T L C Animal Shelter

Was so very happy with our Maggie, we decided to adopt another. Adopted a sweet lab/​pit mix puppy about 3 months old. We have had our Trixie for a year now, and could not love her more. Had some health issues, but our vet and some hard work and time cured her. They offered any help they could with kennel cough and worming. Amazing staff, and amazing shelter.

We adopted a lab mix in November 2014 from TLC that was advertised on their website as a new arrival. We were told he arrived the Saturday prior to the Tuesday we adopted him from a KY kill shelter. We brought our dog with us to interact to see they were an ok fit together and all went home together. Payton was listed as born 8÷7÷14 on the paperwork from KY. We decided to use our own vet we have a relationship with to thoroughly examine Payton and booked an appt. We got an appt for 3 days later but at 2 days later he stopped eating and drinking, was vomiting and producing high volume diarrhea. Payton was found to have roundworm, whipworm (stool test), dehydration, malnutrition, Bordatella (nose swab). We began immediate treatment that included learning how to give IV fluids subcutaneously in the back of the neck among many meds. The Bordatella spread to our other dog and a family member’s dog. It was an absolutely brutal winter of dogs constantly coughing and nursing Payton back to health. I think without our experience with dogs and my nursing background and our excellent supportive vet Dr. Liz at Hickory Creek Animal Hospital in New Lenox (after all the diagnoses she fit us in for extra checkups and treatments all winter long since his vaccinations had to keep delaying because he was so sick including neutering in March 2015), we probably would have had a real freak out and gone back to the shelter. But, thankfully, we kept pressing on with the care plan and the vet’s coaching and now Payton is thriving and in obedience classes that he loves and Charlie (our other dog) managed to only catch the Bordatella with our intense infection control care and was treated. We knew as tough of a road it would be financially and physically, taking him back to the communal life of a shelter would likely end terribly for him. With all that said, it was meant for education that no matter what a dog appears, there could be hidden problems and to go in with the expectation it could be a tough start adopting a dog that comes from an unknown environment. We took on the attitude that this dog was ours for a reason and to stick it out. We never asked for the neuter credit back or called to complain about his health. We felt other dogs there could use that money for their anticipated problems more than us. We would adopt again from them as we really feel the dog was only there 48 hrs and did not show any symptoms of contagious conditions until later. This is definitely the major risks you have to accept with shelter adoptions that pull from other shelters of this nature. We were blessed with the financial and physical and emotional means to endure the journey.

TLC is an amazing shelter that saves numerous animals and has been in the area over 20 years. It no attention to the negative review main this page. The owners and volunteers bust their butts to provide care for these animals and get them adopted to good homes. They have helped home and save thousands if not tens of thousands of dogs and cats.

The people at this rescue are so great. I adopted my dog from there eight months ago. They were very nice then. But the most amazing thing happened today. Unfortunately I couldn’t keep him anymore, it was heartbreaking and I expected the worst upon returning him. But, the «guy with the beard» who was given the bad review was very very nice. He didn’t make me feel horrible like I do already. He was understanding and professional and caring. Handed my a tissue and said I could call him everyday to see if he was adopted or if I knew a person who could take him. I honestly was expecting the worst and was treated so kindly. They are a great organization I will continue to donate to.

We have purchased all our animals thru this shelter and they have always been so helpful in helping us find a new little guy for our family. Would highly recommend getting an animal from here.

One of the girls that works there was really rude to us and very condescending, and the guy with the beard was rude as hell. Not helpful with the adoption process at all. It seemed like they didn’t want us taking one of their dogs.

A quick primer before my review as someone adopting an animal for the first time…
Animal shelters appear to exist in order to rescue dogs, cats and other small living creatures so that their lives can be extended. There’s a one-​star review on this page that relates someone’s animal shelter experience to that of a restaurant, as if saving an animal’s life is no more exquisite than ordering a soup and sandwich combo.
The respective reviewer was dissatisfied with their new pet’s quality, the short workplace hours and the ease with which they were given a pet. Here were my thoughts as I incredulously read that review and compared it to my excellent experience at TLC:
(A) Their new pet would have been already put down (killed!) had TLC not accepted it and naturally, these saved animals may need additional care in the beginning. The point of a shelter is to save an animal that deserves a full life; the alternative to helping a homeless and/​or sick animal is much, much worse. Using donations, this and many other shelters are able to provide some modicum of healthcare to the animals, thus giving them a second chance at life.
(B) The staff works limited hours because in-​between, they actually have to *CARE FOR* and *RESCUE* the animals they try to save. They undoubtedly spend all their «free time» checking the health and temperament of future adoptees so that they can be destined to become a family’s new pride and joy.
© The adoption process costs some money, but not too much. TLC — like other shelters — WANTS people to adopt a rescue and wants to make it easy too. A small charge ensures that pet owners aren’t just taking a pet because it’s free and the simple adoption process makes saving an animal’s life easier than the alternative.
As for my review, I arrived at TLC and was genuinely impressed with their spacious holding areas. They’re in Homer Glen (IL) and have a nice plot of land, so the building offers them lots of space to work with their rescues. I walked in and it felt comfortable right away; after all, how can saving animals be anything less than amazing? I was met by Casey, who immediately brought out the beautiful, female Rhodesian Ridgeback I came to (inevitably!) adopt. She was exactly what I had hoped for and Casey seems to have a sixth-​sense with these animals.
I was told that my future two year-​old doggie had a case of kennel cough (the canine version of the common cold) and that didn’t deter me one bit; it’s treatable and TLC already started her on a medication to get rid of it quickly.
We took her outside to the large, fenced-​in lawn area and were able to sit/​walk/​run with her for as long as necessary. Once I knew that She Was It, I was deemed worthy to provide this animal with a new life. TLC doesn’t just give you a pet; they interact with you, listening and questioning you in a friendly way. They want good homes for these pets, so they want to feel good when they release them too.
I received some dog treats, a collar/​leash kit and lots of advice to help out with my new baby. They even took a photo of me and her for their Facebook page (a good one to boot).
In the end, I realized that TLC and other shelters are awesome, but you don’t really understand until you go there to see what they do and more importantly, why they do it. You are not buying a car and not shopping for a television: you’re saving an animal’s life.

