lb puppy on my hands. This was more work than I expected, and it was more work than my family expected, but knowing we had time to work with her as a foster in our home environment provided a lot of confidence in seeing how it went. Almost Home was in regular contact to check in with us and provided us with enrichment toys, advice, and resources for taking her to training classes. There was never pressure to keep her, and it was always clear everybody was only interested in what was best for the animal. After a few weeks she was improving, but still more work than I expected, and Almost Home was happy to let us continue to foster until everybody was sure this would be a good fit. Our girl kept improving and we committed to the adoption. Eventually we were able to return our home to normal, and do so free of concerns things would be destroyed. The time and space that was provided to be sure this would all work out resulted in one of the best bonds I've ever had with a dog. We're inseparable these days, and we owe it to the support Almost Home and their volunteers offered throughout the process.

This place is more like a business rather than a non profit. Appears they purchase their puppies…read more Overpriced, PIF $900 but where did all the money go? Donations and volunteers, where did the money go. Especially when the dog is sick and they claim the pet wasn't sick when it left their facilities. Just my opinion. Please note the 5 stars reviews, make sure it's not the ONLY review.

My dog was groomed and unfortunately, during her bath she had had a minor stroke, which when I…read morepicked her up three hours later, they had told me that my dog might've had a seizure and asked me if she ever had one, two days later when she was acting erratic I took her to the vet. They had asked me when she had had a stroke, also water was inside her ears, which causes an inner ear infection. Called the place of business over a week ago never received a phone call back. Be cautious when you drop your dog off there it is not a very friendly place.

Got in with short notice had pictures of yorkie cut that I liked and was very satisfied with the…read moreresults. I will be going back.