Chicago Animal Care and Control

I adopted my adorable, sweet little 1 year old cat and I couldn’t be happier with her cute self! 🤍🐱 I went during the free adoption event in December and the adoption process was easy and smooth and the volunteers are very kind and warm! There’s lots of cute kittens and adult cats to choose from. I highly recommend this place!

We adopted the sweetest cat at a special *free* event. The paperwork was easy and straightforward. The matchmaker showed is several choices and was very patient as we kept looking for the right fit. We didn’t leave the shelter with our cat since he needed to be neutered. 3 days later we got a call he would be ready for pick up the next day. Pick up was fast and easy with more kind people. Very good experience. So many pets needing homes and lots of potential adopters. Be patient and look carefully, it’s crowded with animals and humans waiting for the right match and can be overwhelming but it it certainly worth it!

I want to leave an honest and informative review of my recent experience with Chicago Animal Care and Control. I came to CAC searching for my missing Rottweiler after learning she may have been transferred to a rescue organization. While I was there, staff were respectful and assisted me with completing a FOIA request so I could obtain the official records regarding any transfers or placement information. I appreciate the help they provided with that process. At the moment, the situation is still ongoing. The records were requested to determine whether my dog was transferred to Recycled Rotts, which was identified as a possible destination. However, Recycled Rotts has stated that they never received her, so I am still actively trying to determine where she may have gone after leaving CAC. I’m sharing this experience mainly so others understand that if you are trying to track an animal after intake or transfer, requesting records through FOIA can be an important step. It may take persistence and documentation to follow the trail. I’m still hopeful that the records will provide clarity and help me locate my dog. If anyone involved in rescue or transfers has information about a recently transferred Rottweiler matching this situation, I would greatly appreciate any help. Thank you to the CAC staff who assisted with the records request while I continue the search. A302088

I'm the proud owner of Selene adopted 11/16/25 during the free adoption day... she's been cleared as a great cat about 4yrs old with my selected vet.... she has the zoomies up/down the stairs and has never hid or needed to get use to us its already love.. I'm glad I got her and I think she feels the same... got her a box, many toys, treats and attention

I adopted a dog from cacc who had no previous history from a previous owner surrender. Unfortunately he had a serious bite incident and sustained attack that resulted in extreme injury and broke skin in multiple areas. Following my vet’s advice, contacting multiple resources, and several hours thinking about what to do, I made the very difficult decision to return him to the shelter for everyone’s safety. Returning him was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do honestly probably in my whole life. I expected the situation to be handled professionally and with compassion. Instead, I was met with yelling and hostility from staff. Because I disclosed that he had bitten, they refused to bring him inside and shouted at me to leave the dog in the car. I understand they could have been scared, but my dog was literally wagging his tail, showing no signs of aggression. They did not know the context of his aggression so immediately they looked like they were about to be attacked, which I knew he wasn’t. Oh but the big ahh doberman that was barking aggressively gets let in without hesitation right?? Right. Also, I was by myself so I had no help in getting him back into the vehicle bc for obvious reasons he was scared. Being yelled at by multiple strangers and being in an unfamiliar location can do that. You would think people that work with animals would know that right? But one of them had the audacity to say “well HoWd u GeT hiM hERe?” Like bffr rn. Hope she rethinks how she acted. I even heard staff yelling that the dog would be euthanized, it was so emotionless. Then, when I was taking off his harness and setting his belongings down, one of the employees had already taken him back to be euthanized before I could even stand back up and realize he was leaving. I was not given the opportunity to say a final goodbye or give him one last moment of comfort. I ran back to the authorized area to see him, and I was told no and asked to leave. I was clearly upset at the abruptness, I was told, “Oops, you already signed the paperwork.” Again, lack of emotional competence and the whole interaction was just soulless. Of course we had goodbyes at home, in the car, and while we waited. But saying bye for that last time would have meant everything to me. The entire interaction felt harsh, cold, and deeply judgmental. I understand that bite cases are serious and that safety protocols must be followed. However, adopters who are honest about behavioral issues and who are making an incredibly painful, responsible decision deserve compassion and basic respect. So do the animals, regardless of why they are presenting at the intake. I hope this shelter will review how situations like this are handled in the future and look closely at the staff managing intakes. No one returning an animal under these circumstances should leave feeling shamed or further traumatized the way that I did.

Love this place and they have so many animals that need loving homes!! Rescued Jade (white and brown) 9 months ago! She is so sweet and smart!! Very lovable!! 2 weeks ago we decided to get her a sibling, Roxxi has been the best addition to our family!! If i could rescue more i would!! Thank you all for helping us find great fur babies!!

I really hope they can come up with a faster system some day. The intake process takes multiple hours, and you have to wait outside. There was only one worker, and he barely spoke to us, just took our IDs. I'm not from here and was on a time crunch, we didn't have time to wait multiple hours for them to take the stray dog we found. We had to let him go somewhere else. We couldn't bring him into our hotel and there was no one else who could take him. Its absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable that an organization that claims to help animals is only open for a few hours each day and cannot process animals in a timely matter, especially in such a big city. I am beyond enraged. I'm attaching pictures of the dog that we found, we named him Cannoli and spent as much time with him as we could. He's such a sweetheart, and this organization let him down. They are the reason he is still on the streets. In such a big city with so many pets, a system like this is cruel and inexcusable.

