RESOURCES
Housing:
Rental homes that allow pets.
Temporary Animal Care for Emergencies
Short-term Accommodations for Emergencies through Anti-Cruelty (SAFE).
Safe Haven Network (options for domestic violence victims and their pets)
Short-Term Animal Refuge through Anderson Humane.
Crisis Foster Care through PAWS Chicago.
Custodial Program through Evanston Animal Shelter.
Paws and Claws offers up to six weeks of temporary care for CATS ONLY through our Crisis Care Program. Email info@pawsandclawschicagorescue.org for assistance.
Chicagoland Area:
PAWS Chicago: A low-cost clinic that does TNR located on the southside of Chicago. Email clinic@pawschicago.org for appointments.
Catvando (TNR)
Anti-Cruelty: Low-cost vet care for dogs and cats and TNR.
Treehouse Humane Society: Low-cost vet care for dogs and cats and TNR.
Anderson Humane: Low-cost vet care for dogs and cats. Email vetcare@ahconnects.org.
Snip Society: Low-cost vet care for dogs and cats. Call 815-630-4411
Spay Illinois Lisle: Low-cost vet care for dogs and cats and TNR. Call 630-961-8000
Catnap from the Heart: Low-cost vet care for cats. Call (708) 352-3914
If you need to rehome your pet these are the things you should do prior to reaching out to shelters. IF YOU ADOPTED FROM PAWS AND CLAWS AND NEED TO RETURN YOUR ANIMAL WE WILL TAKE THEM BACK NO QUESTIONS ASKED. PLEASE EMAIL US WITH "RETURN OF PAWS AND CLAWS ANIMAL" IN THE SUBJECT LINE.
Ask friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues if they would like to adopt your pet. If they say no, ask if they know of anyone who would.
Post a photo of your pet and a short bio on your social media and ask friends and family to share with their networks.
Share a bio and clear focused photo of your pet on Facebook rehoming groups. To find groups, search "< your neighborhood> pets" or "< your neighborhood>rehoming" (e.g. Evanston pets, or Evanston rehoming).
Post on these rehoming websites: Home-to-Home, Get Your Pet, Rehome.Â
We understand that things happen, but also ask that you try all other routes before surrendering your pet. We would be happy to have a conversation with you about possible resources and solutions to be able to keep your pet or find other alternatives before surrender.
Care for Real 5341 North Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL 773-769-6182
Distribution first Thursday of every month from 3-5.
2711 West Lawrence Ave., Chicago, IL (773) 907-6388
Distribution on the third Saturday of every month from 9am-11. Proof of spay/neuter required.
Irving Park Community Food Pantry 3801 North Keeler Ave., Chicago, IL 773-283-6296
Distribution on Wednesdays from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Available for unemployed or underemployed families.
4927 Main Street, Skokie IL
Must submit an application to be considered for food donations. Pets must be spayed/neutered.
4927 Main Street, Skokie IL
Must submit an application to be considered for food donations. Pets must be spayed/neutered.
If you have found a lost cat/dog, first and foremost thank you for caring! The goal is reunification with their family. The chances of a pet being reunited with an owner are much higher if the pet remains in the neighborhood in which they were found. 70% of lost dogs are found less than a mile from their home.
Here are the first steps you should take to try to help this animal get back home. Bringing a pet to a shelter should be your absolute last resort.
Plaster the neighborhood in flyers. Here is a template for a found pet flyer. Put flyers in neighbors mailboxes near recent sightings or the address where the animal was found. Tape flyers to poles and light posts.
Take the pet to a local vet to be scanned for a microchip. Most animal hospitals will quickly do this for free.
Post on these lost pet databases: Pawboost, Pet FBI, Petco Love Lost.
Post on Nextdoor and local Facebook groups
Ask neighbors if they recognize the animal and know who they belong to.
File a found pet report at your local animal shelter.
Please keep in mind community cats call our streets and communities their home. Just because you see a cat does not mean they are lost. Your block, alley or neighborhood could very well be their home. The best thing you can do is leave them where they are, provide food, water and shelter and follow the above tips to try to locate an owner if there is one. Unless they are injured, sick or otherwise in immediate danger your first move should not be to bring them to a shelter.
If you lost your cat here is what you should do.
Update your cat's microchip information. Not sure which company their microchip should be registered with? Search here. Not sure their microchip number? Call your veterinarian, shelter or the place the microchip was implanted.
Post on these lost pet databases: Pawboost, Pet FBI, Petco Love Lost.
Plaster your neighborhood in flyers. It sounds old fashioned but it works! Put flyers in neighbors mailboxes near recent sightings or the address where the cat was lost. Here is a template for a lost pet flyer.
Search under cars, bushes, decks, etc at dawn and dusk.
Find out who your local shelter is and let them know your pet is missing. Almost every city or county has a shelter that takes in strays. You want to find out which shelter that is and reach out to them. Continue to check back in frequently to make sure your pet has not been taken in. This is vitally important if your pet is not microchipped.
Do NOT place a dirty litter box outside. This is a common suggestion but will just attract other animals forcing your cat to move further away from your home. You can put out an article of clothing that smells like you.
Assistance with emergency medical bills.
Chicagoland Rescue Intervention and Support Program (CRISP) (provides low/no-cost medical services to help owners keep their pets)
Guide on financing emergency medical care.
Chicago Bird Collision Monitors
Found an injured bird? Call 773-988-1867
Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation
Flint Creek can help with birds, wild reptiles, and amphibians, and wild mammals. They can NOT help with skunks, bats, or raccoons.
Call (847) 842-8000
Anderson Humane Wildlife Program
Located in Kane County. Call (847) 697-2880 x25
Resources for caring for bottle baby kittens, weaned kittens and feral kittens. Everything from weaning, to stimulating to litter box training, to socializing.
What to do if you find kittens outdoors by Alley Cat Allies.
Fostering is an amazing way to save lives. Did you know that if 2% of pet-owning households fostered ONE animal per year we could eliminate euthanasia?! Visit to become a Paws and Claws foster!
What you should know when adopting an FIV+ cat.
Declawing—everything you need to know.
HB 1533 introduced in Illinois would make declawing illegal.