The Best Naperville, IL Dog Rescues & Shelters in 2026

Project Hope Animal Rescue

We're a foster based animal rescue with the overflow of animals kenneled in our facility.

Orphans of the Storm

To take responsibility for each and every orphaned, abandoned, abused, or neglected dog and cat who reaches our doors; to take them in and shelter them; to provide the best medical and physical care possible for them; to nurture them back to health if need be; and finally to place them into warm, loving, adoptive homes where they can enjoy the lives they deserve.

River Valley Animal Rescue

River Valley Animal Rescue is a registered non-profit no-kill animal rescue and shelter located in Momence, Illinois. River Valley Animal Rescue has no paid employees and operates fully on proceeds from our resale shop and donations from the public. We offer a temporary home at our shelter to dogs, cats, birds and a variety of small animals until their "furever" home arrives. We are proud to say that we have placed hundreds of animals in permanent homes since 2012!

K9s4U Dog Rescue

K9s4U Dog Rescue is a non-profit dog rescue organization founded by a group of friends committed to saving dogs from high-kill shelters and dire situations and placing them into their FUREVER homes. We are a foster-home based rescue and rely on donations and fosters to help us in our mission to save as many dogs as we can. Thanks to our wonderful fosters and the donations we've received, we have saved the lives of more than 5,700 dogs since we began.

ALIVE Rescue

ALIVE Rescue is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that was founded in March 2008 as a rescue and safe haven for animals. From March 2008 through November of 2012, we ran operations solely through the use of our foster homes. In November of 2011, we signed a lease for a building (The Little Barn) in the Roscoe Village neighborhood of Chicago. For nearly one and a half years, we rehabbed and re-designed the original structure, preparing it to become our first adoption center. On May 5th, 2013, we opened The Little Barn, celebrating this accomplishment with dozens of our donors, volunteers, and the animals we rescued. In June of 2019 we closed The Little Barn and opened our new Adoption Center ("AC") in Chicago's West Loop. We remained at the AC through the pandemic and closed those doors in January of 2022. On October 5, 2020, we broke ground on The Big Barn, a new location that will help us save more homeless pets.

MCP Rescue Pack

MCP Rescue is a Chicago based animal rescue that finds Forever Homes for the overlooked, abused, neglected, in need, at risk dogs (and cats). We believe every animal is an individual with their own idiosyncrasies, gifts, likes and dislikes, just like humans. MCP is the opposite of a revolving door type of Rescue model. We may not have the large numbers monthly but we have a return rate lower than 3% and we know where our dogs are and how they are. 85% of the dogs we bring into our Pack are considered true underdogs and harder to adopt, whether they be of Pitbull types dogs, XL breeds, bonded pairs, seniors, major medical, or hospice.

Bombshell Bullies Pit Bull Rescue, Inc.

At Bombshell Bullies Pit Bull Rescue, our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home dogs identified primarily as American Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers. Our goal is to place these adoptable dogs into their safe and loving forever home.

Traveling Tails Dog Rescue

We rescue animals that need help. Whether it is domestic U.S. or overseas, we focus on helping the animals that have no voice of their own. We have worked with a lot of wonderful people in the USA as well as in a large array of countries in the Middle East. Many of those countries do not have animal rescue and our team stepped in to help. As times have changed, due to the pandemic and the CDC ban on the importation of dogs from 113 countries, the TTDR team is still fighting for the voiceless animals that need our help. At this time we are focusing on finding loving homes for abused, abandoned, and neglected dogs here in the USA. We are not losing hope that the CDC ban will still be lifted.

Just Animals Shelter

Just Animals is a non-profit no-kill animal shelter. We have been serving Grundy and surrounding Counties since 1997. All of our funding comes from donations and fundraisers. Each year we take in hundreds of cats and dogs that come in as strays off the street, from animal controls and owners that surrender them. Many of these animals have been neglected, abused and abandoned. Our goal is to provide the best medical care to mend their broken bodies, patience and love to rebuild their spirits, and when they are ready, offer them for adoption to a permanent, safe, loving home. Financially, the last several years have been difficult for many people and many of them had to give up their animals because they were losing their homes, or just couldn’t afford to take proper care of them. Because of this, there were many more animals that needed our help. We are happy to say that we have continued to place many dogs, puppies, kittens and cats into loving forever homes through the hard work and dedication of the workers and volunteers that give so much of themselves to the animals here at Just Animals. This is an amazing number of precious lives saved working from our small office in Mazon and some wonderful foster homes. Thank you to the wonderful people that adopted a new family member from us and thank you to the wonderful people that so generously donate to us, we could not do this without you. Before going to their new homes, all pets are vet checked, spayed/neutered, micro-chipped, vaccinated, flea treated and dewormed. Cats are tested for feline leukemia/FIV, dogs are tested for heartworm and started on preventative. Many of the animals we take in can require extensive medical care. Without your donations, we would not be able to provide the care many of them need. Just Animals Shelter is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. We receive no tax-payer dollars or government funding. All funding has been donated by caring community members or raised ourselves. All donations to Just Animals Shelter are tax-deductible.

