Pets suffer from Midwest flooding too!

No-kill shelters form vast networks to save dogs and cats for adoption READ HERE!

By Carolyn Starks and Vikki Ortiz | Chicago Tribune reporters

Animal House Shelter welcomes ABC 7's Harry Porterfield!

Watch Video!

Life and death

A three-part series looking at the fate facing animals at high-kill shelters downstate and how suburban residents help run a rescue pipeline. More...

Story 2: Salvation! More...

Story 3: Adopted! More...

Animal House Shelter prepares for influx of abandoned pets

PLEASE HELP US HELP COACH!!

This poor 5 year old Bloodhound/Coonhound boy has had such a rough life. He was found tied up in the middle of nowhere in Southern Illinois with no food or water. It is amazing he survived. He is very happy to have a bed and unlimited amounts of food and water at AHS. He is missing hair on 60% of his body, extremely emaciated, infested with parasites and has pneumonia. He is being treated for all of the above now that he is in our care but it is very expensive and we need your help with donations. He adores people and other dogs even after everything he has been through. Please click on any 'Donate Now' button throughout the website to help us with Coach's treatments or call to talk to someone about fostering him.

PHOEBE is an 8 year old Ragdoll. She was relinquished to us because when the family that had had her since she was a kitten had a baby, Phoebe reacted by going potty outside of her litter box. When she came to us, she stopped eating as much as she should and started drooling. After talking to our local vet, they recommended that she see a dental specialist. She now has been diagnosed with stomatitis and needs 90% of her teeth pulled in order to hopefully stop the stomatitis. This surgery will cost AHS at least $1,000 and we really need your help with donations. You can click on any 'Donate Now' button throughout the website or call to find out more about fostering Phoebe.

Cats are prone to chronic inflammatory diseases of the mouth including gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and stomatitis (inflammation of the oral mucous membranes).It is felt that some cats may have a hypersensitivity or allergic reaction to bacterial plaque and are called 'plaque-intolerant.' This results in a disease called lymphocytic-plasmacytic gingivitis stomatitis (LPGS), which affects the entire mouth. In this disease, certain cells involved in the immune system called lymphocytes and plasma cells move into the tissues of the mouth and we see severe inflammation where the tooth meets the gumline.

Marshmallow’ s Plea to See:

I am begging for your help! I am only 3 years old and I have debilitating cataracts in both of my eyes!

Day by day, I stare through the chain linking, on the front of my kennel. It is getting darker and darker.

And so it seems, is my future.

There is so much competition in the shelters with all of the ‘perfect’ dogs, that I am overlooked again and again. I have an enormous amount of love and trust for you, yes, you, other animals, and life in general. I am afraid that I will never be given the chance to see a forever home. That leaves only the darkness for me.

The chances of me finding a home once I am completely blind, I know are not very high. If they are lower then what they are now…

I love life outside in the brightness; I feel as if I am being deprived of the fun that I (as a young boy) love to have. I am no longer allowed to run off of leash with all the people and dogs that I love, and play with the others. They say it is for my own safety, so I won’t hurt myself, but I still feel that it is unfair and it hurts just the same.

My condition is completely curable with a $5,000 intricate surgery by an eye care specialist, so I have heard. The surgery will stop the progression of my blindness; it will repair my sight, restore my vision, and restore my chances of finding my forever home. That would definitely beat the future of darkness that I see now.

Without your help, I will never see my forever home.

Day by day, as I go blind, I make to you, my plea, to please help me see…

With ALL of my love,

Marshmallow

Animal House is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), No-Kill shelter for all breeds of dogs and cats.

We have been open since June 2002 and have rescued, rehabilitated and placed over 7,000 dogs and cats, to date, into their loving forever homes!

Animal House Shelter, Inc rescues abused and neglected dogs and cats and rehabilitates them mentally & physically in order to place them with the best new family. We rescue 98% of our dogs from high 'kill' shelters, pounds and various animal control facilities in which they are usually listed as strays, and almost always scheduled to be euthanized.

The best possible veterinary care is always given to those at Animal House Shelter. We never decline treatment, whatever it may entail, if it means that the animal has a chance at a new and healthy life.

We strive to go above and beyond when caring for and socializing our animals. We understand the importance of getting to know each and every animal available for adoption in an effort to place them in the most perfect home possible. All dogs are walked 4-5 times a day and socialized with each other and volunteers. The cats are housed in a large 'free roam' cat room so they can socialize all day with each other, staff, volunteers and potential adopters.

Like people, animals have distinct personalities that make them unique. At Animal House Shelter, we are proud to say that the dogs and cats are treated like our own. We care enough to be certain they are treated with the comfort and respect that they deserve and we make every effort to ensure that they go to the right, forever, permanent, loving home.

All dogs and cats are given all vaccinations- including their Rabies vaccine- They are neutered, microchipped, dewormed and heartworm tested (Dogs) or FeLV/FIV tested (Cats). Dogs are kept on heartworm preventative & all animals receive Frontline Plus monthly by Animal House. Included with the adoption of your new pet is 30 days of pet insurance for only $1 through www.ShelterCare.com and the first free vet exam (through AHS participating veterinarians). We are open for adoptions daily from 11 am to 7 pm!