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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

Simone

Female | 3 yearsDomestic Medium Hair
Meet Me

Seemore

Male | 8 yearsDomestic Shorthair
Meet Me

Raegan

Female | 3 yearsDomestic Shorthair
Meet Me

Outlaw

Male | 2 yearsDomestic Longhair
Meet Me

Marielle

Female | 2 yearsDomestic Shorthair
Meet Me

Carlos

Male | 2 yearsDomestic Shorthair
Meet Me

Brewsey

Male | 3 yearsDomestic Shorthair
Meet Me

Bozey

Male | 4 yearsDomestic Shorthair
Meet Me

Yodel

Male | 4 yearsTerrier, American Pit Bull
Meet Me

Reesie

Female | 3 yearsTerrier
Meet Me

Lutz

Male | 5 yearsBulldog
Meet Me

Juniper

Female | 1 yearTerrier, American Pit Bull
Meet Me

Chrissy

Female | 1 yearTerrier, American 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

🐾📺 Eyewitness News Pet of the Week: Meet Outlaw! 📺🐾

Outlaw recently made his TV debut as the Eyewitness News Pet of the Week with Meteorologist Joey Marino and he definitely stole the show!

This beautiful long-haired tuxedo boy came to Winnebago County Animal Services ...as a stray, but he’s more than ready to leave shelter life behind and find a loving home of his own.

Outlaw is an absolute lovebug who thrives on attention. He enjoys spending time with people, soaking up pets, and showing off his sweet personality. He’s also a curious explorer who likes checking out new places and investigating everything around him. 🖤🤍

The good news? Outlaw has done well with his feline neighbors, so he may be a great addition to a home with another cat.

If you’re looking for a handsome, affectionate companion with a little adventurous spirit, Outlaw might be your perfect match!

🏡 Come meet Outlaw at Winnebago County Animal Services and see if he’s the missing piece to your family.
🖱Click here to submit an Adoption Questionnaire - https://winnebagoanimals.org/adoption-application/

🌟🐾 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!

👉Thursday, March 12th's ...Paw-some Pick is Chrissy A0060306588!

Chrissy is a 1-year-old, 40-pound pup who is ready to find a family to call her own.
Chrissy came to us as a stray, and unfortunately no one came forward to reclaim her, so her full story is unknown. What we do know is that she’s been a pleasant and easygoing guest while in our care.
While at the shelter, Chrissy had the opportunity to meet another dog, and their dog introduction went well! Both dogs were fairly low energy but showed interest in one another, spending their time calmly exploring the space side-by-side and sniffing around together.
We’re still learning more about Chrissy’s personality, and the best way to get to know her is to come meet her in person and see if she might be the right fit for your family.🐶✨

🖱Click here to submit an Adoption Questionnaire - https://winnebagoanimals.org/adoption-application/

‼🎉ADOPTION UPDATE!🎉‼

❤Remember Bennett???❤

Bennett came to WCAS as a stray in early December and was never reclaimed by an owner. As the days passed, he patiently waited for his chance at a new home and eventually became one of our long-stay residents. Thankfully, ...Bennett’s wait wasn’t forever—his family visited in mid-January and took this sweet boy home!

Bennett's adopter reached out and shared this wonderful update and these precious photos!
🐾Hello we are the Danielson family. We adopted Bennett Ben Johnson three months ago. My family and our other dog adore him.

Bennett is the biggest cuddle bug ever! Anytime one of my kids are just chilling out on the couch. Bennett is right there next to them. Soaking up as much love and pets from the kids as possible. Playtime in our household is amazing since Ben has been here. He loves playing in the yard with my other dog Titus. Bennett is the fastest dog our family has seen! He loves jumping over obstacles and chewing on sticks.

I can honestly say Bennett brings so much life into our household. He is silly, loving, caring and always on the look out for squirrels! Our family loves him so much. We are so thankful he is part of our family now. 🐾

👉Interested in creating your own adoption story? We have lots of amazing dogs & cats available for adoption!

👉Visit our website - www.WinnebagoAnimals.org -to complete an adoption questionnaire!