Aurora IL Animal Care and Control

Gordon Setter Club of America

The Gordon Setter Club of America, Inc. is a not for profit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the “Beauty, Brains & Bird Sense” in Gordon Setters. The club was organized in 1924 and currently has about 800 members. Most of our membership is concentrated in the United States, but we also have members from 15 to 20 countries worldwide. The GSCA’s certificate of incorporation was issued by the state of New York on January 14, 1965. Membership is open to anyone who is interested in Gordon Setters, and members receive a newsletter 8 times a year, Gordon Setter News. Our members subscribe to a Code of Ethics. The club serves as an umbrella organization for a number of regional groups (both independent clubs and area committees) who organize and put on events for Gordons, including specialty shows (conformation events), obedience trials, hunting tests, field trials and other special programs. There are more than 22 affiliated clubs and area committees in the United States. Fortunately, the relative rarity of Gordon Setters has not made an organized Rescue program a pressing need until recent years. Gordon Setter lovers rescued the occasional Gordon from a shelter on a private basis for many years, but, by the late 1980’s, it was clear that, additional active work was necessary. Thus, GSCA established a National Rescue program in 1991. Our first National Specialty was held in 1983 in Springfield, Ohio and has become a popular yearly event. It is held in different locations each year. This event generally attracts Gordons from all over the USA and foreign countries. We held our first National Field Trial in 1993 in Ohio, with an AKC approved Gordon Setter National Field Championship beginning in 1995. The event draws about 100 Gordons each year and is considered the premier field competition for our breed. Our Health & Genetics Committee gathers and disseminates information about Gordon Setter health issues, balancing a need for informing our membership and others interested in Gordons about potential health problems, and encouraging management for sound, healthy dogs. We offer a breeder referral service for individuals interested in finding a Gordon Setter puppy or adult dog. If you chose to e-mail our puppy referral service, be sure to include your snail-mail information in your communication.

Pets and Vets USA

Pets and Vets USA began from a promise between a mother and a son. Peter Thomas Cangelosi and his mother, Carol Ann, pledged to make a difference by agreeing to donate time and resources to the local animal shelter. Unfortunately, Carol Ann became ill and passed in 2005. In 2013, Peter renewed his promise, by pledging funds on death row dogs in shelters across the United States. Then Peter saved his first dog, "Truth" a bull dog/pit bull mix. The dog was minutes from being euthanized in a region where hundreds of thousands of pit bull mixes die every year. After a long journey, he joined Peter in Illinois and was renamed Miracle. During this time, Peter learned more about the countless dogs euthanized and the homeless veterans who had put their life on the line. Peter decided to keep his promise to his mother and make a difference by helping homeless veterans so he founded Pets and Vets USA, a 501c3 nonprofit.

Paws Up 4 Rescue

We are located in Joliet, Illinois. All our animals are located in foster homes. The best way for you to meet them is to attend one of our adoption events. See the calendar for dates and locations.

Tails Humane Society

Tails Humane Society is a managed admission animal shelter providing a safe haven for over 2,500 animals each year. We are committed to providing each animal the time and medical care they need to have their best chance at adoption. Tails was established in 1999 by a group of local animal advocates dedicated to bringing a comprehensive animal shelter to DeKalb. We operated out of an old farmhouse until 2005 when we cut the ribbon on our Barber Greene facility. In 2009, we opened our affordable Spay/Neuter Clinic providing quality, affordable sterilization services to the public. We continue to grow and strengthen our programs and service as we continue to save lives.

PET PROJECT INC.

Pet Project Inc was incorporated in October of 1993. We are a no kill shelter based in Marseilles. We are the oldest non-profit animal shelter in LaSalle County. We are registered with the State of Illinois Atty. General as a 501(c)3 charitable organization.

Grundy County Animal Control

Safe Haven Dog Rescue

Safe Haven Dog Rescue, is a Tax-Exempt 501(c) 3 Organization, created by volunteers to rescue, rehabilitate, and find loving families for homeless dogs and puppies. Most of our dogs and puppies are rescued from rural southern pounds and shelters where they have little chance of a better life without being rescued. We are all foster based, meaning we do not have a shelter and we rely on the generosity of the community to open their homes and foster these deserving dogs and puppies.

