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    PAWS Chicago Adoption Center

    3.9 (455 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Services - PAWS Chicago Adoption Center

    Animal shelters

    Pet adoption

    PAWS Chicago Adoption Center Photos

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    Recommended Reviews - PAWS Chicago Adoption Center

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    I went yesterday to adopt a cat. I have been looking for a great fit for quite some time and Scarlett was it! The staff was so helpful in answering my questions and understanding my needs. She is new to the home but she is settling in really well. What a sweet girl! Thank you paws!

    Joe C.

    We checked out this adoption center for the first time. It's a pretty nice facility. Probably one of the nicer ones I've been too. They had kitty city area and a doggy town area. Looks like they just had an adoption event but we still got to meet some sweet fur babies. Definitely check it out if you looking to adopt. Great facility and great informative staff.

    Leang E.

    For Thankful Thursday, I wanted to give a shout out and a heartfelt appreciation for this place. My husband and I often come here to visit and see all the dogs as they just bring joy and smiles to our faces. It was especially a life saver as my husband was dealing with grief over the loss of our dog. He would go every day. The staff is so kind and caring. We also adopted our dog, Colton, after. He has been absolutely amazing and was exactly what we needed. They made the process easy and straightforward. I am so grateful for this place and all the hearts they heal.

    PAWS adoption selfie
    Wilfredo T.

    First of all, most people that are trying to adopt are great but every time I've come in, I've experienced fellow adopters that are NOT nice to the staff. Y'all need to be more gracious and patient. Most of these people are volunteers! Please have some sense of respect! My first experience with PAWS was at an offsite event in Highland Park. Met a cutie but I wasn't quite ready. It only affirmed that I really wanted to adopt. The volunteers were kind to walk me through the process and talk to me about a couple available pets that would be a good match and encouraged me to keep looking. I made it to couple appointments to walk through but every time I wanted one, someone beat me to the punch. I saw Beckett on the site the day before thanksgiving and fell in love. Made an appointment first thing Friday and showed up an hour early. Lucky that I did because there were 3 families waiting to see him. They put us in a room where you have to stay seated while they make the introduction. Then once you decide on a dog, you wait to be walked through their available history and then meet a counselor who shares info about training, vets, and gives your a starter bag of high quality food. For Winston FKA Beckett, the owners decided not to take him back because there were a lot of medical issues he needed financed. PAWS had took him in, helped him recover from pneumonia (or perhaps what seems to be the rumored Dog Covid) and neutered him. After 2 months of antibiotics and monitoring, he fully recovered. They said he wasn't super socialized but was good on walks so they asked me to be cautious about busy areas like high rises or dog parks. After 2 days settling in at home, I took him out to meet family in the burbs and Win is superrrrr well behaved and social. He did so well with meeting the family. Excited to start his training! Thank you to everyone that worked on Black Friday! It was super busy. Thank you to Elaina, Katie, Don, Mya (sp?): Thank you for all the work that you do at PAWS. You're everyday heroes. Follow Winnie's adventures with his dad @wintheportie on IG

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    Ask the Community - PAWS Chicago Adoption Center

    How long does it take to get a response if you are a fit for the animal? I really really want one of the dogs there, she would be super loved and spoiled in my home!

    Well I got a call on a Tuesday and said that the dog we picked out was adoptable. Tuesday night I went through a 45 minute session on the phone and we picked her up the next day. It really depends on the animals that you pick out. If many people… 

    Do you still have the application form adoption process? I filled in the application in September and now it looks like the process has changed. Do I have to take the compatibility quiz now?

    Hi Yuliia, Thank you for reaching out about our adoption process. We launched our ComPETibility… 

    I'm interested in adopting a dog rather than going to a pet store or a breeder, but was wondering if PAWS has rescued puppies?

    PAWS rescues cats and dogs of all ages! If you go to their website, you can see what dogs are available for adoption right now. When you click on a dog's picture, it will give you information on the dog, including its age. For instance, I recently… 

    Is there parking here?

    Hi Rod, We are located at 1997 N. Clybourn Avenue and there is street parking available all day… 

    View All 7 Questions

    Review Highlights - PAWS Chicago Adoption Center

    The entire process took about two hours and I appreciate that they are so thorough with the adoption process.

    Mentioned in 79 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Maxine is a fraudulent account created by a known animal abuser who has been banned from adopting…read morethrough Great Lakes Pigeon Rescue. Great lakes pigeon rescue does nothing but go above and beyond for their animals. Everything negative "Maxine" said in their review is a blatant flat out lie. Myself, and others I know personally have had only positive things to say about receiving birds from GLPR and GLPR does their utmost to meet the needs of their birds and their prospective adopters.

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    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

    P.A.W.S. Tinley Park

    P.A.W.S. Tinley Park

    2.7
    (105 reviews)

    I was there recently. They only had a few cats. This made it difficult for me to find the cat I…read morewanted.

    I'm disappointed with my experience trying to adopt through PAWS…read more I first visited the shelter to meet Neptune, but he was being housed in the stray section rather than the adoptable area because there was no available space. I was told that if I wanted to meet him, I needed to submit an adoption application and schedule an appointment. I submitted my application on June 6 and did everything I was asked to do. Since then, I have called PAWS at least twice a week and sent multiple follow-up emails asking for an update on my application and whether I could schedule a visit with Neptune. I also reached out about two other cats but never received a response regarding them either. I completely understand that PAWS is short-staffed, and I truly appreciate the work they do for the animals. However, communication with prospective adopters is just as important. Even a quick email saying that my application was still being reviewed, that there was a waitlist, or that another adopter was ahead of me would have been appreciated. Instead, after nearly a month of waiting and repeatedly trying to get in touch, on July 2 I finally received a very short email simply stating that Neptune had been adopted. While I'm genuinely happy that he found a home, it was extremely disappointing to spend weeks trying to communicate with no meaningful updates, only to receive a one-line email at the end. Also, I dont understand not trying to maintain a good communication and just keep the adoptees in the loop, it is actually frustrating when there is nothing i could do rather than emailing and calling them, it just is not fair. ( I am saying this based on all the previous google/yelp) reviews i have had, it does seem like this is an recurring problem and there has been nothing done to solve this, just seems suspicious at last. I hope PAWS can improve its communication with prospective adopters. Many people are genuinely trying to provide loving homes for these animals, and applicants deserve timely updates, even if the answer is simply that a cat has already been adopted or that there is a waitlist. Better communication would make the adoption experience much more respectful and transparent for everyone involved.

    PAWS Chicago Adoption Center - animalshelters - Updated August 2026

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