I appreciate the work that animal shelters do, which makes it disappointing to share that our…read moreexperience here fell short. Communication throughout the process was virtually nonexistent, and when we did interact with staff, the tone felt unexpectedly curt. Hoping this feedback can help improve the experience for future adopters and, most importantly, the animals who rely on this shelter.

We found our pup on Pet Finder. We submitted an application to RVAR and within a couple of days we…read moreheard back. Dawn, the Kennel Manager, was very responsive, very professional, and very concern about the welfare of all the pups at their facility. She called our vet and checked up on us, I thought that was great. The place was as clean as you can hope an animal shelter can be. We drove an hour to RVAR in hopes that this cute pup would fit into our family. Dawn brought us into a room and then brought our pup into the room. She sat with us for awhile and watched. Then she gave us as much time as we needed alone with our pup. We absolutely fell in love our new baby. He's the perfect fit for our family and we decided to adopt him. RVAR rescued him, his 2 siblings, and their mom from a kill shelter in Kentucky and we will be forever grateful to RVAR! Dawn took our first family photo and she even checked in with us the next day to see how we were all doing. Thank you Dawn and RVAR..... 5 STARS!!!!

I cannot speak highly enough of this organization. They are a non-profit, no kill shelter for cats…read moreand dogs. I have personally adopted two dogs from HART over the past several years and these animals are two of the kindest, most gentle creatures on the planet. The description of the dogs' struggles and strengths was accurately described by staff. Both were well adjusted and people friendly. The shelter itself is clean and the dogs appear well taken care of. Staff stayed in the room with me as I met the dog to answer questions and to see the relationship between myself and the dogs. The application is available online and it can be pre-approved before you even see a dog. This really cuts down on the disappointment that the dog you were interested in might be adopted by someone else while they determine your suitability. With both dogs, we were sent home with the heartworm medication that had been started at the shelter. For one of my dogs, that was almost three months of medication. My dogs were both fixed and fully vaccinated. They were both chipped. The adoption fee was a little under $200. Some might feel that is a lot for a mutt a few years old. I'm here to tell you I actually wrote a check for my dogs that exceeded the adoption fee because I was so very grateful for the way they run their business. I want HART to continue to have the ability to to flourish and grow. PetSmart sometimes features their animals during their adoption events in store. You can also give donations to HART at PetSmart during some points in the year. Consider supporting them with your donations and adoptions. It is well worth it.

I started shopping here when it became apparent that the GSD just added to our family had…read moreTREMENDOUS food allergies. For nearly 3 years, each of the girls behind the counter (and even the owner herself!) have had endless patience for my questions, and NEVER ONCE gave up in helping me find a solution. It has been a long, sometimes heartbreaking road, but as of today, I say with absolute confidence and a thoroughly grateful heart...my girl looks, feels, and even smells great! Through so many trials (they have a return policy in case the food does not work out), and even an extremely informative foray into homemade foods, these folks have stuck by what is obviously a passionate mission to help you make the best choices for your furry kids ‍ Give them a try! You won't regret it!

This business seems amazing and very knowledgeable. My sibling is a loyal customer. I was thinking…read moreabout switching dog food and had a lot of questions. My sibling recommended that I call Razzle Dazzle. I spoke with the owner, who impressed me with her knowledge on dog food. Unfortunately, I live too far away to buy dog food from her business, but she still took the time to answer my questions and help me out. They have top tier customer service!

We did get Max from TLC in July of 2003. He was a wonderful…read moredog. When he passed in 2016, we adopted our Maggie from Hopeful Tails in Joliet ( 2016). Maggie passed away in September of 2025. God bless her. We adopted Meg at the end of September. She was a surrender. Our win! Meg is adjusting. It takes awhile. Thanks, TLC. Barb Thompson

Our sweet sweet lab Marley had to be rehomed and we were devastated - we saved her from euthanasia…read morea year ago but she was aggressive to our family dog we have had for over 7 years. We couldn't imagine her life continuing in a bedroom all by herself any longer, walking them separately and feeding them separately, etc. it was not the life we imagined for our sweet girl. She was adopted the very next day. Although it still hurts to miss her, she has a better life ahead. We love TLC and we will forever miss you Marley and love you dearly!

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.

