Famous Fido Rescue Review

Very cute set up! They do adoption/resccue, but also grooming and boarding and are setting up a cute little store of products. Will definitely be back!

I feel sad writing this. I have worked most of my life for a no kill shelter whether it be cleaning, adoptions or fostering. I was excited to check this place out as we just moved to the area.
It s a mad house.. trust me, I know how messy and crazy animals can get but this wasn t just a bad day or a bad morning. There is a better way to display animals and keep the peace. I totally understand a lack of volunteers and money, but there are many things that can get done without those two things. Every place we went we were told we can t go back there don t go by that window don t touch that animal . There s too much junk and furniture making it hard to walk through. This is very detouring for possible adopters. I know you have dogs that bite or have special needs and that s amazing, but you have to know where to put them so you don t have to tell costumers to stay away. I was disappointed with the way it was run and the way we were treated by the main staff member. There are ways to limit the chaos without money or volunteers. Remember that not only do you take care of the animals, you must also market a clean, friendly business. I hope there can be some changes for these animals. I know it s a stressful job so I feel for you guys! You re hearts are in the right place!

Nicely decorated and well behaved dogs inside, wish I had the means to adopt another dog but I can't

I understand the overall goal and objective of this organization and I admire the idea as a whole. However, the staff(especially those who handle adoptions) are extremely bias and very discriminatory towards those seeking an animal companion.
They are very unclear as to what makes a person an acceptable applicant and tend to hold back on information regarding the animal. If they do not like you, you will not be treated fairly despite having all sorts of experience and qualifications.
As an animal lover, I feel extremely concerned for the animals and their well being. No living creature should be living in a small crate within a not well maintained facility.

Warning! They have staff and friends leave positive reviews. Look at the positive reviews, they literally say office staff , famous Fido , etc

Avoid this place! Listen to the other reviews saying how rude the owner is. Tried bringing a lost dog into the shelter and the owner started berating me for even bringing in the dog. Even though I explained I had put up posters and walked in the area we found the dog she acted as if we were completely clueless and that we were ruining her life for bringing the dog in. Why even run this shelter if you re not going to help people who find lost dogs?

The woman who runs it really cares for the animals and wants to find good and forever homes

They were having an adoption event today. There were about 20 people in there, it smelled very strongly of animal urine and feces. The din of the place was impressive. There was about three types of music, everyone talking, dogs barking. No said hello or stopped us in any way. My sister and I were able to walk right in, open a cat room, go right in, and start petting cats. There were about 5 rooms with approximately 6-8 cats in each, so 30 to 40 cats. Some of the cats seemed really stressed out, pacing the top wall and lashing out and fighting with the other cats. I liked the rooms but I was afraid to sit on any of the couches, for fear they had been used as toilets. There was no information on any of the cats, so we didn't know who anyone was. We just pet and enjoyed the cats as best we could and then we got the hell out of there.

These people should not be running a shelter.

I love Famous Fido! Gloria runs one of the most important rescues in Chicago. She is amazing. Can't say enough good things about Famous Fido.

I stopped by this place to lookninto volunteering my time. I have two rescue dogs myself. Although I don't mind helping with cleaning cages or anything. I mentioned I could walk the dogs as well. The individual who runs the facility said that would not be possible. Only she could do this, and also that they don't like to take the dogs on walks in case they get off the leash. While I understand their concern, they could have a harness and regular leash. It was concerning to think these dogs are not getting regular exercise. Especially those that have lots of energy.

Rudest people I have ever encountered. No compassion. Shame on them

This place needs alot of help! I have been volunteering there for the last week, and they are completely understaffed. If you are looking for your next dog or cat, please go and adopt one of their beautiful animals! Or just donate cleaning supplies, blankets, towels, or if you have the possibility some of your money.

I found kittens that needed proper care, unfortunately the mom wasn t able to provide that due to her less than desirable location.

A spectacular employee here, Gloria, put me in touch with another spectacular woman who was able to foster them. The people who work here really care and work extremely hard to save those animals who need some TLC.

Thanks Famous Fido!

These people don t know ANYTHING about dogs and they are rude.

