Community Animal Rescue Effort (C.A.R.E.)

P.O. Box 1964
evanston, Illinois 60202
Phone: 847-705-2653
Website: www.care-evanston.org/


C.A.R.E. is the Community Animal Rescue Effort, a not-for-profit all volunteer organization dedicated to promoting the humane treatment of domestic pets through public education and active involvement with the abused and abandoned animals brought to the Evanston Animal Shelter.

During weekday evenings and on weekends, the 100+ C.A.R.E. volunteers assume responsibility for total care of all Shelter animals. Each volunteer puts in anywhere from 3 to 30+ hours every week, both at the Shelter and in activities outside the Shelter, performing functions such as:

* Walking Dogs
* Exercising Cats
* Cleaning cages and kennel areas
* Bathing and grooming animals
* Working with frightened, anti-social animals
* Paying for veterinary care, inoculations, and vaccinations
* Transporting animals to and from veterinary clinics
* Working with veterinarians at the Shelter as part of a testing/inoculation program initiated by C.A.R.E.
* Medicating animals as directed by veterinarians
* Feeding & watering animals on evenings, weekends, and holidays
* Washing bowls, toys, towels, bedding, etc.
* Working with Evanston Animal Wardens as needed to comply with city rules & assure accreditation by the Department of Agriculture
* Interviewing all potential adopters in-depth and then matching appropriate animals with adopters
* Conducting all adoptions, filling out required paperwork, administrating follow-up program
* Supplementing city food budget with volunteer funds to provide higher quality food for Shelter animals
* Purchasing additional equipment not in city budget to maintain quality care for Shelter animals (including such things as cages, kennel fan, vaccine refrigerator, clothes dryer, etc.)
* Conducting on-going fund-raising to raise monies to cover all expenses
* Conducting community out-reach programs to educate residents on responsible pet care


Volunteers are frequently called upon to take animals into their homes and "foster" them in times of overcrowding at the Shelter and when animals need special care.

With only one visiting room, two washrooms, and a vestibule in which to introduce and show animals to prospective adopters, C.A.R.E. manages to find good homes for more than 700 cats and dogs each year. While the majority of animals adopted out are in the 2-5 year old range, a large percentage of the animals are older; and a very special goal of C.A.R.E. volunteers is to find loving homes for these older animals. Puppies and kittens make up less than 10% of adoptions.

Without the gratis participation of C.A.R.E. volunteers, it would probably be necessary once again to euthanize the majority of animals brought to the Shelter -- because of insufficient salaried personnel to care for them and insufficient dollars to continue the programs and services that C.A.R.E. itself now funds.

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