We see all ages and types of dogs, cats, and critters. All animals available for adoption or pre-select adoption can be found right here on our website. To view our adoptable pets, click HERE.

Adopting a pet through WCAS is easy!  

• Find Your Pet – View our adoptable pets on our website or by visiting our shelter during business hours. View all available pets HERE. 
• Complete the Adoption Application – Complete the adoption application online or at our shelter. Once submitted, we’ll review your application for approval. To start your Adoption Application, click HERE. 
• Visit our Location to Complete Your Adoption or Pre-Selection – All adoptions are completed in-person at our shelter (or at a PetSmart location for cats and kittens at those sites). If the pet you’re adopting is on stray hold and not yet available for adoption, you can complete the process to “pre-select” your pet, ensuring you can adopt once they are available. NOTE: Stray dogs are held for 7-10 days before an adoption can be finalized and the dog can go home with you. There is no requirement to hold stray cats without identification and friendly cats are available to be adopted right away. All dogs and cats are spayed or neutered prior to completing an adoption and leaving the facility.   
• Bring Home Your Pet – When your adoption is approved, you can bring your pet home that same day. If you pre-selected an animal that was on a stray hold, you must pick up your pet by the end of the first day it is available for adoption. 

To learn more about the adoption process and fees for dogs, cats, and critters, click HERE. 

Dogs Adoption Fees 

• Puppies (under 1 year) – Price Varies 
• Adult Dogs (1-7 years) – $150 
• Golden Whiskers (8 years and older) – $75 

Cat Adoption Fees 

• Kittens (under 1 year) – $85 
• Adult Cats (1-7 years) – $40 
• Golden Whiskers (8 years and older) – $20 

Critters 

• Bunnies, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, etc. – $7 

Your adoption fee includes spay or neuter surgery for cats and dogs (if required), microchip identification, age-appropriate vaccinations, flea and tick prevention, working/heartworm test (for dogs 6 months and older), rabies vaccination, and Winnebago County registration. 

For more information about adoption process and fees, click HERE. 

To report a welfare concern, complete our Report a Concern form. Your submission will go directly to and be addressed by our team of Animal Control Officers.  

You can also call our main line at 815-319-4100 and follow the prompts for welfare concerns. 

To report you’ve found an injured pet, complete our Report a Concern form. Your submission will go directly to, and be addressed by, our team of Animal Control Officers. 

You can also call our main line at 815-319-4100 and follow the prompts for an injured pet. 

To report sick or injured wildlife, complete our Report a Concern form. Your submission will go directly to, and be addressed by, our team of Animal Control Officers. 

You can also call our main line at 815-319-4100 and follow the prompts for sick or injured wildlife. 

Winnebago County Animals Services does not have the capabilities at our facility to rehabilitate or care for wildlife; however, there are a number of wildlife rehabilitators in the area who can help. 

Click HERE to view a list of wildlife rehabilitators in Winnebago County.  

• If you have been exposed to a bat in your dwelling, report it to WCAS immediately at 815-319-4100.
• If you know you’ve been bitten or scratched by a bat – or if infectious material (such as saliva or brain material) from a bat gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound – wash the wound thoroughly with soap & water and seek medical attention immediately.
  • Bites from bats can be hard to detect due to their small teeth.  A bat being present in the room while you are sleeping or in the room of an unattended child, pet, or impaired person should be treated as an exposure.
  • If possible, the bat should be safely captured and brought to/picked up by WCAS for rabies testing.
• To safely capture a bat for testing, do the following-
  • Find a container large enough for the bat to fit in, and a piece of cardboard large enough to cover the container opening. Be sure to punch small air holes in the cardboard.
  • While wearing leather work gloves- when the bat lands, approach it slowly and place the container over it. Slide the cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside. 
  • Tape the cardboard to container to secure the bat inside.
  • Call WCAS immediately at 815-319-4100 to have the bat tested for rabies.
• For more information on bats as a carrier for disease, visit www.cdc.gov/rabies.