Im giving two stars because this place is necessary for the community, but the compassion and respect shouldn t just be reserved for the animals. I was taking my dogs for a walk with my four nanny kids, when we found a dog that was severely matted and seemed to have an injury on its back leg. When I couldn t reach Animal Control, I called Famous Fido. The first woman I spoke to was attentive and took down my information. She then passed the phone to who I assume was the owner. The tone changed immediately. She seemed so irritated that she had to talk to me. I gave the address again, and explained the situation. I didn t demand that anyone come out immediately, just asked for advice. Explained that I tried to call CACC. She interrupted me and said, Why would you do that? They will kill the dog. I kept my cool and explained that I didn t want the dog to die, I just tried the first option that came to mind when I first saw it. I asked if someone there was able to help, or if I should try another rescue if they re unable. She tells me to just take the dog home. I explained that I was literally with my own two dogs and my four nanny kids (all 7 and under), and I was on the clock and unable to take the dog home because it would be unsupervised with my dogs. I don t know anything about this dog and I don t want to put my dogs in a potentially unsafe situation. I also don t know if she was implying that I keep the dog, because what kind of suggestion is that? Not everyone can just pick up a stray dog and keep it forever. After a very agitated sigh from her, she demands the address again, I gave it, and she hung up.

I don t know if the dog was tended to in the end. I haven t seen it again, so I m trying to be optimistic.

I understand that this line of work is stressful, but there still needs to be respect for the people in the community who depend on a place like this. I wasn t calling to attack anyone or push anyone around. I just needed advice, assistance, or to be referred to an organization that could help if they were unable.

Lovely place! Needs volunteers though. Gloria and her vision to help our pets is Devine.

The owner was rude and unpleasant and the place smells SO horrible that you have to hold your breath. They need to disinfect the place.

I understand that they are helping the world by doing what they do, however BE POLITE and DISINFECT.

My hand that I opened the door with was itching after touching her disinfected door. The level of bacteria is extremely high. I am a medical professional that deals in disease. One could get highly infected and it could become fatal; depending on your immune system!

I hope they do better!!

Best it goes in bialys on the north side. Two locations one on Touhy and one on Dempster.

Love the people who valunteer and operating the place

Great place great staff very clean a beautiful patio where you meet your new fur buddies The owner Gloria marched us perfect with a bonded pair of shitz suz poodle mix

A beautiful place in this world. There are times when people are in situations that unfortunately don't allow them to keep their pets. Or perhaps they might find an animal in need. It is indeed a challenge to find a place that will take a pet with the intention to let it live out it's life to the fullest. Call after call, rejection after rejection, the last thing you want to do is send the pet to the pound. But thanks to Gloria, Fido Animal Rescue is there to save the day.

They have undoubtedly committed their lives to save the lives of pets in need. With great leadership and top notch volunteers they work hard to find pets new permanent homes. And their commitment shows in the way they deal with both a surrendering client and the potential adopters.

Famous Fido Rescues, thanks for all you do, you're the best!

This place is AWESOME.. I feel behind financially and my coco got sick. I was looking for a shelter because I didn t want her to suffer.. Her allergies had her all broken out, she scratched herself raw My sister contacted Gloria and she jumped right in and provided payment for her meds. She answered every call and kept every promise.. Coco and I can t thank you guys enough... Thank u Thank u Thank u

I would highly recommend Famous Fido Rescue. There was a feral cat in my neighborhood that was not going to survive another day in the bitter Chicago winter. I called and spoke to Gloria, she immediately got me in contact with an associate who came and picked the cat up within 30 minutes. He was given urgent medical care and will be placed in a forever home after he is medically stable. I am very grateful for Gloria and her associate, whom I refer to as an angel who came to assist the cat in need. If you are in need of a great no kill shelter, I highly recommend Gloria and her associates at Famous Fido Rescue. Thank you both again for your help!

Can t believe the negative reviews. Gloria pours her heart and soul into what she does and has dedicated the past 48 years to rescuing Chicagoland dogs. She has perfected the screening process, which is in place for a reason. If you were not approved for adoption there was a reason. One of the few chicago rescues that does it right. Keep it up over there Gloria!

