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The Anti-Cruelty Society
Rating Details »
Categories: Animal Shelters, Veterinarians, Pet Stores [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Near North Side, River North510 N La Salle Dr
(between Grand Ave & Illinois St)
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 644-8338
Bark in the Park
Mark your calendars for Bark in the Park on Saturday, May 1st. For more info visit http://www.barkinthepa... or email events@anticruelty.org.
- Nearest Transit:
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Merchandise Mart (Purple Express, Brown)
Grand (Red)
Clark/Lake (Pink, Brown, Green, Blue, Purple Express, Orange)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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148 reviews for The Anti-Cruelty Society
I've read some of the negative reviews and I have to respectfully disagree with the complaints.
1. For the girl complaining about people not helping her when she stood in front of a cage for 10 minutes, um, this isn't the Gap and you aren't looking to try on pants. They aren't going to keep coming up to you and asking if you need a different size.
2. For the person who says not to bring your pets there, if you are talking about bringing your pet in to turn the pet over, then you obviously aren't the greatest owner to be taking in your 'pet' to a kill shelter. If you are talking about the services, well, you get what you pay for. This is like complaining about the wait staff at a soup kitchen.
3. For the guy who was mad about the introduction of his mini dog with another one...you guys went to a pet store? WTF? That tells me that ACS did the right thing as clearly your roommate just wanted what he wanted, now. That's not the way to adopt a pet.
People, this is a non profit organization. They aren't there to cater to your needs. They are there to help and save animals. And as far as their kill policy goes, I wasn't a huge fan for years because of their policy on bully breeds, but now they have their bully buddies program.
It is their job to screen people and use caution in adopting out - let's remember that most of these animals are there as owner give ups. So they are just trying to make sure that they are adopting out the animals to loving homes - who won't be bringing them back!
For the person who wished they would have reviewed her application before she fell in love with a cat, that's too bad as you sound like a good owner. But from a practical standpoint, it would be ridiculous to screen people before they even meet any animals. It would be a huge waste of their time and resources spent on many people who may not even adopt. Again, it's about the animals, not the humans.
Indeed a kill shelter is a horrible concept, but it's not their fault. It's the fault of backyard breeders, people who don't get their animals spayed or neutered, and people who go and BUY pets from a store when everyone knows those are the worst perpetrators of puppy mills and abuse.
All this said, I have adopted from here and my experiences with the staff were pleasant. They are volunteers. I don't expect to be catered to, and I applaud the people in there volunteering their time. I went in a few times, and couldn't decide on who the newest addition to our family should be. Finally, I went in, close to closing time, and asked which cat had been there the longest and continually was passed over. They led me to a 7 or 8 year old kitty diluted tortie named Olivia. They took her out, handed her to me (after I'd washed my hands and sat down). I rubbed her against my husband and watched for sneezing, and then said we wanted to adopt her. They put her back in the cage and I filled out the paperwork. We had our meeting with the adoption counselor and I found it to be thorough. We left with our little bundle of joy and that was 5 years ago. I realized after getting her home why she was passed over all of the time - wicked breath - which was remedied with some attention to her teeth (almost all of them ended up coming out!). Olivia has been the most wonderful pet and is the most friendly and personable cat I have ever owned.
My point in all of this is that there are procedures. That is how things are able to run efficiently. I recently took a rescue dog in to be spayed and was amazed at the line outside of the building to pick her up. At first I was a little annoyed that I couldn't just show up at my leisure and pick her up, but considering it was free (she was a pit bull) I'm not complaining. Again, it's not like picking up your pet from a private vet's office. They have to have run it kind of military style to be able to accomplish all that they do each and every day.
Bottom line, if you want a pet and you feel you can give a pet a loving home, go in there, follow their rules and see if you click with an animal. Your adoption process isn't supposed to be the warm and fuzzy part - adopting the animal who will give you unconditional love is the warm and fuzzy part. Thank you ACS for all of the good work you do. And thank you for bringing Olivia into our lives (Olivia thanks you too because she's got a pretty cushy life!).
Yeah, giving five stars to a kill shelter kind of hurts. Anti-Cruelty does kick ass though.
I would highly recommend their dog training classes. Granted I've only been to one out of the seven I will attend so it is kind of early to give a review. But they really helped me with tips on how to train my dog. He already knows a lot of commands but this really helped me not only get into the dog mindset but also basics for training him that teach you how to bring training into any situation, daily life. You need the base, especially in my situation where my dog already knows how to sit, etc but I don't know the process of how he learned these things.
They also have collars that I have never heard of before. I am definitely buying one from them. If you put a harness and this special collar on your dog, he is escape proof.
We went on a long walk after class in River North. I didn't realize that they locked the garage up though! My car is there if it isn't towed. Sadness, don't leave your car there after class for an hour. But we walked around the building after that trying to see if anyone was still there. I looked in their windows and the little doggies all sleeping in their doggie cell cages looked like little angels, it was so cute. Please go adopt one!
It only costs $80 to adopt, you save a life, get a friend for life and they do shots and spay and neuter all dogs. It is a steal!
Comment from Dr. Robyn B. of
The Anti-Cruelty Society
10/20/2009
Thank you for the nice yelp and for the giving Buttons…
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I have attended some of their events and classes and they are a lot of fun and educational too. My dog loved the canine massage class and I plan to sign up for Pet First Aid and a training class as well. Their store may be small and not many people know about it, but it is a great deal for crates (only $50!) and the dog toys are cheap too!
The staff members are always very helpful and truly care about the best interest of the animals. I love their Bully Buddies program which gives all the cute pit bulls a chance to find the perfect home. As soon as I am ready to adopt another furry friend it will be from Anti-Cruelty.
We adopted our cat from Anti-Cruelty & we took our puppy to training at Anti-Cruelty.
