We are a 501(c)3, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the rescue and rehoming of mature dogs and cats aged 3 years old and older.
It all began with a group of people who loved animals. But in particular, the older animals. Dogs who had a little grey around the muzzle, but whose hearts were young and whose love knew no bounds. Cats who lounged around, pretending to be hard of hearing, until the whir of the can-opener proved otherwise.
These animals had once been loved, cherished, and part of a family- until one day they were no longer wanted.Often, an older dog or cat sits patiently in a shelter, awaiting a soft voice, a kind hand, or even a friendly glance. They sit and wait, often scared, often depressed, and almost always overlooked by potential adopters.
Passed by for younger dogs and cats, these pets are often just what an adopter is looking for - quiet, calm, housebroken, good with kids. Yet, they sit and wait for someone to love them, until many times, it is too late.
In April of 2005, Young At Heart Pet Rescue was formed to aid in the rescue and rehoming of older dogs and cats in the Chicagoland area. 100% of the animals we rescue come from municipal pounds with high euthanasia rates for older animals or from elderly persons who must be admitted into assisted living or have passed away, leaving their beloved older pets behind. Our mission is to find a new home for every adoptable animal that comes through our door, to educate the public on the benefits of adopting older pets, and to decrease the euthanasia rate for older, adoptable dogs and cats in Illinois.
Each dog or cat that we rescue receives the best veterinary care, and we do not turn away animals that need a little extra medical attention. All of our pets are vaccinated, tested for infectious diseases, are microchipped, spay/neutered, and the majority receive a geriatric screening and a dental. We are a non-profit 501c3 organization with an all-volunteer staff, so all donations go directly to the care of our animals. It also means that we rely on the generosity of pet-lovers to support our mission and our rescued animals.
What is Young At Heart Pet Rescue?
Young At Heart is a non-profit, 501c3 organization founded in April of 2005 by seven pet lovers who wanted to make a difference in the lives of older dogs and cats.
Where is Young At Heart Pet Rescue located?
Young At Heart does not have a shelter facility, but saves lives through the use of donated boarding and foster homes throughout the NorthWest Suburbs of Chicago. We have a small donated adoption center for cats at Best Friends Pet Care (see Cats Available Page). With enough generous donations, we hope to be able to have a facility within 5 years.
Are you "no-kill"?
Yes. The pets that come to us stay with us until they have found a forever home. However, should a pet become terminally ill, aggressive towards people, or it has a poor quality of life, we do have the right to humanely euthanize so that none of the pets in our care become a danger to society or suffer needlessly.
What kind of animals does Young At Heart have for adoption?
Young At Heart works hard to place adult dogs and cats into loving homes. The majority of our dogs and cats are between the ages of 5 years old and 10 years old, though we occasionally have younger or older adult pets available. We do not have puppies or kittens for adoption.
Why do you have so few pets?
We are a very small organization, and can only be as big as our foster home network allows. A foster home network is an ebb-and-flow situation, and at some times is bigger than others. We strive to stay small, so that each animal that comes into our care does not know it's in a "rescue".
We stay small enough so that each dog or cat in our care gets ample one-on-one time, playtime, laptime, and the basic human contact that many animals just cannot receive in larger organizations. It is very important to us that the dogs and cats in our care feel loved, are happy, and are well-adjusted when they go to their forever homes.
I saw a pet I'd like to meet. Now what?
Please fill out our online adoption application. This must be done before meeting any of our animals. Once the application is approved, we will call or email you to set up an appointment to meet the pet of your choice. If you are more comfortable with filling out the form manually and mailing it back to us, call or email us with your address, and we will be happy to send one or fax one out to you.
What is the adoption fee?
CATS:
$55.00
DOGS:
$165.00
The adoption fee includes all vaccinations, heartworm or feline leukemia test, microchip, collar and leash. All of our pets are spay or neutered, and all pets ages 8 years or older also have a geriatric blood panel performed to check organ function.
I need to give up my pet. Will you take it?
We are only accepting pets from high intake shelters and pounds from within Illinios.
WE DO NOT ACCEPT PETS FROM OUTSIDE ILLINOIS.
I would like to foster a Young at Heart Pet.
What do I need to do?
Please go to our Help page and download our foster application to get started!
We're happy to answer any and all questions.
We love our foster homes, and would
love to have even more!
What if I adopt a pet, and it doesn't work out?
All of our pets are accepted back into the rescue unconditionally, and your adoption contract requires that you bring your pet back to the rescue should you need to rehome it. When you first adopt a pet, you have a 14-day money-back return period. After those 14 days, your adoption fee is considered a donation should you ever need to return your pet to us.
I would like to make a donation.
What does the rescue need most?
The simple answer: Money. All of our donations go directly to the animals, and money allows us to buy the animals whatever they need. Vet bills and medications are our highest cost. We are also earmarking large donations for a building fund. However, we happily accept donations of all kinds! We always have our most needed items listed on our Help page. Any donation is greatly appreciated by the rescue and our animals.
I would like to volunteer.
How do I do this?
Go to our "Contact Us" page at the bottom of the website, and let us know! We often need volunteers for adoption events, dog walks, fundraisers, etc. We have all of our volunteers on an email list, so whenever the need arises for volunteers, we can let you know!
