On March 22nd my family and I adopted are puppy from this organization in an event in Westchester…read moreIL. On that Sunday we drove home a complete family now with Kia Torres now part of it. You would guess at this point it a happy ending while driving into the sunset. But, It wasn't. Day 1 Sunday. The first time we saw him go #2 it was notice that the stool was soft. But he seem able to function well. Day 2 Monday. His stool went from soft to fluid like, so we call Mag Mutts for guidance and they recommend that we take him to the care center in Elmhurst. So we made the appointment for the next day. At this point he's now showing sign of discomfort from the diarrhea. Day 3 Tuesday. His health check appointment, they prescribed de-worming medication and medication for the diarrhea. He was also tested for the Parvo virus and the results to the test were negative. When we got home he was active, but still had diarrhea. Day 4 Wednesday. He was having his best day yet, but still had diarrhea. Day 5 Thursday. He stops eating and drinking water. We called both the organization and the clinic. They said to bring in on Friday. His condition was start to become concerning. Day 6 Friday. I got up at 5am to start my day and noticed my daughter caring for Kia, he seem not as active and was showing signs of fatigue. I called the organization for guidance due to the clinic doesn't open till 8am and it was only 7am at that time. His health went from bad to worse. I then received a text message telling me to take him to the ER hospital in Oakbrook. While on are way to the ER he died in my daughter's arms. I tried CPR while my wife continued to drive. Upon are arrival to the ER the staff only could confirm Kia Torres had passed away. What I did include in the above time-line is all the attention, care, and love we gave him while with us. We are devastated, with it only being the first night without him, it was very difficult for us all. What hurts the most is that he was only 8 weeks old and had so much ahead of him. Are heartache is extremely deep with emotions pull8ng in all directions So the purpose of this review is to ask everyone that is concedering adoption to seek out the knowledge before adopting. Why? Because my Kia died from Pravo virus. The veterinarians told us that he had all the symptoms and that test test result were likely "false positive" both at the ER and clinic. As for feedback to the organization I'm sure your doing the best, but this type of experience and review is an indicator that improvements are needed. A refund was issue and was used to cover the cremation. But not any amount is enough to ease are pain and experience going through this ordeal. In closing I would like for whomever reads this review to say a little prayer to our baby boy Kia Torres. We love you and will miss you dearly Kia. Rest in peace

I adopted my dog from them almost 7 years ago. I also helped out by fostering a few times. I can…read moretell you this organization and these volunteers really care about the dogs andare truly doing the best that they can.

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 donated to them for years and believe in their mission. I used to see the ladies and some…read moreanimals at the Pet Supplies in Elmwood Park.

Catvando and founder Ellen are wonderful! Catvando is about love for animals, cats specifically,…read moreand total dedication for their wellbeing. Ellen wears all the hats and does the best! It would be great if she had more volunteers so Ellen can keep helping & take in more cats and get more adopted. I met Ellen after someone highly recommended Catvando on Facebook for cat trap rental. Ellen gave me a quick training for best practices for catching a cat. Then after I caught my scared and homeless neighborhood cats (4 cuties) she had a very economical spay and neuter w vaccination process that saved me lot of money vs. taking them to our vet. I was able to get couple of these cats adopted by friend's of my friends which was a win win for all!! Anyway, because of Catvando and Ellen I was able to save four cats in two months that are in good homes! Overall, I love to but can't list everything great about Catvando and Ellen or else this posting would be endless! Please join Ellen and be a volunteer, please, to save more cats; I did!

Improve based on review. Bigger portions. Upgrade your food and portions. Price are ok but not for…read morewhat you are giving

I'm surprised not to find Second Chance on Yelp! We adopted our two girls from them and they were…read moreextremely diligent on following up for confirmation of spaying (which is so crucial) and the foster homes they use for their animals are top notch (my sister in law is neighbors with one so I've witnessed first hand). I couldn't be happier with Second Chance and highly recommend anyone looking to adopt a cat (they occasionally have dogs but not on the norm) contact them.

They have a survey questionnaire for interested adapters. However, the wording in the questionnaire…read moreis very questionably worded so to speak. It asks what options for clawing are you interested in? I took this to mean these were the options that they had available for adoption, but really it was a trick question meant to completely deny your application. So for any future would be adapters this location will immediately deny your application if you check any of the declawing options. I want to reiterate that I don't declaw my cats and never have, but I have adopted cats that were declawed by previous owners as well as cats that have never been declawed. To anyone who makes it this far and is still looking to adopt a cat or any pet, I suggest that you go to the city Pound. They are far more invested in getting those pets a home because the ones that don't find a home will be euthanized.

2.5 out of 5 Really…read moregreat website with great information about the cats and adoption form. Our first visit was great and we loved meeting the cats and getting information about them. When it came to adoption time we felt like the choice was made, but we felt really unsupported in our choice by the staff when we expressed concerns about the cat we chose. He was clearly not healthy and we made a point to say something and were immediately dismissed. After coming home we were contacted about how the cat was doing and after expressing concerns we were told to not worry, although the behaviors of the cat were VERY worrisome to us. We were told to come back the next day if the behaviors continued, but were met with discouraging manners and very off putting attitudes toward us. We only wanted to make sure the cat was getting the veterinary care it deserved and was heathy but we felt as though WE were the problem for caring too much and were dismissed again. We even called the hotline that we were explicitly told would have multiple people that would answer. We left a voicemail Friday night and no response at all. When we dropped off the cat to the location they called the number and immediately got an answer from them. That shows how much they don't care about the cat's health or the people adopting.

I have been volunteering here for about 2 years. The cats and kittens are sooo cute! I am truly a…read morecat person. We take our time when we adopt our felines, at least 2 visits before the process can be done. Hopefully we will move to a new building soon.

We just came from Pet Supplies Plus with a backseat full of donations. We could not have given…read morethem to a kinder or more appreciative recipient. When I pass, I would like to leave a large enough part of my inheritance for them to acquire new facilities.

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.

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

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.