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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 - 7:00 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

Tilly

Female | 7 yearsTerrier, American Pit Bull
Meet Me

Mae

Female | 5 yearsTerrier, Pit Bull
Meet Me

Anyx

Female | 4 yearsDomestic Shorthair
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

💚🩷 Meet Glinda: The Good (dog)! 🩷💚
✨(THAT’S pronounced “Gahlinda” …with a “Gah!”)✨

Three-year-old Glinda came to us as a stray in late-October and was never reclaimed by an owner.
Now that she’s available for adoption, she wants you to know that she ...IS that girl! You might be asking yourself, “What is this Feeling?”

Well, we’ll tell you, it’s the feeling of wanting to stop by WCAS and visit with this sweet girl who is eagerly awaiting adoption! She promises that, with her by your side, you… will… be… “POPULAR!” (She’s knows about popular) And with a canine companion like Glinda, you will surely be “Dancing Through Life”, and we can guarantee that you’ll be changed “For Good”.

👉Interested in adopting? Go to www.winnebagoanimals.org to complete an adoption questionnaire.

🐾Calling all heroes‼️🐾 The lonely hearts of WCAS need your help!

Looking to add a little bit of love to your plans this upcoming holiday season? If so, these sweet faces might be able to help! ❤️
It's a real head scratcher as to why these awesome pups have been ...waiting for a home so long. They have done great with their canine neighbors, their human friends here at the shelter, and have great temperaments!

These kiddos are some of WCAS's longest staying residents, and they could definitely use a forever home!

🐾 Papi - 99 days -
🐾 Penelope - 89 days
🐾 Bongo - 89 days

This exclusive club features cats and dogs whose stay here at WCAS has been a bit longer than we (and they) would like!
Members of the Lonely Hearts Club have half of their adoption fee sponsored by the WCAS Auxiliary!

👉Interested in adopting? Go to www.winnebagoanimals.org to complete an adoption questionnaire.

😻 Calling all cat lovers‼ 😻

Kitten season, or just 2024 as we call it, is still going strong and we have some amazing felines looking for a home to be thankful for.
Kick off your cozy season with a forever snuggle buddy! We have LOTS of cats and kittens available for adoption ...at WCAS! Stop by and find the purrfect fit for your home!

For more information, please visit our website: www.winnebagoanimals.org

✨🙏It's Wishlist Wednesday! 🙏✨

(Our model is Marco, who is currently available for adoption at our facility here in Rockford, IL!)

This week, we're in need of the following items:
✨ Kongs (for med. & lrg. dogs)
✨ Cat toys

Donations can ...be dropped off at our facility OR ordered & shipped to our address
- 4517 N. Main St. Rockford, IL 61103

“Hiya friends! I’m Champion!

I'm a male dog who was found as a stray and sadly never reclaimed. But that’s ok! At 8 years young I am ready for a fresh start! I was initially very shy with the staff here, but it didn’t take me long to warm up at all. Now I haven’t met a ...single person who I don’t absolutely love. I am potty trained, leashed trained and LOVE going outside! I am a very laid back and easy going guy, but that doesn’t mean I can’t keep up with you if you’re feeling adventurous!”

👉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 46 pets find adoptive families! This included 30 cats, 15 dogs, and 1 chicken! 🎉🎉

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

Update: Adopted! 🎉

Happy National Chicken Lady Day ! 🐔

🐔 Henifer Aniston is looking for her very own Chicken Lady! 🐔

Henifer is a female chicken hoping to find her own Central Peck! 😉 This happy, social little chicken wants to spend the rest of her life ...on your farm. She would love a nice, big outdoor enclosure where she'll be safe from predators and can be your new best friend!

Come meet Henifer Aniston and find a great new friend!
If you're interested in adopting, visit our website and complete an adoption questionnaire- www.winnebagoanimals.org .

Today's pawffice assistant, Sadie, is enjoying her day dressing up and keeping our front desk staff company today!

12 year old Sadie was brought to WCAS as a stray and unfortunately was not reclaimed.

This fun lovin gal loves toys, spending time with people, and has done ...with other dogs here!

Sadie is looking for somewhere to spend her golden years! Could that be you?
💛 12 year old Sadie is part of our Golden Whiskers squad! Pets 8 years and older at WCAS have ½ of their adoption fee sponsored by the WCAS Auxiliary!
👉Interested?
Visit our website - www.WinnebagoAnimals.org - and take a peek at these animals' adoption profiles for more information, and be sure to complete an Adoption Questionnaire!

🎃Bongo has decided he wants to be a pumpkin for Halloween! He had his costumed debut on Eyewitness News this morning with Meteorologist Joey Marino🎃

If this handsome guy catches your fancy, fill out an application at www.winnebagoanimals.org to meet him today!

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