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Second chances become beautiful stories

Your support makes their amazing journey possible.

Heidi's Story

"I want so much for her to find the person she is looking for,” one volunteer wrote about Heidi. “Someone who will respect her time and space and let her blossom into the sweet, playful girl I am lucky to see."

Heidi had been at the shelter for nearly two years without being adopted. She was nervous around new people, and even after you became her friend, it would take some time before she’d be truly comfortable showing affection. But once that relationship was there—as a number of our volunteers could tell you—you had a true, profoundly loving friend. Heidi waited 668 days to find an adopter who was willing to take that journey with her. But it couldn’t have been more worth it.

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Having the opportunity to stand by an animal’s side, no matter how long it takes for them to find a home, is a privilege for which we are grateful every day, and it is a privilege afforded us by our incredible community of supporters.

Heidi loving her new life!

Your generosity is what allows us to hold fast to our no-kill mission, even while caring for all the strays from nine local villages. We never know when an animal will come through our doors, or what unique stories they will tell us in whatever ways they know how. What we do know is that you are here for us, making sure we can be there for them.

Heidi has been home with her family since August of 2024, living the life we always knew she could. With the help of so many volunteers and donors, we’re so happy to be able to share her success story, and we couldn’t be more proud of her.

Heidi on adoption day with her new family and ACL volunteer Vytas (middle), who went above and beyond to set her up for success

Danny's Story

This dapper cat is Danny, and this picture was taken right before he went home with his new family. The road to this moment was not an easy one, but because of the generosity of ACL supporters, we could help him over every bump, and make sure he could live a happy, full life.

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“Prognosis not good:” If you were to look at Danny’s exam notes from August 2024, you’d find these hair-raising words. He had come to our clinic with a urinary blockage, and on that day in late summer, nobody could have told you whether he would see the next. But when morning came, he was still with us—and he had brought a hell of a lot of fight.

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Over the next two months, Danny’s life was a whirlwind. Thanks to funding from donors, we were able to give him the surgery he needed, and his condition improved immediately. Still, he then began to show some other, unrelated symptoms. Our team acted quickly to treat these new issues while also monitoring his recovery from surgery. With consistent treatment and checkups, it seemed that the sun was finally breaking through the clouds for Danny. In November, he was approved for adoption.

But he wasn’t quite out of the woods yet. When his foster parents noticed potential signs of lingering urinary issues, they brought him back to the shelter, and our team began monitoring him closely to make sure he would never have to relive his past ordeal. Thankfully, these symptoms never took a turn for the worse, and with a specialized diet, Danny will be able to live a normal, happy life with his new family! Oh, and his new kitty brother? Former ACL long-termer Clark!


Without the support of our amazing donors, we would never have been able to give Danny the surgery he needed, and we would not have been able to give him the special, personalized attention that led to such an incredible outcome. Danny’s future looked grim when he came to our clinic on that summer day, but now, thanks to a community that truly cares about its animals, it is anything but.

Thank you for making a difference!

Adoption Center

1013 Garfield Street

Oak Park, Illinois 60304

Tel: 708-848-8155

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Hours

Animal Adoptions 

Tuesday - Friday 11a - 7p

Saturday 11a - 6pm

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Reclaim a Lost Pet

Daily 9am - 6pm​

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