Community Animal Rescue Effort (C.A.R.E.™) is a 501c3 all volunteer organization that works to find homes for unwanted and abandoned animals, serves as an educational and counseling resource for communities on Chicago's North Shore and for current and prospective pet owners, and works to reduce pet overpopulation. We currently work out of Evanston's municipal animal shelter. Since our founding in 1987, C.A.R.E. has been responsible for the adoption of thousands of dogs and cats that would have otherwise been euthanized. C.A.R.E. provides medical treatment and conducts all adoptions for the shelter animals.

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Each day, 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:

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- 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, washing machine, 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

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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.

Adoption Fees

• Dogs, cats, puppies and kittens: $150

• Two kittens: $175

• Senior pets: $75 (dogs 8 and older, cats 10 and older)

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Adoption fees can be paid with cash or check. We do not accept credit cards.

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Our fees include a full medical exam by a veterinarian. This includes a Feline Leukemia and FIV (Feline Immunideficiency Virus) test for cats, Rabies and Distemper Vaccines, deworming and Spay/Neuter. Dogs receive a Heartworm Check, Spay/Neuter, Rabies and Distemper Vaccines, deworming, and Kennel Cough preventative.

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On your initial visit to our shelter, you will be asked to fill out an adoption survey that will help guide you to the animals that are most likely to be successful matches for your home. One of our adoption counselors will meet and talk with you to get a sense of the kind of pet you are looking for and what good candidates we have available. Adoptors meet one-on-one in a visiting room with the dogs or cats that are a good match. We've found that it is overwhelming for everyone concerned to have potential adoptors walking through the shelter and we feel this gives you a better sense of the animal's behavior than if your first encounter was with the animal caged. Please be prepared to spend at least 45 minutes to an hour on your first visit to our shelter.