I only adopt from HIGH KILL shelters, but CACC has thousands of pets that need to be adopted and they rush them through. There aren't many kittens or cats to choose from. I was told 1 of the 2 I adopted was female and the other male. The 2 I adopted were bonded cats living in a small travel box since October and we're going to be euthanized due to overcrowding. After we adopted them and got them home, they started to sneeze and gag. I took them to the vet and they had an upper respiratory infection they obviously caught at CACC. Thankfully they got antibiotics and are on their way to feeling better. I will never regret adopting from CACC, but I think they should have more animals up for adoption instead of just 5 or 6 and do a better health check on them instead of just giving them a rabies shot. It was a $500 vet bill to clear up the issue.

While staying with a relative on the south side, my daughter and I encountered a very friendly, feral cat, who we fed regularly. Whenever we opened the back door to let our dog out, she would run in to the enclosed porch to look for a dark place to chill. We would escort her out and she would always come back. The next week we noticed whenever we let our dog out, she would always run under the house. One morning when my daughter was out back with our dog, she excitedly came back in and said there were 6 kittens under the house. Ahhhhh!!!! We took care of them for a couple of weeks but knew we couldn't keep them. I found a PAWS location but was referred to animal care and control. When I got there, there were a few people in line. A very brusque and unfriendly security guard immediately took my id and handed me a form to fill out. The wait was long and people had questions for the guard who was behind a locked door, but she quickly and rudely blew them off . This made everyone very angry and uncomfortable. I was told it was a "no kill" facility, but once I got inside, I became uncomfortable. Staff was very no-nonsense and there was a dude in a hazmat suit walking around pushing what looked like a laundry cart. What did that mean? I really don't know. They took the cats, gave them a couple of shots and put them in a cardboard box and sent me on my way. I left feeling kind of sad. And when I talked to a friend later, she informed me they were a "high kill" shelter and when I told her one of the staff members said it was "no kill" she laughed at me. I don't know.

This is a tough place to review since it's not a "typical" service, but I really admire the work CACC does despite being overcrowded and stretched thin. They're doing their best for the animals, and I hope sharing my experience helps anyone considering adopting. We ended up with the sweetest little cat that we absolutely love! We first visited on a Thursday around 4 pm. After waiting about 10 minutes, we filled out a form about what kind of pet we were looking for. About 25 minutes later, a volunteer walked us through the facility. It's clear they're over capacity, there were animals even in the hallways and in the cat rooms the cats are kept in wall cages. You don't get much time to interact, so it's tricky to gauge temperament. We chose a cat we thought seemed sweet. She still needed to be spayed and microchipped, so we couldn't take her home that day. They couldn't give a clear timeline, but by Monday we got the call that her surgery was done. We picked her up Tuesday, which took about an hour of waiting. Adoption fees were completely waived (normally $65, which is already very reasonable), and the cost of her surgery and microchip were covered. Once home, she did come down with a URI, so we had to visit the vet and get her some meds, but she's doing well now. Overall, CACC is a great place to adopt from if you're patient and want to give an animal a second chance. The process isn't super streamlined, but the staff and volunteers clearly care, and you'll be helping an animal in need

I used to volunteer at ACC walking dogs. Made a visit on the last day of "Clear the Shelters" when the adoption fee is waived, to adopt a cat and donate clean towels for cat cages. I searched their website for older cats and ones that were there the longest and had a list of about 8. Three had already been adopted. I was excited to spot "Apache"s name on a card on the wall in the second or third room we visited. He was one whose photo I had saved on my phone but his age was unknown. But we decided to adopt him anyway since he looked so sad and scared in the back of his cage. ACC has made updates and the exterior grounds are well-maintained, but sadly the animal cat cage areas are over crowded and need improvement. Although, the cages were being cleaned while we were there, so many of the litter boxes were overflowing with poo and there was a strong smell of wet urine in the kitten cages. I don't know how often they clean, but I doubt it is every day. Cleanliness is so important to cats so this definitely needs improvement. Some cats were obviously ill and we were told there is only one vet. That is unacceptable for over 300 cats and I don't know how many dogs. They need more staff. We waited 1-1/2 hours from opening at noon for the only cat volunteer that day to arrive. She was helpful but rushed since many people were waiting. I specifically wanted to adopt a cat there to get at least one animal out of ACC since the conditions are not as good as some other shelters. The city needs to provide more funding. We are happy that we are adopting Apache, but now are waiting to pick him up once he is neutered this week. I hope it is soon. Also I do recommend people adopt animals there to help the neediest cats and dogs. The front desk staff was helpful.