Highly recommend Anti-Cruelty
So, I can definitely see how people can get really frustrated, offended and generally disillusioned when adopting a pet from the ACS. They are a great organization with a very noble mission but they must see some real crazies at this place -- which has lead to some even crazier policies and volunteers.
We adopted our newest family member, Sushi, a three month old black and white female kitten from here in late September. I went on a Friday afternoon just after work and I highly recommend it at that time -- the place was relatively empty and I think that helped our experience along. Remember to bring a letter from your landlord and your process will go much smoother. Actually, generally reading their guidelines on their website will give you some good background info on what to bring/be prepared for and your experience will be much more pleasant. We were given the third degree, but it wasn't that bad.
As for the kennel cough/ill kitty issue, we must have lucked out because Sushi is as healthy as can be after her first vet visit and we couldn't be happier. The fee was only $60 and we were given LOTS of advice on how to handle her. If you're a first time pet owner I definitely recommend ACS.
I'd been on the search for a cat for a good few months, had stopped in here a couple times before and never had a bad experience (or a good one for that matter), just couldn't find the cat for me yet. Stopped in here unplanned yesterday, noticed they had many little kitties I was interested in. There were 4 workers where the cats were and two groups of people and myself in there. First thing that happened, I reached for one of the cards that said things about the kittens as there were more than one in the plastic hangy thing, I instantly got yelled at by one of the women working there because one of the kittens happen to reach out and touch me. I didn't mind cause I understand why they ask you not touch the cats, but yikes, it's not like I went full force through the cage with my grimy hands trying to pet a kitty.
Next, I asked to see one, barked at to wash my hands, which was fine, like I said, I understand how they want to not spread germs. The kitten was nice, but all over the place. I understand because they had been locked in the cage for lord knows how long, but again, yelled at because apparently I wasn't holding the kitten right .....
I started to get a bit agitated as I felt like a child being there even though I am almost 23 years old. I finally found a cat that got my hopes up when it came to adopting, I stood there staring through the cage for a good 10 minutes, making eye contact with all the workers who kept walking past me, none of them saying a word to me. Finally, I spoke up and said something to one lady, she told me she couldn't help cause she was feeding the cats. Then one of the other ladies walks over and tells the lady she's helping that she should hold this cat that I have been standing there looking at for 10 minutes! I flat out told the lady that I had been standing there waiting for someone to help me and she was polite and understood. The lady even told the lady working there that I wanted to see the cat and I was still ignored!
Finally, someone else comes out that I hadn't seen walking around and I asked the lady if I could see the kitten, she let me hold him. I held him for a few minutes and then I asked the lady what I needed for the adoption, as I had fallen in love with this kitty. She rudely handed me a piece of paper and walked away, not even saying a word to me, even though no one else was in there to be helped and there were 4 of them working there. The other lady (the nice one) came back and I told her I wanted to fill out the application to see if I could bring the little dude home.
I got the application and went to the waiting room to fill it out. I got down there and needed to blow my nose, so I went to the bathroom FIRST thing when I got down there. I came back out, filled out my application and noticed that I was the only person left in the waiting room. I asked someone if they could see what was going on because it was almost 4:30, which they stop accepting applications at that time. He said he'd see what was going on.
Then I met BIRTHA, who I see other people haven't had such good experiences with. She acted as if I was an idiot and told me that it was my fault that I wasn't called. Um, ok, so you give people an average of 1 minute to fill out a two sided paper? awesome! She took me into this room and started looking over my application. She was so rude to me. She asked me where I worked, I told her Caribou Coffee, she asked me what I do there and I said I was a barista, she was like "..well what IS that?" with a rude attitude. She then proceeded to ask me who I lived with, I said a roommate and she asked me all of my roommates information, as if that was even applicable? I'm adopting the cat, not the person I live with. I understand if you want to know their name but you don't need to know where they work and what they do. She was even rude to my landlord and couldn't get her name right even though it's clearly written on the application and it isn't a hard name (Lisa).
The only reason I am giving two stars is because the girl who helped me after I got approved, I think her name was Lilly, was extremely nice and super excited that I was adopting the kitten. She was the only positive thing besides actually getting my new little baby. All in all, it was a bad experience, but that shouldn't stop you from adopting a pet there, as it's not the pets fault. But be warned, you most likely will not have a pleasant experience, especially if you're on the younger side.
The only thing that would take away one star is that it's kind of wild and insane in there on the weekends, and it can feel like pressure to find something quick... but luckily they make you spend a long time with potential animals, so you are less likely to take someone home without properly determining if they're a good match...
Otherwise, they do a surprisingly thorough job of analyzing each dog (I've never adopted a cat from here), and counseling potential adopters without seeming over-protective or judgmental. I only say "surprisingly" because they have such high-volume that I'm impressed with their ability to do a great job matching people with animals...
On our second visit to ACS, there was a new big litter of shepherd mix puppies taking most of the attention from everyone else. We found Chauncey in between all the puppies, sitting quietly but alert in a sea of barking maniacs. His card said he was 2.5-3 years old, so he probably got overlooked. But, he still looks like a puppy, and is already potty trained, so we win!
We took out another terrier-type dog first; he was cute but kind of manic and not interested in us at all. Once we discovered Chauncey and took him out into the courtyard, it was obvious that he was our new family member. He was interested in other dogs and people and toys, but kept coming back to cuddle and kiss our faces.
Once the courtyard-play-date and counseling session were over, we had to leave him to get neutered and get some dew claws removed. The next morning, we came and picked up our new doggie, and were given basic instructions on after care (don't let the animal chew the bandages? HA!).
Ok, I guess the courtyard could stand to be cleaned a little more often, there was a lot of poo and pee out there, but I'm not taking any more stars away.
We saved Chauncey's life, which makes us feel like heroes, and we have a sweet and loyal companion now, thanks to the great work of ACS.