Long post ahead!
I grew up in the Homer Glen area — I’ve always been familiar with TLC. Most of my friends and neighbors have adopted from here and I haven’t personally known of a bad adoption.
My husband and I decided to get a puppy together once we had our own place. Our goal was to adopt a beagle. We have a townhome — so we didn’t want a bigger dog or one that has too much energy since we don’t have the biggest yard. I stalked their website for weeks and finally saw a 7 year old beagle there. (All dogs are «puppies» to me)
We went about an hour before closing on a Saturday and asked to see the Beagle — and were told he had JUST been adopted… BUT there were 6 Beagle puppies that just arrived! PUPPIES! haha.
Anyway — we were set on a boy and asked to see all of the boy puppies. They pointed out a cage of 4 of them (the puppies are in the front with the cats — not in the back) and one walked right up to the front and put it’s paws up to the crate. So, after the puppy picked US out we asked to see him… and he was a she! Oh well. She seemed healthy and alert — we were told she was 8 weeks old, a beagle mix from Kentucky (it seems that most of their Saturday drop-​offs are from Kentucky — never exactly clear from where) and that she would be 40 – 50 pounds. Perfect!
The guy we spoke with was VERY specific in wanting to know if we were owners/​renters, and if we were gone for hours at a time. He also told us that she seemed dehydrated — I appreciated his honestly and being protective of the adoption versus pushing us on it. They charged us the regular $ 125 fee, plus $ 25 fixing deposit (I *think* it was $ 125 — might have been $ 125 total including the deposit, so don’t take my word for it!) They also gave us her first round of shots, a bag of food, a collar, leash and a toy. We brought her to the Homer Glen Animal Care Clinic — I’ve always been a customer of Doc. O’Brien — and her first appointment was free since she was from TLC. We also got a significant discount for getting her spayed — I think around 30% off.
She did have a few health issues that I think any shelter dog (especially puppy) would have — fleas and several types of worms — but after a few rounds of meds she was completely fine!
The only thing is — she’s not a Beagle at all. A year later, she is a whopping 9 pounds (there is not a digit missing. She’s 9 pounds. nine.) And the vet believes she is mostly Jack Russell — so the opposite of calm. Haha.
Other than that — we were SO happy with our experience — I regret not adopting one or two more of her siblings. We would definitely go back to TLC. Our little girl celebrated her one-​year adoption anniversary last weekend.

Denny is actually a heck of a guy! They work hard to save animals and I am pretty sure they’re not getting rich doing it. To the lady who wants to ‘report’ them, shame on you… What do you do to help homeless animals. It is a volunteer staff mostly and if you didn’t know beforehand the policies and procedures shame on you. How do you think they pay the light, food and other bills? Perhaps adoption fees?
Anyhow I have adopted 2 perfect kittens and a pup from them and I love them to death! Maybe worms and fleas, but that’s what happens to homeless animals, especially kept in cages around others coming and going. I was told if their were problems they would help with meds etc… So God bless TLC and all the good guys out there rescuing animals!

We went with the intention of adopting a cat we had seen on their site, and when we asked to see the specific animal, the man helping us seemed to have no idea what we were talking about. I found a cat that looked similar to the one we had seen and asked if we could see him. He put us in a small room with the cat and left– didn’t ask if we had any questions or if we were even interested in adopting. He barely said two words to us. I had to leave my husband and son in the room to go find someone to help us when we decided the cat wasn’t for us. Another person «helped» us by telling us we didn’t want to adopt a cat because our son is too young (despite the fact that we have another cat and a dog he is kind and gentle with…). We left feeling like we had wasted our time by even being there, and obviously without a cat! I would NEVER recommended this place to anyone looking to adopt a pet. Spend your time-​and money– elsewhere.