I'd never been to CACC before, but I saw a cat on the website that I was interested in, so I decided to stop by the shelter to see if it was still available for adoption. We completed the adoption application and told the staff member or volunteer, Zach, that we were interested in a specific orange kitten. We had provided the intake number assigned to the cat that was posted on the CACC website on the application and showed it to Zach. The cat didn't have a name on the website, so Zach said he didn't know if the cat was still on-site or if he'd been sent to an adoption partner. Zach said most of the kittens are sent out immediately, but there was a slight chance that this kitten could still be at the shelter. Zach said he'd walk us around to see if there were any cats that piqued our interest. The shelter is expansive, but the rooms where the cats are housed are small and cramped. The rooms also smell really bad. I'm sure the staff and volunteers do their best to keep the rooms clean, but the smell is incredibly strong and off-putting. All the cats we saw were adult cats. There were no kittens on the adoption floor whatsoever. Zach was trying his best to sell the adult cats, but we were there for that specific kitten. Before we left, Zach said we could check with the front desk to find out if the kitten we had been interested in was still there at the shelter, so we asked the heavyset Latina seated in front of the computer screen. She just said that the cat was there, but it had been adopted. We didn't believe that was true for one minute, but we didn't argue. She probably just said that because she knew it was a statement that couldn't be refuted. The CACC website still says the kitten is available at the shelter for adoption several hours later. I'm sure shelter staff/volunteers are well-intentioned, but there's a disconnect amongst them that does a disservice to potential adopters and the animals waiting to be adopted. No one should ever go to the shelter and leave feeling as though they wasted their time. Because when that happens, that means the animals suffer. A kitten could have been adopted today and had a loving home. But that didn't happen because the personnel didn't know whether or not the cat was still there or not. In retrospect, I'm glad the kitten we were interested in wasn't there. If shelter personnel can't even accurately track the animals that come in and out of the shelter, then that makes me question everything that occurs there. The medical care could be subpar as well; there's no way of knowing what you could be bringing into your home. I already have a healthy cat, so I wouldn't want to do anything to potentially harm him and/or create an unnecessary vet bill. I'll stick with adopting from suburban shelters instead.

Adoption procedure was clear, with help every step of the way. My wonderful guide, Meera, patiently led me through the cats, was kind and gentle with them (and me!) I brought home a beautiful, healthy adult calico and she is settling in quickly and calmly. I would have gone that day no matter what, but they were having an adoption fair and there was no fee. Couldn't be happier!

This was my first time adopting from CACC. I couldn't recommend this place more. The facility is run by volunteers but they are some of the sweetest and most accommodating people, doing the best with what they have. India and Christian helped me with my adoption of Daredevil, both of them went out of their way to help me and were kind throughout the whole process. Though he was shy at the shelter and overlooked, he's come out of his shell since. Please consider adoption (or volunteering) at CACC!

Hello, to whom it may concern. Today we went into CACC to see UZI a dog we had saw last week. We enjoyed our time with her but she is also sick and needed to cleared then once cleared she will get spayed. So we decided to come back today the 21 to see her. And us being dog lovers we decided to add two others as we have zero commitment with uZI and WHO KNOWS maybe we'd adopt more then one dog. Anyways whoever this lady is should NOT be allowed to volunteer here not longer. Before seeing us she was rude to another family who came in who also wanted to see a dog. As she proceeded to skip them and work with us she reviewed our sheet and stopped us midway down the hall to say "I'm sorry I just find it weird you have a dog on hold and you want to see two more" excuse me? Who the hell are you to say something like that lady and also who are you to limit the love we'd like to share with these lovely animals? Please someone contact me and notify me this has been addressed I've already save Zeus FKA Anthony. This woman does not belong here volunteering. See video for reference. Unfortunately I did not catch the beginning as I was not expecting such intrusion and abrasiveness.

HORRIBLE service from the security guard, ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL needs to hire someone different, she is beyond rude and she lets other cut line, I have proof and took pictures of the incident! I will be escalating this because NO ONE deserves to be treated like this, please open investigation on this women, she is also taking pictures of peoples ID for no reason? She is asking for identification and taking pictures with her persona phone. Please report this women!

Please read this entire post as I know it's long. I came here looking for cats and came across one that was bonded to another. I decided to take both in with the assumption that both were healthy, as that is what they told me when viewing them. They still had to be neutered and they told me it was a long list and to expect a call to pick them up within 4-7 days. They called me the NEXT day saying they were ready and that they do not hold them to observe their behavior after surgery but they were reported to be healthy. I picked them up and the same night it was very clear they were sick with a URI. One was congested while the other was throwing up blood and refusing to eat. When calling the shelter and inquiring they said there's nothing they can do and pointed out if I wanted to surrender them again, I could. I made the heartfelt decision to surrender them back as I did not expect to drop so much money on sick vet fees immediately after receiving them and being told they were perfectly healthy. The surrender process was HORRIBLE. We got there right at open and about 7-8 people were in front of me. They made us wait outside while it was snowing in 20 degree weather for 2 AND A HALF HOURS!!!!! Only for the intake process to take us all of 3 minutes. The intake person was making extremely careless jokes and then went straight into asking if we wanted to kill them. I said they were not sick enough to be put on the kill list and just needed standard medicine. They made it seem like they would look at them and check it out however after checking the website they removed the two cats which means they probably killed them anyways I am heartbroken by this tragedy and the poor animals that come here looking for their forever home and medical help only to be treated like complete garbage. Please look elsewhere for animals: bring your surrenders elsewhere. It's not worth it.

Nice and clean! Great staff! Very affordable to adopt! Went on a Saturday. Didn't have to wait too long!

An unfriendly stray pitbull terrier that looks like it's been involved in dog fighting has been coming on our property for months. Called several times for them to come pick it up. First time they allegedly drove past TWO-WEEKS LATER & reported that "the animal was no longer there." The last time was yesterday when the dog came on the property again & wouldn't go away. The police showed up within 10 minutes in-order to wait until animal control came. I distracted the dog by tossing it treats. This lasted for TWO & A HALF HOURS with animal control not showing up. Eventually I went back inside since I wouldn't feed the dog anymore as it of course would eventually vomit. The dog ended up finally leaving with the police car trailing behind it. 3 hours later I get a call from this place asking if the animal is still here??? It took you 5-1/2 hours to respond to a call about a stray pitbull that was barking aggressively in the background of the call??? They decided to come by anyway. 20 minutes later I see the van driving around the property on the cameras. About an hour after that I see on the neighbors app someone put an alert out saying that there was a stray white & brown pitbull on their property about 2 miles away from us. I assumed it was the same pitbull since these people don't want to do their jobs. Later that night the cameras & motion detectors go off...the PITBULL IS BACK AGAIN! It has come back multiple times after that since now it's expecting to find food. It digs up things, poops in the yard, knocks over stuff, scares the other animals & barks constantly throughout the day/night from wherever it hides when it's not looking for food. It looks like I'm gonna have to spend at least $130 on a trap cage just to capture the dog & hold it until these people come. This is ridiculous.

