We had a wonderful experience with DCAS. We went to see a dog available for adoption. They arranged…read morefor a meet & greet with our dog. A staff member stayed with us the whole time, helping with the dog introduction and answering our questions. In addition to caring staff, the space is clean inside & out and the dog looked healthy & well cared for. This is a great place and I recommend it without hesitation.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about DuPage County Animal Shelter and the amazing staff who…read morework there. From the moment I walked in, I felt so welcomed and cared for. Everyone at the shelter is kind, compassionate, and truly dedicated to making sure both pets and people are happy. A very special thank you to Dee, who was an absolute blessing. She was so patient, helpful, and understanding...answering every question I had with such care. She went above and beyond by making arrangements with the vet for my two kittens, and I never once felt rushed or overlooked. I adopted two beautiful kittens, and knowing they came from a place filled with so much love and support gives me such peace of mind. It is very clear that everyone at this shelter is passionate about helping animals find safe, happy homes, and about supporting families after adoption as well. I am so grateful for all the services they provide and for the genuine kindness of the staff. Thank you, Dee, Dr. Kristen and thank you DuPage County Animal Shelter, for helping me with my two precious "kids" and for the care you continue to give.

I encourage everyone who is seeking a pet to enrich their lives please adopt from HELP. We…read more adopted our latest pet son in March from Sharon. What a great guy McCoy is. He accepted us quickly and loves our 6 year old golden retriever. He has even softened our senior cat thru his love, pests and great personality. McCoy is a very loving and it is a joy to be a part of his world. The foster parents do a wonderful WONDERFUL job of helping kitties mature. McCoy loves his belly rubs; follows you around, and, absolutely loves to play fetch. He is better at fetch then the dog. He is a real talker so we are brushing up on our Catonian so we can converse. McCoy brings a smile to our faces multiple times a day. Thank you Sharon and HELP for our little gem. I hope that when you are considering a new fur baby addition, you adopt from HELP and also when possible, donate to the cause.

After the recent passing of my beloved dog, I made the decision to find another companion. I found…read morethe most adorable pup who was fostered through H.E.L.P. (Home for Endangered and Lost Pets). I filled out my application and submitted. I was immediately contacted by Erica via email and then again the next day by phone call. During this phone call Erica was quite frazzled, stressed, and stated she's "tired of people, she does this and has a family and job too". She seemed overwhelmed and not happy being a volunteer with so many animals. She proceeded to ask me questions that actually where already on my application, but I happily answered. She called my vet to verify the status of my current dog. There was a mix up in vaccination records, his vaccinations were done somewhere else, so the vet had no record. I was able to clear that up, or at least I was led to believe I cleared it up by Erica. However, while I was being honest, open, and doing what needed to be done to adopt, which entailed a quick vet visit, Erica was not so honest. She had accepted another application, at the same time she was working with me, still leading me to believe this pup would be mine. She didn't disclose this to me at anytime, even though we had numerous texts back and forth. My vet visit was scheduled for 1:00 pm. Erica was informed of this at 8:30 am, and responded with "keep me posted". An hour later I'm told there's another applicant and more texts back and forth. As I'm going to vet appointment, I received another text from Erica coldly stating "Sorry she's adopted you'll find another dog". So, in a matter of 3 hours, the pup I was supposed adopt was adopted by someone else!!?? I will find another dog, but not with this place. Erica has definitely given adopting a rescue a bad reputation.

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've volunteered and they definitely take the health of the animals very seriously. I highly…read morerecommend this shelter!

I really hope the people who run Anderson Humane read this review because I want to plead with them…read moreto give up this insane philosophy of keeping every animal alive no matter what. We adopted our cat 11 years ago from Andersons. She had been born in the shelter and was never adopted (until we took her home). She has extreme anxiety and never socialized in all those 4 years with other cats, nor do I believe humans very much. When we saw here there, sleeping with her chin on her LITTER BOX (which of course cats do not like, to sleep next to their own waste), acting very afraid and skittish. My husband went to pick her up to put her in the carrier and they quickly hustled her away from him, I'm sure because they didn't want us to see her feral behavior. I know you think you're doing a good thing not euthanizing any animals, but let me tell you from what I've observed: there are many things in life worse than death, and living in torment for 4 years is one of them. In addition to this woefully inadequate first 4 years, our cat has developed lifelong Chronic Rhinitis from a virus she picked up in her institutional life. She is 15 now and for about 3 or 4 years she has not played at all from fatigue--I've had older cats that play until they're way older than that, so its not just age. Because of her early institutional life, she is semi-feral--she has NEVER sat on our laps, she is impossible to give medication to, she struggles so severely if she is held, I'm afraid she'll dislocate something. Because of this, the only treatment she can get for her Chronic Rhinitis is antibiotic shots, and they have stopped working. I wish you could hear her struggle to breathe every night through her stuffed up airways. I fear she is in a constant state of agitation and anxiety caused by her breathing difficulty. At the very least she is definitely not living her best life: she should be playing, sitting outside under her favorite bush to watch the birds, and visiting us while we watch a movie at night- none of which she does anymore. This all comes down to your decision that keeping all animals alive at all costs is the best decision. A painless and humane euthanasia is a millions times less cruel and barbaric than insisting that your religious and/or philosophical ideology trumps all other considerations. This cat has suffered a lot because of *you*. If you work at this place, please reconsider your outlook and ideology. Making an animal without a voice suffer for years is sadistic and weird, especially when euthanasia causes no pain or distress. Are you really doing this because its what's best for the animal?

