In May of 2022 our family was looking to add a young cat to our home. We visited PAWS twice but…read morejust didn't "click" with any of the cats we met at that time. I had 2 friends that had adopted their cats through Precious Pets, so I decided to look into them and I'm so happy I did! I love that they're a foster-based rescue. The application process was lengthy but integral to finding the best fit for our family. I appreciated that they took the time to "vet" us and figure out what would work best for our family. It showed me that they truly care about where their animals go and want the absolute best outcome for them. We were looking for a cat to join our 2 cat, 1 toddler (at the time) home. We went to visit a litter of kittens that were about ready to be adopted out at their foster home. We initially were interested in one of the boys, but one of the girls ended up stealing our hearts at the meet & greet. The foster was able to tell us more about their personalities since she helped raise them, and I really appreciated her insight because it helped us pick the best cat for our family. We needed a gentle and patient cat for our growing family. Sesame came home with us a few weeks later and we just love her so much! She has grown up to be one of the most calm and gentlest cats I've ever met - sweet and curious and sometimes mischievous too. She loves her people & two older cat brothers - we couldn't imagine our lives without her now! I truly believe that Precious Pets giving Sesame a safe and healthy foster home to grow up in helped shape her into the wonderful cat she has become.

I can't believe I'm just posting a review for this amazing adoption group. We adopted our Leon…read more(was Peaches) about five years ago from PPAH. I can't quite remember who helped us but everyone was great! I really appreciate that they take the time to get to know you and know the adoption is right. I can't imagine our lives without our sweet princess.

I have adopted two cats from CARS and they have both been wonderful, healthy, well-adjusted pets…read more The volunteers are so nice and obviously care very much about the animals and where they are placed. Even though the cats spend their days in small cages, there is a revolving cast of volunteers who come into the store daily and make sure the cats get exercised. They also "foster out' cats so that they become socialized and used to living in a home.

We have adopted three cats from this facility. I was also one of the volunteers for a while before…read moregoing back to school, so I have had first-hand experience of how the operation is run. Although it is a small shelter, they're very meticulous and take really good care of the cats. Each feline is "vetted", receives their shots, and is spayed or neutered before being adopted, so all of the medical necessities are included in the adoption "fee" (which makes it quite the bargain). All cats are screened for parasites and other ailments such as FIV and FIP (which is something that many pet stores do not do... a very sad lesson that a friend of mine learned the hard way) and are monitored for a period of time before being made available for adoption. There is a small army of dedicated foster parents and volunteers that care for the cats, making sure they are healthy and their personalities are suitable for being adopted, before they are moved into the "cattery" for viewing and, hopefully, adoption. The cages and litter boxes are cleaned and disinfected several times a week, and the cats are offered lots of time out to play and interact. There is such a sense of security when looking to adopt an animal from C.A.R. because you never have to worry about illness beyond a little winter cold (yep, cats get colds, too!) This is also a no-kill shelter. And unlike some places, you will never find the "it's just a cat" attitude here. The adoption process might seem a bit off-putting for those who are used to pet stores who will sell any animal to literally anyone without question, but C.A.R.'s goal is to make sure that everyone involved... both your family and the cat... will be happy. After all, adopting an animal is a commitment, and fates willing, you will have your pet for many, many years! They're very good about making sure that the cat's personality (shy, dominant, skittish, friendly, etc.) is right for your family and your home (single- or multi-cat home, families with or without children, families with or without dogs, etc.) The comfort, health, and safety of the cat is paramount. As I mentioned, we've adopted three cats from C.A.R. All three have been amazing... 100% litter-trained, healthy as horses, and absolute angels, with completely different personalities! Our lives are so much more complete with our little furbabies, and we really can't thank C.A.R. enough for taking such good care of them while they waited to come home.

Samantha is the best! We've been using her cat sitting services for a few years now and she is…read morealways fantastic. Great and speedy communication, follows all the directions no problem at all, and always texts updates each day she visits.

We had a great experience with Samantha from Furring & Purr. We had a last minute trip and needed…read moresomeone to care for our cats for a few days. One cat needed medication daily. Samantha was quick to respond to our request, came to meet the cats and see everything that needed to be done before we left, sent us detailed updates with pictures and videos daily. She's very friendly and professional. Highly recommend and will be using Furring & Purr again in the future.