DO NOT DO BUSINESS HERE. Zero stars if I could. I adopted her Sunday 8/18/24 and had to put her to sleep 2 days later. She didn't eat or drink water, because she had Feline panleukopenia virus. They gave me a sheet telling me she was examined. This pain is indescribable. She was perfect. Sweet forever dreams my little Nova.

Extremely rude customer service. I came ready and able to adopt and left after the poor encounter I had with the female volunteer showing cats. I went in to adopt a cat and was skipped in line by the volunteer showing the animals. When I approached her to let her know she had skipped me she proceeded to ask me for my paperwork and compare the numbers of the person she had skipped me with; my number & time completed on my application came first. She did not apologize but proceeded to talk down to me while I was looking at the cats. She informed me that only the cats w/ a pink slip are available for adoption, so I was looking at a cat info card with a pink slip inside. She proceeded to yell at me and ask what I was doing. When I said I was looking at the info card because the pink slip was there she proceeded to rudely tell me the cat was already adopted. No apology yet again. She proceeded to be disrespectful to me and only treated the family she had skipped me with, with kindness. I walked out as I will not be supporting an establishment like this. Please train your volunteers in customer service and how to respect others.

Extremely rude and unprofessional people. I bring a cat there that was run over by a car and extremely hurt and they yelled at me and told me to get out I needed an appointment. So I was suppose to know this was gonna happen? They wouldn't even give me a box or anything to hold the poor baby they let him just slowly die outside in my arms. Absolutely do not go to them horrible and disrespectful people. That lady at the front the fake security guard was so rude it was disgusting. If she doesn't care about these animals or want anything to do with them then find a new fake security job. Stop eating those Doritos and actually do your job. Acting like that small sip of water was gonna wash all that down. Yea okay biggie cheese muffin

I NEVER WRITE REVIEWS BUT there was a black woman in the front that was being extremely rude making smart comments at us when we were very polite to her.After we confronted her she denied all allegation!!

Had a dog that i was struggling to take care of and was told to bring him here because the person who told me said they did that and they found a better home and brought him here then 2 weeks past i realized i really wanted him and was able to get some to watch him for a lil only to find out in only 2weeks he was put down this the worst place for any animal to they don't really care about the animals at this place its just a regular job for them obviously

I lost my dog on Wednesday night and like any other pet owner was worried sick. I visited ACC the following day and arrived at the time lost dog tours started. They informed me that they no longer offer those and you must set appointment. (I called prior and no answer so it could have saved us a trip). I left and followed their instructions to set an appointment. The response back was unsympathetic and rude. They said they don't offer that anymore and I can check online at photos posted. I understand the employees there may handle a lot of worried dog parent but I was in no way rude or demanding. It would be nice if the employees there can offer more insight on how things are done at ACC. I hope I never have to experience this again as ACC was not helpful. For anyone else in search of their pet good luck and stay positive.

Sadly CACC only gets 2 stars because of the lack of communication via FB and accessibility over the phone. I tried several times within a 72 period to get a short list of female dogs who could be compatible with my pets who were next to be euthanized but no one cared enough to create a list. It was frustrating because I even sent them names of dogs I believed met my criteria but the staff didn't care. Sadly my best guess is many staffers are just killing time or earning community service hours and with all the great volunteers I saw on online videos it didn't translate to customer service. All I needed was a little courtesy and care but the proof was in the Facebook correspondence which included a thumbs up response after I messaged that they lost a customer. I felt ignored by several Facebook admin after being promised such list. I was initially told a list would be created which included female dogs who would be euthanized soon that fit my family's criteria. Instead of empowering staff by allowing employees who don't care to be FB administration they should have include paid staff only to manage their account and not staff unable to communicate well. Sadly I decided to take my business elsewhere to adopt in Aurora, IL at the Aurora Animal Care Control which includes amazing and knowledgeable volunteers. Lastly, the city of Chicago earned these two stars because of housing many animals, all the positive reviews, fans and encouraging Youtube videos. So it's sad to leave this 2 star review but well deserved.

DONT GO HERESlow service. It took forever just to sign up to even get the chance to look at dogs to adopt. The process is weird, you have to go through an online list of dogs available and request to see them.... i'd much rather go into a shelter that allows me to walk around. ALSO... it's very apparent that they sell their dogs of various breeds to either rescues or just elsewhere because there were no other breeds other than pit bulls. I love pitties but if I only wanted to see them, I'd go to a pittie rescue.

