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!

*update* We highly recommend Wright-way Rescue in Morton…read moreGrove. Amazing, welcoming staff- and we brought home a kitten. They deserve the business! As for Animal Care League- cery disappointed with how my wife and two young daughters were "welcomed" as we inquired about adopting a kitten. We felt dismissed simply being told to fill out paperwork and return later. It's not as if they were busy with other customers as a lot of the volunteers were standing around, simply staring at us as we stood at the counter. It wasn't until we were already out the door that a a volunteer (not the staff person at the desk we spoke to) thought to invite us to their BBQ event later today, which included children's activities. How could you miss on offering that? We would have loved to give a kitten a home, as we had given their thrift shop business and my parents had adopted two dogs from this place over the last couple decades.

I unfortunately had the displeasure of adopting from the Animal Care League in Oak Park. I adopted…read morea dog who had several ongoing health conditions that were evident in his medical history which was not disclosed at the time of adoption. They were informed that I did not have the financial capacity in order to accommodate a dog that would need significant financial commitment beyond standard vet appointments and care. When I took him to the vet, they pointed out several lifelong health issues that were extremely severe and would need hundreds of dollars' worth of treatment monthly. When I looked his past medical history, it seems to have been the shelter was pursuing ongoing treatment of these issues but decided not to inform me although I was very up front with my limitations. Additionally, I only had him for 5 days at the vet clinic they had discovered that he had a severe double ear infection to the point he was bleeding, clearly not something that developed in just a few days. When I adopted him, they told me and my family he was a healthy dog that would need little medical assistance and that he was vet checked which was clearly a lie considering the state we brought him home in. Over the past 5 days we have bonded and he has gotten along with all our family members and even our other dog. I unfortunately, had to surrender him due to the lack of disclosure of information, when I talked to the operations manager the solution she gave me was that she was sorry and that it can be hard to diagnose things. But looking in his medical chart there has been a long-standing issue with this very same problem and was once on the same very expensive medicine that we were expected to put him on. I am hurt that there was little to no resolution other than taking a dog away from a loving family that just didn't have enough money to accommodate to his needs, but also little accountability of their actions. The general manager was largely dismissive, never offered any solutions to me and my visibly extremely upset family. Instead, we left the office in tears with an "I'm sorry that happened". And just to highlight to any prospective adopters from this shelter in their contract it says they are not liable for any misinformation they may give as it may be from third party sources, in other words it is okay for them to misinform and lie to your face. But to leave this review on a more positive note I fortunately was able to treat his double ear infection before surrendering him, he is so deserving of a loving home unfortunately I just cannot afford a dog with such severe medical issues.

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

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!

I'm disappointed with my experience trying to adopt through PAWS…read more I first visited the shelter to meet Neptune, but he was being housed in the stray section rather than the adoptable area because there was no available space. I was told that if I wanted to meet him, I needed to submit an adoption application and schedule an appointment. I submitted my application on June 6 and did everything I was asked to do. Since then, I have called PAWS at least twice a week and sent multiple follow-up emails asking for an update on my application and whether I could schedule a visit with Neptune. I also reached out about two other cats but never received a response regarding them either. I completely understand that PAWS is short-staffed, and I truly appreciate the work they do for the animals. However, communication with prospective adopters is just as important. Even a quick email saying that my application was still being reviewed, that there was a waitlist, or that another adopter was ahead of me would have been appreciated. Instead, after nearly a month of waiting and repeatedly trying to get in touch, on July 2 I finally received a very short email simply stating that Neptune had been adopted. While I'm genuinely happy that he found a home, it was extremely disappointing to spend weeks trying to communicate with no meaningful updates, only to receive a one-line email at the end. Also, I dont understand not trying to maintain a good communication and just keep the adoptees in the loop, it is actually frustrating when there is nothing i could do rather than emailing and calling them, it just is not fair. ( I am saying this based on all the previous google/yelp) reviews i have had, it does seem like this is an recurring problem and there has been nothing done to solve this, just seems suspicious at last. I hope PAWS can improve its communication with prospective adopters. Many people are genuinely trying to provide loving homes for these animals, and applicants deserve timely updates, even if the answer is simply that a cat has already been adopted or that there is a waitlist. Better communication would make the adoption experience much more respectful and transparent for everyone involved.

Kind, caring and wonderful group to have in our neighborhood…read more I've taken feral cats in to them as part of their TNR Wednesdays. They're helping keep the feral cat problem down locally and that's a great thing. Kitties up for adoption were in clean cages and several others simply lounging around, roaming freely. Place has a good vibe. They're definitely busy, tho. It's tough work.

Went here before the holidays to adopt an adorable kitten named Tiger for my 10 year old daughter…read more Within 3 weeks he's at the vet very sick with a blood disease etc. The next day he died. My daughter is very distraught. Never Again