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...

A group of dog owners and their pets meet at a Libertyville forest preserve for the launch of the Petwrk website in Sept.. The site is a beta test for the app which is set to launch in the spring of next year. (Yadira Sanchez Olson/For the Lake County News-Sun)

Pet owners app aims to ‘reduce the social isolation of people and pets’

By Yadira Sanchez Olson

November 18, 2025 at 12:22 p.m.

The app aims to enable users to find nearby playdates by breed, size, and location,...

People watch sheep on their way to the winter pastures, in Nuremberg, Germany, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Daniel Löb/dpa via AP)

Make way for the flock! Hundreds of sheep head through German city to their winter pastures

By Associated Press

November 16, 2025 at 9:27 a.m.

Pedestrians in the German city of Nuremberg made way for hundreds of bleating sheep on...

A group of volunteers hikes into Superior Street Prairie in Calumet City, a site that provides a habitat for rare plants, animals and other wildlife. (Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves)

Ongoing project ‘builds long-term community’ while preserving Calumet City’s link to ancient landscape

By Evy Lewis

October 14, 2025 at 2:42 p.m.

Volunteers at Calumet City's Superior Street Prairie to prepare for a prescribed fire, gather seeds...

Denise Colello, Animal Welfare League surgical supervisor, and her dog Champ, who was adopted from AWL, staffs a booth answering questions about vaccines, dog chips and heartworm medication during the Fur-Fall-Palooza event Sunday in Chicago Ridge. (Janice Neumann/Daily Southtown)

Fur-Fall-Palooza at Animal Welfare League showcases adoptable pets

By Janice Neumann

October 13, 2025 at 3:14 p.m.

Fur-Fall-Palooza at Animal Welfare League in Chicago Ridge included puppy kisses, dog fashion show and...

Feline Community Network founder and director Michelle Duca speaks about future plans for the rescue as she stands near cats up for adoption on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

‘Everybody has a story here’: Feline Community Network offers cats a second chance

By Deborah Laverty

October 12, 2025 at 2:34 p.m.

Guests at Feline Community Network & Cat Themed Gift Shop are greeted by the presence...

Elizabeth Wigton stands last spring with the outdoor food pantry she helped make at South Suburban Humane Society in Matteson as part of a Girl Scout project. She also donated an outdoor pet food pantry to Kendall County Animal Control. (Elizabeth Wigton)

South Suburban Humane Society pet food pantry results from Girl Scout’s love for animals

By Janice Neumann

September 30, 2025 at 1:52 p.m.

Plainfield Girl Scout's project at South Suburban Humane Society provides supplies to owners in need...

A squirrel carries a nut among changing leaves at Gillson Beach, Oct. 12, 2022, in Wilmette. Residents in the Bay Area of San Francisco say an aggressive squirrel has sent at least two people to the emergency room there.

An aggressive squirrel seeking food has sent at least 2 people to the ER in California city

By Associated Press

September 24, 2025 at 3:43 p.m.

Residents of a San Francisco Bay Area city are on the lookout for an aggressive...

Jim O’Connor, executive director of the Second Story Foundation, plays with one the horses during a tour of a former horse training facility April 28, 2025, in Crete. The location was bought by Second Story Ranch to turn it into a residential alcohol treatment facility. (John Smierciak/ Daily Southtown)

Will County OKs addiction recovery center at horse farm in Crete Township

By Michelle Mullins

September 22, 2025 at 5:07 a.m.

The Second Story Foundation plans to open a retreat on a horse farm in Crete...

Shelley Skas, of Coping Together, hangs out with friends Milo, center and Silo on Thursday Sept. 18 at the ranch in Frankfort. (John Smierciak/Daily Southtown)

Nonprofit providing animal-assisted therapy wins grant for expansion in Frankfort

By Olivia Stevens

September 20, 2025 at 5:08 a.m.

Nonprofit Coping Together is planning to expand their Frankfort ranch thanks to a $50,000 grant...

Jonathan Alvarez, of Humboldt Park, speaks to his Rottweiler Nova during a Vets and Pets clinic at the Illinois National Guard Recruiting Office in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood on Aug. 30, 2025. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)

Free dog vaccinations, microchips in Humboldt Park draws pet owners across Chicago

By Kate Perez

September 1, 2025 at 10:44 a.m.

Over 100 people descended with their dogs on Humboldt Park for free shots and microchips...