I've been a big fan of CACC over the years. I got my first dog there in 1994, and my second in 2002. I went there yesterday looking for a buddy for my dog. The woman at the desk was very nice - told me adoptions this weekend were free, so if I fell for a dog, I should come back Saturday or Sunday. She also wanted to give me a list of other local shelters; I declined, since I'm pretty familiar with the shelters, but it was nice that she offered. Took a look at the dogs, and two absolutely suckered me. One, though, didn't like other dogs (I really like that that info is posted on the cages), and the other was said to not be a big fan of physical contact. (OK for me, but my dog likes to play kind of rough, so that won't work.) On the way out, the woman at the desk suggested I look at Petharbor, make some choices there, and then come back over the weekend. I may just do that. The other nice thing about CACC is, you can't beat the price. On non-free days, their adoption fee is $65 (unchanged since at least 1994). Yes, most of the dogs are bully breeds, but bully dogs get a bad rap. A lot of them, the worst thing they'll do is lick you to death.

I couldn't recommend this place more! I went 4 times and finally adopt my little girl yesterday. The energy here is so positive, very motivated to help us adopt. The dogs are very well treat. I would come back here again.

I had been in a situation before where they were able to shelter my cat for a week there and I was able to pick him up. Me and my family ended up in a shelter two weeks ago and I had no where else to shelter my pet after losing my job and just about everything. Upon dropping our family cat off I was crying and explaining to the staff on shift what was going on. The woman that took him in was very rude and didn't seem to care about anything me and my family were experiencing. I would've gave them my last dollar had I known against my consent that they were just going to give my cat away. They had me sign a form when I was crying and vulnerable the lady said that this is a form that stating he didn't bite or scratch anyone in the last 30 days so I signed. I didn't even get to say goodbye to him. My 2 year old keeps asking for Cubbie and it's so tough already in our situation. I had wrote them 4 emails stating I would be there today to come grab him not even a week later I had even come up with the money to adopt him back but they stated they adopted him out just yesterday within the emails I also stated I don't not consent or surrender my pet cat, Cubbie.I had included in the emails that I know this wasn't a kennel or boarding place but maybe could've sympathized with me and my family's situation. No one seemed to care at all. I can't even give one star for this situation because I'm extremely sad we now have to go on living our lives that me and my children will never see him again. The CACC is a horrible place and I do not recommend. They are lucky if this doesn't turn into a lawsuit. The only reason I'm rating one star is because I have to in order to leave this review..

Slow service. It took forever just to sign up to even get the chance to look at dogs to adopt. The process is weird, you have to go through an online list of dogs available and request to see them.... i'd much rather go into a shelter that allows me to walk around. ALSO... it's very apparent that they sell their dogs of various breeds to either rescues or just elsewhere because there were no other breeds other than pit bulls. I love pitties but if I only wanted to see them, I'd go to a pittie rescue

I adopted my first dog fromCACC and when he passed I donated all of his food, bed, new toys, etc to the shelter. I found a stray a couple of months ago and took him to the shelter, I was interested in adopting her and fill out the form online and have not heard back, phone is never answered, I don't have a car and the shelter is quite away from where I live to just drop by, I wished they would assist more in helping get the overcrowding of the shelter with pit bulls with adoption made easier.

I wanted to adopt a bully breed and knew exactly I wanted her to be calm, friendly, social, highly trainable and affectionate. I'd been in touch with Debbie that also works with Animal Care and Control and she connected me with Sara. Sara was helping me and she was great. She is a volunteer and very dedicated. I looked at a few dogs that had too much energy. Then I looked at Sophia (now I changed her name to Sadie) and she's what I've been seeking. I agree with other comments the energy here is positive. You're saving a life by adopting here. I could definitely see Sadie was well treated. Both Debbie and Sara I'm very thankful for their dedication and efforts. Sally Richards Oak Park homeowner

dog is life dog is love. I really liked Clarence he was so nice, did well with cats and liked our dog too! we will love him alot

Four Years ago (five in May), there was a flyer floating about the neighborhood for "Dogs on Damen" Adoption fair. Coincidentally, I had been begging for a dog for about two years; I was thinking of a smaller lap-dog such as a pug. My guy was thinking of a larger dog, more like a German Shepard. Compromise was reached only when we agreed 1. To select an older (not a puppy) dog if at all possible 2. To attend Dogs on Damen to look at the animals to see if any "chose" us. I was shocked at the volume of animals looking for a home. I was also surprised at the numbers of purebred pets: A litter of apricot pugs were present- yet none seemed interested in me (this was amazing... I had smuggled a pork-chop bone in my handbag for canine olfactory incentive!). Guy saw a prodigiously enormous German Shepard- indifferent to him and any pets he offered. We had resigned to exit. As I reached the gate and turned around, Guy was no longer present?! Bewildered, I wandered the parking lot, wound 'round the tents... lo and behold: He is crouched on the ground, his arms wrapped around the skinny, scarred, shivering form of a dog. And not just any dog, but a substantially-framed Rottweiler. I approach cautiously, a recently-docked tail (just a wee, oscillating stump) wags hesitantly, ears fold back. Two sets of big, pleading, watery eyes (One human, one canine) are staring up at me "Do you want to- walk with her? Do You want to talk about her?" You can't say no to such a desperate, loving image as this. I am doomed. It was love. And like any love, a heck of a lot of work: The rep. told us she was 1 year old. We took her to our vet (the exceptional Dr. Milaknis) he confirmed what we already suspected (and had no objections to) that she was closer to four years old, and had been rescued from dogfighting by the look of her scars. The fee was minimal. The research done on our application was phenomenal and thorough. The eager helpfulness of the shelter rep. welcome on all subjects: food, leashes, even introducing Princess to my elderly cat. So a compromise it was: A big, fat Rottie who wears pink and likes Starbucks! Princess is my baby and my best friend, and while this city service has it's faults- I can't really be too hard on them, highly recommending them if you are in search of a animal companion of your own!