Great loving shop with people that all really care about each animal. A little dirty and some staff members seem like they are trying to scare off adopters rather than find the right home. I dont need to hear three different horror stories about cat ownership.

This is a lovingly great place, run by nice people.

To be clear: it's a cat shelter. While the organization does involve dog rescue, the physical brick & mortar location on Irving Park is 100% about cats.

And, ironically, I'm allergic to cats. Which is why I went there.

I've been receiving allergy shots for the past year, specifically targeting my cat allergy. So when the time came to see if the treatment was having an effect, I went to famous fido, explained my situation to the lady at the desk, and was given the opportunity to interact with a cat family.

Family... that's what really impressed me about this place. There are no individual cages. Instead, cats are housed together in groups which are known to get along, in large rooms which have space for the cats, a space for the humans, and a space for the cats and the humans to interact. It struck me as a very low-stress environment for the animals, and allows you (the human) to enter their environment in a way which puts you off to the side and allows the cats to explore you at their convenience.

I spent about an hour with three orange-and-white shorthair brothers, all of whom eventually found their way into my lap as I sat in the comfy stuffed chair at the corner of the room. We got along rather well.

Alas, the experience confirmed that I am, in fact, still allergic to cats. Benadryl was consumed the instant I left. But I'm grateful to the folks here for allowing me the experience, knowing up-front that I was not looking to make an adoption that day.

Gloria does everything possible to rescue animals from every situation. (I.e. animal control, when the owner has passed away or a pet has been abandoned)

I volunteered for Famous Fido as a cat foster. I have nearly a decade of experience and I've worked with many rescues. Famous Fido is by FAR the worst 'rescue' I've ever encountered. They're not really a rescue, they do what is called 'flipping' animals which is a horrible way to make money off of animals that need to be rescued. It appears that they pull as many kittens from the city shelter as they can, give them to foster homes, do not equip the foster homes with the necessary supplies (I'm talking medications, etc.) and they do not provide the proper veterinary care to their animals. This, unfortunately, is a fairly common practice for shady 'rescues' because it requires the least amount of financial investment (not paying for vet bills/medications/etc) and it has the highest financial reward (kittens/puppies are more expensive to adopt than older cats/dogs).
It's also shady that Famous Fido contacted me via Facebook to foster for them. They did not interview me nor did they require any paperwork, background check, home check---nothing! Then they gave me SEVEN cats only a few hours later. Personally, I was okay with that, but that is extremely unprofessional in the world of animal rescue. As any reasonable person can imagine, it is important to have some sort of vetting process when giving internet strangers the animals you allegedly care so much about.
Of the seven cats I was given, one of them was a dying kitten (CACC said they didn't think she would survive the night). This kitten required extensive veterinary care, and even on her discharge papers from the shelter it said she needed specific antibiotics. I was not given any of these things. I asked for them, and the woman from Famous Fido said "I'm only dealing with emergencies right now. Don't talk to me about that". Well, call me crazy, but a dying kitten seems like an emergency to me.
After many pleas to get the proper medical supplies for this kitten, I told her I would just contact my own vet and get it myself (something a foster should never have to do). I contacted my vet as well as a few others I know, I told them the situation, and every single one of them told me to stop working with this rescue and get the kitten to a proper rescue instead (one vet even cc'd PAWS on an email and said 'can you believe this?').
I told Famous Fido that what they were doing was unacceptable, that these cats needed veterinary care, and that I was even willing to adopt them all and take care of it myself. Famous Fido's response? They said they'd find the cats another foster home. Instead of bringing ONE DYING KITTEN to the vet, they thought it would be better to find a foster home for SEVEN cats (in 3 different quarantine spaces). It is not easy to find a good foster home, and foster homes are unfortunately very scarce right now.
Famous Fido sent a brand new volunteer to my home and I watched her expose a healthy litter of kittens and their healthy mother to 3 sick URI kittens, including the one that was dying. This is the level of care that Famous Fido prefers. Again, never in my almost TEN YEARS of working in animal rescue have I ever experienced this firsthand. I've only heard tales of awful rescues who flip animals... but now I've actually witnessed it at Famous Fido.

Very helpful and passionate people here dedicated to fostering animals.

