One of the most thorough, honest and up front shelters in the area. They made the adoption process…read moreso easy and I felt comfortable that my kitten was healthy and well adjusted. I would recommend Humane Haven to anyone looking to adopt a furever friend.

I absolutely believe in the importance of finding the right home for an adoptable animal. There…read moredoes reach a point, however, when a screening process is so rigorous that it becomes unreasonable. The people at Humane Haven are completely obnoxious in the way they screen potential adopters, and are pretty much looking for any possible reason NOT to let you adopt a dog. I was wondering why some of their dogs go months without being adopted. I realized that it was not any legitimate issue with the dogs themselves--in reality, it is the people running the shelter that are the problem. If you're looking to adopt a pet in the area, I would recommend the West Suburban Humane Society (Downers Grove), TLC Animal Shelter (Homer Glen), or PAWS Chicago (Lincoln Park) over this group anyday.

I love this group so much. We had been looking for a pup and we were referred to ARF and I have had…read moreextraordinary service! Everyone has been so nice, kind, and their dedication to their mission is unwavering. I'm so grateful to them for our Louie !!! 100% gold star

I'm not sure that these folks actually want to adopt out their rescue pups. Was approved and got…read morean email stating I was approved. Second email said wait 5-7 days and respond with dogs you're interested in, which I did. Never heard back. Ended up going to a local rescue and adopted a senior companion with special needs to add to the family. Our last rescue we had for over 11 years and we kept in touch with not only his rescue (yearly with donations and events), but with the actual person who rescued him. We are sorry ARF turned out to be such a disappointment with no communication after application approval. But nonetheless, it worked out for us and the rescue we rescued from. I was warned in the therapy dog community not to attempt to adopt from them and they were correct. Hate to leave a bad review since it's all volunteers, but simple communication goes a long way when there are a lot of pups waiting for forever homes out there.

I can't believe I hadn't reviewed Adopt previously. My dear sweet Calliecakes is from this shelter,…read moreso I am forever grateful that they rescued her. My parents saw her at the shelter back in 2012 and texted me her photo (because they knew I wanted a cat), and I was like "yes absolutely I want her I will come get her." And the rest is history -- it's been 11 great years with my bestie (and hopefully many more). And then a year later, almost to the day, my parents were like "hey let's go to Adopt" the day after Thanksgiving and they ended up getting a cat (their second) for themselves. I haven't been back to the shelter since 2013 when I went with them when they decided to get their cat, but at that time the shelter was super nice and they had several rooms where cats could roam free. It was a nice, no-stress situation to be able to sit on a sofa or on the floor and have the cats come check you out. So many snuggles. And I follow them on Instagram and they continue to do great work and care deeply for the animals they rescue. Definitely check them out if you are looking for a new best friend! And now enjoy the cat photo spam/cat tax :)

The dogs and cats are well taken care of by the staff and volunteers. They are friendly and…read moreinformative about any questions you have about adopting a particular dog or cat. There are a lot of amazing cats and dogs here looking for a good home. They offer vet services including spay and neuter at the clinic they have across from the shelter.

I found this establishment from a referral from my previous kennel because they were already booked…read moreup. Big mistake on their part because I will not be returning to that kennel. This is my new "go to" kennel. On short notice, I needed to leave for a week and CLK was able to get me in. I was able to do a walk through the facility prior to leaving Amber. Since this was Amber's first overnight, I was nervous. I don't like "first time stays" to be a week. I would rather have a single night "starter" but I didn't have time. The staff was very receptive to Amber's arrival and most importantly, they could wonderful care of Amber. She had a spacious kennel and free time that was not group play, but one-on-one with a staffer. Sweet! Per my request, I was sent an occasional photo of Amber. Yes, I am that over protect dog Mom. I am somewhat hesitant to share this hidden gem, but I have to admit I have shared this location with a couple of my dog friends. This is a winner!

This is a family-owned pet kennel with friendly service and reasonable prices! They are also covid-…read moreconscious. It's located in Downers Grove, just past Woodridge (coming from Naperville). We have kenneled our dog here a number of times and have no complaints. They also do a great job with grooming!