I just adopted my amazing new pup a few days ago and the experience was bittersweet, but let me explain. Prepare for your heart to break a little when you see all of the animals peering up at you through bars saying "pick me!". My boyfriend and I spent the entire day there trying to pick a dog to adopt. The volunteers get 6 stars because they were so amazingly helpful and I give them so much credit for doing all that they do for the animals there. They were extremely knowledgeable and genuinely wanted to help. After going, I really favor adopting an animal from CACC because of the fact that these animals are given "time limits". Don't let them live in a cage just to wait to be euthanized. It was an eye opening experience and we ended up adopting our little bundle of joy, Ollie! And although it was sad being there, it was extremely rewarding knowing that we saved a life = )

My sister was a volunteer here back in 2003 and she somehow convinced me to get a dog. I lived in a condo and wasn't too thrilled with the idea, but it kills me to admit that in this case, my sister was right. She lead me into the adoption area and I was overwhelmed immediately. There were hundreds of cages of poor barking homeless dogs. The selection was overwhelming and I had no idea what I breed I even wanted. My sister, being my sister, had some strong ideas. She lead me to a geriatric Rottweiler who was old enough to be near death. Then she found a Great Dane who was so hyper that all four of his feet left the ground when he jumped up to greet us. Since I lived in an 800 square foot place, he didn't seem like a good fit. Finally, I saw one dog who wasn't barking. He was a weird looking little Labrador mutt and I knew from the second I saw him that he was my dog. Animal Care and Control kept him overnight to neuter him and then he was mine. That little dog has brought so much to my life and I am grateful to this place for introducing us. He's definitely my buddy, and the best $60 I ever spent. I can't imagine getting a dog from anywhere else.

I have to give ACC five stars because I love my dog SO much. We looked around at a lot of shelters and just didn't find the right dog until we stumbled upon our lovable little pup at the pound. It was a very easy process to adopt her (almost TOO easy). It took maybe 20 minutes of waiting after filling out an application and then, basically, someone told us we were approved and minutes later we were out the door with her. As happy as I was about that...I was also a little concerned. Shouldn't there have been more screening involved? But anyway, it all worked out in our case. She did, however, have kennel cough and an ear infection. I think when we took her to the vet right after adopting her, the bill was somewhere around $250 for everything she needed. But, the adoption fee at ACC is only $65 (which includes spay/neuter, city dog license and shots) so it was really no big deal. But I guess this place will always have a special place in my heart because it's where we found our dog, and I absolutely love the shit out of her!

I've heard that they don't have enough volunteers to get every dog outside everyday :( We adopted both of our puppies from here. We had checked out PAWS and a few other shelters but we just didn't find a good fit for us. Someone at Paws suggested that we go to Chicago animal care and control (they actually get a lot of their pets from them) We fell in love with Mollie right away! (Perfect little angel at the shelter who is now a terrorist in our home. We think she tricked us just to get out of there, but we still love her just the same.) We filled out a form, sat down and talked to one of their staff and picked her up the next day! Sometimes they can go straight home with you but she had to be spayed. It was so easy, cheap ($60), and rewarding that we went back a couple weeks later and adopted Elliot. The staff was great in waiting for us to bring back Mollie to let the two dogs meet and play in their outside space.

The volunteers at this place get 5 stars. There are not enough of them, but the ones that are there are completely helpful. The establishment gets 1 star because it's so sad... Dogs bathing in their feces because they can't go out often enough. Two months ago, I bought my boyfriend's birthday present (3 months early)... A Catahoula Leopard Cur / Lab mix. Despite the fact that my Welsh Corgi was current on all of his shots, he ended up catching pneumonia from the new pup resulting in around $1,000 in vet bills for the both of them. So, we certainly ended up paying more than we had anticipated! Regardless of what had happened, my boyfriend is completely in love with his new pup and my dog loves having someone to play tug of war and romp around with. We couldn't have picked out a better dog.

I stopped in to look for a missing outdoor cat from my neighborhood. The thought was he may have been picked up or caught by a TNR trap somewhere in the area. The girl at the check in seemed like she was in over her head even though her job is to check IDs and hand out visitor badges. Not sure if she was a volunteer or a city employee. I am going with city employee since all the volunteers seem really happy to be there. I was told to sit in the waiting room to be called what I wasn't hold is that they have tours every 30 to 45 minutes. The place is clean and huge and just sitting there I witnessed more than a few people just turning in animals that they didn't want anymore. Those people should never be allowed to own another animal but that is a whole different subject. The woman that took us on the cat your was very friendly and took us room to room looking for our lost cats. There are lots of animals that need to be adopted but all the volunteers seem happy to be there and taking care of the animals. I didnt find my cat and I wish I had time to volunteer but I am glad there are places like this that take care of lost or rejected animals.

Unacceptable. A cat adopted from this place after being neutered died 5 days later! Come to find out a mutual friend said the same thing happened to a dog adopted out! This place needs to be investigated!! These poor animals! Something needs to be done to help these poor animals that cannot speak for themselves!!!