There's nothing more terrifying than having to find a new pet sitter. So I am unbelievably lucky…read morethat I came across Fat Cat Pet Sitters. I have an older cat who was taken care of by close friends when we traveled. But when they had their third child, we didn't want to saddle them with our cat. And our cat's terror of vets made boarding out of the question. We saw the ad for Fat Cat in the local village newsletter, interviewed her over the phone and had our new sitter. That was a few years ago now and we could not be happier. Now, even if we're only away for a weekend, we'll have her stop by, and when we get home - short trip or long - our cat is so much more relaxed and we're forgiven for our abandonment much more quickly. Unless you have a cat, you can't really appreciate the power of feline disdain. Of kitty contempt. Having a pet sitter we can trust utterly, who spends time hanging with our senior pet, and who definitely makes a difference we can see when we get home is priceless. And as that goes, price-wise, I'm paying on par with what I paid before I moved here, which is more than reasonable. Don't settle for someone who doesn't come with a pet sitting pedigree: The woman who runs - who is - Fat Cat is insured, she has a long history in the same business in my area, and she has a network of long time sitters she works with for coverage if she's unavailable for any part of our sitting term. And it's rare that she's ever unavailable. In all the years we've worked with Fat Cat, that's only happened once, and the woman who covered did an equally great job with our pet, and she had an equally strong reputation and history. When you're giving someone responsibility for you pet AND access to your home while you're away, trust is the most important factor. Despite being anxious people, we have no reservations about Fat Cat Pet Sitters and only the highest praise.

I got incredibly lucky with Meryl and Fat Cat Pet Sitters. Husband and I were going on a 15 day…read morevacation trip across the Atlantic and the notion of leaving my kitties behind made me feel restless and incredibly uneasy. I wasn't sure what to do. When I found Fat Cat Pet Sitters (pretty close to me) and spoke to Meryl, I just knew I found someone who will look after my furbabies. We talked few times on the phone, arranged a meeting, she came over and we were able to discuss everything and anything. While we were away, she would message me every two, three days about the cats (I have 3), just to let me know what they've been up to, she'll send you photos, bring mail in, play with them little. I was truly able to enjoy my trip knowing she was looking after them. I will be using Meryl in the future when we travel again. You can just tell she loves cats and they love her back :)

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!

These are some of the most caring and intelligent people I have ever worked with in the dog…read morecommunity. They rescue most of the dogs from Animal Care and Control - this is were the city kills more than 18,000 dogs and cats yearly. This is a true Chicago Rescue- You can foster, adopt, volunteer or just help out at events. I have worked with Meredith, Francie, Krista, Linda and Mary Clare- sorry I cannot name everyone who volunteers but I do want to say thank you and recommend you to eveyone who is looking to adopt a dog. This is the right place- check them out- I cannot say enough about them. Pitts Rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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".

I can't say enough about this wonderful animal rescue. Heartbroken after my previous dog died, I…read moreknew I wanted to adopt another. I found a 2 y.o. little black Chihuahua mix here that honestly resembled my late dog, but smaller. Such a cutie! The process went quickly, we were able to meet the pup soon after being approved. A week later, she was on her victory ride home! The facility is spotless. Brightly colored, cheerful and lots of light. We met another dog too - for a li'l playdate to see how my pup is with other dogs. The animals here are all clean and very well cared for. Sure, it's a shelter situation, but they do a really good job of keeping them happy. The staff is utterly great - true dog lovers. They were very detailed with all the info and background they had for my new pup - behavior, quirks, feeding - everything. They love this little dog! Answered all my questions, AND we have a group chat for questions that have come up after she's been home now. The women here were really fantastic, and you can tell they want the pup to go to a home that really works out. Price? Sure, there are adoption fees - this pays for their medical care, microchip, etc. It's a BARGAIN, since these little beasts are priceless for all the happiness they bring to their new owners. We were sent home with food, meds, a leash, tags - everything! Location is GREAT, right next to Sketchbook Brewery in Skokie. Highly recommended - they are just great, and we are so happy with this little pup. We are gonna be great together! She's decompressing nicely and exploring her new neighborhood and home.