I unfortunately had the displeasure of adopting from the Animal Care League in Oak Park. I adopted…read morea dog who had several ongoing health conditions that were evident in his medical history which was not disclosed at the time of adoption. They were informed that I did not have the financial capacity in order to accommodate a dog that would need significant financial commitment beyond standard vet appointments and care. When I took him to the vet, they pointed out several lifelong health issues that were extremely severe and would need hundreds of dollars' worth of treatment monthly. When I looked his past medical history, it seems to have been the shelter was pursuing ongoing treatment of these issues but decided not to inform me although I was very up front with my limitations. Additionally, I only had him for 5 days at the vet clinic they had discovered that he had a severe double ear infection to the point he was bleeding, clearly not something that developed in just a few days. When I adopted him, they told me and my family he was a healthy dog that would need little medical assistance and that he was vet checked which was clearly a lie considering the state we brought him home in. Over the past 5 days we have bonded and he has gotten along with all our family members and even our other dog. I unfortunately, had to surrender him due to the lack of disclosure of information, when I talked to the operations manager the solution she gave me was that she was sorry and that it can be hard to diagnose things. But looking in his medical chart there has been a long-standing issue with this very same problem and was once on the same very expensive medicine that we were expected to put him on. I am hurt that there was little to no resolution other than taking a dog away from a loving family that just didn't have enough money to accommodate to his needs, but also little accountability of their actions. The general manager was largely dismissive, never offered any solutions to me and my visibly extremely upset family. Instead, we left the office in tears with an "I'm sorry that happened". And just to highlight to any prospective adopters from this shelter in their contract it says they are not liable for any misinformation they may give as it may be from third party sources, in other words it is okay for them to misinform and lie to your face. But to leave this review on a more positive note I fortunately was able to treat his double ear infection before surrendering him, he is so deserving of a loving home unfortunately I just cannot afford a dog with such severe medical issues.

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 volunteer with ARFhouse walking dogs and holding them at adoption events. This is a great…read moreorganization where the focus really is on rescuing pets and finding them permanent homes. The shelter rescues dogs and cats of all shapes and sizes from local kill shelters and also picks up strays. Many of the dogs ARFhouse takes are senior, have health problems or "their time is up" at their previous shelter. I love the fact that so many of the dogs are in foster homes or at doggie daycare. This makes them super social with both people and other dogs, and they learn good doggie manners. The adoption process is very thorough (no same-day adoptions) to make sure the dogs are going to good homes. At ARFhouse adoption events, the dogs are right out there on a leash, not in a cage or separate room. This makes it easy to meet a number of different dogs and instantly see what they're like around people and other dogs. I have to address some of the negative reviews of ARFhouse by pointing something out: Everyone who has bad things to say about the organization was trying to get rid of a dog or a cat. They already have a pet and are either sick of dealing with it or just don't want it any more. The shelter doesn't accept pets from people who are trying to dump them, and it says so on the website. ARFhouse fights for dogs who are totally alone with no family at all.

Like many of the other reviewers, I wish I could rate zero stars. I don't really need to explain,…read morejust read this chain of emails with this delightful organization: Dec 23, 2010: Hello, Who would I contact regarding a dog that we need to find a home for? Thank you, Jason Response: Is it a personal dog of yours or somebody you know or is it a stray somebody found? Dec 24, 2010: ME: The dog belongs to my Grandfather but he is unable to continue to care for her. I am trying to find a home for her otherwise my Aunt is going to have to put her down. Response: That's a shame a family member won't take a dog so she has to be put down. Dec 26, 2010 Me: Is it your policy to try to make people feel guilty when they come to you for help? This isn't an easy decision, its our only option. Thanks for nothing. Response: Yes, that is exactly our policy. Actually, it is our policy not to help animals who already have homes and take the guilt off people who shouldn't have it taken off them. We don't appreciate the "if you won't take it, it will get put down" speech. How many times a day do you think we hear that? It's not our responsibilty to help your family members. Me: To Whom it May Concern, I apologize. Perhaps, to avoid your judgmental statements, I should have provided some background. On December 11, 2010, my grandmother passed away at 83. While she was still alive, she cared for my grandfather of 87 who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Because he has lost his caregiver and wife, my relatives have had to make the difficult decision of putting Grandpa in a nursing home to get the care that he needs. Also, because many of my relatives live in California, he is being moved to a home in that state. At this same time, a decision has to be made about what to do with his and my grandmother's beloved dog, Molly. An extremely difficult decision that has been made by my grandfather's children and that I do not chose to judge. We must find Molly a new loving home or put her to rest. I do not want to divulge further heartbreaking details as to spare the dignity of a sweet 87 (almost 88) year old man who has lost his wife of 65 years and now has to part with his dearest friend as well. If you, or your organization have policies that must be followed I understand. It's unacceptable for you to simply judge people who are reaching out to you and berate them, when you have no idea what their circumstances are. I do not expect any sort of resolution here as there really is no dispute. My purpose of this is to make people aware of the level of professionalism - or lack thereof- that exists at Arfhouse. It seems that you clearly do not care about helping a needy dog find a home. If you are curious as to how I am going to let people know...please visit Yelp.com and view the comments about your organization. This entire email thread will be posted for all to see, and I plan on making contact with your superiors. Thank you and Merry Christmas. End of thread. If anyone on Yelp has suggestions about how to find a home for Molly please contact me. I will be updating this review if I receive more responses from Arfhouse. UPDATE 12/27/2010 Here is the e-mail I received in response to the last one: This e-mail in no way changes our opinion of you or what you are doing to the memory of a "beloved" relative. To explain in such detail is just you trying to make yourself feel better for..what is it you said..."putting a dog to rest", which is killing the dog. Spreading the word on Yelp about what a horrible thing you are doing is only a reflection on you. We don't care. UPDATE 12/28/2010 This may or may not be related. Strange occurrence: at 4 am my relative received a text message from "Joe" stating "continue electronic harassment". We think they meant "discontinue".