I was walking home and found a beautiful ragdoll cat that was in a bush. The cat appeared to be lost and afraid but was friendly. When I checked the collar it did not have a name tag. I called animal control to inform them that I found a lost cat. I was told by the operator that there was nothing they could do to help the cat. They even asked me what I was planning to do with the cat. As a cat owner I was very upset and even saddened by their inability to help the cat find its home.

People have to understand that Chicago is a BIG city, and they're not able to take in EVERY pet , but when they do take a pet in, they try to use the resources given to try and give that pet a comfortable temporary home. The amount of animals taken in outnumber its staff, so you have to understand that you have to be patient as they are trying to manage to take out every pet they have for a walk or playtime. I'm satisfied with what I saw going on in the facility after I went to pick up my lost dog which fortunately I was able to retrieve without hassle. I got a quick response via email when I found out my dog was here, keep in mind the amount of animals they're trying to manage at a time, so be patient, don't be ignorant. Front desk takes care of walk ins so that is why it's best to email them if you are trying to get your animal back or with any other concerns. Overall I'm satisfied with the service provided to me.

My neighbor had taken her 2 dogs to a friend's house and she went on vacation and her friend lost one of her dogs. I went there the Monday before (without contact prior) they told me to check the system on their computer and he was not there. On Friday someone found him and took him there. I received news he was there from Facebook, but it was too late to go. I tried emailing them, but they just said the owner had to email them, she didn't know how to and had problems. I tried to recontact them no avail. I finally decided to go there Sunday because that was his last day there and they helped me even if I didn't have an appointment. I'm so happy they were able to find him and take good care of him.

This worst shelter I have ever been to. I had received a cat in 2006 from this place with my same home address and he died from kidney failure in nov of 2018. I tried to adopt a cat from here and they wouldnt let me take him home because apartment office said we cant have dogs and my lease never mentioned cats. A woman with a nasty attitude was very rude to me for no reason. You should want people to adopt the cats since you do put them to sleep

CACC has none of the glitz and financial resources of other local shelters. This city-owned facility does what it does best... rescue animals. I brought several bags stuffed with old towels, bathmats and dishrags to the center and was warmly thanked for the effort. The animals appreciate the extra cush in their cages from your old towel, so do yourself (and them) a favor and think of donating your old things. I felt great about it.

If a pure bred dog comes to this facility a citizen has absolutely no chance of adopting. The pure breds are held for rescues that end up charging anywhere from $300 to $800 to adopt a dog. Unethical and inappropriate adoptions. The only dogs available to citizens for adoption are mixed breeds with pitbull blood lines.

My boyfriend and I did one of those open house days here where you can volunteer to walk dogs and show them off to prospective families. There's a short orientation before you begin then you get to spend the rest of the day frolicking with cute dogs. BEST DATE EVER, PEOPLE!!! And nothing beats the feeling of helping a dog find a home. One caveat: You will fall in love with at least one of these mutts. Not so good when you're not allowed to have dogs in your apartment but still TOTALLY worth it.

I'm amused by some of the reviews on here talking about how CACC isn't as "attractive" or "comfortable" as other shelters. Of course it's not - it's an underfunded department run by the city. It doesn't have the luxury of having generous benefactors that some of the other shelters do. The people who run the CACC do a good job with what resources they have. They face a huge task of being ground zero for tens of thousands of unwanted, stray, lost, pets in the city. CACC is open 365 days a year and doesn't reufuse intakes (unlike another "prettier" shelter I know). They don't get to pick and choose which dogs/cats they takes - they take them all. CACC is understaffed - which is what makes the volunteers who give their time there so important. The volunteers are the animals life line - they exercise them, socialize them, show them to potential adopters. If there aren't volunteers on a given day the animals can't go outside, can't get exercise, can't get shown or adopted. How sad is that. I've volunteered for some other shelters and there have been occassions where there were so many of us - we just stood around and stared at each other. That won't be the case here. If you're looking for a volunteer experience where you will be busy, involved & engaged - please consider CACC. You will make a huge difference in the lives of the animals in their care. I adopted my dog from CACC 5 years ago. I'm so thankful to the one volunteer working in the dog area that day who was able to show him to me. It was a rainy, cold day but we hung out in the dog runs outside for a while and then she let us hang out on our own inside while she ran to help some other adopters. Had she not been volunteering her time, I may not have found my best friend in the world.

Animal Care and Control gets a bad rap for being a huge city-run shelter. However, for the massive amount of animals they get coming through annually (about 36,000+ dogs, cats, and exotics like rabbits and birds), they do a pretty good job! I volunteered here a few times and while it may seem "depressing" to folks to visit, it's a great place to find a dog or cat. They have something like 500 animals at any given time, so you're bound to find the breed, size, age, or temperament that you want. When you adopt from here, you save a life from being put to sleep. The animals have limited amounts of time to be adopted. They provide amazing, discounted services too, such as low-cost euthanasia for ailing pets, low-cost spay/neuter surgeries for something like $60 (consider that most vets charge at least $200 for that!), vaccines, microchippings, etc. They also do educational outreach for schools. All in all, it's a massive facility run by the city of Chicago but they do a swell job rescuing animals from abuse and off the streets. Come find your new best friend today!

We adopted Ella (the beautiful girl in my profile pic) at Animal Care and Control when we first moved to the city. It was heart breaking to see how many dogs were available for adoption, but we were ultimately very happy when we were able to take Ella home. While we were waiting for Ella to be brought out to us, after her quick bath and check up, we watched the man at the front desk turn away a known dog-fighter who was trying to "adopt". We also watched him confront a woman who carried in a dog by the scruff of his neck because she didn't want him anymore. He lectured her on her poor treatment of the animal and quickly scooped the puppy up and took him away from her. I was very glad to see that he cared about the animals as much as we did! If you're looking for a dog (or cat), please consider adopting here before ever buying from a pet store! The puppies go quickly, so if you're looking for puppies, it's best to get there right when they open.