All Herding Breeds Dog Rescue

All Herding Breed Dog Rescue of Illinois is a state licensed, non for profit, 501c3, rescue group. We are an all-volunteer organization that operates solely on donations.

New Start Dog Rescue of Illinois

New Start Dog Rescue of Illinois is a 501(c)(3) foster-based dog rescue. We do not have a facility, all of our dogs are in individual foster homes. New Start Dog Rescue of Illinois was founded in May of 2014 by five local animal lovers who just knew they could make a difference.​ We are a 100% volunteer-based, not-for-profit charitable organization. Licensed by the Department of Agriculture, our dogs are all cared for in licensed foster homes. We are dedicated to rescuing stray and abandoned puppies and dogs of all breeds and situations. All donations are tax deductible and are 100% used to benefit the animals. There are no paid positions at New Start Dog Rescue of Illinois.

A.R.F.-Animal Rescue Foundation

A.R.F.-Animal Rescue Foundation is a no-kill, all-volunteer, foster-based organization dedicated to rescuing and rehoming homeless dogs and cats into loving forever homes, including animals that other rescue groups often cannot accept due to advanced age or exceptional medical needs of the animals, and to enhancing the lives of animals by promoting affordable, responsible pet ownership and public awareness of animal welfare. Our History The ARFmobile, which you will see parked outside cat and dog adoption events. It all started with “two chicks and a van.” In 1985, a small group of dedicated volunteers started rescuing cats and dogs from shelters in downstate Illinois and bringing them up north to be adopted. From humble beginnings, the organization began to grow. Over time, more and more volunteers joined, rescuing more and more animals. A.R.F. was granted 501(c)(3) non-profit status. In 2008 we started working with PetSmart to manage the Adoption Centers in Wheaton and Darien which house feline residents available for adoption. We then began to collaborate with Wheaton Animal Hospital to ensure all animals are healthy and spayed/neutered before being adopted, except where medically contraindicated. In 2019, Fox Valley Animal Welfare League joined us as a veterinary supporter as well. In 2023, A.R.F. rescued over 1,200 dogs and cats through the work of more than 150 volunteers. We look forward to increasing these numbers every year, providing animals with their forever homes and people with their pet companions.

Save-A-Pet

Save-A-Pet offers rescued dogs and cats the greatest opportunity for a second chance. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and one of the largest no-kill cat and dog rescues in Lake County that operates a full-time adoption center. We provide a safe haven for abused, neglected, injured, lost, or animals that have escaped euthanasia. We will never put a limit on the amount of care we will provide for an animal and we never give up on them. The Save-A-Pet Difference: Save-A-Pet is a true no-kill rescue. We do not temperament test our dogs and cats, nor do we discriminate against age, health, or any breeds. We operate under the mantra of “Help, Heal, Home.” We will do whatever it takes to provide an animal with a second chance and to help that cat or dog find its “home”. Our adoption center provides high-quality care for our rescued animals to help them heal physically and emotionally. Through our network of animal care providers including local veterinarians, orthopedic surgeons, veterinary specialists, animal massage therapists, behaviorists, and trainers, each cat or dog has the opportunity to heal based on their unique needs. In addition, we work very hard to ensure that each adoption is a successful and long-term placement for our animals. Every successful adoption represents the success of our mission and efforts in saving the lives of cats and dogs that otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance.

South Suburban Humane Society

The South Suburban Humane Society (SSHS) incorporated in 1970 as a small group of volunteers who brought homeless pets into their homes and worked to find them permanent homes. From those humble origins, we grew to a 501c3 nonprofit organization operating a 19,000 square foot animal resource campus in Matteson, IL that takes in more than 4,000 pets annually, a Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic, a Low-Cost Veterinary Services Clinic, and a variety of far-reaching community services. The SSHS annually impacts 20,000 pets and the people who love them through these programs.

Rescued Rascals

Founded as a 501c3 not for profit organization Rescued Rascals was started by a small team of just two volunteers who had worked extensively in dog rescue and foster. They found a new niche for their work by running their own transports to and from a variety of locations, by connecting with their network of dogs rescuers across the Midwest.

Making A Difference Rescue

Making A Difference Rescue is a 100% volunteer run, 501c3 non-profit organization, registered with the State of Illinois and licensed by the State of Illinois Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare Because we are a 501c3 charitable organization, all donations are tax deductible. We do not have our own facility. We rely solely on a team of dedicated volunteers and screened foster homes to re-home, socialize, and care for our animals. With their help and yours, we are able to rescue animals from potential euthanasia and help lower overpopulation in area shelters. All donations are tax deductible. Who We Are Making A Difference Rescue is made up of a group of volunteers that are dedicated to placing abandoned and at-risk animals into approved, reference and screen checked homes. Making A Difference Rescue believes that these steps are crucial in order to ensure a safe and forever loving home for their animals. Financial support and/or supplies that can be donated are always greatly appreciated. We take pride in knowing that we had a part in changing their lives forever!