First off, these guys are a non-profit--so it's going to be a lil' bit different than working with…read morea breeder or going to a shop. But they genuinely have the dog's best interests in mind and want to make a perfect match. They specialize in Pitbull / Staffordshire Terriers and mixes and the like. Before you get excited....these are "high maintenance" working dogs (they need to do things, even if it's something simple like ripping a leather work glove into the teeniest bits). And, they can be headstrong (the dogs, not the .org). They need jobs, exercise, and rules, and a strong "leader" who will enforce those rules. Then you will have incredibly happy dogs. I would not recommend these breeds for beginners, but an experienced dog person will be delighted having one of these incredibly affectionate critters around (I get leaned and slobbered on when I come home. Pretty great!). I found my interaction with this crew to be professional, although somewhat scatterbrained because there are a bunch of people who are involved on the back end and AFAIK they all have day jobs as well. However I found my perfect puppy here and adopting her was pretty painless. I genuinely feel these guys are out for the dogs' best interest. There is an application to fill out and a phone call and a home visit. They want to put these critters into loving homes--not fighting rings or puppy mills. Remember though, these are generally larger working dogs and they need exercise and challenges! If you want a moving pillow...do not go this route! Get a Cavy Span http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/cavalierkingcharlesspaniel.htm instead. But, If you want a challenge and are active and don't mind working a dog into a silly mess that slurps up water and then licks your face with ridiculous amounts of happydrool, please browse those pretty faces and fall in love with a loving critter who would love a comfortable permanent home.

I adopted my pit-mix, Cooper, from these guys nearly 5 years ago. At the time I was without a car,…read moreso they actually brought him to me and did the home inspection and everything all at once. I'm so lucky to have gotten such a fantastic, docile, easygoing (see:lazy) dog. Hes generally good with other dogs, loves people and little kids and unless he gets in the trash when I'm at work, he's just about perfect. Thanks for a fantastic dog and smooth experience!

WOW! I finally hit 500!…read more I wanted to make this review special--something that's close to my heart (just like my other 100 markers!). For those of you who know me, know that I love my pooch Ryno. He's a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and yes, is treated like royalty. I have yet to meet a Cavalier that hasn't been sweet, awesome, and overall just a great catch! I have not adopted from this rescue, but know people who have, I've also met a few people affiliated with the rescue at various meet ups and dog shows throughout IL and even WI. :-) You couldn't ask for a bunch of better people! Here's a little about their mission (taken from their website): GCCR's mission is to help ensure the health and security of abused, abandoned, and otherwise endangered Cavalier King Charles Spaniels by rehabilitating and placing Cavaliers from shelters and similar situations, by assisting breeders and owners in finding new homes for their Cavaliers, and by providing to the public educational materials and consultation regarding Cavalier health and care. The growing popularity of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels has prompted increased breeding by unscrupulous breeders and puppy mills. This development suggests that owners' concerns about health as well as the number of Cavaliers in need will only grow. Placement of Cavaliers in new homes without appropriate, knowledgeable veterinary testing may result in unforeseen, serious heartaches for new owners. The GCCR as well as other dedicated Cavalier rescuers and owners are here to help.

It seems like the two other reviews say it all!! I volunteer with the GCCR and can't believe how…read moresupportive, nurturing, and selfless this group of people truly are. We have members who have owned cavaliers for over 20 years and novice owners. All of which are dedicated to educating the public, raising awareness, and rescuing these lovely dogs. Please join our group on facebook or check out the rescue website: www.gccavalierrescue.org