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

To preface this review, I HIGHLY encourage people to adopt from an animal shelter. Over a million…read moredogs and cats are euthanized each year in the US. Many of the adoptable animals are puppies and kittens, and both mixed breeds and purebred animals can be found. There are a ton of rescue groups in the Chicago area that foster animals, so you should be able to find out how the dog/cat interacts in a house, if it is housetrained, good with kids/other dogs/other cats, etc. Petfinder or Petango make it extremely easy to search for animals, and most rescue groups will keep an eye out for you if you prefer a certain breed/type of animal. There shouldn't be any excuses! Please adopt. Obviously I appreciate the work that PACT does. However, I think the organization is very poorly run. Is it because no one is really in charge? Or there are too many volunteers and they are poorly trained? Considering the amount of volunteers they claim to have (over 100, per their website), it seems that the animals are neglected. I adopted my Coonhound from PACT. PACT had pulled her from a kill shelter in southern Illinois and placed her in one of their foster homes. I guess the foster home was unwilling to work with her, and after a month or two she was subsequently returned to live at the Petco. She lived at the Petco for a couple months before I adopted her. She's a difficult dog. I get why someone wouldn't want her. What I DON'T understand is that I saw her intake photos, as well as other photos on the website, and she was sick the entire time. Miserable, actually. I can tell because I know how she is. I understand that it's easy to pass around illnesses in shelters. I'm not blaming them for that. Most of the animals I've adopted in the past have been sick. It's something that, as a potential adopter, you should expect. HOWEVER, I also expect that if the dog regularly sneezes, coughs, and has watery eyes, that someone at the rescue organization should have recognized that the dog is sick. And that at some point over two months, or five months, a veterinarian should take a look at her. OR... perhaps... when I was adopting her, and she wouldn't stop sneezing and coughing, that one of the five volunteers would admit that she MIGHT be sick. I asked them several times, and they said "she's fine." Well, I took her to a vet the next day, and he stressed that she was very obviously sick and that her illness should have been addressed. After lots of love and antibiotics, she was fine. But I would have appreciated if they would have taken care of her to begin with. Maybe she wouldn't have had to go through all that suffering. Not surprisingly, PACT is a much more relaxed rescue organization. They don't do house visits. They may have called one of the references I put on my adoption application. But other than that, I paid my money, filled out an application, and took my dog home in about an hour. I talked to about five volunteers that day. One man, who appeared to be in charge, felt it was necessary to tell me about 8 times not to adopt my dog. He told me that no one at PACT really liked her, and tried to convince me to adopt another dog. I informed him that I've always had hounds, some that were severely abused with extensive behavioral problems, and he still told me not to adopt the dog. He also felt it was necessary to give me a Dogs 101 class before leaving. Yes, I get it. I've already have a dog. But if he felt it was necessary to do this with everyone, he could have talked TO me, not THROUGH me. Also, if I'm prepared to work with the dog, a breed that I'm familiar with, and I've had a ton of experience dealing with behavioral issues, why try to convince me to adopt another dog? It was very frustrating. After taking my dog home, I received a follow up call a couple days later from someone from PACT. I informed them that the dog was severely ill and should have been attended to earlier. I also noted that the dog had significant behavioral issues and asked if PACT or the foster home had been doing anything that had worked. She had (and still does) a great deal of anxiety and paced constantly. It took months to housetrain her. I would walk her in the morning, my husband would take her for a 5 mile run at lunch, we would go to dog park for two hours at night, and then maybe for another 3 mile walk at night. And she would still pace. She also paces after we go 15 miles. PACT called back with no suggestions, again just asking how she was. I was honest, saying she had a lot to work on, and asked again if they could speak with the foster home to see if they knew of anything that had worked with her. Again, they called back with no suggestions. Whoever called me knew nothing about dogs, unfortunately. Ultimately, I ended up with a wonderful dog. She's gone through a ton of training (obedience, and scent, which she loves) and still has a few issues. But I absolutely love her.

PACT humane society doesn't really have a good location, in my honest opinion. It was located in…read morethe areas local Petco. And in that area there isn't much space so when I went there where about three large dogs at the time I met.

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

After reading the reviews online for P.A.W.S., we were very hesitant and waiting to experience some…read moreof the same negative feedback. Especially around customer service, the amount of time it takes to adopt a pet and if the pet was still adoptable once we got through the process. Well, we DIDN'T have ANY of the bad experiences others reported. The customer service upon entry from START to FINISH was OUTSTANDING. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the front desk with excellent customer service. The 'cat' coordinator who took us to the cat section was VERY knowledgeable about the cats and spent an incredible amount of time with us. We didn't feel rushed at all. P.A.W.S followed through with everything they said they would do. The whole process from seeing our little Whisper to picking her up and taking her to her new home was six days (and that's because two of the days we weren't available). The process went very smoothly. They answered our questions in person and returned our phone calls and emails timely. They are very concerned about their pets and the homes their animals are placed in. We feel really honored to house one of the pets from their facility. Thank you P.A.W.S for everything you do for animals!

My wife and I visited the shelter and found a dog we both liked. We were told we had to find out an…read moreapplication. That was fine. We were also told there was no guarantee the dog would still be there. We followed up and called every day and got no information. We were also lied to by the people handling the application. Bottom line is we were given the run around, lied to and then the dog was adopted by someone else. Spare yourself the frustration and heartache! Go to another shelter that treats you with respect!

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.

I should have looked at the reviews before falling for a puppy from Almost Home Foundation. We did…read morethe meet up at Petsmart and fell in love. Our previous adoptions have been meet and take home. We felt nervous leaving the perfect pup behind. I quickly filled out the application and waited for call to set up home visit. After not hearing back in a week, I refilled the application with more information, I sent a personal email and visited another event to talk to someone. Still no word. Then today my heart broke as I received a message that there is an instagram live event with our puppy listed, along with "he's still here". We could have given this puppy a beautiful life. Very sad if working would be the reason he's not home yet.