DON'T TAKE YOUR LOVED ONE HERE! I REPEAT DO NOT! I applaud the effort, but they are overcrowded, under staffed and under funded, therefore the care and concern for your pet's well being is lacking BIG TIME!!!! NEVER WILL I RETURN NO MATTER WHAT!!! They are rude too!! ANd treat your pets like crap! NOT TO MENTION THEY ARE A KILL SHELTER... GO OVER TO PAWS IN LINCOLN PARK! however, the animals do not deserve to suffer because the facility and its staff are shitty! SO PLEASE DO ADOPT THERE SO THAT THE POOR ANIMALS AREN'T KILLED!!! ESPECIALLY THE PIT BULLS SINCE THEY HAVE THE BULLY BUDDIES PROGRAM... SHOW THE POOR AND UNFORTUNATE BREED THAT THERE ARE CARING AND LOVING HUMANS IN THIS WORLD!!!
Life is full of unexpected decisions and occurrences. That's why they call it life. Yesterday evening "life" happened to us.
We were proud parents of Barnabee until our baby decided to leave us and go to a better place called heaven. He was the best child one could ever have. The husband did not get over his death for a long time. We baby sat friend's dogs, volunteered at shelters etc., but we never considering adopting another child again. You see, we were NOT looking for a replacement for our beloved Barnabee. That's not what pets are for. They are like children, you adopt one when you are ready, and know you can provide for them... not just because you need to replace a dead one.
We live a couple of blocks from here. We walk by ACS almost every other day. We look at the dogs staring at us from their cages. During the last weekend we had a discussion about adopting another child. We finally felt like we are ready to provide a loving home again. Yesterday evening we walked into ACS. We walked out with Ballou, our child.
The staff at ACS were helpful for the most part. ACS offers a wide variety of services. Your child comes neutered, vaccinated, and tested for all worms and diseases. They even gave Ballou a microchip, and his heart worm medication.... and he has only been there 4 days before we picked him up. The staff sent us home with a bag of food, and his paperwork. Very efficient.
We are now proud parents of Ballou. He is still adjusting to his new home (gosh, it hasn't even been 24 hours and he likes to cuddle with us on the couch), but I have a feeling he will learn to love and trust us... just like we will. We have already made changes to our crazy lifestyle because of him. We are training him to get used to our traveling. First step, he is coming with us to Fire Island this weekend. He can be equally gay with his two daddies... or not.
I think he understands that he has two daddies, unlike a traditional family. This morning when the husband said "now, white daddy has to go to work... brown daddy will take you out", he looked at the husband as if he understands. Either that or he is thinking "oh gawd, why did I end up with two crazy homos?"
Thanks ACS, for bringing more love into our life.
P.S. We gave him the name Ballou, after our driver who took us to see giant fruit bats in the Sri Lankan jungle. It was one of the best experiences in our life. Ballou's ears are snipped, and they kinda look like bat ears.
I had a cat fixed here at the low cost clinic. They also provided updated shots for a small fee. The costs were extremely reasonable and they did not hold the cat overnight. My cat healed without any problems and they used the stitches that disintegrate and thus another trip to the vet for removal was unnecessary.
I can't give them 5 stars because it took 4 rounds of leaving a message on their voicemail and finally one call in to the operator to get a call back about an appointment date. They were very backed up and could not see us for a month and a half. We did it anyway, because the price was right, but if you are in a hurry you might need to find somewhere else.
If money is holding you back from getting your furry friend from getting spayed or neutered, you have no excuse. The Anti-Cruelty society offers the lowest rates around. True it does require some patience when scheduling an appointment. You are required to leave a message and they will call you back within 48 hours to schedule the appointment. I had to call twice because my first message never prompted a return phone call. But I am the pro-active type, so don't be discouraged if you don't hear from them right away, just make sure to followup.
Also I have had great experiences adopting pets here too. We got a dog and a cat and the adoption process was smooth and easy. If you are considering of adding another member to your family come here first. Give a friendly critter the opportunity for a new and happy life. They will love you unconditionally in return!
One of cats passed away 3 months ago. My wife and son were both ready to adopt another feline. After viewing the cats for adoption on the local websites (acs, paws, evanston animal shelter). I met my family at the ACS. The volunteers in the cat area were very pleasant and helpful. We decided on an older cat (5 yrs) as the older the cat is, the less of a chance they have to get adopted. We then filled out our application and went for our interview. The interview was more like a Saturday Night live skit. Our interviewer was so wrapped up in the world of cats, I think she forgot that she was a human.
She called up our vet and got some inaccurate information regarding the cat we have now. Rather than ask us about it, she came at us like we were lying and had to diffuse her.
Once we were done with the SNL member, it was all smooth going. We got our big cat home and he's doing well. Out adoption fee was $60 which gave us a bag of Science Diet food and a nice cat carrier.
Should we adopt again, I would once again consider adopting from ACS.
Ok, I know what you're thinking, one star for a non-profit?!?! YES! I am so offended and appalled about what happened to my roommates there as they were the ones going to go get our second pooch to love that giving them one star seems generous.
A little bit of background.....I have a miniature chihuahua who has not been around many other dogs, but after a short period warms up quickly. My roommates and I have been wanting to get him a friend (not to mention the fact they wanted a dog to officlally call their own). Well after going and selecting a sweet young guy named newton, the application process began. One of the policies is to have a meet and greet of the two dogs.
First, you would think they would realize that introducing a shy dog to another dog....you might need a neutral enviornment (for example, an area outside that doesn't reek of the thousands of dogs before. Of course, my chihuahua might be scared and overwhelmed when he is bombarded with that many smells! I'd honestly love to see these people's Ethology Degrees that give them the credentials to evaluate animal behavior.
Also, if you are male, you might want to take a woman with you, because they were very rude to my male roommate and would only talk to my female roommate.
I am saddened that they do not realize these things and basically have forced us to purchase a dog from a store because we are not an ideal household according to them. It really makes you wonder if they are looking for the best homes for these dogs, or just watching their bottom line. (If this wasn't Yelp, here is where i'd insert a four letter word + the Anti-Cruelty Society).