If you love your animals this place is a no-kill shelter love to visit animals and offer my services if I can

I am seriously speechless. About a month ago, I found an adorable terrier mix on their website. I tried to call them to ask if the dog was still available, but they didn't answer, which is totally okay, I must've been calling after hours. Then, the next day, I emailed to make sure that the dog was still availbile. And I do this because sometimes shelters don't take their adopted dogs off their site. No response for almost 3 weeks. I was confused, because they were open and were working but they didn't respond to me. The dog was on their website for a good amount of time, so I figured, hey maybe it's availiable. So, me and my family applied for the dog. We waited a long time for it to be reviewed. I had enough so I called and they finally picked up, with an attitude. I nicely said, "good afternoon," and before I could talk they cut me off and said "What do you want." Okay, first of all, I'm not sure if that's how you greet someone. Then, I asked if the dog was still availbe because we were emailing and calling and we never got a response. And I mentioned that I was waiting a while for my application to be approved. They rudely said that the dog was adopted, which was odd, because it was still on their website. I ignored it and moved on. Recently, I saw a dog from their website on petfinder. I looked at their own website to see if the dog was still there, and it wasn't even on the list of availbe dogs and the list of dogs that were adopted. I was confused, so I called to make sure and I wasn't even greeted with a "hello" "good morning" or "how can I help you." I asked if the dog was still availbe and they snapped at me and I couldn't even understand what they said. I was pretty afraid to ask again, but I did, and they literally yelled into the phone, "YES." So, yeah, the dog is still availible, and I might apply for it, but I doubt i'll get a response from them any time soon. And, look at all the good reviews. Those are people who work at the place. Most people that wrote good reviews say they've known Gloria for a long time. Yeah, probably because you work with her. Ok, I hope this shelter finally finds a way to be polite and nice, because I think they'll start going out of business if they keep it up! Have fun, Fido Rescue.

I am donating Cat and Dog Food to the amazing rescue. They are truly wonderful.They rescue and adopt out to great families. Saved so many poor animals & the people there are just fantastic. 5 Stars..

Can you play whit the animales
Animals

Loving staff, highly recommend famous fido, for adoption of dogs and kitty's

I love this place
I take my dog for grooming and they did a really good job
Thank you so much

I feel privileged to volunteer at FFR. Feeding and cleaning up after the animals isn't glamorous but what a reward in the love that one receives! The animals are all wonderful, each in their own way. One thing that they have in common is that they are all so loving and generous to us humans! I think that the neighborhood and the surrounding area is lucky to have FFR. Gloria, Ted, Katie, Danielle, Bernard, Sandy and everyone else at FFR all do their best on behalf of the cats and dogs, and our community. Come join us or consider making room in your life for one of these special creatures. It will enrich your life.

Very rude staff. The frontwoman was rude to me from the moment I stepped in. I asked how the process for adopting cats is and she yelled its on that form over there. The place is so cluttered I could not find it and she just kept repeating her words louder and louder. Then I told her it was my first cat I want to adopt, and my boyfriend has a cat that I have helped watch and take care of for 5 months. She then got snippy at me and said who is taking care of the cat, you or your friend. And I tried to explain I am just trying to let her know I have experience. I finally went and looked at the cats, and asked her that I will adopt. I told her I am going to be a resident doctor next year, and a cat will be a great addition. She told me I might not be ready for a cat because of my career. Woman, many people with cats work!!! What a horrible lady. I got my cat from tree house humane society and I helped take care of my new cats dental issues and all. They need to fire the front woman so they can get more support and responsible pet owners to care for the animals. This woman has no people skills.

I called them desperately seeking help. I had a momma cat (my pet) with kittens she was still nursing and unfortunately my momma cat was killed. I was left trying to take care of 4 - 1 month old kittens buying tons of kitten formula and kitty litter, etc. I could not take care of them properly and wanted them going to good homes like they deserved. The woman on the phone was rude, scoffed at me, and made me feel completely inadequate with my efforts to take care of these sweet kittens. I tried multiple times to contact them and emails were not returned but when I called she just kept promising that she would try to find someone to take them. This lasted for 4 WEEKS. I work A LOT and didn't deserve that treatment. They definitely need better staff who is more understanding to peoples situations. People call you for help, not to have you make them feel inadequate!

