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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
‼🎉ADOPTION UPDATE!🎉‼
❤Remember Lady (now Ladybug)???❤
Ladybug first came to WCAS as a stray in December of 2020 and just a few hours after her arrival, she was reclaimed by her owner. Fast-forward almost 4 years later and Ladybug found herself back at our facility, again ...as a stray, but this time Ladybug was never reclaimed by her owner. Ladybug patiently awaited adoption for multiple weeks and even became a member of our Lonely Hearts Club as one our longest-staying residents. However, just a week shy of her two-month anniversary with us, Ladybug was adopted!
Ladybug's adopter shared these great photos and this wonderful update with us-
🐾Hi, I was hoping to give an adoption update for Lady who we adopted on Sept 5th I think. We have renamed her “Ladybug” and we adore her. She has 2 sisters now and a huge yard to run in! 🐾
👉Interested in creating your own adoption story? We have lots of amazing dogs & cats available for adoption! We are open for adoptions tomorrow from 11am until 4:30pm!
👉Visit our website - www.WinnebagoAnimals.org -to complete an adoption questionnaire!
‼🚨WCAS Hours of Operation Update🚨‼
Beginning Monday, October 21st, Winnebago County Animal Services will resume our regular Monday hours- We will be open to the public from 11am - 7pm.
Here is a listing of our 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
Winnebago County Animal Services will be closed today, Monday, October 14th, in observance of Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day.
Our staff will be at the facility to take care of the dogs and cats currently in our care and our officers will be on duty as well.
We will ...reopen tomorrow, Tuesday, October 15th at 11am.
In the meantime, visit our website www.WinnebagoAnimals.org to view the animals currently available for adoption at our facility!
Pet adoptions, pet licensing and registration, veterinary care to animals in need, animal welfare and cruelty investigations, and more.
www.winnebagoanimals.orgWinnebago County Animal Services will be closed tomorrow, Monday, October 14th, in observance of Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day.
Our staff will be at the facility to take care of the dogs and cats currently in our care and our officers will be on duty as well.
We will... reopen on Tuesday, October 15th at 11am.
In the meantime, visit our website www.WinnebagoAnimals.org to view the animals currently available for adoption at our facility!
Pet adoptions, pet licensing and registration, veterinary care to animals in need, animal welfare and cruelty investigations, and more.
www.winnebagoanimals.org⭐️EXCITING UPDATE‼️!⭐️
We are extending our Bissell Empty the Shelter Adoption Event in celebration of today's (10/11) Ribbon Cutting Ceremony here at WCAS!
💙💚Starting tomorrow, Saturday (10/12), through Tuesday (10/15) we'll be WAIVING FEES for select ...dogs and cats! We have LOTS of pets ready to go home, same day- now is the perfect time to adopt!
📢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!
📢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 and are approved will be the first to view our adoptable animals.
If you're interested in adopting, visit our website and complete an adoption questionnaire. www.winnebagoanimals.org
✨🙏It's Wishlist Wednesday! 🙏✨
(Our model is Mazie A0056332421, who is currently our longest staying resident- she came to us as a stray all the way back on July 10th! She is available for adoption at our facility here in Rockford, IL!)
This week, we're in need ...of the following items:
✨Wet Dog Food
Donations can be dropped off at our facility OR ordered & shipped to our address
- 4517 N. Main St. Rockford, IL 61103
⭐️EXCITING UPDATE‼️⭐️ We are extending our Bissell Empty the Shelter event!
💙💚#EmptyTheShelters continues this week at WCAS! 💚💙
$25 and $10 adoptions! 📣 ‼️ LET'S EMPTY THE SHELTER‼️📣
‼️📢We have this week to Empty The ...Shelter!‼️ 📢Now thru end of day Saturday Winnebago County Animal Services adoption fees will be just $25 for select dogs and kittens, and a $10 adoption fee for adult cats‼️
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!
📢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 and are approved will be the first to view our adoptable animals.
If you're interested in adopting, visit our website and complete an adoption questionnaire. www.winnebagoanimals.org
📣 ‼️$25 and $10 adoptions with the Bissell Empty the Shelter Event ends tomorrow, don't miss out‼️📣
We are at ‼️MAX CAPACITY‼️ for both dogs and cats in the building. We are out of cages and in dire need of space for incoming animals in need in our community. ...
We have resorted to using pop up crates but this is not a solution we can keep up with and need help to find homes for these deserving pets.
During this time adoption fees will be $25 for select dogs and kittens. Adult cats will have a reduced fee of $10!
👉This event will be ‼️ ending end of day Saturday ‼️ Make sure you get here ASAP to meet your new best friend!
Take a peek below at just a fraction of the deserving pets we are currently caring for!
Whether you've been considering adding a new member to your family or simply want a loving companion by your side, this is the perfect chance to make a difference in a furry friend's life. Let's give these deserving pets a second chance at happiness. Together, we can make a lasting impact!
👉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 and stop in to get their approval card prior to the day of the event, will be the first to view our adoptable animals.
👉We will be open our normal hours Monday-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 **
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.