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!

If you read nothing else - fostering with New Leash on Life is the best, no-regrets decision I ever…read moremade. If you want more details about how and why I reached this conclusion, read on. I wanted to volunteer with animals, and I was frustrated by the larger organizations extremely limited opportunities and complicated process to volunteer. No, I didn't want to read a 50 page manual and take a test just to clean cages. I wanted to make a big difference in the lives of dogs and help Chicago become a no-kill city. Surely, it couldn't be that hard to find an organization with no red tape and an easy process to volunteer. Enter: New Leash on Life. I found them about 2.5 years ago on this Yelp page with their address listed downtown. I later realized this downtown address was only a PO Box which means NLOL does not have a physical location/adoption center. The implication of this is that all dogs go straight from rescue into foster homes until they find their forever families. This process can take weeks or sometimes months - depending on the dog. Don't let the uncertainty of a timeline deter you - fostering for New Leash is an absolute dream and here are my top three reasons why: 1. Unparalleled people - the nicest and most sincere adoption counselors. They constantly check up on the pups, their progress, and making sure you as a foster have everything you need. Not just via email- typically by text messages which means a quick response time. 2. Super flexible - a. Vacation or trip? No problem! New Leash will work with you and your schedule b. Work long hours? No problem! New Leash can schedule a walker to come during the day 3. And last but not least, THE DOGS. They really know how to pick them. Every dog that I've fostered has been kind hearted, adorable, and an A++ cuddler. Every dog deserves the right to a loving, safe home. Yes fostering is a short term arrangement, but it's a critical piece to helping these pups find their long term forever. Nothing makes me happier than seeing every dog I've fostered thriving in their forever homes. If you're on the fence about fostering, just try it. Anyone who loves dogs can do it and do it successfully. It is an extremely rewarding process and this organization makes it SO easy.

Working with MARS has been a great experience for us! My husband and I searched online for…read moreadoptable puppies, and that's when we found MARS. We found the most adorable puppy, Hannah (now Bailey!), and filled out an application, which was reviewed and approved in a very timely fashion. We were even able to reserve Bailey in advance, which meant we didn't have to worry about missing out on her or something going wrong. Shortly after we were approved, Alex got into contact with me via email (which is great for me!). I asked TONS of questions and wrote a few lengthy emails- All of which Alex responded to usually within a few hours and took the time to go over everything I wanted to know in detail. We weren't getting this kind of attention with other rescues, so it was a great feeling to see how much they care about their animals and finding them good homes! When we went to our adoption event, they offered to stay a day late since we couldn't make it for their original time due to a family wedding. They gave us all of Bailey's medical records and explained everything on there. They made some great recommendations for food, treats, toys, and keeping her healthy. We took Bailey home that day, and couldn't be happier! She's a wonderful pup, and has been a wonderful addition to our family!

MARS went above and beyond to help make my family feel comfortable with our first adoption. Polly,…read moreour puppy, is truly the greatest blessing in our life. MARS provided with us an honest and upfront explanation of Polly's positives and negatives. Together we as a family worked through them. We've kept in touch with MARS as they'll be party of our family forever! I feel so sad for the people writing negative reviews on this website. Your verbal venom will not get you far in life. Think before you speak. Cheers to MARS! You're the best! Hugs! Chelsea, Neil and Polly!

Went through the application process and on that application I stated I had declawed my previous…read morecats in the past. This is something I had no idea could effect the cat negatively. When asked why I had declawed and if I would in the future I responded with "The reason I have for declawing just the front claws is because that is something my family cats always had done and it never seemed to effect them. I'm open to changing my mind about this. I have never seen it cause issues in a cat I've cared for (if done young), but if there is research it does negatively effect them, then I would rethink my decision." That response was meet with a declining of my application and no further communication. I responded twice saying I would respect the policy and not declaw. Still no response. I also called and left a message. No call back, no response. Very unprofessional and disappointing.

I LOVE "Friends" and have them to thank for pulling my sweet little Stella from CACC. She was…read moredropped by her previous family with no info, was scared and sick with kennel cough. I met Stella (formerly known as Camilla) through a friend of mine that has fostered many dogs for Friends. Their volunteers really love animals and give these dogs loving homes while they wait for their "forever home". They also do an excellent job taking care of medical issues prior to adoption. I strongly believe rescuing a dog is best - and I think a foster organization like this can be the best way to find your perfect rescue dog. The foster parents can give you the scoop on the dog's personality and training level. I say thanks everyday for Stella being in my life thanks to Friends!

What an impressive rescue shelter. It was the first stop on our journey to find a new cat. The Tree…read moreHouse staff was extremely friendly and helpful. After reviewing all of the adoptable felines, we fell in love with a small 1 year old cat that they called Toaster. She is perfect. Because of Bissell's Clear Out The Shelters" special (May 1- May 17) adoption fees were reduced from $115 to $70.

This cat cafe was awesome! I love how they let you adopt the cats as well. When we went, there…read moreweren't many cats left so we played with one cat. But this cat was so active and played with us the whole hour and we had a blast. The drinks were also really tasty and they come with the entry fee which is 10 dollars per 30 minuets. I would definitely recommend!

I love Rockstar Pets! My pug Ozzie has been going here for enrichment for about a year now. He is…read morevery well treated; he's eager to go in whenever we walk there and the staff give really nice comments about him and communicate whenever there have been issues (like one time when he hurt his paw a bit.) I also love that when we leave town, we can board Ozzie in the same place he already knows, with the same great people looking after him and also all his pup friends! Also the location is very close to the eastern end of the 606 so it's quite easy to walk/bike to from much of Bucktown/Wicker Park.

Rockstar pets is amazing. They did such a great job training our puppy in puppy training. He loves…read moreit there so much that most days he doesn't want to come home with us. The staff is so knowledgeable and kind. If you're thinking about taking your pet to rockstar pets, do it!

Virtually Home is dedicated to improving the lives of animals in Chicago through rescue, adoption…read moreand education of their human companions. Virtually Home is comprised of a network of dedicated rescuers, volunteers and foster homes. Together they work under a unified mission and fight for the lives of homeless animals in Chicago. Virtually Home's set up is unique in the fact that all of the animals available for adoption are currently living in foster homes. Foster homes make a great scenario for potential adopters to meet & mingle with furry friends. A casual, home-like setting brings out the best in animals for adoption and helps adopters get a true sense of the personality and characteristics of the animal in consideration. I can't say enough great things about this organization. They are very dedicated to adoption and awareness, and work with potential fosters and adopters around all issues. Virtually Home also works closely with other shelters and animal welfare organizations throughout the area!

I recommend against dealing with Virtually Home. I found them to be very uncooperative and…read moredifficult to work with. It's unfortunate.

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.

they take in way more birds than they should. they lack the actual space for the amount(OVER 600…read moreBIRDS IN A STORAGE UNIT) of pigeons they have right now. the majority of the birds reside in non predator proof pens purchased from Amazon. the reason they should be predato proofed is because the amount of wasted feed and grain will attract rats(likely already has) and hi high would be able to chew through the flimsy wire and harm the birds who aren't allowed to perch 4 feet off the filthy floors. several female pigeons forced to lay eggs without nests which is extremely stressful as these are not chickens. pigeons require a semi private nesting space in order to not perpetually keep laying. the food and water containers are open air cat litter boxes which get easily contaminated with feces and require cleaning and refilling more often than standard pigeon/poultry feeders and waterers. The rescue often will put "undesirable" birds that aren't as human social in these pens to LIVE in. Sometimes these birds may not be adopted for months and will be forced to live in these crowded dirty pens longterm. Do Better Great Lakes!!

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!