Please believe all of the negative reviews about this company. Here is yet another one.

After a week of back-and-forth emailing, completing all the necessary paper work, and even ordering the special pet carrier they required, they emailed us less than 24 hours before the time we were scheduled to pick up our kitten to tell us they gave it to someone else.

I feel confident that I know why: that "someone else" was able to pay more money.

This is NOT a goodhearted pet rescue nonprofit. It is a for-profit business with selfish objectives. There are a dozen other organizations in Chicago from which to get a pet. Go to one of the goods ones! This one is very bad.

My regular dog groomer is on vacation, so I took my pup here for a groom. He looks incredible and the prices are very reasonable, about $10 cheaper than my regular groomer. Definitely recommend taking your dog here.

My experience with this place was absolutely terrible. In spite of the fact that I have had cats my entire life, Gloria treated me like I was an animal abuser throughout the entire process. She was incredibly condescending and rude. She made me promise to break up with my partner if they ever got allergic to cats. She made me promise to feed the cat organic salmon once a week, buy only organic cat food, buy the cat numerous beds and cat trees and acted like if I didn't do even one of these things that I was some chump who knew nothing about nor cared about cats. I initially asked to adopt a cat with a nose defect - Gloria told me the defect was not any concern, but because volunteers at the shelter told me the defect was due to everything from a bug bite all the way through cancer, I changed my mind after consulting with my vet, which I have the right to do. Gloria said she didn't like that I had changed my mind and didn't understand why I didn't want to wait several more months to adopt the cat with a nose defect, in spite of the fact that she couldn't tell me if the defect was cancerous or not. After literally one month of calling the shelter, turning in multiple applications and photos of my apartments (because they kept losing them and kept requesting I fill out the application and send it again), and visiting the shelter several times to interact with the cats, Gloria had the nerve to ask me "why I was so excited to adopt a new cat" and "why I was in such a rush" ----> Again this is after I had been in contact with the shelter for LITERALLY ONE MONTH. Gloria is an animal hoarder, this shelter is truly awful, I feel sorry for every animal and human in there. Stay away from here, Gloria is an extremely rude and unbalanced person who has no interest in letting you adopt a pet.

They do great work for homeless dogs and cats. Please donate to them if you can.

The mission of Famous Fido is so wonderful. Gloria has put her heart and soul into making this program successful. The adoption process is not easy nor should it be. When places make it easy for you to adopt a pet thats when they end up at Famous Fido, so all the people who are offended get over it, and really think if you are ready for the responsibility of a pet especially the ones that get dumped at shelters like famous fido most of the animals need experienced owners.

Yeah the lady running it both times we went in there was super rude

Incredibly rude and unhelpful and disorganized staff. They acted as if they had no idea what they were doing. They weren t helpful or passionate when it came to trying to meet a dog. They don t seem passionate about making sure they re animals find homes.

I have known Gloria for 25 years and she is an asset to the welfare of animals. Just look around and see how many businesses are of business. It's a tough go for everyone. Gloria is a loving and caring person to take care of your pet as she has done for me. It is always easy to criticize but to responsible for others is hard. I would recommend Famous Fido to anyone. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

A couple years ago when Fido was new to the location my family s dog Santa had run away and my family and our other pup buddy was devastated and my daughter posted pictures of him and flyers of Santa everywhere ,around 2 days later Fido contacted us saying they had Santa ,Santa seemed very happy when we went to go get him the staff was very nice and helpful, and a couple days later they were due for a haircut so we went and got an appointment to check out the place and if that would be our new groomer and the dogs came out so cute and they gave them little bandanas ! Would definitely go to Fido again if we still lived in Chicago

I just want to say thank you to Gloria for helping me feed the homeless cats that are in my backyard. they ate like Piggies today and hopefully they will get a warm n loving home soon!!they are nice cats and need to be loved by someone.. Again thank you Gloria for everything! !

