Saving Animals Beyond Kane County
A question we hear from time to time is why some of our adoptable dogs and cats come from outside of our local area.
The answer is simple: we do not have the same stray pet overpopulation seen in many other parts of the country.
In 2025, Anderson Humane welcomed 3,974 animals into our care. Of those, 1,315 were owner surrenders from people in our own community who needed help finding new homes for their pets. The remaining animals arrived through lifesaving partnerships with 31 Illinois agencies, including Aurora Animal Control, DuPage Animal Control, and Chicago Animal Care and Control, as well as 42 trusted rescue partners in other states.
Many of the dogs we bring in come from Oklahoma, a state facing a severe pet overpopulation crisis and ranking among the highest in the country for euthanasia.
In many communities there, animal control facilities operate as open-intake shelters, meaning they must accept every animal brought to them, even when space is limited.
Through coordinated transport programs supported by national partners like ASPCA, Petco Love, and Dog Is My Copilot, animals are moved from overcrowded shelters to communities like ours where families are ready to adopt.
But none of this happens without people who believe every life matters.
Every transport, every medical exam, every warm bed, and every second chance begins with a community that cares.
If you love animals and believe more lives deserve saving, join other compassionate animal lovers who are making this work possible every single month.
Become a monthly donor and help ensure Anderson Humane can continue welcoming animals who have nowhere else to go…today, tomorrow, and for years to come.
Join the community of supporters sustaining this lifesaving work. Become a monthly donor today.
