• Cook County Low-Cost Rabies Vaccine and Micro-Chip Mobile Clinics
• To find listings of free and/or low-cost programs for Spay/Neuter Clinics & Vaccine Clinics in Illinois visit spayIllinois.org
• To find participating vets that offer special neuter and spay pricing with Friends of Animals organization visit friendsofanimals.org
• Low-cost Spay-Neuter Services: PetSmart Charities® and the ASPCA® have created an easy-to-use, searchable database that helps people find high-quality, low-cost spay/neuter services in their communities. Visit their website.

City of Chicago Clinics 

• Anti-Cruelty Society
• PAWS Chicago – Medical Center & Lurie Clinic
• Tree House Veterinary Wellness Center
  

Other Clinics 

• A.D.O.P.T. Pet Shelter (Naperville)
• Anderson Animal Shelter (South Elgin)
• Animal Care League (Oak Park)
• Animal Welfare League (Chicago Ridge)
• Cat Nap from the Heart (LaGrange Park)
• The Chatka Ruggiero Clinic (Oak Park)
• Fox Valley Animal Welfare League (Aurora)
• Lake County Animal Care and Control (Mundelein)
• P.A.W.S. Tinley Park  (Tinley Park)
• South Suburban Humane Society Clinic
• Spay Illinois (Lisle)
• Summit Animal Hospital (Summit)
• Veterinary Specialty Center (Buffalo Grove)
• Wright-Way Rescue Veterinary Clinic  (Morton Grove)

Below is a list of pet financial aid-related organizations in Illinois. Please keep in mind that each organization is independent and has their own set of rules and guidelines. Therefore you will have to investigate each one separately to determine if you qualify for assistance.

• Care Credit offers interest-free credit to help you pay your vet bills.
• The Anti-Cruelty Society: Chicago (assistance with veterinary care)
• The Animal Welfare League: Chicago Ridge (assistance for necessary veterinary medical care)
• Quad City Animal Welfare Center: Milan (assistance for general veterinary care, including vaccinations)
• National Animal Welfare Society: Mokina (assistance for general veterinary care, including vaccinations)
• Animal Care League: Oak Park (assistance for veterinary care including vaccinations, microchipping)
• The Quincy Humane Society: Quincy (vaccination assistance)

• Humane Society of the United States TNR video on YouTube
  • Less than 5-minute version of HSUS TNR video
• National Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Advocacy / Action Groups
  • Alley Cat Allies
  • Alley Cat Rescue
  • ASPCA
  • Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
  • Neighborhood Cats
• Local TNR Groups
  • Cook County
    • PAWS
    • Triple R Pets
    • Feral Feline Project
  • Lake County
    • Spay & Stay (847) 289-4557
  • Will & Grundy Counties
    • C.O.P.E. (815)-725-8777
  • Kane County
    • Fixin’Feral Felines (847) 525-3556
• Low-cost Spay/Neuter Clinics
  • PAWS-Chicago Spay/Neuter clinic
  • Animals Deserving of Proper Treatment (ADOPT), Naperville
  • Spay and Stay (Lake County) 847-289-4557

First steps when your pet goes missing:

1. Place Food and Water, a pet bed or an article of your clothing where you pet went missing.
2. Post Flyers and signs with your pets photo & your phone number. Take flyers door-to-door in the neighborhood.
3. Contact your local police department, animal control, vets, & animal shelters to report your pet missing.

Below are links to resources devoted to helping reunite pets with their families.

• Lost Pets USA – The essential tools to reunite you with your pet.
  • Post a lost pet, post a found pet, search for a pet, create a flyer, find helpful tips and advice.
• Lost Dogs of Illinois – Helping reunite lost dogs with their families
  • Facebook
  • Post your lost dog, post a found dog, search for your pet, find helpful tips and advice.
• Lost Cats of Illinois- Reuniting lost cats with their owners
  • Facebook
  • Post your lost cat, post a found cat, search for your pet, find helpful tips and advice.
• Petco Love Lost – The essential tools to reunite you with your pet.
  • Post a lost pet, post a found pet, search for a pet, find helpful tips and advice.

Helpful Information from Lost Dogs of America:

Dogs that are lost from stressful situations, dogs lost from somewhere other than home or dogs that have a shy demeanor, will quickly go into “survival mode”—avoiding all humans, even their owners. This is normal. Don’t panic, don’t allow people to search for your dog and please don’t offer a reward.

Rewards encourage people to chase an already scared lost dog which may make them bolt into traffic or cause them to leave the flyered area. Don’t hire a tracking dog service. They also increase the pressure on a scared dog and may drive him further away.

Instead, pretend that you are trying to catch a chipmunk. Would you chase a chipmunk through the woods? No, or course not. You would sit on the ground and patiently hold out a peanut. Change your strategy from “searching” to “luring”. Once the pressure is off and the dog is allowed to relax, he/she will come out of hiding in search of food. Ask your family and friends to help you flyer until you get a sighting. Then you can begin to implement a plan to catch him safely.

Keep up to date on the latest pet food recalls to keep your four legged friends happy and healthy.

Training your dog to know what is expected of them makes for a well-rounded family member. Check out our dog training page for area trainers and more resources.

Heartland Animal Shelter is committed to helping keep pets in their homes whenever possible. We have staff members who can provide guidance on common behavioral issues pet owners face. Please contact us if you need assistance.

There is no shortage of homeless pets in the Chicagoland area. If you want to broaden your search, please take a look at the pets at other area rescues and shelters.