Shelters and Rescue Groups

Looking for a new addition to you family?  There are a wide variety of shelters and rescue groups in the Chicago area, some specializing in specific breeds, ages, or species, while others accept any pet in need.

The Buddy Foundation  Arlington Heights, IL - A no-kill haven for stray, abused and abandoned animals since 1995, The Buddy Foundation is named for a beloved collie of one of the founders.  The Buddy Foundation runs a large no-kill shelter, but pets are placed with foster families whenever possible.  If you're looking for a dog, cat, puppy, or kitten, The Buddy Foundation is a great place to start!

The Catcade - Chicago Cat Cafe, Rescue, and Lounge - A non-profit, arcade-themed cat rescue, lounge, and their version of a cat café established in 2017. Their lounge simulates a home environment. Cats are not kept in cages, instead they get to live in a 600 sq. ft. lounge where guests can pay a small fee to visit the lounge and spend time playing, cuddling, and socializing the rescue cats. Their mission is to rescue cats from life-threatening situations such as under-resourced shelters and to find friendly, quality homes for them through their adoption program.

Young At Heart  - An organization dedicated to saving the lives of senior pets located in Woodstock, IL. Young at Heart mainly rescues senior pets from open-door shelters, reducing the euthanasia rate for adoptable senior pets at area shelters. They also provide community outreach to help keep senior pets out of shelters in the first place, and will give a discount on adoption fees to senior adopters!

Greater Chicago Ferret Association  - An educational, rescue and adoption organization that's been supporting ferret owners as the only not-for-profit, no-kill shelter and club in Chicagoland for the past 30 years. Their goals are to spread the word about keeping ferrets as pets, and to care for neglected, abused and abandoned ferrets. In addition to offering resources and information about the care and needs of the domestic ferret, they shelter hundreds of these energetic, sociable animals each year while looking for loving families to bring them to their forever homes. Why buy when you can adopt and save a life?

House Rabbit Society of Chicago  - An all volunteer, non profit organization dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of domesticated house rabbits in need. They are the first and oldest house rabbit rescue in Illinois, beginning their rescue work in 1989. They aim to not only aid in the care of neglected rabbits and facilitate adoption into caring homes, but to educate the public on the proper care and the needs of house rabbits in the hopes of decreasing the number of unwanted and abandoned buns. 

Critter Corral Guinea Pig Rescue - The Critter Corral was founded in 1999 to find homeless and unwanted guinea pigs new, loving homes. They are run out of private homes and appointments are made for adoptions and visits. To date, Critter Corral has taken in 4500 homeless guinea pigs.

Greater Chicago Cage Bird Society  - A not-for-profit organization established on February 11, 1938. All positions held within the society and rescue operation are on a volunteer basis. The Adoption Program takes in unwanted birds from several different sources and provides for their care at their shelter in Villa Park, Illinois. On top of caring for homeless exotic birds, their mission is to share knowledge of exotic cage birds through open meetings and other educational events.

 Tails Magazine list of Chicagoland Shelters and Rescue Groups and of groups specializing in specific breeds of dogs and cats