Ignore post by Orifice I. I've worked with this shelter and don't believe a word of her review. I'm…read morethe founder of the Northern Illinois Transport Team on Facebook. 5+ years, over 2,000 transports and over 5,000 cats transported to safety. I'm a little more qualified than Orifice (a fitting name) in ascertaining such things!

DO NOT i repeat DO NOT adopt a cat from this "shelter". they will lie and tell you anything they…read morecan to get you to buy a cat. We just purchased a cat from them about 3 weeks ago. They told us the cat was around 2 years old, and had allergies. Long story short and a shit ton in vet bills later.... Shes closer to 4, she has upper AND lower respiratory infection, damaged voice box, double ear infection, and eye infections. We've been through a batch of meds already with no improvement. So, now we're at the point were we have to either put her down, or spent another $1500 on more test to even find out what else is wrong with her. We tried to contact them in regards to this and their only response was pretty much, shes not our problem anymore and all sales are final so we wont take her back.

I adopted 2 domestic black cats: Leo & Midnight. They came as a pair. Background check, application…read moreprocessed, only $60.00 they both were microchip, vaccinated, spayed and neutered, ventinary check up to deem the health. The past 3 months have been fun. Midnight, is female, sits on the top of the living room chair watching out the window. Friendly, lovable, meows for me to pet her; such a stress reliever. Leo, the male, is shy. He will spend most of his time downstairs. The cats are quiet, clean, low-maintenance for the life I live. The animal control personal were very professional. The animals were shown care. I appreciated the genuine attitude the building and staff showed. If interested in a pet give a sheltered animal a chance because animals adopted from shelters typically cost less than ones purchased or even acquired for free--once you add in the cost of vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, microchip, dewormer, and other "tide bits" included in your adoption fee, you'll probably be surprised what a bargain it is to have chosen an adopted pet. Most shelters and rescue groups conduct thorough behavioral analyses of each pet to get a better ideal that they will be the right piece for your family. Schererville Animal Control did this and told me if anything happens to please bring the pets back. I can not recommend to adopt a shelter animal anymore than buying from a pet store etc. Most pets end up homeless through no fault of their own--"moving" and "landlord issues" are the top reasons people give for relinquishing their pets, please check out your local shelter. It was definitely 100% worth it for my children and I.

We recently adopted Rufus (now Riker) and were so happy to see how well he was taken care of--even…read moreif he was only there a few days. Angela scheduled his vet/surgery appointment and we got him over there right after the weekend. We're still working through the introduction to our dog, but are hopeful that they'll be great siblings. :) I know that there are many animals that come through there, and all I have heard are good things about how Schererville AC takes care of the animals and how professional they are with everyone. Keep up the good work!

Largest animal shelter in southwest suburbs adopting thousands of animals a year and helping with…read morelow cost vaccination clinics for the community!

Three months ago, we adopted our second pet from this wonderful facility. The people there truly…read morecare about the animals and are very nice to work with in the process of adoption.

At the request of a friend, I sent this organization a check for a donation. Having heard nothing…read morefrom them to acknowledge the gift, I sent them an email for an update which was ignored. I'd caution anyone to consider donating to Starfish.

After losing a beloved 18 yr old furbaby, I knew I found…read morethe perfect kitty who was outgoing and loved dogs and people. Oreo started out in life with food sensitivities - Starfish gave this cutie top notch vet care and continued with wonderful foster care. I feel blessed to have this spunky silly baby in our household! Thank you Starfish for your wonderful rescue efforts and care to these precious fur babies!

Our experience, and our dogs experiences, have been amazing. K9 always goes above and beyond... the…read moreamazing staff, the training and certification of all staff, the programs and services offered, and how they focus on a safe and engaging environment

I can't say enough good things about K9 Tailshakers in Frankfort!!! They are absolutely…read moreincredible. Every time you walk in the door, you are greeted with a huge smile. Our dog has been boarded there several times and this last time they went above and beyond my expectations. They treated our dog like she was one of their own, went out of their way to make her feel comfortable and not miss home so much. The ENTIRE staff are so great and all deserve a top notch recommendation. The owner Jan, went above and beyond to make our girls stay a happy one. I would HIGHLY recommend this place for daycare/boarding/training, they are the best you will find. Great job K9 Tailshakers, you outdid yourselves. Thank you from the bottom of our heart and Emmie's too!!!! We are so grateful.