Chicago Dog Rescues
Chicago is home to a large network of dog rescues, foster homes, shelters and volunteers working to help homeless dogs find permanent families. Some organizations operate adoption centers, while many Chicago-area rescues are foster-based and care for dogs in private homes until they are adopted.
If you are thinking about adopting, fostering or volunteering, these organizations offer different ways to get involved while helping dogs throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
How Chicago Dog Rescues Help Shelter Dogs
Chicago Animal Care and Control accepts stray, surrendered and abandoned dogs from across the city. Rescue organizations play an important role by taking dogs into their own adoption programs, placing them in foster homes and helping them reach adopters outside the shelter environment.
A foster home gives a dog time away from the kennel, creates space for another shelter animal and often gives the rescue a better understanding of the dog’s personality and everyday behavior.
Why Adopt From a Foster-Based Dog Rescue?
Dogs living with foster families have an opportunity to settle into a household routine before adoption. Foster parents may learn how a dog behaves on walks, responds to visitors, handles time alone and interacts with children, cats or other dogs.
Depending on the dog and foster home, adopters may also learn whether the dog:
- Is house trained
- Is comfortable in a crate
- Knows basic commands
- Has lived with children or other pets
- Settles comfortably into a home routine
- Has specific personality, behavior or training notes from the foster family
That additional information can make it easier for adopters to understand whether a particular dog fits their home, activity level and experience.
Chicago-Area Rescue and Shelter Guides
Use these Adopt a Dog Chicago guides to learn more about local organizations, adoption options and dogs currently looking for homes.
- Animal Welfare League — Chicago Ridge adoption shelter with dogs of many breeds, ages and sizes.
- Dogs Are Deserving Rescue — foster-based rescue serving the Chicago area with a strong focus on pit bull-type dogs and other dogs that may be overlooked.
- Orphans of the Storm — long-established Deerfield-area shelter with adoptable dogs and cats.
Chicago-Area Bully Breed Rescues
Several Chicago-area organizations have particular experience with pit bulls, bully breeds and dogs who may need additional behavior, training or foster support. These rescue and shelter guides can help you compare organizations and find dogs available for adoption.
- Dark Horse Dogs — foster-based rescue with a strong focus on behavior support, rehabilitation and pit bull-type dogs.
- Chicagoland Bully Breed Rescue — foster-based rescue focused on pit bulls and other bully-type dogs.
- Chi-Town Pitties — foster-based rescue supporting pit bull-type dogs through foster care, adoption and training support.
- Players for Pits — rescue combining foster care, adoption and advocacy for pit bull-type dogs.
- It’s a Pittie Rescue — foster-based Chicagoland rescue focused on pit bull-type dogs and responsible adoption.
- Dogs Are Deserving Rescue — all-breed foster-based rescue with a special focus on pit bulls and other misunderstood dogs.
- ALIVE Rescue — rescue supporting dogs through adoption, foster care, medical care and behavioral support.
- Chicago Animal Care and Control — Chicago’s municipal shelter and an important source of pit bull-type dogs looking for adopters and rescue placement.
For a broader list of organizations that work with dogs from CACC, visit the Chicago Animal Care and Control rescue partner directory.
Foster a Dog Through a Chicago Rescue
Foster homes are essential to many Chicago dog rescues. When a foster family takes in a dog, the rescue may be able to help another dog leave a shelter or enter its adoption program.
Foster commitments vary by organization and dog. Depending on the rescue, foster families may receive support with:
- Veterinary care
- Food and basic supplies
- Training and behavior support
- Transportation
- Adoption events and meet-and-greets
- Help promoting the dog to potential adopters
Rescues also rely on volunteers for work beyond fostering, including dog transportation, adoption events, photography, outreach, fundraising and other community support.
If you are interested in helping but are not ready to adopt permanently, fostering can be one of the most direct ways to help a homeless dog.