Friends of Chicago Animal Care & Control

Official Website | Contact FCACC

A partner for the city shelter
Friends of Chicago Animal Care and Control (FCACC) is an Illinois nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization committed exclusively to helping save the lives of over 20,000 homeless animals who come into the Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC) municipal shelter at 2741 S. Western Avenue each year. It is Chicago’s largest shelter and FCACC is the only organization focused solely on CACC and the animals in its custody. For many people unable to continue caring for their pets, CACC is a last resort when all other shelter doors are closed to them. Other animals make their way to the shelter through neglect, abandonment, abuse, or court cases.

Our mission
FCACC is a small organization with a big task: providing comfort for the animals during their stay at the shelter and saving the lives of those most vulnerable. As the main volunteer and fundraising organization for the shelter, our mission is to assist CACC with resources the city budget does not cover. We help manage volunteers to walk dogs, organize adoptions events, assist with animal care, fund staff education, provide professional consultants to share expertise on humane management, purchase supplies and medical equipment, and promote shelter awareness.

Fostering saves lives
After CACC ended their foster program due to budget and staff limitation, FCACC established a foster program focusing on the shelter’s most vulnerable. From newborn kittens to geriatric beagles, from blind cats to the populous pit-mix pups that dominate the shelter, we do our best to provide loving homes until they can be adopted.

Community partnering makes a difference
In the late 1990s, the live release rate at CACC was 3% to 7% annually. Few animals made it out alive. A pivotal change in shelter management philosophy led to the founding of FCACC. Thanks to the combined efforts of many rescue groups in our city, 84% of cats and kittens are now leaving the shelter alive! The dominant mixed-breed dogs in the shelter are pittie-mixes and for them, 45% leave alive. Chihuahuas are also very prevalent and roughly 82% of them leave alive. Of all other dogs approximately 80% are leaving alive. We’re proud of the work we’ve done to help make this possible, proud of CACC’s recognition of the value of animal lives, and proud to be part of a community of rescue organizations helping municipal shelter animals. Yes, we also realize we have a long way to go.

How can you help make a difference!
As a sponsor at "Tuxes and Tails" your support will allow to continue our work saving Chicago's Neediest Animals! Sponsorship any level, will also provide you the opportunity to help save lives while obtaining marketing opportunities which includes access to a highly desirable target audience and extensive media exposure in major television, radio and newspaper coverage of the event.