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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
lost &
found
lost
a pet?
found
a stray?
our services
In addition to pet adoption, WCAS offers services to help keep the pets and people of Winnebago County safe and healthy.
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
📢February By the Numbers: A Look at Last Month's Impact!📢
We want to keep you in the loop! We're sharing a monthly snapshot showing the highlights of the work done at Winnebago County Animal Services. If you’re interested in more details beyond these highlights, our ...Monthly Shelter Reports are posted to our website’s “Our Work” page.
Here’s what February looked like:
🌟🐾 Paw-some Pick of the Day! 🐾🌟
We’re shining the spotlight on our pets with something special: each day, one amazing pet will be featured as our Paw-some Pick of the Day — and for that day only, their adoption fee is waived!
👉Tuesday, March 24th's ...Paw-some Pick is Journei B A0060543521!
Journei B is a 3-year-old, 6-pound cat who is ready to find a loving home to call her own.
Journei B came to us as a surrender after her previous owners shared they were experiencing landlord issues and could no longer keep her. While it’s never easy to lose a home, Journei B is now looking forward to a fresh start with a new family to love.
At just 6 pounds, Journei B is a petite companion who would enjoy a cozy home where she can settle in and be someone’s special cat. If you’re looking to give a deserving kitty a second chance, Journei B would love to meet you.🐶✨
🖱Click here to submit an Adoption Questionnaire - https://winnebagoanimals.org/adoption-application/
🎉🎉 Last week, Winnebago County Animal Services helped 22 pets find adoptive families! This included 10 cats and 12 dogs!🎉🎉
For more information on adoptable pets, please visit our website at
www.winnebagoanimals.org.
👀🚨Do you know any of these dogs?🚨👀
We would love to reunite these dogs with their families!
Can you help us find their families? Each animal's Intake Date & Location Found is included in their photo's caption.
👉If you believe one of these dogs is ...yours, please call us at 815-319-4100 and one of our call takers can speak with you about next steps OR stop by our facility.
👉We open at 11am today (Monday 3/23) and are open until 7pm this evening.
👉Some of these dogs are available for preselect adoption, which means that although the dog is still on their stray hold period and awaiting reclaim by their owner, an interested adopter is able to complete an adoption application and pay the fee to pre-select the animal for adoption. If the dog is not reclaimed, the adoption is finalized and the dog can go home as soon as they're spayed/neutered.
🌟🐾 Paw-some Pick of the Day! 🐾🌟
We’re shining the spotlight on our pets with something special: each day, one amazing pet will be featured as our Paw-some Pick of the Day — and for that day only, their adoption fee is waived!
👉Monday, March 23rd's Paw-some... Pick is Pip A0060549324!
Pip is a 7-month-old, 5-pound kitten who is ready to find a loving home of her own.
Pip came to us as a surrender due to a decline in her owner’s health. While it’s never easy to say goodbye, Pip is now looking forward to a fresh start with a new family to love.
At just 7 months old, Pip is still growing and would love a home where she can play, explore, and settle in as part of the family. Pip can’t wait to meet you!🐶✨
🖱Click here to submit an Adoption Questionnaire - https://winnebagoanimals.org/adoption-application/
🎉🐾 Today's Paw-some Pick Has Found a Home! 🐾🎉
We're SO excited to share that Carlos has officially gone home!
❤️We couldn’t be happier to see him start his next chapter with a loving family!!!
(Thank you to our amazing team for capturing this precious ...moment of Carlos with his adopters!)
🎉That's FOUR Paw-some Picks this week that have found their forever home this week - Woohoo!!!
📣A huge thank you to everyone who’s been liking, commenting, and sharing our Paw-some Pick of the Day posts — your support truly helps our animals get seen and find homes faster.
Every share makes a difference!
👉Monday's Paws-some Pick will be announced Sunday night- be sure to keep an eye out!!!
Keep following along and continue spreading the word — you never know which Paw-some Pick might be the next to find their forever home! 🏡
🌟🐾 Paw-some Pick of the Day! 🐾🌟
We’re shining the spotlight on our pets with something special: each day, one amazing pet will be featured as our Paw-some Pick of the Day — and for that day only, their adoption fee is waived!
👉Saturday, March 21st's ...Paw-some Pick is Carlos A0060287266!
Carlos is a 2-year-old, 11-pound cat who is ready to find a family to call his own.
Carlos came to us as a stray, and unfortunately no one came forward to reclaim him, so his exact background is unknown. What we do know is that he’s ready for a fresh start and the chance to settle into a loving home.
Carlos would love a home where he can relax, explore, and become part of the family.
We’re still getting to know Carlos, and the best way to learn more about his personality is to come meet him in person and see if he might be the right fit for your home.🐶✨
🖱Click here to submit an Adoption Questionnaire - https://winnebagoanimals.org/adoption-application/
🎉🐾 Today's Paw-some Pick Has Found a Home! 🐾🎉
Yodel was doing double duty today as both our Paw-some Pick AND our Pawffice Assistant, and we're SO excited to share that Yodel has officially gone home!
❤️We couldn’t be happier to see him start his next ...chapter with a loving family!!!
(Thank you to our amazing team for capturing this precious moment of Yodel with his adopters!)
🎉That's THREE Paw-some Picks this week that have found their forever home this week - Woohoo!!!
📣A huge thank you to everyone who’s been liking, commenting, and sharing our Paw-some Pick of the Day posts — your support truly helps our animals get seen and find homes faster.
Every share makes a difference!
👉Tomorrow's Paws-some Pick will be announced later tonight- be sure to keep an eye out!!!
Keep following along and continue spreading the word — you never know which Paw-some Pick might be the next to find their forever home! 🏡
👀🚨Do you know any of these dogs?🚨👀
We would love to reunite these dogs with their families!
Can you help us find their families? Each animal's Intake Date & Location Found is included in their photo's caption.
👉If you believe one of these dogs is ...yours, please call us at 815-319-4100 and one of our call takers can speak with you about next steps OR stop by our facility.
👉We open at 11am today (Friday 3/20) and are open until 5pm this evening.
👉Some of these dogs are available for preselect adoption, which means that although the dog is still on their stray hold period and awaiting reclaim by their owner, an interested adopter is able to complete an adoption application and pay the fee to pre-select the animal for adoption. If the dog is not reclaimed, the adoption is finalized and the dog can go home as soon as they're spayed/neutered.
making news
WCAS Returning to Past License Tag Style Due to Global Shipping Disruptions
Winnebago County Animal Services (WCAS) will be returning to the past pet license tag style for 2022 pet registrations. This license tag style, which is a flat, stamped aluminum tag, was last used...
Kitten Season
Kitten season hits every spring and every spring staff prepares for the influx of kittens about to come through our doors. Learn more here!
Working Cat Program
The Working Cat Program finds homes for those cats are better suited to a non-traditional home setting.
PetSmart Adoption Program
WCAS has partnered with six PetSmart locations to help cats and kittens find their new homes.