Stellar experience at C.A.R.E. Catherine was wonderful to work with. The facility was clean and…read morewell-kept every time I visited. And the animals seemed healthy and well cared for. This is the first time I've brought a shelter animal home without major health issues. After a God-awful experience fostering for a cat shelter on the north side of the city -- which lied to me repeatedly about the foster cat's condition and then heartlessly euthanized her -- C.A.R.E. was 180 degrees different and a breath of fresh air. Often shelter cats are underweight and saddled with at least one type of parasite, despite the shelter's best efforts. That was not the case here; in fact, the cat got a clean bill of health on her first vet trip, which she handled like a pro, leaving a trail of admirers behind her. That said, extra credit to C.A.R.E. for treating the less robust kitties, with cancer and similar illnesses, that other shelters are too cheap to deal with. If you're thinking of adopting or fostering, come meet the animals here.

Evanston Animal Shelter is a top-notch animal shelter that truly cares about rescues. They're…read moreprofessional and conscientious. If something were to happen to me, and with no other options, I have confidence that my beloved dog would be taken care of conscientiously by Evanston Animal Shelter.

I would like to give them one star for ghosting people on phone calls and emails, as I and others…read morehave had happen, but since they do take care of some animals, and I do like animals, I will show them some mercy . Considering that they got over 6 million dollars from the City of Evanston, I am very unhappy with their poor communications and the fact that they are only open to the public for about 2 hours a day. One of the two cats I adopted turned out to have obstructive airway disease and since they were in charge of my two cats for months, one would have thought that would have been disclosed. The medication cost over $2,000 that first year because what was prescribed was not off patent and the cat was too obese to take prednisolone safely. Why was my cat obese? Ask them. Further when I asked if I could donate the huge cat carriers back to them and some food bowls they gave me (since I already had those items) they refused them as if they have all the money in the world to buy new supplies, other shelters would have jumped at the opportunity, a donation in kind of about $100. I applied to volunteer and heard nothing from them for over 2 months after emailing and messaging them following up on my status, to no avail, until I had to actually go in there to find out what was happening. I could go on but in my opinion this is an organization that is not managed well and they could do much more with the funds that they have been given. I'm pretty sure, imho, that they will ask some pals or cronies to add some high star reviews to try to balance out the negative ones, of which there are quite a few, but all I can do is try to get them to get their act together there by posting this. Finally, as to others here saying that some people there are rude, I completely agree. It is not a pleasant experience. If they try to get more taxpayer funding without improvement of their management, I intend to go down to City Hall to cite my many reservations about this organization. Update on 2/18/25: I stand by my review in spite of the response from EAS: To EAS I respond as follows: Unfortunately the cats were obese from a medical standpoint so you may want to consult with a veterinarian on animal obesity. I note that you did not post the photo of one of them I emailed to you after he had some cat nip the first night I got them, but chose the "skinny" video :) so I posted my photo of one of the big boys I adopted. Further, it is my understanding that my cats were elsewhere in foster care under your auspices until they were put into my care as fosters. If you take no responsibility for their care when at foster locations, that could be problematic, especially for them, since you foster out many animals. As to communications issues: I sent an email Sept 8, 2021 asking about a vet. No response to that. I found a vet myself and did not contact you again until early Dec this year when I put in a volunteer application. No response to that. On Jan 7, I sent a followup email asking the status. No response to that. After that I wrote a msg to your Facebook page. A day or two later someone answered and said she would follow up with the dog volunteer area. I waited approximately a week and still had no answer. I wrote again to see if anyone heard from the dog volunteer group, but received no reply. Growing quite annoyed with the runaround, a few days ago I decided to walk over to EAS and find out what was going on, which I did. I told The person there, also the person who did not answer my email of Sept 8, 2021 that I had emailed and messaged and gotten no reply so decided to walk in. He told me I must be mistaken as EAS has no email address posted on its website and was rather brusque (rude, in my perception in addition to being uninformed) gave me no apology and then insisted I must have emailed a vet with a similar practice name to EAS. He subsequently agreed to follow up, nevertheless. Moreover, with regard to my claim of poor communication, there was a post on your facebook page not long ago telling the public that people have been rude to EAS staff/volunteers when they don't get back to them and how they shouldn't be because everyone is so busy( too busy to hire volunteers who might answer phones, I guess.) If EAS cannot acknowledge the problem, it certainly will not be fixed. Re: funding: So it didn't go into your pocket, you say, but why spend 6 million dollars so you can be open approximately 2 hours a day to the public? I certainly hope the number of adoptions skyrocket going forward , you train people not to be rude (as mentioned here and elsewhere in reviews) and you answer communications because certainly the Evanston taxpayers should see something for their generous funding of your large facility.