Listen, I love my new kitty and I'm ecstatic to have adopted him from the Chicago Animal Center on Western. I've adopted animals before, I loooooooooove animals, and I know what to expect. So... to the short, bald African American man in charge of adoption applications - why did you have to be such a DICK to me. I'm adopting an animal, willing to take on a life long companion, care and love it, watch after it, etc. I love animals - so whats your problem? You were so rude to my boyfriend and I. I take adoption very seriously! The volunteers were GREAT! But you were horrible. I have waited a year and a half to even think abut getting a new pet. This wasn't on a whim or anything... and I know you have to safeguard the pets for their own safety - you have to be strict and careful about rules ad regulations - I get that. You DO NOT have to talk to my boyfriend the way you did or talk to me like I knew nothing. Thanks for giving us our cat (honestly, sincerely) but you need to check your friggin' attitude at the door.

NB: I stopped volunteering here spring 2010. Because of this, my info might not be 100% current anymore. I feel my reviews are probably still worth reading, so I'll keep it + the updates up. Just keep in mind it's not the most current info anymore. CURRENT HOURS as of 2/10: OK so now they are open for stray and owned animal surrenders 7 days a week, and lost pet tours 7 days a week, but ADOPTIONS ONLY 5 DAYS a week Wed through Sunday. Adoption hours are 4-7 Wed-Fri BUT the -7 part is verrrrry misleading. Pls. read carefully. You must pick an animal and request an adoption application before they stop taking applications which is usually 6pm but sometimes earlier if they are very backed up. Sat and Sunday for adoptions it's 12-3pm and 4-7pm. If it's a special adoption event, or some other times they keep going between 3-4pm. Lost pet tours: First one is at 12:15pm, 1:15pm, 2:15pm, (no 3:15pm) 4:15pm, 5:15pm, 6:15pm. Lost pet tours are for cats and dogs, and are 7 days a week. If you arrive too late for the last one you are out of luck, so arrive early. You must bring a photo ID (of you) to get into the building, and a form of payment to redeem your animal, as there will be fees. If he/she is current on rabies shots and/or city dog license, bring proof to lower your fees. Now in order to volunteer there you need to fill out a volunteer app, sign a waiver, go and get fingerprinted, and even let them input your social security number into their confidential fingerprint program so they can do a complete background check. I hope the place still gets enough dedicated volunteers despite the requirements. This is the neediest animal place in the city, and the largest open admission shelter in the midwest. Feel free to message me if you have questions. So far I've been volunteering there for I think 3 1/2 yrs but I may have lost count.

I have visited CACC 5 times in the past year. On several occasions, I visited the cats in the Adoption Room. At one point, I pulled some kittens for a Rescue, which allowed me to visit the back areas of the shelter, not a site for the timid as there are hundreds of cats back there, who are all gorgeous as many are mixes with unique markings. I have also visited the Adoption Room for dogs, and it smelled a bit. Most of my knowledge is about cats. Let me tell you that this is not a PAWS or Treehouse location! They are the main drop-off point for people who relinquish their pets in Chicago. So it they take in 20,000 cats per year, that is about 50 cats per day. Some get transferred to rescues, PAWS, treehouse, etc, but euthanasia is common if they place gets overcrowded or there is evidence of disease spreading due to crowded conditions! If you have a heart, and want to save a pet (esp. a cat) from being killed, I'd suggest taking one from the Adoption room. These cats come with paperwork regarding their FIV/FeLV status, and have been given a distemper & rabies vaccination, as well as a dewormer. They are all fixed, so for $65, it's a deal. And taking one cat will allow them to move another cat from the back to the Adoption Area. The cat I adopted had an Upper Respiratory Infection that was easily treated with L-Lysine and , of course, she was isolated from my other cats until she got over it.

I started volunteering here a few weeks ago, and I am so glad I do. True, it may not be as "posh" as some of the other shelters in town, but I don't think there is any other shelter in Chicago that needs as much help as CACC. With the volume of animals that come through their doors and the lack of financial resources, volunteers are absolutely necessary! I cannot stress enough that if you are looking for a beautiful dog, cat or bunny - come here. The animals are the most loving little creatures that need a little TLC and a good home. The CACC will give all vaccinations, neuter/spay, and deworm all before adoption, all for a minimal fee of $65. Plus you get the satisfaction of knowing YOU made a HUGE difference in the life of a pet that may otherwise not have been given a chance! BECOME A HERO TO A HOMELESS PET!! http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/IL132.html Edited to add: There are FREE obedience classes for anyone that adopts a dog at CACC!

This place needs help and so do the animals. However, they do a great job with what they have. I have adopted both of my dogs from here, and I have had 2 great experiences! I feel as though I can't walk out of here without a new dog : ) My jaw hit the floor when the volunteer told me it was $65 which INCLUDED: up-to-date vaccinations, spay/nudering, and a microchip. This is better then most shelters who ask for $250+. What's sad and overwhelming is walking into a room full of animals who were unwanted and abused. Keep in mind this is a kill shelter and the clock is ticking. These animals NEED homes and a great family.