GO TO PAWS INSTEAD! Or here's a thought, look in the paper for a family looking for a home for their dog (there's a lot of people out there right now with this recession who simply can't afford to provide for these pets).
Sure it took a month before I was able to actually book an appointment for my puppy to get neutered at ACS's clinic and another two months before he would go in, but their low prices are not at all a reflection of quality if you think the two should relate directly. I'd called a number of different vets before getting in touch with ACS, all of which varied when asked about their neutering prices from $90 to $400 -- obviously a matter of discretion. Everything went smoothly and the employees were great at the Anti-Cruelty Society.
I've also been frequenting the adoption center here and the volunteers are always friendly and helpful.
Great services they provide to the animals looking for homes, families who want them, and families who have pets with training/vet needs!
I went with my boyfriend on Sunday. We are both lifelong dog owners who haven't owned dogs in 5 years because of college and leases that didn't allow pets. But we want a furever friend and so we went to look around. We really liked both a Jack Russel Terrier and a Chihuahua/Beagle mix. Both were "Experienced Dog Owners Only" but we didn't think this would be a problem, as combined, we had owned dogs around 35 years! Well, the woman takes us into a room and is incredibly condescending. She seems to really love animals, but she acted like a know it all, which is off-putting. She grilled us. And when things seem so obvious (What do you do if your dog starts digging? Tell him "no") she acted like it was the most complicated thing ever.
Then she said she would need to go get the dog's file to think it over. She comes back and says no, we can't have either of those dogs, "because you might have kids one day" (side note: neither of the dogs were aggressive or mean - just hyper). So she suggests we get another dog. Well, by the time we had been run through the gamut of applying, waiting, and being interviewed, adoption hours were over.
But the woman says "let me go see what we have upstairs." and goes to find a puggle that she thinks would be a good fit. Instead, she brings down a Westie. The dog is bright and friendly and we think she'd be a great addition to our home. The woman says "You're lucky, we never put dogs on hold, but we'll hold her for you guys." She gives me her card and says to call back after 3 on Monday.
Monday rolls around, I call back at 3:05. No answer. I leave a message. I call back at 4 and 5.
Tuesday, I call at 12, leave a message, and then again at , 2, 3, and 5. My boyfriend calls and instead of dialing her extension, asks for her. They say she is out sick. He explains the situation to them, and asks if they know when the dog will be available for pick up. They say they have no idea what he's talking about.
Wednesday, I call her direct at 12. No answer. So I call back and ask what small dogs they have available. They say none. My boyfriend calls to see what small dogs they have available. They say one - a Jack Russel Terrier (the one we TRIED to adopt in the first place!). Around 5, I call again to see if they have any small dogs available, they say no.
Thursday - by this point, my boyfriend and I are both calling in 2 hour intervals to see if they have any small dogs available. This is getting ridiculous. I understand the need for a thorough inspection by a vet, but this is crazy. That poor dog has a loving, welcoming home waiting on her and instead she's locked up in a cage at a shelter! If they haven't put her down (after reading through other reviews, this is now a HUGE concern of mine!).
Bottom line: two experienced dog owners are still waiting on a four legged addition to their home.
My husband and I adopted our new kitty here in June after our beloved 13 year old cat passed away.
We visited a few other shelters in the city and the suburbs, but they were either dirty, run by strange characters, or had weird rules, the most annoying of which is the rule that you "have to adopt cats two at a time." We knew that just having one cat to spoil was right for us, so those places were immediately out of the running. I mean, honestly, they would rather have the cats not be adopted than to be adopted alone? Stupid.
We were pleasantly surprised with the Anti-Cruelty Society. I think it's cool that there is a cat room where the cats can run around or look out the window. I think that also serves to get people in the door.. if you see a cute kitten in the window, you're more likely to go in! The shelter is very clean, and the animals are well taken care of. The staff was friendly and seemed to genuinely care about the animals. Taking the cats out of their cage and letting the customers hold them is encouraged.. at other shelters we couldn't even find anyone around to help us. The staff was not pushy although they are there when you hold the cat and say things like "He really likes you" and things like that. But that just makes me think they really care about the animal being adopted.
Anyway, once you choose your pet, you are asked to fill out a questionnaire and then interviewed. I think it's a pretty good process, definitely would weed out anyone with bad intentions or who would not make good pet owners. The adoption fee was only $60 and included my cat's neutering, microchip, rabies shots and tags. What a small price to pay for a new best friend!
It's been 2 months and we absolutely adore our cat. Sterling is playful, healthy, energetic, and happy.
Thanks ACS!
Looking for a feline friend for my 5 year old cat Anouk I checked out a few places. I was drawn to the Anti-Cruelty-Society because they claim to be a no-kill-shelter (even though I now know that they are a not-very-often kill shelter).
My first time I went on a Saturday. Big mistake. The place was packed with kids and their parents and every young, healthy cat seemed to have a sticker "Adoption in process" on their cage. I left, sad that I couldn't get a cat that day.
A few days later I had lunch downtown with some friends (it was a Wednesday) and I decided on a whim to walk over the Anti-Cruelty-Society.
And that's when I met my little Penelope and fell in love.
Books on cats always tell you to adopt the most active cat. Active=Healthy. Well, little Penny (whose name was then still Robyn which is also cute but just not quite right) was not the most active cat. In fact she was probably the most mellow 10 week old kitten I have ever seen. My cat Anouk is also a mellow, lazy cat, so I thought they'd be perfect for each other.
Anyway, it took me about 20 seconds to decide that I wanted to adopt the little kitten. The whole process took about an hour.