Firstly, this is a RESCUE, not a shelter. It s literally in the name so there should be no confusion about that. The owner, Gloria, who runs this rescue is very direct and that may come off as rude, however after talking to her it s easy to understand that dealing with abandoned, sick and homeless animals being dumped at their door daily probably does something to a person... Perhaps she needs to be a bit more friendly when educating people who call in, however I would suspect they aren t exactly calling and behaving at their best either to warrant a less than friendly response. Just something to consider...

I'm sad to say that visiting Famous Fido in comparison to other rescues and shelters in Chicago was a complete disappointment during COVID. While it is understandable that there has been a huge influx of rescue needs for animals, the ED of the organization was not responsive or responsible during our visit.
First off, she did not wear a mask and still met with us. She asked the same questions repeatedly and wasted our time on our application, asking for the same pictures to be sent over and over, with no response time to our inquiry for adopting. She also fed the dog we were interested in hot dogs and cheese, telling us we weren't allowed to feed her kibble if we adopted and she wanted to be sure she would be fed a similar diet, which a medical professional would agree is not a sustainable diet for a young dog.
I don't believe this place is professional, responsive, or totally on top of their adoption process. I wish them luck in finding homes for their animals, but am disappointed in the process and care.

Number one, it's insanely unprofessional to have the staff of your business leave positive reviews to negate all the other bad reviews on here. I'm guessing she probably doesn't care but hey, that's reality for you.

Went in with my boyfriend and was incredibly off put by the attitude of Gloria and how condescendingly rude she was. Look, I get it, handling and dealing with animals all day has to be incredibly time-consuming and labor intensive, but the enclosures we saw were very over-crowded and dirty. Housing that amount of animals in a place that doesn't have the space for all of them like that can't be good for their welfare.

She seemed incredibly intent on not wanting to let anybody adopt a pet there at all, making it abundantly clear that she believes you are stupid and incapable of taking care of animals humanely and that apparently everyone just keeps throwing them away like they're nothing. Or she has a martyr complex, I feel like it's kinda both. Not shocking that they're in a desperate need for volunteers all the time . :/

But yeah, the other negative reviewers are right: I get the mission and understand what they're trying to do but it's not okay to treat people like that and expect them to be okay with it. You can vet people to make sure they'd be a good fit for your shelter animals and still treat them with respect. (Eventually, we just ended up at the antique store across the street, which was awesome btw.)

The individual I just spoke with tried to lecture me about not giving away my 2 cats. I simply wanted information on whether or not they do intakes for animals. Very unpleasant call.

I'm at a lost for words!! We had no way to help our kitty. I literally mean no way and the staff came together and helped us to save our lil tessi!!!!
This place is amazing they go beyond the call of duty or their job. Gloria is so passionate about helping these animals. This is the place to come and get a beautiful addition to your family!!
Danielle was amazing as well last night. Plz come by and adopt ur furry friend or volunteer here!!

I'm really worried about the well being of the pets here. The smell was so overwhelming we had to leave within a couple minutes (and all have experience on farms and our own pets so not afraid of some stink). There's apparently over 100 animals in there, poor ventilation, and most are in small cages. Was the most depressing experience I've had in a while, and had a similar experience as some of the reviews I read on here re the unwelcoming lady. Their hearts might be in the right place but this doesn't seem fair to the animals. I was interested in looking at a dog but was told "don't go over there (where the adoptable dogs are), that will make them bark!"...??!

I was driving passed this rescue with my girlfriend. We stopped in thinking it was a pet supplies store looking to purchase a cat tree. To our suprise we were greeted by a lovely orange cat and the owner which we quickly realized she dedicates her life to this rescue. Gloria is a passionate woman who gave us her undivided attention while educating us on her shelter and about the cats that are available. She is straight to point and doesn't beat around the bush so maybe that's why people find her rude? I appreciated her for that. Just during our 10 minute conversation the phone rang 3 times which she picked up each time. The phone calls all regarded people looking to give up their pets. I was shocked. Those are the majority of the calls she gets. We purchased a couple trinkets and will be returning to adopt a cat soon.

