10 Years, 10,000 Dogs and Cats

What can you say about a group of people who’ve been so dedicated to animals that in ten years they’ve made life-changing (and sometimes life-saving) differences in the lives of over ten thousand animals? What is in a number anyway? Not much maybe, unless you’re one of the ones being counted. And for those dogs and cats in the lucky group that have been rescued and rehomed by Almost Home Foundation – it makes all the difference in the world.
I can’t think of a better organization when it comes to people who are working to be the change for animals, than the one I’m proud to have been a part of the past decade. From the beginning, it was a group of people who focused solely on the welfare of pets. A Chicago-area rescue organization committed to no-kill, no-harm, nothing-but-respect for our furry friends.


      Chuck Hanson, President and Co-Founder, Almost Home Foundation

In its very first year of existence, Almost Home Foundation made a name for itself in neighboring towns. Aggressively seeking out volunteers, foster homes, and innovative ideas that would afford the greatest number of pets to be rescued, AHF also became known and trusted by local police departments for its reliability in assisting with homeless and abandoned pets. The network grew quickly, and so did the number of people willing to volunteer and donate.
Also in its first year, Almost Home Foundation sent a team to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The folks who went on that mission told me they were permanently affected by what they witnessed there. They were brave souls; and they brought back dogs (including a pregnant mama and her soon-to-be-born puppies) that would find homes and new families here in the Chicago area.
One dog was even reunited with its original family, who had been displaced by the hurricane and were devastated over having to leave their dog behind. The dedicated efforts of the foster family in finding the dog’s missing family helped in a historic national discussion about the importance of including family pets in official disaster plans.


Rescued by Almost Home Foundation from Puppy Parlor backroom breeding.

Over the years, Almost Home Foundation has championed causes such as spay/neuter, declawing, TNR and feral cat communities, breed discrimination and breed-specific laws, and puppy mills. AHF even rescued dogs from Puppy Parlor – a pet store with a puppy mill setup. If there was an issue that involved the welfare of cats and dogs, chances are AHF has worked to further it.

The organization has rescued many a homeless pet found in the surrounding towns. It has also provided a lifeline for many pets that were facing grim futures in high-kill shelters in downstate Illinois, as well as in southwestern states where shelters are overflowing and funds are scarce.