You get a 2 page "exam" about what you would do in which situation. I had cats all my life so this was no problem for me. Since I had decided on a whim to go to the shelter that day I did not have all the vet info for my first cat on me. At first the woman I had the interview seemed kind of strict but one of the questions was "If you move, what do you do with your cat" - well - my cat moved with me from the Netherlands - just a few month before. I had to get a lot of shots and a plane ticket (cats count as an "extra-bag") but I would never leave my kitty. After the examiner-woman saw that she really warmed up to me and I was immediately allowed to adopt little Penelope without even having to show all the forms. I do know that this is not common process and that I got lucky there.
Unfortunately Penny got Upper Respiratory Infection, two days after I adopted her. The shelter had warned me that this might happen and I had done my research and got her some antibiotics from a nearby vet. A few days later though she stopped eating. Luckily the Anti-Cruelty-Society has a program where they treat animals for free if they get sick within two weeks after adopting them.
I talked to one of their doctors - Dr. Dent and he asked me to bring her in. She had to stay in the hospital for about a week but the vets and helpers from the Anti-Cruelty-Society took fantastic care of her. Dr. Dent called me every day to give me an update on how she was doing.
I have had her back for a week now and she is pretty much healthy again (except the occasional sneeze). She is also much livelier than she had been before.
5 stars for pairing me up with an amazing, lovely, sweet kitten and for the great doctors of the clinic who took such great care of my cat.
But if you can - don't go on the weekends! You'll save yourself hours of waiting time!
I brought my two pups to get neutered here last month. I had to make reservations 3 months in advance, so make sure you call as soon as you decide to get your pets neutered (please neuter/spay your pets- it's the best thing you can do to prevent animal cruetly!!!) They are very busy, especially since the neutering/spaying is relatively inexpensive. Everything went well and my dogs are great now.
My complaint: While we were waiting for the place to open, we were in the area by the elevator and this lady comes in to water the plants. My dogs barked at her and ran towards her, but they were both on leases so they didn't even get that close to her. She screamed at my dogs and then yelled at my mother and me. She had complained to the doctors there when she saw us in the waiting room about 15 minutes later. The doctor told her to relax, especially since the dogs didn't do anything but bark at her, and she was kind of annoyed because the place was super busy, so she was kind of snappy at me. So the entire day I was worried if something might "accidentally" go wrong with my dogs because of this incident. I don't understand how they could possibly hire someone who reacts this way to dogs!
So despite this one person and waiting for three months, I recommend their spaying/neutering clinic.
I was so impressed with ACS. I went with a very good friend to help her pick out a dog a couple days ago.
Upon entering the dog room, I noticed most of the cages were empty. I was disappointed there wasn't a bigger selection of puppies, but I was happier there weren't more sad, little faces that needed adoption! My friend checked out a few of the dogs and instantly fell in love with an 8 month old, female lab mix. We got to take her out in the yard and check out her personality. I understand because there are multiple dogs out there, you have to keep them on the leash, but it would have been nice to let her off leash to fully run and play with her. No one rushes you or bothers you while you are spending time with the dog. We must have spent 30 minutes outside with the dog she wanted to adopt.
The whole process with the interview and paperwork took a couple hours, but it was worth it for my friend to get a dog. She gave her new puppy the most bad ass name- Nora Barnacle, after James Joyce's lover.
Some of the staff/volunteers were extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful....others, not so much. Some of the volunteers were kind of rude or short with us when we asked if we could take a dog out. One woman yelled at me for taking a picture of my friend bonding with the new dog outside. I don't see the harm, but whatever...when did everyone get so uptight about cameras?
For a shelter, it is pretty clean and efficient. It smelled a bit in the dog room, but that is to be expected. All the cats had fresh water and wet and dry food. They all had little blankets or pieces of cardboard to hide and play under in their cages. Some of the dogs had toys in their cages and all had fresh water.
I love the open, roam free cat rooms. There are 2 rooms in the front where especially well behaved, calm cats get to lounge cage free. I fell in love with a petite black kitty named Elsie, but don't think I can have one with my pug. He is the king of the house!
I would recommend this place to anyone looking to adopt. It's very affordable and free parking! It's also such a good cause to rescue an animal!
I wish ACS would make you go through the application process BEFORE you choose a pet so you don't fall in love and feel horrible once you get rejected.
I adopted my first cat from ACS over summer and the experience was very positive: the workers were friendly and helpful. Also, even though they couldn't reach our landlord to confirm the building's pet policy (I was still living with my mom), they let us take the cat anyway. My cat, who was formerly a stray, is now cuddly, more obedient and responsive to his name (though he still play-bites). He was also healthy when I adopted him.
This time, though, after I had picked a second cat to adopt as his playmate, they told me I couldn't adopt her. Everything on my application was fine, but the manager said I couldn't adopt her because I took my other cat outside a few times in my backyard for five minutes each (he was on a harness and leash, and he's completely vaccinated and flea-free btw). I told the counselor about the supplies I already gathered for the second cat and how I even set up an extra closet as a "safe room" just for her. She was impressed about everything I had done to prepare for a new cat. Hence my shock at the manager's disapproval.
I thought that was a harsh decision for someone who had everything else fine on the application (they even overlooked the seasonal allergies). But again, if they are so strict about adoptions, why couldn't we just do the application before I choose a cat?
This review is strictly about the Neutering Services, not adoption.
When I took my dog in to get neutered, I had major concerns about the amount of drugs that would be used on my little guy. He was only about 5 lbs. at the time of neutering.
After we got our dog home, he remained heavily sedated for a few hours, I guess that's to be expected.
What I was not expecting was a urinary track infection that caused him to pee (bloody urine) uncontrollably for 24 hours until I could get him in to see my actual vet.
From talking with other people who own the same breed and did not run into this problem after getting their dogs neutered at the vet, I am hesitant to recommend neutering services at the Anti-Cruelty society for dogs under 8lbs.
I'm sure you want to know why I took him there instead of the vet, and it's because my vet actually recommended that I do so.
