My name is Cecilia!

Please e-mail Adoptions@sccrescue.org if you are interested in any of our adoptable pets.

Adoption Process and Policies:
All dogs listed on this website are currently available for adoption, and are seeking loving forever homes. We are largely volunteer run and will do our very best to respond to your interest in one of our dogs as soon as possible.

The decision to place one of our rescue dogs into an adoptive home is not one that we take lightly. We reserve the right to deny any application and may not disclose the reason for denial. We operate on a first-come first-qualified basis, and it is our goal to find the absolute best fit for both our dog and the adoptive family.

We often have multiple applications on the same adoptable dog and we reserve the right to stop accepting applications at any point when there are an overwhelming number of applicants for the same dog. We do not share any applicant’s information with other potential adopters.

We make every attempt to reply to all emails and phone calls within 24 hours. We understand that adopting a companion pet can be a very exciting and emotional process, but we ask that you please understand the importance of our process and respect our guidelines by recognizing the dog is not officially yours until the adoption has been approved and the contract has been signed. For this reason, we suggest you do not purchase supplies, or get any person (especially children) in your family overly excited until you have signed the adoption contract and the home visit has been completed. Remember, there are many factors that could affect whether or not the dog you have applied for is deemed the right fit for you, your family, and your home.

In the event that the adopter is no longer able or willing to care for the adopted dog, the adopter understands that the dog MUST be returned to Second City Canine Rescue. Please note that this is stipulated in the adoption contract and SCCR will take legal action should it become necessary.

Application – As a potential adopter, you will fill out and submit an adoption application, either in person at one of our Adoption Events or online. Your application will be reviewed by an SCCR Volunteer, who will contact you within 24 hours of submittal.

Meet – Ideally, all members of the potential adoptive household (including other dogs!) meet the SCCR dog at an Adoption Event. You will speak with one of our Adoption Counselors to determine if the adoption would be a good fit for both the adopter and the dog. If all household members cannot be present, we do need at least 1 adult to meet the dog.

Contract and Paperwork – If the application is deemed a good fit, an SCCR Adoption Counselor will contact you to move forward. You will fill out our adoption contract, which details our policies and procedures regarding the SCCR dog. This contract can be viewed at any Adoption Show.

Home Based Meet & Greet – After the application has been approved and paperwork completed, a Home Based Meet & Greet may be done by an SCCR Volunteer. (*please note, if you are in a rented home, we will be contacting your landlord for their approval prior to adoption). This is to provide another opportunity for the dog and adopter to interact in a home-based environment and make sure it’s a good fit for both the dog and the new family. We do not require this; it is at foster home discretion to give them closure after caring for a dog in their home.

Adoption Donation – We incur significant expenses to rescue each dog in our care, such as veterinary treatment & surgeries, food, shelter pull fees, transportation, etc. When you adopt a dog from SCCR, you aren’t “buying” a dog – your donation not only goes toward the care of your adoptive dog, but helps to make it possible for us to further our mission in rescuing dogs and placing them into forever homes. Adoption donations can be made with cash or credit card only. Sorry, no checks are accepted for adoption donations.

All Second City Canine Rescue Adopted Dogs receive the following:

Spay/Neuter Surgery
Age-appropriate Vaccinations
Microchip
De-worming
Heartworm Test (and treatment, if positive)
Current on Flea & Tick Preventative
Current on Heartworm Preventative
Please note that we are unable to make any guarantees of future health, temperament, size, or breed of your adopted dog. We do our absolute best to create safe & healthy environments for the dogs while in our care. We expect adopters to do the same.

We are a largely foster-based rescue and have adoption events every Saturday from 10am-1pm!

Check our calendar at http://www.secondcitycaninerescue.org/events to see where we will be this weekend!

Please e-mail Adoptions@sccrescue.org for more information.

Second City Canine Rescue’s mission is to rescue homeless animals and responsibly place them into permanent, loving homes. We believe in rescuing responsibly.℠

Second City Canine Rescue (SCCR) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is largely volunteer-operated. We are dedicated to serving the homeless dogs of Chicagoland, as well as branching out to other areas (such as Oklahoma, Indiana, Kentucky, Southern Illinois,Texas, & Michigan) – wherever homeless dogs & puppies need us.

We are extremely selective about the dogs we place and temperament test each and every adult dog prior to adoption from our program. Our goal is to responsibly place dogs with solid temperaments that will make loving family pets.

Foster homes and volunteers are the backbone of our organization. All of our puppies and dogs are kept in foster homes or at the Adoption Center for at least
two weeks of their stay with SCCR. This gives us invaluable information about each dog: what they like, or don’t like, their quirks and foibles! This information helps us determine the best match for each of our pups to ensure that their next home is forever.

SCCR does NOT discriminate. All breeds, ages, sizes, and colors are welcomed and loved.

Euthanasia Policy: We feel that it is important to be up-front & honest with the public regarding our policy. Euthanasia will only be performed in extreme cases of aggression or illness. We take animal welfare very seriously and would only use euthanasia when deemed absolutely necessary.

Diversity and Inclusion
SCCR recognizes that a diverse and inclusive team is the key to creating a relevant and differentiated experience for our volunteers, fosters, adopters, donors and board members. By broadening our outreach to reflect the society we operate in we can create deeper connections and better collaboration throughout the organization.

Definitions
Diversity
Diversity includes all the ways in which people differ, encompassing the different characteristics that make one individual or group different from one another. While diversity is often used in reference to race, ethnicity, and gender, we embrace a broader definition that also includes age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, and physical appearance. Our definition also includes diversity of thought: ideas, perspectives, and values. We also recognize that individuals affiliate with multiple identities.

Equity
Equity is the fair treatment, access, and opportunity for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. Improving equity involves increasing justice and fairness within the procedures and processes of institutions or systems, as well as in their distribution of resources. Tackling equity issues requires an understanding of the root causes of outcome disparities.

Inclusion
Inclusion in the act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported and valued to fully participate. An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences and offers respect in words and actions for all people. It’s important to note that while an inclusive group is by definition diverse, a diverse group is not always inclusive. Increasingly, recognition of unconscious or ‘implicit bias’ helps organizations to be deliberate about addressing issues of inclusivity.

Diversity and Inclusion Mission
We at SCCR are making a commitment to equitable treatment and elimination of discrimination in all its forms at all organizational levels and throughout the program. Recognition of the rights of all individuals to mutual respect and acceptance without biases based on differences of any kind will be at the forefront of our mission. We respect and value diverse life challenges and are committed to creating an environment that is inclusive of all. Just as the animals we strive to protect come to us from different backgrounds, we are all different in who we are, what we have experienced and how we think. Compassion and acceptance of both animal and human are the building blocks necessary to establish a brighter tomorrow for all.

How are we going to make SCCR both diverse and inclusive?
Goals:

Increase Diverse Representation throughout the organization;
Empower Courageous Engagement from All; and
Address and Eliminate Unconscious Bias.