NEW HAVEN FOR HOMELESS PETS

PAWS Chicago’s Rescue Ranch aims to help larger dogs and cats find homes.

There are plenty of dog lovers in the Chicago area, but with limited living space, city dwellers tend to adopt smaller breeds. Heartbreakingly, this has left many beautiful larger dogs waiting longer for homes.

But, says Paula Fasseas, founder of PAWS Chicago, the Midwest’s largest no-kill animal shelter, “Our new Rescue Ranch in Hawthorn Woods seeks to change that.”

Set for completion in 2027, the 20-acre, northwest suburban facility, which broke ground in July, will be designed to connect larger dogs and cats with adoptive families who have the space to better care for them.

“We couldn’t be happier about this,” says Fasseas. “Even though PAWS Chicago adopts out about 5,000 pets every year, larger dogs and cats remain at the greatest risk for euthanasia at Chicago Animal Care & Control, and struggle to find homes in the urban density of the city. Our new Rescue Ranch will focus on the enrichment and adoption of these animals.”

Designed to be a calm, natural environment where homeless cats and dogs can decompress from the stress of shelter life as they await uniting with families, the Rescue Ranch will feature both a Canine Pavilion and a state-of-the-art Cat Center. Each will include low-stress suites for up to 80 animals at a time.

Dogs will not be in cages or wire runs. Instead, each will have their own relief area and patio backyard.

“They will be walked multiple times every day and will have lots of time with our behaviorists—trainers who work with the dogs on confidence building and enrichment,” says Fasseas.

Beyond adoption, the new Rescue Ranch will expand critical prevention services.

“At the heart of PAWS Chicago’s No Kill mission is preventing pet overpopulation,” Fasseas explains. “Rescue Ranch will lead this effort with a state-of-the-art surgery center with the capacity to perform thousands of spay/neuter surgeries annually.”

The facility will also help to train the next generation of veterinary surgeons and make lifesaving surgeries, as well as trap-neuter-return services, more accessible to pets in nearby under-resourced communities, including Waukegan.

In addition, the campus will house the Chicago area’s first Humane Education Center, dedicated to teaching compassion, empathy, and respect for the animals. Purpose-built spaces will support volunteer training, community engagement, and collaboration.

“We are so excited to work in the Northwest suburbs,” says Fasseas. “It’s a wonderful community. Having a location out here will do so much for the large-pet population, and will significantly expand volunteer opportunities, as well as educational programming for the community—including children.”

In the coming months, PAWS Chicago will be building volunteer and foster opportunities to support the adoption program in Hawthorn Woods. To stay informed, please visit pawschicago.org/our-work/rescue-ranch.