Just a precaution... my experience doesn't mean a lot of people had this problem. I'm just being honest about my experience there.
EVERYONE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE
I am officially a big fan of the ACS! Last night I gave a second chance to an exceedingly friendly 5-year old cat named Loki. Loki had been given up by his prior owners after 5 years because they supposedly moved to a new apartment that wouldn't accept cats. How sad! How could you give up a member of the family after 5 years? What apartment is that great? But I digress...their loss is my gain.
I'm so happy to have Loki in my family. He's got a beautiful, shiny black coat, friendly eyes, purrs non-stop, and I may be losing it but his meows almost sound like words.
THINGS I LOVED:
-Variety. ACS has BOTH mixed-breeds and purebreds.
-How much the volunteers care. Everyone I worked with knew my cat by name and he was far from being just a number.
-How thorough they were. They took the time to interview me to make sure that I was a suitable owner, gave me tips on caring for Loki, and spent tons of time with me answering all my questions. I never felt rushed at all.
-Free parking. 'nuff said.
-Refund? I had no idea, but they actually will refund your adoption fee (although I'm sure you can decline it) if you take home an animal that is more than 5 years old!
THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE:
-That I couldn't take another one home. :(
I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but PLEASE adopt your next pet! There are so many wonderful pets out there, young and old, purebred and mutt, just waiting for a second chance and a loving home.
I adopted my first dog here, everyone on the staff was helpful and made sure I had what I needed. The adoption fee is reasonable and you get enough stuff to get started as a pet owner included on that price. I definitely would recommend it to friends.
This is where I got my cat Max. I came in at 4:30 on a Sunday, and walked out at 5:15 (after their close), with my cat, which they gave me a nice big carrier for.
The paperwork process was easy and the interview was very no pressure. If I were getting a cat again, I'd definitely come back here.
AACS has been around enough to give me lots of childhood memories of great dogs we have had. Currently I have a dog from ACS (Buddy, 11 y, beagle/spaniel). We adopted him at the age of 10 months. He is a good boy. Thanks ACS.
I adopted a ten week old kitten from here, and I found this place to be great. I was able to play with the kitten as long as I wanted before I decided to bring her home. I appreciated that the volunteers didn't hover over me. The girl who helped me with the interview process was friendly, thorough and answered all my questions.
When I brought her home, she did have an upper respiratory infection, eye infection and ear infection...which is why they are knocked down to 4 stars. It is nice that they offer a 14 day period in which you can bring your animal back for any necessary treatment. I ended up just taking her to my own vet, but they are probably good.
Overall, I'm pleased. I love my little Kira!
Added 3/17: you can look at my profile for a pic of adorable Kira.
I'm really scared. I just got a cat. I'm more scared for the cat than for me.... I'm more of a dog person, but I like cats alright and I don't have enough time for dogs. So the BF and I met up at ACS yesterday to check out the kitties. Lo and behold, there was a furry monster nudging up against the bars of the cage, beckoning me with his wide, curious eyes.
Name: Squirrel (aptly named)
Age: 10-12 mos (still unclear)
Reason he was there: the family had become allergic.
So we let him out and let him explore. He nuzzled, let me brush him..he even wore my purse (le chat noir from paris, fortuitous, no?). He shed like crazy, understandably due to the stressful environment. But other than he was sweet, pretty and a total lap cat. I was sold.
The ACS asked me some thorough questions per the grumblings/laudings of other reviewers, but it wasn't anything too bad. Then again, I do own my place and have never owned a cat, which seemed to be potential trip-ups for others. The only point where I got grumpy was when they asked how long I planned on leaving the cat alone every day. I answered honestly, about 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. They looked at me expectantly, as if I was supposed to apologize for this alone time that I was about to subject my kitty to. I'm sorry, but I have a Real Job in the Financial District that enables me to provide said home for kitty and I. If you have issues with THAT, then you'll never find a decent owner. Anyway, I circumvented the excessive eyebrow-raising by suggesting I get another cat after this one had a chance to adapt, so as to keep it company.
Long story short: I brought proof of ownership of my condo, my passport, and my credit card for the $55 adoption fee. Kitty's getting neutered today (required by ACS, appreciated by me) and I hope to God it doesn't traumatize him too badly. Boyfriend's picking him up at 5...and I'll keep you all abreast of further developments. Wish me luck!
PS: While I do enjoy the name Squirrel: he's going to be named Phelps. Do with that what you will (*cough Brandon, Izzy...*) but he is NOT a butterface. He is, however, a lean, mean, fighting machine and definitely a little hyperactive with an extra long tail. (:
My partner adopted a kitten for me through the Anti-Cruelty Society and I couldn't be more pleased with my overall experience. Oscar wound up getting a pretty moderate upper respiratory infection (URI) while being in the shelter and no one really knew how extensive his illness was at the time I took him home. He was unable to get neutered right away because the shelter noticed he was sniffling and seemed pretty lethargic. I rescheduled the neutering and kept a close eye on my little guy during his first few days at home.
Within the next few days, his energy dropped and his infection became worse (sneezing, mucus coming out of his mouth and eyes and a very inflamed eye). I contacted the shelter and I spoke with Dr. Belding (whom I can't rave ENOUGH about...she's awesome!). She immediately put him on eye ointment. When that didn't help over the next few days, Dr. Belding suggested dropping him off for close monitoring. She kept him 4 days, monitored his progress, injected him with fluids, kept him quarantined with other cats that had developed very extensive URI's and helped him get better.
The entire time she was very attentive, she helped me understand what I needed to do once he came home and has been very flexible with rescheduling his neutering and booster shots.
I had an incredibly positive experience here! I will now urge all friends looking to adopt cats or dogs to try the Anti-Cruelty on for size.
I'll admit, my adoption from here was completely unplanned. One horribly depressing day, I decided that I was going to go by the Anti-Cruelty Society after work and play with kittens. I don't even like cats, but for some reason I felt like kittens would be the only thing to put a smile on my face on that dreadful day.