Animal Rescue Associates, Inc.

Animal Rescue Associates, Inc, is a licensed, No-Kill, No-Shelter rescue organization made up of rescuers throughout Illinois and surrounding communities…all dedicated and working collectively to save discarded, abandoned and displaced lives. Animal Rescue Associates strives to reduce the vast overpopulation of unwanted pets by: · Rescuing countless adoptable pets awaiting their avoidable fate of euthanasia in high-kill facilities. · Offering adoption of rescued, homeless pets. · Providing re-homing services for displaced pets. · Contributing education on the humane care and treatment of animals, as well as the importance of spaying and neutering in our communities. • Supporting and believing that high volume, community based sterilization campaigns are the humane, logical and sustainable strategy to combat the over population of cats and dogs. • Supporting the No-Kill, No-Shelter approach.

Glory Bound Rescue Ranch

Over two decades ago, Jennifer Finkelman, our founder, president, and lifelong animal advocate, envisioned Glory Bound as a peaceful haven for her horses, boarders, and riding lessons. However, the transformative encounter with a draft horse named Ripley marked a turning point. Ripley needed Jennifer just as much as she needed him, forever altering the trajectory of Glory Bound. What began as a horse stable has blossomed into a sanctuary for horses, dogs, and various farm animals. Fueled by a dedicated volunteer force, we embrace senior animals and those that may not fit elsewhere. The resilience displayed by our "residents" is nothing short of miraculous. Emerging from adversity, these animals overcome physical and mental anguish, learning to trust and accept human touch during their rehabilitation. Glory Bound stands as a no-kill animal sanctuary, rescuing creatures from abuse, neglect, imminent danger, and abandonment. Our daily commitment echoes our purpose: to be a voice for the voiceless. We're steadfast in our determination to RESCUE ON! As Winston Churchill aptly said, "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." At Glory Bound, we witness these profound connections daily, as many souls find solace, rehabilitation, and a second chance at a fulfilled life.

Paws and Affect Animal Rescue

Paws and Affect Animal Rescue is a 501c3 all breed, all ages, all animal rescue. We are built on 18 years of rescue experience. Our team is dedicated to finding forever homes for the forgotten animals of IL and across the nation. We believe in transparency, honesty, and are passionate about doing what is right for the animals in our care. We hope that we can help you find your new family member.

On Angels' Wings - Pet Rescue & Resale Store

On Angels' Wings, Inc. (OAW) is a 501(c)(3) public nonprofit whose mission is to rescue, provide veterinary care for, and find forever homes for abused, abandoned, and neglected pets (dogs, cats, and small animals) in Northern Illinois and beyond. At OAW, we believe the human and animal bond is a mutually beneficial relationship, improving life for both the rescued pet as well as the members of the adopting family. OAW founders Jeannette Hager and her daughter Emily hoped to encourage future generations to embrace this way of thinking, which is why we also educate the community about animal welfare, particularly within the local school system.

Second City Canine Rescue

Second City Canine Rescue (SCCR) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is largely volunteer-operated. We are dedicated to serving the homeless dogs of Chicagoland, as well as branching out to other areas (such as Oklahoma, Indiana, Kentucky, Southern Illinois, Texas, & Michigan) ‚wherever homeless dogs & puppies need us.

Homes for Endangered & Lost Pets

H.E.L.P. obtains veterinary care, food and shelter for stray and abandoned cats and dogs until they are adopted into loving homes. H.E.L.P. does not have a facility. The animals live in our volunteers' homes. We feel that foster care benefits the animal and the potential adopter, as it allows us to work on health or behavioral issues while providing a safe, healthy, happy environment until a cat or dog is adopted. In addition, fostering enables us to get to know an animal so we can better match the cat or dog to their person or family. Homeless pets are referred by police departments, veterinarians, other shelters and people in the community. Each animal is thoroughly examined by a veterinarian, is vaccinated, dewormed, receives the necessary blood tests, and is eventually spayed or neutered. They are then taken to a foster home for recovery from surgery, if necessary, socialization and evaluation. H.E.L.P. is essentially a no-kill organization. We are proud to take in animals that other organizations would not otherwise help. We do not have time limits on the animals in our care and we do not euthanize animals with health issues or non-terminal illness. However, we will not prolong the suffering of an animal with a personality that would make living in a home with people a miserable experience. Furthermore, we do not keep animals in foster care whose temperament poses a danger to people or other animals. We are a 501(c)3 charity that relies on donations and volunteers from the community as well as fundraisers to support the organization. We receive no money from federal, state, or local government.