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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

Rango

Male | 4 yearsTerrier, American Staffordshire
Meet Me

Papi

Male | 2 yearsTerrier, American Pit Bull
Meet Me

Mae

Female | 5 yearsTerrier, Pit Bull
Meet Me

Ace/Poppy

Male | 4 yearsTerrier, Pit Bull
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

Everyone meet Indiana!

She is a 2 year old female Pit mix who came to us as a stray in October and was sadly never reclaimed. Indiana is spunky girl and a volunteer favorite! Indiana is a little on the larger side at 64 pounds, but she is very respectful of personal space and won’t go ...knocking you around. She loves to go outside and is very good on the leash! Indiana would be a wonderful addition to any home.

Indiana is a part of the BISSELL ADOPTION EVENT we are currently holding and she is anxiously awaiting her turn to go home with her forever family! Could that be you?

Now thru a limited time adoptions will be reduced to $50 for dogs, $40 for kittens, and adult cats will have a reduced fee of $20 sponsored by the BISSELL Pet Foundation ‼️ 🎄🎄

📢If you're interested in adopting, visit our website and complete an adoption questionnaire. www.winnebagoanimals.org

⭐️EXCITING UPDATE‼️!⭐️
We are extending our The Bissell Empty the Shelter Holiday Hope Event for a limited time‼

Adoptions will be reduced to $50 for dogs, $40 for kittens, and adult cats will have a reduced fee of $20 sponsored by the BISSELL Pet Foundation ‼️ ...🎄🎄

📢We are still battling a capacity crisis and have many pets in need of our help.

📢All adoptions include a wellness exam, spay or neuter, microchip, age appropriate vaccinations, flea and tick preventative, and more. This is a deal you can’t beat!

📢If you're interested in adopting, visit our website and complete an adoption questionnaire. www.winnebagoanimals.org

Our Eyewitness News pet of the week, Link, was helped us spread the word about the BISSELL Pet Foundation's Empty the Shelter Holiday Hope Event HAPPENING NOW!

Link is one of the almost 50 dogs we have available during the event! Link's story with WCAS starts when officers were ...responding to a call of a dog being dumped out of a white van and running towards the railroad tracks. Our officers were able to find Link but he was scared and ran into the river. Luckily, they were able to contain him in a fenced in area and get him safety. 2 year old Link has been with WCAS about a month and has shown to be quite the gentleman. Link walks well on a leash, and is happy to meet new people with a gentle kiss on the chin. Could he be the one for you?

🎄🎄‼️ TODAY THRU SATURDAY- We want to empty the shelter! Adoptions will be reduced to $50 for dogs, $40 for kittens, and adult cats will have a reduced fee of $20 sponsored by the BISSELL Pet Foundation ‼️ 🎄🎄

We will be open our normal hours Friday 11am to 4:30pm and Saturday 11am to 3:30pm.

During #EmptytheShelters, adopters are still required to complete a standard adoption application as if it were a normal day.
** Pets available for pre-select adoption do not qualify for this event **

🎄🎄‼ STARTING TODAY THRU SATURDAY- The Bissell Empty the Shelter Holiday Hope Event‼🎄🎄

‼️OUR POPULATION IS AT CRITICAL CAPACITY-We are out of space (especially for dogs) and will not be able to continue operating in this capacity. We will unfortunately have to make ...some difficult decisions if our population doesn't lower fast.
You could save a life during the Holiday Hope event‼️

Winnebago Animal Service will be participating in the BISSELL Pet Foundation BISSELL Pet Foundation's Empty the Shelters National Holiday Hope Event Thursday December 5th through Saturday, December 7th. During this time, adoption fees will be $50 for dogs, $40 for kittens, and adult cats will have a reduced fee of $20!

Please visit www.winnebagoanimals.org to view pets at Winnebago County Animal Services and complete an adoption questionnaire. Adopters who fill out a questionnaire online get their approval card, will be the first to view our adoptable animals.

During #EmptytheShelters, adopters are still required to complete a standard adoption application as if it were a normal day.
** Pets available for pre-select adoption do not qualify for this event **

🎄🎄‼️ $50 dogs, $40 kittens, and $20 cat adoptions!
Our Holiday Hope #EmptyTheShelters will be this starting tomorrow thru Thursday, Friday and Saturday at WCAS! ‼️ 🎄🎄

‼️OUR POPULATION IS AT CRITICAL CAPACITY-We are out of space and will not be able to continue ...operating in this capacity. We will unfortunately have to make some difficult decisions if our population doesn't lower fast.
You could save a life during the Holiday Hope event‼️

We currently have-
🐶 95 dogs in the building.
🐱 81 cats in the building and we are quickly running out of open enclosures.

Winnebago Animal Service will be participating in the BISSELL Pet Foundation BISSELL Pet Foundation's Empty the Shelters National Holiday Hope Event Thursday December 5th through Saturday, December 7th. During this time, adoption fees will be $50 for dogs, $40 for kittens, and adult cats will have a reduced fee of $20!

Please visit www.winnebagoanimals.org to view pets at Winnebago County Animal Services and complete an adoption questionnaire. Adopters who fill out a questionnaire online get their approval card, will be the first to view our adoptable animals.

During #EmptytheShelters, adopters are still required to complete a standard adoption application as if it were a normal day.
** Pets available for pre-select adoption do not qualify for this event **
Available dog (Dermot) and Adoptable cat (Rowen) pictured below.

✨🙏It's Wishlist Wednesday! 🙏✨

(Our model is Dougy A0057290077, who is currently available for adoption at our facility here in Rockford, IL!)

This week, we're in need of the following items:
✨Kongs
✨Nyla bones
✨Puzzle toys

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

“Hi friends, I’m Pikachu!

I am a 3 year old male Pit mix who came to the shelter in September as a stray and was sadly never reclaimed. I’m a petite guy weighing about 40 pounds with an electric personality and face you can’t help but fall in love with! I have excellent leash ...manners, but my special skills are sit, shake and lie down. I am a smart boy who loves treats and will make any trainer happy! My friends here think I would do well in any kind of “gym,” but I’m no Snorlax. I’m ready and raring for my next adventure with my new family!”

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

🎥🐾Charlie was the Pet of the Week on WIFR TV 23 with Maggie Polsean this morning .🐾🎥

Charlie, the one-year-old shepherd mix, wants to bet the apple of your eye! 🍎🍏He knows commands like SIT and loves to play fetch in the yard with this FURends. Charlie was found hanging ...out on a kind citizens front porch. He had a chip but upon further investigation it was found that he has already been rehomed 3 times in his short life. He is now hoping he can find his true forever home!

Head on over to www.winnebagoanimals.org to learn more about Charlie or fill out an application so you can visit him soon!

We have over 90 dogs currently in the building! We have a wide arrange of unique dogs with different personalities, shapes, and sizes. It's a great time to adopt! ❤🐾

making news