I adopted a dog from TLC back in September and have to admit that it was a good experience overall. Looking back at the last 4 months, it’s the best decision I decided to make. If I’m going to get another dog in the future, I will certainly look at TLC again.
While I had originally gone there to look at a couple of specific dogs I saw on their website, I found out the day I got there that a few of them had been adopted already. Instead of just leaving, my friends who came with me and I looked around at the other dogs they had and interacted with a few. While looking around, one of my friends mentioned to me that one dog in particular was tracking me where ever I was walking in the kennel and she said that I should look at that one closer.
Betty was her name at the time. She is a 1.5 year old mix (We believe, Boxer/​Hound) that had recently had puppies. All of her puppies had been adopted since and it was just her waiting for adoption. She seemed to be a very sweet and loving dog and looked healthy for the most part, really the only thing ‘wrong’ with her was the result of recently giving birth and nursing her pups. I got to take her outside and interact with her and she was just amazing. It was really nice that I got to spend time with her alone to see how we both got along with each other. Ultimately, I didn’t select her, I didn’t buy her, I adopted her and really, she chose me.
I knew up front that there would be costs involved in adopting a pet in addition to the adoption fees from the Shelter; First Vet Visits, Micro Chipping, Fixing, etc. Betty was a transport from Kentucky and we had some basic paper work and history on her, Rabies, etc. but I did not have a complete medical history, shots, boosters, etc. Ultimately, I decided to err on the side of caution and talking with my vet, I decided to do a full blood workup on her and we also decided to do boosters just to make sure she was up to date on all of her shots. The Adoption process and fee’s were very reasonable compared to other shelters I have looked at and other friends had adopted from.
With out a doubt, I would adopt from TLC Again and I would recommend my friends to go there as well. The only thing that I would offer to anyone looking to adopt a pet from an Animal Shelter, any shelter. Do not expect them to be perfect, do not expect them to be fully up to date on shots, etc. Many of these animals are rescues from very bad conditions and they just need a loving home to go to where they will be taken care of. Expect to do Boosters, Fix and Micro Chip them at a minimum. If you really want a perfect dog with no issues, no medical costs, don’t get a dog. Even a dog from a Breeder, you’ll need to do initial shots, fixing, micro chipping as well. If they have done it already, those costs are still built into the cost of the dog. Also, your not Buying a dog, your adopting it and taking on the responsibilities and duties of a living breathing intelligent animal.

Likes: We found our Oliver there, who we are totally in love with.
Dislikes: Where to begin… Oliver came on a truck from KY and while it said he’d been vaccinated before leaving the state, he had not been given bordatella. He had not been seen by a vet with TLC. This lead to us getting a dog full of worms, unfixed, unchipped and with kennel cough. A few of the other dogs there at the time also clearly had kennel cough, ours didn’t show until 2 days home.
The adoption fee was $ 125 +$ 25 neuter deposit. What the heck was included in that $ 125? A leash and harness. THAT’S IT! It cost me well over $ 200 to get him fixed and dewormed! On the deposit– $ 25 is a lazy attempt at making people get their adopted animals altered, and in reality is just small enough for them to hope that you forget about… But in case you don’t, it will not be easy to get them to return it… Multiple calls, faxes, and «checks in the mail» and am told to call back and speak to a manager– and the «managers» only work 2:30−4. «Managers» are in quotes bc this is a husband, wife and their sons running the place.
I understand that people need to make money, but this place really seems to only be a money-​making scheme disguised as a shelter. They didn’t observe my other dog with Oliver, they didn’t ask for vet records, they didn’t call the apartment manager to make sure I could have a second dog, NOTHING. Just «sign here.» They couldn’t even tell us what they’d been feeding him! All and all, I am looking for ways to report this «shelter» because while I think they may have started out trying to help, letting sick dogs go without treatment is neglect and cruel

As a pet lover and one who has adopted a pet, I think this is terribly sad.

I went down to TLC and adopted a very sweet dog and am very happy with the animal. I have mixed reviews on the staff. The web site says $ 100 and up for a dog adoption. They change the price the more you like the animal, which is pretty screwed up. The one guy had booze on his breath (although very nice person). The water bowls had brown water in them and one had no water at all. They had three people working the shelter and all seemed a bit strung out. Anyway, the place was clean and they seemed pretty helpful. Just my two cents.

⁸⁄₁₀ –Rating modified due to recent circumstances
TLC provides a wonderful service to the community.
Watch for their Walk In the Park — a function aimed at raising funds to help more animals. It’s a great event. I was there last year and I’ll be there again this year.

This place is the best. I got my puppy Rowdy here. They update their available dogs and cats on their website daily:
Low adoption fees and the «application process» is what it should be — they ask you questions vs. a complete background check as experienced at other shelters. You can sponsor a dog or cat for adoption on the site.