Pets and Animals

Susan Cappello, Mayor Brandon Johnson's choice to lead Animal Care and Control, speaks March 5, 2026, during a press conference at PAWS Chicago. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Nominee to lead Chicago animal control draws critics and defenders ahead of confirmation vote

By Jerry Wu

March 10, 2026 at 7:34 p.m.

Animal welfare groups and city officials are divided over Mayor Brandon Johnson's nomination of Susan...

Liz Rench, rabbit coordinator for the Animal Care League in Oak Park, observes how pet rabbit Henry, top, reacts while meeting potential new companion Iris, a shelter animal. According to Rench, rabbits are the third most common companion animal in the United States. (Jim Dudlicek/Pioneer Press)

Rabbit rescues spike after Easter, and Oak Park shelter works to find them new homes

By Jim Dudlicek

March 6, 2026 at 2:02 p.m.

The Animal Care League in Oak Park said they see a spike in abandoned rabbits...

Nicholas Iwaniuk and his wife, Amanda Gratzianna, talk after they were reunited with their dog, Shadow, in an alley near North Lakewood and West Oakdale avenue on March 3, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Austin man facing multiple felonies after eight dogs stolen outside Lincoln Park pet salon

By Tess Kenny

March 4, 2026 at 5:07 p.m.

An Austin man faces several felony charges after Chicago police said he tried to steal...

FILE — Handler Willy Santiago competes with Afghan Hound Zaida during breed group judging at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog show, in this May 13, 2024 file image, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)

Dog Show 101: What to know about the 150th Westminster show

By Jennifer Peltz

February 1, 2026 at 9:11 a.m.

Big or small, sleek or shaggy, imposing or impish, dogs are all trying for the...

Kristen Boyer and her 3-year-old son, George Boyer, watch as Amelia Gray, a 9-year-old polar bear, swims at Brookfield Zoo on Jan. 8, 2026. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Brookfield Zoo leads effort to protect polar bears as Trump opens Arctic refuge to oil drilling

By Adriana Pérez

January 26, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Brookfield Zoo, which has cared for generations of polar bears, hopes to offer guidelines for...

Plush panda toys are displayed inside a claw machine at an arcade near Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

The last two pandas in Japan are leaving for China as ties are strained

By Mari Yamaguchi

January 24, 2026 at 4:35 p.m.

Japanese panda fans are gathering Sunday for the final public viewing at Tokyo’s Ueno zoo...

This photo shows Abbie, a 9-year-old golden retriever mix, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in West Columbia, S.C. (Katy Cowan/Final Victory Animal Rescue via AP)

Rescuers use drone technology to find dog that escaped along New Jersey Turnpike

By Bruce Shipkowski

January 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

A dog escaped from a rest stop along the New Jersey Turnpike and wandered for...

A Basset Fauve De Bretagne stands for photographs during a Meet the Breeds event February 22, 2022 in San Diego. (David Woo/American Kennel Club via AP)

Unleash the hounds! And terriers and lapdogs. The American Kennel Club adds 3 breeds.

By Jennifer Peltz

December 30, 2025 at 10:07 a.m.

Three more dog breeds joined the American Kennel Club’s roster of recognized breeds on Tuesday,...

LaVandy Goines and her grandson Jalen brought pit bulls Shane and Sassy in for a photo opportunity with Cindy Lou Who (Dayana Navarro) and The Grinch (Jocelin Campa) during a holiday event at Animal Welfare League in Chicago Ridge. (Janice Neumann/Daily Southtown)

Area pet shelters harness holiday fun to boost adoptions, interactions with community

By Janice Neumann

December 10, 2025 at 3:13 p.m.

The Grinch and Cindy Lou Who visited Animal Welfare League in Chicago Ridge last weekend...

Griff, a golden retriever, interacts with students recently at Oak Park and River Forest High School, where he has been brought in as the school's full-time facility dog. (Oak Park and River Forest High School)

Oak Park and River Forest High School’s new staffer isn’t a Huskie, he’s a golden retriever

By Steve Metsch

December 15, 2025 at 4:27 p.m.

Oak Park and River Forest High School has enlisted a full-time facility dog who comes...

In this photo provided by Samantha Martin, a drunk raccoon is seen passed out in a liquor bathroom on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Ashland, Va. (Samantha Martin/Hanover County Protection via AP)

Raccoon goes on drunken rampage in Virginia liquor store and passes out on bathroom floor

By Associated Press

December 2, 2025 at 5:52 p.m.

An employee at an Ashland, Virginia-area liquor store found a raccoon passed out on the...

Roosevelt at Salt Creek resident Bobbi Cucco watches Tam Wagner, Roosevelt's executive director, lift Lexi the cat out of her baby carriage during a Hinsdale Humane Society pet adoption event at the retirement community in Elmhurst. (Jesse Wright/Pioneer Press)

Pet adoption event pairs older residents with older animals from Hinsdale Humane Society

By Jesse Wright

December 2, 2025 at 2:23 p.m.

Bobbi Cucco is nearly 90 years old, and she’s got a plan for the future....

A bottlenose dolphin nicknamed “Mimmo” leaps out the water with an acrobatic flip in St. Mark’s Basin, in Venice, Monday Oct. 20, 2025. (Venice Luxury Boat di Penzo Gianluca Via AP)

Venice’s newest marvel is a wild, acrobatic dolphin. His refusal to leave puts him in danger.

By Colleen Barry

November 18, 2025 at 3:22 p.m.

Venice has been charmed by a recent visitor: An acrobatic, wild dolphin.