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SERVING PEOPLE. SAVING PETS.

winnebago county animal services is a department of Winnebago County government covering more than 500 square miles and serving the more than 280,000 residents who call Winnebago County home. We provide a number of services including pet licensing and registration, veterinary care to animals in need, animal welfare and cruelty investigations, pet adoptions, and more.  

The Animal Services department cares for an average of 4,000 animals each year, serves all municipalities, and is the only government run animal services/animal sheltering organization in the county.  We work to find homes for pets not reclaimed by their owners. If you are considering adoption we encourage you to view our adoptable pet listings, which are automatically updated every few minutes throughout the day.  If you don’t find the pet you’re looking for at Animal Services, also consider visiting other nonprofit shelters and rescues in the community. 

hours / contact

Shelter/Lobby Hours:
Monday: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday-Friday: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday: CLOSED
*Please note, all adoptions end 30 minutes prior to closing.

Patrol Hours:
Daily: 7:00 AM. – 12:00 AM (midnight)

Phone: (815) 319-4100
Fax: (815) 319-4101

Main Shelter

4517 North Main Street
Rockford, IL 61103

our services

In addition to pet adoption, WCAS offers services to help keep the pets and people of Winnebago County safe and healthy.

Pet Registration

Pet registration is required by law and a great way to help your pet get back home if they become lost. Plus, these fees fund our services.

Animal Welfare & Investigations

Our team investigates animal welfare and safety concerns. We also offer outreach and education about responsible pet ownership.

Vaccinations & Rabies Control

Regular vaccination is required for all cats and dogs and helps keep our pets and community healthy. Our team investigates bite incidents to prevent the spread of the rabies virus.

Spay/Neuter & TNR

Spaying/neutering pets helps prevent pet overpopulation in our community. Learn more about spay/neutering and our trap-neuter-return (TNR) program to control barn and feral cat populations.

featured
animals
for

adoption

Mamba

Female | 2 yearsTerrier, Pit Bull
Meet Me

LOLA

Female | 8 yearsTerrier, Pit Bull
Meet Me

Ganon

Male | 5 yearsTerrier, Pit Bull
Meet Me

Elsie

Female | 6 yearsTerrier, American Pit Bull
Meet Me

considering adopting?

add a furry member to your family

Winnebago County Animal Services works to find happy and healthy homes for adoptable dogs, cats, and other animals. We make finding and bringing home your new family member easy and affordable.

animal
fostering

interested in becoming a foster?

Fostering is a wonderful and rewarding way to help animals who require a little extra attention and care before they are able to be adopted into a permanent home.

we’re social animals

join our pack

🥎🥎Mamba, is my name, playing fetch is my game!🥎🥎

I LOVE tennis balls. Do you want to play fetch? I would LOVE to! Do you want to play catch? I would LOVE to do that as well! After I get out all my energy, I’m content to sprawl out and relax with you. I do need a few minutes ...to warm up, but once I do, I can't get enough of you! I am the best at fetch and will chase a ball as long as you are willing to throw it for me. I will do just about anything for a treat, but I am especially good at "sit". I've been at WCAS for over 97 days and am WCAS's longest staying resident.

Think I could be the one for your family?

📣Mamba is WCAS's longest staying resident! This means she is one of our Lonely Hearts Dogs, so 1/2 of her adoption fee is sponsored by the WCAS Auxiliary. She has also been sponsored by Callie Woodcock, a generous donor making her adoption fee completely covered! 📣

👉Visit our website - www.WinnebagoAnimals.org - to view all of the pets currently available for adoption and to complete an adoption questionnaire!

🎉🎉 Last week, Winnebago County Animal Services helped 49 pets find adoptive families! This included 19 cats, 27 dogs, 2 ducks and 1 chicken!🎉🎉

For more information on adoptable pets, please visit our website at
www.winnebagoanimals.org.

📣Important news! We have a whole new round of dogs for our Mutt Madness Adoption Special! This event will officially be over end of day Sat! You have the rest of the day today and tomorrow to adopt a new best friend for $20!📣

🐾🏀We're currently running our 'Mutt ...Madness' Adoption Event where dogs that are available to go home same-day are now only $20 to adopt. This event will be ending end of day Saturday 3/16 ‼ 🏀🐾

We have almost 20 dogs who are available to be adopted into a forever family right now! Take a look at these gorgeous faces looking out for a home below!

All adoptions include a wellness exam, spay or neuter, microchip, vaccinations including a one year rabies shot, flea and tick preventative, and more.
Please stop by to find your match. Our hours the rest of the week are today, Friday 11am to 4:30pm, and Saturday 11am to 3:30pm.
Visit our website - www.WinnebagoAnimals.org -to complete an adoption questionnaire!

‼🎉ADOPTION UPDATE!🎉‼

❤Remember Sadie???❤
Sadie first came to WCAS in March of 2022 as an owner surrender citing that Sadie did not get along with other animals. After a week in at our facility, she was adopted into what she thought would be her forever home; however, ...after a year she was returned due to her adopters sharing that they did not have enough time to dedicate to Sadie.
Sadie was back in our care and eagerly awaiting adoption, but luckily Sadie was only here for a week before she was adopted by her true forever family.
While sharing Sadie's update with us, her adopters told us that they'd seen her before going on vacation and were surprised to see that Sadie was still available for adoption when they got back. We're so glad they checked back and were able to take Sadie home!