👉If you've adopted from WCAS and would like to share an update & photos, you can message us OR send us an email at wcas@wcas.wincoil.gov

👀🚨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 (Wednesday 3/11) 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.

✨🙏It's Wishlist Wednesday! 🙏✨

Our model is ❤Penelope A0060398448❤ who is currently available for adoption here at WCAS!

This week, we're in need of the following item(s):
✨Kitten wet food
✨Snuggle Safes 🔗https://shorturl.at/GEnXZ
...✨Digital Kitchen Scales 🔗https://a.co/d/50KlZo8

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

🌟🐾 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!

👉Wednesday, March 11th's ...Paw-some Pick is Raegan A0060311480!

Raegan is a 3-year-old, 8-pound cat who is ready to find a family to call her own.
Raegan came to us as a stray, and unfortunately no one came forward to reclaim her, so her exact background is unknown. What we do know is that she’s ready for the chance to start a new chapter with a loving family.
Raegan would enjoy a home where she can settle in and become someone’s special companion.
We’re still getting to know Raegan, and the best way to learn more about her personality is to come meet her in person and see if she might be the right fit for your family.🐶✨

🖱Click here to submit an Adoption Questionnaire - https://winnebagoanimals.org/adoption-application/

🎉ADOPTION UPDATE!🎉‼

❤Remember Champion???❤

Champion came to WCAS as a stray in mid-January and was never reclaimed by an owner. After spending a month patiently waiting for his family, Champion finally found his happily-ever-after and was adopted exactly one month ...after arriving!

Champion's adopters reached out and shared an update along with these wonderful photos!
🐾We adopted Champion about 2 weeks ago, he has fit right into our family and is enjoying every minute of it. He absolutely loves toys (feels the need to take every toy out of the bin) and car rides. He is slowly making friends with his cat siblings and learning to play with his dog sister.🐾

👉Interested in creating your own adoption story? We have lots of amazing dogs & cats available for adoption!

👉Visit our website - www.WinnebagoAnimals.org -to complete an adoption questionnaire!

👉If you've adopted from WCAS and would like to share an update & photos, you can message us OR send us an email at wcas@wcas.wincoil.gov

🌟🐾 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 10th's ...Paw-some Pick is Dottie A0060044403!

Dottie is a 4-year-old, 7-pound cat who is ready to find a loving home to call her own.
Dottie came to us as a surrender after her previous owners shared they were no longer able to afford her care. While it’s never easy for a pet to experience that kind of transition, Dottie is now looking forward to finding a new family to love her forever.
At just 7 pounds, Dottie is a petite companion who would enjoy a cozy home where she can settle in and be someone’s special cat.Dottie can’t wait to meet you! 🐶✨

🖱Click here to submit an Adoption Questionnaire - https://winnebagoanimals.org/adoption-application/

‼🎉ADOPTION UPDATE!🎉‼
⚡✨TIMES TWO!✨⚡

❤Remember Boston & Bongo???❤

Boston came to WCAS all the way back in July of 2011. Although he was never reclaimed by an owner, he didn’t have to wait long to find his new home—just a few weeks after arriving, ...Boston was adopted by his forever family.

Bongo’s journey looked a little different. He came to us as a stray in August of 2024 and was also never reclaimed. Unlike Boston, Bongo had a longer wait and spent more than three months patiently awaiting adoption. Thankfully, the wait paid off—Bongo was adopted in early November, and that’s where he’s been happily ever since.

Boston & Bongo's adopter reached out and shared this wonderful update and these precious photos!
🐾We adopted Boston (the terrier) back in 2012 I think? He was 2 years old and we just celebrated his 16 birthday- He is doing amazing! And the smaller pittie is Bongo -alum adopted in November 2024 also doing great. We love our babies, thanks for all you do! 🐾

👉Interested in creating your own adoption story? We have lots of amazing dogs & cats available for adoption!

👉Visit our website - www.WinnebagoAnimals.org -to complete an adoption questionnaire!

👉If you've adopted from WCAS and would like to share an update & photos, you can message us OR send us an email at wcas@wcas.wincoil.gov

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