Special Adoption Programs

In order to alleviate the need to bring an animal into the shelter environment, The Anti-Cruelty Society offers a new Home-to-Home Shelter Bypass service to help people find new accommodations for their pets privately.

The Home-to-Home service offers courtesy listings for pet owners who can no longer keep their companions, but want to take responsibility for re-homing the animals themselves. If you are interested in utilizing this service for you and your pet, please contact akulla@anticruelty.org to learn more about the requirements and how to get your pet listed on the Home-to Home Adoption page and on the Society’s social media.

All of the animals listed as Home-to-Home are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and current on all vaccinations. Please note that these pets are not available at any of The Anti-Cruelty Society’s shelter locations. You will need to contact the owner directly (contact information can be found in the listing).

Please do NOT click the Adopt Me button and instead reach out to the current owner directly via the email provided in the profile. As this is a Home-to-Home animal you are not required to fill out an Anti-Cruelty Society adoption application form. 

Many of the cats and dogs in our Adoption Center are older and tend to wait much longer to be adopted than younger animals. So, in order to encourage the adoption of our older pets, we offer the Aged to Perfection Program. With this program, the adopter of an older pet is eligible to request a full refund of the adoption fee 90 days after a successful adoption. Pets must be at least 7 years old to qualify for this program.

We proudly partner with the Pets for Patriots program to help match cats and dogs with military service members that are looking to adopt a forever companion.

The adoption fees for animals that meet the program requirements will be waived by The Anti-Cruelty Society. This program is only valid for the main adoption center in Chicago's River North at 510 N. LaSalle Street. 

To learn more about the program, and to find out if you are eligible to participate, please visit the Pets for Patriots website at www.petsforpatriots.org.

Guidelines for Pets for Patriots

Main Guidelines of the Pets for Patriots Program

• The adopter must be part of the U.S. military, which includes the National Guard.
• The adopter can be in any stage of his or her military career (i.e., active, reserve, or retired).
• The adopter must present a letter from the Pets for Patriots program at the time of adoption.
• Visit petsforpatriots.org to fill out the necessary documentation

Dogs eligible for Pets for Patriots adoption must meet one of the following requirements that include the following: 

• are 2+ years of age
• weigh 40+ pounds
• are disabled or otherwise limited in its physical abilities due to injury, prior abuse or neglect – as well as dogs that have a birth defect or a medical condition requiring ongoing vigilance, medication, or special treatment, regardless of age

Cats eligible for Pets for Patriots adoption must meet one of the following requirements that include the following: 

• are 2+ years of age
• are disabled or otherwise limited in its physical abilities due to injury, prior abuse or neglect – as well as cats that have a birth defect or a medical condition requiring ongoing vigilance, medication, or special treatment, regardless of age.
   

The Anti-Cruelty Society launched a new program that will allow ALL adoptable dogs and cats to be available for both adoption and foster at once. This special program gives prospective adopters a chance to see if a dog or cat is a good fit for their family by inviting them to take part in a one-week foster trial. At the end of the week, people can decide to adopt, become an Adoption Ambassador Foster, or return the animal to the shelter so we can continue to work to recruit them a forever family. Foster on the Spot participants are provided with all of the same perks as a traditional foster parent, including pet food supplies, medical support, and behavior assistance. Interested Foster on the Spot participants must meet regular adoption criteria to take part. Reach out to us at adoption@anticruelty.org or call 312-645-8220 to learn more!
 

Pets for the Elderly 

We proudly partner with the Pets for the Elderly Foundation to help provide companionship to senior individuals through pet ownership. Through this partnership we are able to waive adoption fees for any individual over the age of 60 looking to adopt a pet at The Anti-Cruelty Society.  

The adoption fees for animals that meet the program requirements will be waived through grant funding from the Pets for the Elderly Foundation. The Anti-Cruelty Society. This program is valid at the River North Adoption Center at 510 N. LaSalle Street and the South Loop Everyday Adoption Center located inside the PetSmart store at 1101 S. Canal Steet. 

To learn more about the program, please visit the Pets for the Elderly Foundation website.

Guidelines for Pets for the Elderly 

Main Guidelines of the Pets for the Elderly Program 

• The adopter must be 60 years of age or older 
• All animals are eligible for the Pets for the Elderly program. There are no age, size, or health restrictions on the program 

Please Note: all adopters still must follow the normal Adoption Process at The Anti-Cruelty Society before qualifying for the Pets for the Elderly discount. 

To utilize the Pets for the Elderly discount, please mention the program at the time of adoption to your adoption guide!