Top City Animal Shelters in Chicago to Find Your Forever Furriend

Looking for a furry companion to explore the Windy City with? These city animal shelters in Chicago are filled with loyal furriends ready to take on new adventures with you. Rescue, foster, adopt, and make the world a better place with these organizations. Put on your walking shoes and fill your heart with love and fur today!

PAWS Chicago

1997 N. Clybourn Ave., Chicago, IL 60614 

Heavily invested in its adoption, spay/neuter, and many other programs, PAWS Chicago aims to build No-Kill communities, starting with the Windy City. This respect for every animal's life has resulted in over 4,561 adoptions, 16,587 surgeries, 106,221 volunteer hours, and a 98.62% save rate in 2023 alone. It offers a wide variety of adoptable animals, including dogs, cats, and sometimes rabbits and guinea pigs.

Learn more about PAWS Chicago

CACC Adoptable Pets

2741 S. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60608 

A department of the City of Chicago government, CACC Adoptable Pets is dedicated to serving the needs of both animals and the community. They strive to provide safe and compassionate environments for animals while also helping them find their forever homes. In addition, they have several programs, such as the Lost My Pet-Found a Pet, pet adoption, animal intake, and other field services.

Learn more about CACC Adoptable Pets

Chicago Canine Rescue

5272 N. Elston Ave., Chicago, IL 60630 

Saving over 8,000 dogs while finding them forever homes is no small feat. This is what inspires Chicago Canine Rescue to continue giving second chances to animals who would otherwise be euthanized elsewhere. The rescue organization's key functions include rescuing from overcrowded shelters, owner surrenders, and cruelty cases. It also provides medical care, training, and adoption, among other things.

Learn more about Chicago Canine Rescue

Red Door Animal Shelter

2410 W Lunt Ave, Chicago, IL 60645 

Like PAWS Chicago, Red Door Animal Shelter believes that every animal deserves respect. It shows this through education, rescue, sheltering, and adoption. The non-profit, no-kill city shelter focuses on dogs, cats, and rabbits but may occasionally take in stray pet ducks or backyard chickens. It takes pride in providing the animals with a cageless environment, the closest thing to a loving home a shelter can give them.

Learn more about Red Door Animal Shelter

Felines & Canines

6379 N Paulina St, Chicago, IL 60660 

Aiming to end the euthanasia of adoptable cats and dogs through rescue, Felines & Canines also believes rehoming, education, and spay/neuter works are vital. It provides medical and emotional assistance to the animals in its care. One of its key values is embracing and promoting the idea of "forever family." Felines & Canines was founded in 1977 and is one of Chicago's first cage-less, no-kill cat shelters. It has an average of 1,900 adoptions yearly and aims to save an additional 4,000 on an annual basis.

Learn more about Felines & Canines

Waggin' Tails Animal Shelter/Cicero Animal Control

1800 S Laramie Ave, Cicero, IL 60804 

A vital resource for the Cicero community (a suburb of Chicago), Waggin' Tails Animal Shelter/Cicero Animal Control provides shelter, care, and adoption services for animals in need. It is a local animal control agency that ensures the safety and well-being of both pets and the community. It also responds to calls regarding stray animals, animal bites, and other animal-related issues. It offers affordable spay and neuter services and does active community outreach to help control the pet population and reduce the number of unwanted animals.

Learn more about Waggin' Tails Animal Shelter/Cicero Animal Control

Famous Fido Rescue No Kill Advocacy Wellness & Learning Center

3124 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60618 

Another no-kill city animal shelter in Chicago, Famous Fido, rescues dogs from overcrowded shelters, abandonment, and cruelty. It provides medical care, offers behavior training, finds them forever homes, and provides educational programs and workshops for dogs and their hoomans. It works with animal guardians to find alternatives to shelter surrenders, abandonment, and vet care in crisis cases.

Learn more about Famous Fido Rescue No Kill Advocacy Wellness & Learning Center

Furever Rescue

1017 N Riverwalk St, Chicago, IL 60610

A team of women working tirelessly to help animals in need, Furever Rescue gives them a second chance at life, love, and happiness! Its key features include dog rescue, providing necessary medical treatment, vaccinations, spay/neuter services, behavioral training, and adoption. It also provides foster care, relying on its network of foster homes to give the dogs temporary care while they are recovering from surgeries or waiting for their forever homes.

Learn more about Furever Rescue

One Tail at A Time

2144 N Wood St, Chicago, IL 60614

Born in 2008 as an answer to the more than 13,000 animals euthanized in 2007, One Tail at A Time aimed to be a part of the solution and is successfully doing it until now. With 11,320 pets rescued as of today, it has come a long way from being a backup plan for dogs that weren't getting adopted or rescued by other groups and area shelters. It now offers pet food pantries, veterinary support, spay/neuter and vaccine clinics, and the Pet Mutual Aid. This is its program that gives pet owners access to resources they need to keep their pets happy and healthy.

Learn more about One Tail at A Time

Tree House Humane Society

7225 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60645 

Founded in 1971, Tree House Humane Society is a group of volunteers working together to help Chicago's homeless cats. Its mission is to make sure that every cat thrives through its many programs, such as Community Cats Programs, Veterinary Wellness Center, Humane Education, and other resources. These include TNR services, Cats at Work, spay and neuter services, basic wellness offerings, and educational presentations to its community members, among others.

Learn more about Tree House Humane Society

Harmony House For Cats

2914 North Elston Avenue, Chicago, IL 60618 

Chicago's eco-friendly, cage-less, no-kill adoption center, Harmony House For Cats, takes pride in its environmentally friendly building. The cats in its care enjoy natural light and views of the trees and flowers surrounding the building, making it an ideal environment for getting to know your new, purring friend. Harmony House hosts events and fundraisers to help more cats in need.

Learn more about Harmony House For Cats

Animal Welfare League

6224 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60637

Working hard to fulfill its mission, the Animal Welfare League aims to prevent cruelty to animals, provide them with loving homes, and promote respect and compassion for all creatures. Its key feature is its investigations of cases of animal cruelty, neglect, and abandonment. After investigation, it will take the necessary measures to educate the public and contact the proper authorities to assist in the unlawful care of the animal. It also has a program specifically aimed at helping special needs animals.

Learn more about Animal Welfare League