An hour later I walked out with a rambunctious, adorable black kitten with beautiful green eyes. Shit. Way to impulsively purchase a living creature, Tara. This isn't a pack of gum at the checkout at Dominick's, it's a damn cat!
The next day, Max was vomiting all over my condo and not eating. I called and spoke to someone in the clinic, who suggested that I bring him in. Long story short, Max was kept in the clinic for a little over two weeks. The doctor was very nice, but not good about following up when she said she would. However, when I didn't hear from her, I would call and leave her a message and my call was always returned by the close of business that day.
Friendly people, a great organization and while I still don't like cats, I do like mine.
Only four stars because I have yet to see whether my little feline fella ends up with an upper respiratory tract infection (which they said is likely to happen, they didn't lie...).
I adopted a cute kitten here today. It took me less than an hour. They only needed my Driver's License number, didn't ask for records about my dog, didn't ask for my roommates information, or my fiance's information. They simply believed me when I told them we own our house (cause it's true!).
Yes, there are too many animals there. They do seem very agitated by the high volume of visitors and the tiny space they live in. But, nobody is perfect, especially places that deal with hundreds of homeless animals at any given time.
So far I'm happy...
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Update... Our little kitty ended up developing a nasty URI (Upper Respiratory Infection), which we were fairly warned about. One of the ladies in the adoption area said she'd be more surprised if he DIDN'T get one than if he did. I'm glad she was honest, because it was a little scary.
When kitty started having small amounts of blood coming out of his nose (from all the goopy sneezy yuckiness) I called the ACS clinic, and was promptly called by a vet who suggested we get baby nose drops (Little Noses) and put that up his little honker. Needless to say, after a week of being ill (one of the days he just slept all day with a fever), he's doing great!
For anyone who has a cat with a URI here's my suggestion: Kittens are BABIES, and they need to be babied when they are sick. This is a little over the top (I'm a doula---someone who cares for brand new newborns, so it just came to me!), but I actually carried him in a sling while he had the fever. I also got a baby nasal aspirator and sucked all the gunk out (he wasn't able to breathe out of his nose). Also, the nose drops worked like a charm. I'm convinced he recovered as quickly as he did because of the babying.
We came across an abandoned kitten (~ 6 weeks old) by the side of our garage about a week ago. She was in pretty bad shape and we took her in for a few days and tried to nurse her back to health. Alas, it proved too much, she wouldn't eat, her demeanor was very lethargic and we also found out she had fleas; she looked absolutely horrible.
So, I took her to the AC Society the other day and the gentlemen told me she also looked to have a respiratory infection, along with some other issues. He advised since it wasn't our kitten and we'd only had her a few days, they would have to take her to the city pound. I thought that was unfortunate as I really think someone would have taken her in as she was just a kitten but that's their rule.
Extra star for the type of service A-C Society provides, the general attitudes I encountered from the few people I met were not the greatest tbph.
I got Summer here and she is a great dog. Why all the hate towards Anti-Cruelty? They can't be everything to everybody.
My experience with these folks were awesome. Summer was having stomach problems when I first got her and they gave me free meds to take care of it. The stomach problems came back after the 2 week free meds period and they gave me more meds. Thanks anti-cruelty for Summerooni!
I recently adopted a kitten from Anti-Cruelty and have had a very good experience. The staff was very nice and the adoption process (interview, pick-up, etc.) didn't take too long. My cat caught the kennel cough and had to go back in for a few days for observation and to get started on meds, but the doctor (Dr. Belding) was fantastic. She called every day with an update on him and REALLY seemed to care. Plus I was able to visit with the kitten whenever I wanted. Oh, and even better is that the ACS didn't charge for the kitten's vet care, medication, etc., since he cought the cold from the center.
The downside with ACS is that they do seem a little understaffed and overworked. The phones really are annoying to navigate. But that's it for the negatives...they are really great!!
I adopted my Max 9 years ago. well he adopted me to be honest. I had just got out of a relationship, homesick, and missing my pet back in Michigan and wanted a companion here. I have to be honest here. I am not a cat person, but I wasn't able to have a dog where I lived. So I gave the fur ball section a shot.
I walked in a bit nervous and looking around, my heart was so broken so many were homeless, and yet not one would look at me or pay attention. It was the oddest thing, I turn the corner and I am facing lasalle street top corner top row was Max! all mud, under 4 pounds and over 3 years old. he wouldn't stop crying. clearly the little guy was ill, he had an infection and I looked at the guy and I said this is my cat. He looked at me with shock and said "are you kidding me?" this cat does not shut up! He had only been there for a few days I think. Max cried non-stop the entire time I was there. Starved and an eye infectino and Pneumonia. After the perfect care that we received, I took him home.
anytime I had a question they were there to answer it for me, they knew how sick he was and so they took extra care of my guy. Max finally put weight on and his body evened out. yep. his head was so much larger than his body. My friends would joke he was going to fall over, but everyone to this day falls in love with Max. He is the most loving creature on the planet and to this day has to have his own pillow and blanket and sleep ever so perfectly in my armpit at night. I am so not kidding, the only time I get a good nights sleep is when I travel and he is not with me, but I wouldnt change a thing. :)
Due to a request, I will post his photo tonight when I get home. He is all black and bright green eyes.
To the poster regarding the Malteses, I am so happy you were able to save those dogs that they were going to put down.
Sometimes people make decisions like that because they have to. I will not judge Anti-Cruelty on that one, because I don't know what they are dealing with. The sad fact is that many animals are euthanized every day, all over the country, and there is no stopping it. Maybe ACS had to make the decision that the resources were not available to rehabilitate these older animals. Decisions like that cannot be judged without knowing the entire picture. If anyone is to blame, it would be the persons who gave the dogs up, not the shelter!