Sadie's adopter shared these photos & this wonderful update with us-
🐾Hi. Just wanted to give an update on Sadie. We adopted her 3/20/23. She loves to play ball or any squeaky toys, go on walks and she has gotten much better at not pulling. She likes to go on car rides or just sit in car in the garage while someone is out there with her weather permitting. We call her the neighborhood watch cause she is always sitting in the window alerting us to anything happening outside. Everyone that comes over just loves her and she loves them. We are so happy to have found Sadie.🐾

👉Interested in creating your own adoption story?
We have lots of amazing dogs & cats available for adoption! We are open for adoptions today until 4:30pm!

👉We're currently running our 'Mutt Madness' Adoption Event where dogs that are available to go home same-day are only $20 to adopt. Visit our website - www.WinnebagoAnimals.org -to complete an adoption questionnaire!

‼🎉ADOPTION UPDATE!🎉‼

❤Remember Mouse (now Maisie)???❤
Maisie came to WCAS in mid-January as a stray and was never reclaimed by an owner. Thankfully, Maisie didn't have to wait too long to go home- after a little less than two weeks in our care, Maisie was ...adopted!!!

Maisie's adopter shared these photos & this wonderful update with us-
🐾She is doing wonderful, settling in well. Zoomies in the large fenced backyard. Incredibly sweet with children and adults. Happy to bark at the horses on Netflix's Damsel. I did not have to pay for Mouse because I am an IL combat veteran. I sincerely appreciate this and am very grateful for the addition to my family. She has great therapeutic skills already.🐾

👉Interested in creating your own adoption story?
We have lots of amazing dogs & cats available for adoption! We are open for adoptions tomorrow from 11am until 4:30pm!

👉We're currently running our 'Mutt Madness' Adoption Event where dogs that are available to go home same-day are only $20 to adopt. Visit our website - www.WinnebagoAnimals.org -to complete an adoption questionnaire!

🎥🐾 Elsie was our Pet of the Week on @Eyewitness News witMeteorologist Joey Marino this morning. Elsie is one of the awesome pups that are part of our Mutt Madness $20 dog adoptions promotion!🐾🎥

One look in those soulful brown eyes and you'll fall in love with Elsie!
...This sweet girl will happily sit quietly by your side and lend a listening ear. She will look up at you as though she's saying, "Come sit down with me and tell me all about your day." We estimate Elsie to be about 6 years old. She was found as a stray and unfortunately never claimed. Elsie looks like she may have had puppies in the past. A gentle soul, and a quiet companion, Elsie is content to hang out around the house or take a stroll around the block. After being at the shelter over a month, she is loved by all at WCAS, and we are waiting for her one true family to come along and scoop her up. Could that be you?

👉We're currently running our 'Mutt Madness' Adoption Event where dogs that are available to go home same-day are only $20 to adopt. Visit our website - www.WinnebagoAnimals.org -to complete an adoption questionnaire!

🐾🏀 ‼ Don't forget! It's still MUTT MADNESS at WCAS-Adopt a dog for $20 adoption fee ‼ 🏀🐾

🐾🏀We're currently running our 'Mutt Madness' Adoption Event where dogs that are available to go home same-day are now only $20 to adopt. Even better, ...Mamba, Lola, and Buster have completely sponsored adoption fees. That means they are fully covered and no fee to adopt ‼ 🏀🐾

Take a look at these gorgeous faces looking out for a home below!
All adoptions include a wellness exam, spay or neuter, microchip, vaccinations including a one year rabies shot, flea and tick preventative, and more.

Please stop by to find your match. Our hours the rest of the week are today & Friday 11am to 4:30pm, and Saturday 11am to 3:30pm.
Visit our website - www.WinnebagoAnimals.org -to complete an adoption questionnaire!

Calling all kitten lovers, kitten season is right around the corner!🙀

Please help us save lives and consider becoming a foster parent!
So far this week we have already placed 2 mammas with babies into foster care! Kitten season is approaching, and we are expecting an influx of tiny... felines that need our help.

WCAS supplies everything needed to take care of these kittens. All we need is a caring, loving person and some of their time!

Your contribution will make a huge difference in the lives of our furry friends. Whether you have experience in foster programs or you’re willing to learn we would love to work with you to save lives! Please fill out a foster application at the link below! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://winnebagoanimals.org/foster/

👉Not in a position to foster but still want to help?
We are in need of miracle nipples, bottles, and kitten food!
Check out our amazon wish list or send/drop off donations to 4517 N Main St. Rockford, IL 61103 https://a.co/b9rBc5c

‼🎉ADOPTION UPDATE!🎉‼

❤Remember Mystic (now Rex)???❤
Rex came to WCAS in mid-February as a stray and was never reclaimed by an owner. Rex won everyone's hearts here at WCAS with his deep purr! You might just remember that video we posted of him a few weeks back! Well,... that video caught the eye of Rex's now-adopter and they took him home the very next day!

Rex's adopter shared these photos & this wonderful update with us-
🐾I wanted to send an update on Rex, formerly Mystic. We adopted him on February 22, the day after his video was posted on FB. In the 2 weeks he has been home he has tried out all the napping spots and found his favorites. He loves eating and has quickly settled into my self-employed, work-from-home schedule and our regular play breaks. He may be older, but he is still very active with his toys. Rex follows us around the house asking for all the pets he can get, and is starting to snuggle up on our laps while we read.🐾

👉Interested in creating your own adoption story?
We have lots of amazing dogs & cats available for adoption! We are open for adoptions today until 4:30pm!

👉We're currently running our 'Mutt Madness' Adoption Event where dogs that are available to go home same-day are only $20 to adopt. Visit our website - www.WinnebagoAnimals.org -to complete an adoption questionnaire!

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