Click here for additional information regarding rabies from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Winnebago County Animal Services enforces state statute and local ordinance concerning animal issues. State law applies throughout Illinois, but local ordinances vary by municipality. Please be sure to reference the appropriate municipality when reviewing local ordinances. In most instances, Animal Services enforces local ordinances but there may be instances for which Animal Services is not the appropriate response or enforcement entity. In those cases, our staff is able to redirect residents to the appropriate agency or department. 

Click HERE to view a list of Local and State Ordinances.  

If you have been bitten by an animal and are unsure whether it has an up-to-date rabies vaccination:

• Immediately contact the Winnebago County Health Department at 815-720-4000 and the Winnebago County Animal Services at 815-319-4100. It is required by law that bites be reported to WCAS.
• Clean the wound and seek medical attention from your doctor. 
• If bitten by a domestic animal, contact the owner (if possible) to determine vaccination status. Our team also can assist in determining vaccination status of domestic animals.
• If bitten by a wild animal, locate the animal (if possible) and wait for one of our officers to assist in capturing the animal. If the animal is dead, do not discard the animal or damage it’s head so that it can be tested for the rabies virus.

Click here for additional information regarding rabies from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

• Immediately contact the Winnebago County Health Department at 815-720-4000 and the Winnebago County Animal Services at 815-319-4100. It is required by law that bites be reported to WCAS.
• Clean the wound and seek medical attention from your doctor. 
• Watch the animal so it can be captured. If you can contain it without being bitten again, please do so. This will allow the animal to be sent to a lab and be tested to determine if it was infected with rabies.
• If the animal is dead or needs to be killed, try not to damage the head. Store it in a cool place like a refrigerator, but do not freeze the animal. This will help increase the chances of a successful test.
• If the animal cannot be captured or tested, immediately consult with a healthcare provider about post-exposure treatment.
• *Bats – Bites from bats can be hard to detect due to their small teeth.  A bat being present in the room while you are sleeping or in the room of an unattended child, pet, or impaired person should be treated as an exposure.

Click here for additional information regarding rabies from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

• If you have been exposed to a bat in your dwelling, report it to WCAS immediately at 815-319-4100.
• If you know you’ve been bitten or scratched by a bat – or if infectious material (such as saliva or brain material) from a bat gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound – wash the wound thoroughly with soap & water and seek medical attention immediately.
  • Bites from bats can be hard to detect due to their small teeth.  A bat being present in the room while you are sleeping or in the room of an unattended child, pet, or impaired person should be treated as an exposure.
  • If possible, the bat should be safely captured and brought to/picked up by WCAS for rabies testing.
• To safely capture a bat for testing, do the following-
  • Find a container large enough for the bat to fit in, and a piece of cardboard large enough to cover the container opening. Be sure to punch small air holes in the cardboard.
  • While wearing leather work gloves- when the bat lands, approach it slowly and place the container over it. Slide the cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside. 
  • Tape the cardboard to container to secure the bat inside.
  • Call WCAS immediately at 815-319-4100 to have the bat tested for rabies.
• For more information on bats as a carrier for disease, visit www.cdc.gov/rabies.

Click here for additional information regarding rabies from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Rabies is 100% preventable and exposure can be minimized by:

• Vaccinating your pets.
• Staying away from wild animals, especially those not acting normally.
• Teaching your children not to approach any wild animals or unfamiliar pets.
• Prohibiting bats from occupying living quarters by keeping screens in good repair and closing any small openings that could allow them to enter.
• Talking to your healthcare provider if you are bitten, scratched or feel like you’ve been exposed.

• Rabies is a viral disease that is transmitted from infected animals to other animals and humans. The most common method of transmission occurs from bites of an infected animal, but may also occur through a scratch. Rabies, if left untreated, is considered fatal. Once an infected human begins to show signs and symptoms, medical treatment rarely works.
• All mammals are susceptible to rabies, with skunks and bats being the most likely carrier of the virus in our area. Several other animals are known carriers including dogs, cats, foxes, racoons, and livestock.  

Click here for additional information regarding rabies from the Illinois Department of Public Health.