I got my darling cat here about 2 years ago and she's honestly better than anything I could have hoped for. You can tell they really care about their animals here and I loved how they make through an interview process so they know they are sending an animal off to a good home. Their prices are amazingly cheap for spay/neutering which is great.
Only downside which I'm not even sure could be fixed is that my cat and everyone else I know who's adopted a cat from them have ended up sick just after adoption. I'm sure there's something in the air there that ends up giving a lot of the animals a respiratory infection of some kind. They do offer a grace period for you to come back to their clinic if the animal does become sick which is exactly what I did. They gave me medicine that got my kitty right back to where should be.
I would definitely adopt from here again.
This is only for the spay/neuter clinic - while we browsed through the animals for adoption, we can't take one home, so I can't comment on that - other than the fact that they all looked healthy, as happy as they could be and in clean cages.
As far as the spay/neuter clinic though, how could you not love a place that neuters your cat for $10, and will microchip him for another $10? Especially when the going rate from most of the vets in this city is $200+!
They handle a lot of pets per day, but have a great system in place and what seems to be a staff full of caring professionals. Everyone we dealt with there was as nice and helpful as could be. I'd take any other pet I ever have there in a heartbeat.
One word of advice though: Call about 4-6 weeks before your pet needs to be fixed - my boyfriend called 2 times and I called once - all 3 times leaving messages. It took about 4 weeks to get a return phone call (just one - to my BF, I still haven't gotten a call), but I can only imagine it's because they provide such a great service they've got a month long list.
SInce they find homes for animals, I can't dislike them too much, but my experience adopting my cat definitely wasn't the best. When I picked out my cat, I noticed that he was sneezing, and the volunteer that was talking to me, told me that it was a sign of an upper respiratory infection, and that almost every cat there gets it since it's in the air, yet all cats get vaccinated for it when they enter the shelter. I was told that he could just have some mild symptoms from the vaccine, and that he could immediately get better as soon as he gets home and isn't exposed to the virus. During the adoption, when going over my application with a volunteer, I was not very happy about the way I was treated. The lady that was interviewing me kept making me feel really bad about my answers, as well as the way the animals at my parents house were being treated, even though they are very well taken care of. She even called my mother and proceeded to tell her what she was doing wrong in terms of care for the cat, which is not the case at all. But with everything she said, I was almost positive she was going to decline my application, and I was on the verge of tears. Surprisingly, I was approved, and immediately took my new cat home. Upon bringing him home, his cold only got worse. I called their vet, as I was covered for 15 days of free vet care, but was not given any comforting news, because it's a virus and there isn't anything they could do about it. So my poor cat is struggling to get over this, and you would never guess that he was vaccinated against this. I did go in to see the vet once the discharge in his eyes got so bad that he couldn't open them and it had also turned yellow, and he was able to give me some cream for his eyes that would clear up any infection in his eyes, but wouldn't actually help with the discharge.
After talking to my mother about everything that has happened with my cat, she was concerned that so many cats there were sick, and took it upon herself to call The Humane Society where she lives in St. Louis and asked them some questions. They never have any problems with URIs in their cats, and if they get a cat that is sick, they isolate it as to not infect any other animals. And so they think that there is something going on at The ACS because all the cats should not be getting sick. And I don't understand it either, because they have a rehab center for animals that are sick, including cats with URI, to heal there before they go out to the adoption area. They also have foster homes where animals heal before going to the adoption are. And so with all of this, I don't understand how the cats that are in the adoption area are getting sick if the sick cats are really separated.
I was interested in their low-income clinic, as I am a college student unable to find a job, but after visiting the vet there I have a feeling that I'd be better off spending the extra money and taking my cat to a regular vet.
The Humane Society also thought that it might be a good idea for me to contact the organization that monitors all animal shelters, to have their facilities checked out, because they said that this should not be happening to the cats there.
How can one go wrong here? A first class animal rescue, education and health operation...the AC goes far beyond the call of duty.
Donate, adopt, volunteer...support. These are the people making a real difference for the animals of Chicago.
I personally took my first cat (the infamous wretch...haha) here for a spay surgery. I was in college, low on funds...and well, didn't want more unexpected kitties.
Tips;
1. Don't expect the appointment scheduling to be breezy. They offer $10 spay surgeries (cats), so the demand is very high and they are understaffed (like I said, volunteer!). BE patient, it will happen.
2. Expect that you will have to drop off your pet in the morning and pick up in the evening. They have parking.
3. Be patient, be informed. Come prepared with vaccination records.
They actually DO adopt out pit bulls and pit mixes, they dogs are just off site due to organization policy. They also have the Pit Pals program, providing free spay/neuter surgeries for pits/mixes. I'm obviously a huge pit bull advocate, so this is a huge step in the direction! Go AC!
Supporting AC, and not puppy mills, backyard breeders or puppy stores...could go a long way.
And of course, from the famous Bob Barker: Have your pets spayed or neutered. And from me: It's only $10-$25 for crimminy sake, so frickin' do it!
In view of charitable groups needing money always, I believe they give back to the people too, by offering the low cost spay neuter programs among other services. I had my cat spayed and micro-chipped here with no problems(even though, I picked an unusually crowded day to do it on!)
I am treated ok as a visitor there. They let you see/visit with the animals without fighting you down about it, e.g: "that it's only if your adopting, or why do you want to see the them?"
The ACS workers/volunteers were sensitive about special needs. I have a cat(was a stray) and my spouse is allergic, but we manage the allergies. Seems like most shelters won't even talk to you once an allergy is established. The ACS said we could try another cat too, and bring it back if the allergies increased if my spouse couldn't handle it. I really appreciated not being shut out of the opps to adopt another cat(even though I don't think its possible).
It seems as if the ACS could use more help with cleaning cages(go volunteer)-I can't ever forget seeing a cockroach in this orange tabby's cage, and he is looking at it while it is walking on his food plate!
