1. PAWS Chicago Adoption Center

    1. PAWS Chicago Adoption Center

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    Chicago, IL

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    PAWS Chicago Adoption Center

    3.9 (455 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 7:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Services - PAWS Chicago Adoption Center

    Animal shelters

    Pet adoption

    PAWS Chicago Adoption Center Photos

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    Recommended Reviews - PAWS Chicago Adoption Center

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    I went yesterday to adopt a cat. I have been looking for a great fit for quite some time and Scarlett was it! The staff was so helpful in answering my questions and understanding my needs. She is new to the home but she is settling in really well. What a sweet girl! Thank you paws!

    Joe C.

    We checked out this adoption center for the first time. It's a pretty nice facility. Probably one of the nicer ones I've been too. They had kitty city area and a doggy town area. Looks like they just had an adoption event but we still got to meet some sweet fur babies. Definitely check it out if you looking to adopt. Great facility and great informative staff.

    Leang E.

    For Thankful Thursday, I wanted to give a shout out and a heartfelt appreciation for this place. My husband and I often come here to visit and see all the dogs as they just bring joy and smiles to our faces. It was especially a life saver as my husband was dealing with grief over the loss of our dog. He would go every day. The staff is so kind and caring. We also adopted our dog, Colton, after. He has been absolutely amazing and was exactly what we needed. They made the process easy and straightforward. I am so grateful for this place and all the hearts they heal.

    PAWS adoption selfie
    Wilfredo T.

    First of all, most people that are trying to adopt are great but every time I've come in, I've experienced fellow adopters that are NOT nice to the staff. Y'all need to be more gracious and patient. Most of these people are volunteers! Please have some sense of respect! My first experience with PAWS was at an offsite event in Highland Park. Met a cutie but I wasn't quite ready. It only affirmed that I really wanted to adopt. The volunteers were kind to walk me through the process and talk to me about a couple available pets that would be a good match and encouraged me to keep looking. I made it to couple appointments to walk through but every time I wanted one, someone beat me to the punch. I saw Beckett on the site the day before thanksgiving and fell in love. Made an appointment first thing Friday and showed up an hour early. Lucky that I did because there were 3 families waiting to see him. They put us in a room where you have to stay seated while they make the introduction. Then once you decide on a dog, you wait to be walked through their available history and then meet a counselor who shares info about training, vets, and gives your a starter bag of high quality food. For Winston FKA Beckett, the owners decided not to take him back because there were a lot of medical issues he needed financed. PAWS had took him in, helped him recover from pneumonia (or perhaps what seems to be the rumored Dog Covid) and neutered him. After 2 months of antibiotics and monitoring, he fully recovered. They said he wasn't super socialized but was good on walks so they asked me to be cautious about busy areas like high rises or dog parks. After 2 days settling in at home, I took him out to meet family in the burbs and Win is superrrrr well behaved and social. He did so well with meeting the family. Excited to start his training! Thank you to everyone that worked on Black Friday! It was super busy. Thank you to Elaina, Katie, Don, Mya (sp?): Thank you for all the work that you do at PAWS. You're everyday heroes. Follow Winnie's adventures with his dad @wintheportie on IG

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    Page 1 of 12

    Ask the Community - PAWS Chicago Adoption Center

    How long does it take to get a response if you are a fit for the animal? I really really want one of the dogs there, she would be super loved and spoiled in my home!

    Well I got a call on a Tuesday and said that the dog we picked out was adoptable. Tuesday night I went through a 45 minute session on the phone and we picked her up the next day. It really depends on the animals that you pick out. If many people… 

    Do you still have the application form adoption process? I filled in the application in September and now it looks like the process has changed. Do I have to take the compatibility quiz now?

    Hi Yuliia, Thank you for reaching out about our adoption process. We launched our ComPETibility… 

    I'm interested in adopting a dog rather than going to a pet store or a breeder, but was wondering if PAWS has rescued puppies?

    PAWS rescues cats and dogs of all ages! If you go to their website, you can see what dogs are available for adoption right now. When you click on a dog's picture, it will give you information on the dog, including its age. For instance, I recently… 

    Is there parking here?

    Hi Rod, We are located at 1997 N. Clybourn Avenue and there is street parking available all day… 

    View All 7 Questions

    Review Highlights - PAWS Chicago Adoption Center

    The entire process took about two hours and I appreciate that they are so thorough with the adoption process.

    Mentioned in 79 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    New Leash On Life

    New Leash On Life

    4.9
    (44 reviews)

    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.

    Midwest Animal Rescue Service

    Midwest Animal Rescue Service

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    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!

    Friends of  Chicago Animal Care + Control

    Friends of Chicago Animal Care + Control

    4.3
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    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!

    Great Lakes Pigeon Rescue

    Great Lakes Pigeon Rescue

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    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.

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    Chicagoland Bully Breed Rescue

    Chicagoland Bully Breed Rescue

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    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!

    PAWS Chicago Adoption Center - animalshelters - Updated July 2026

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