We lived around the area and checked out this cute place, as we walked in the workers asked us if we were looking for adoption and immediately jumped to the conclusion of "how did your past dog/cat died" I was surprised that they went to that direction and we were just there for 5 minutes. The workers also told us to leave the small frame dogs alone when clearly they're excited to see their potential loving owners. I'm sorry but I tried liking this adoption area but we were given an impression of paranoid employees and misinterpretations of loving owners. I'm sorry if there's something they can fix is their presentation and poor assumptions

Adopted from this local rescue. I must admit there is a process but with good reason! Initially required is an application submission then by appointment to meet the animals ( in my case pitbulls). I ended up coming in for quite a few Sundays getting to know the dog I was interested in adopting by walking him with another volunteer dog walker. Gloria cares a lot about all the animals! I even met with a trainer at the rescue to make the transition as smooth as possible for my dog. It was great!!! Caring people who properly screen people that are interested in adopting!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND :)
This is a no kill rescue and funded through donations they try and help as many animals as possible!

A wonderful place to adopt the next love of your life. All staff members work very hard to care for the animals. They have a lovely store where you can buy donated goods. All proceeds benefit the shelter. Gloria is the hardest working woman I know for animals.

I got my sweet kitty from FF. Unfortunately it was at the terrible Kitty Cafe, with which they have severed their relationship.
FF spent thousands to save Francie. She was 9 months old, pregnant, had a viral cough, canker sores, was dehydrated and constipated and had fleas. She could not produce milk and was too sick rtmother the kittens. Sadly the three of them died. Francie, however, pulled through and is now our healthy, shiny, playful, and affectionate princess.
Thank you FF. She was worth it.

Pet fido rescue is awesome i found my dog there and after they groom them they give them little scarfs

Just got off the phone with a very rude individual!!!! If this is what the staff is like over a phone I can imagine the treatment those animals are receiving!!!!!! Shame on you! Maybe clean house and hire new staff!!!!!!

It breaks my heart in a million pieces when I see the willful ignorance and lack of compassion written between the lines of derisive and callous reviews of Famous Fido's Animal Rescue. It's almost as shocking to me as when I read hurtful and outrageously destructive things about the selfless dedication and tireless work of Mother Theresa--giving every ounce of herself, pouring every last drop of her energy, into the tender care of those in need.

Is there really that kind of evil lurking in every corner out there--just waiting for a weak and vulnerable living creature or courageous and selfless human so they can viciously attack?

Such people are bullies of the worst kind. I ask them, beg them, to give just 1% of what Gloria Lissner and her staff give EVERY DAY to these vulnerable, defenseless, suffering creatures. If you have ANY love at all within you, give it to THEM.

I've never found the conditions described by some, but if you have--then join up, say "Count Me In!" and pick up a mop, a bucket, and a bottle of Lysol from their well-stocked closet and get to work. Challenge yourself! See what you can accomplish in just one hour. Your efforts, no matter how slight or temporary, will be so gratefully and thankfully accepted and appreciated by every animal and human at Famous Fido's.

Thanking you in advance for reconsidering a change of heart. Carol Cotton

this is a great place.you can find anything you would want for your pet there. I have a wonderful dog I adopted there . the people are very commited and dedicated to making sure you and your pet have good experience.They also have a great back-up staff and trainer who helped me out a lot.I'm so glad I adopted my dog there and recommend them wholeheartedly. i

I am so sad and disappointed to write this review but must be honest. I found my 2 lifetime kittens through Famous Fido shelter and was referred to a lady named Dominica Cece that was housing the kittens. I was told to complete an application so I rushed to have first dibs on the babies. I spoke to Dominica personally and she told me that I was first in line for the kittens, I was sooooo excited. After speaking with her further, Dominica learned that I stay in Greendale, WI 1hr and 30 min away from the shelter and told me that they would not adopt to anyone across state lines. I understand that the adoption agency has the right to make up house rules but I continued to beg her for a meet and greet because I don't believe state lines should be a determining factor in any animal receiving a great home. Dominicia said she would think about it and contact me ASAP.

This is the kicker- I contacted Dominica again today and she told that my 2 babies had been adopted yesterday. I just melted!!!!! Guess what. After telling me I was first in line, then that I couldn't adopt, then telling me she would think about it, then telling me my kittens had been adopted, she then told me since my application is in and approved I could have first choice of any other kittens. I am completely floored!!!!

If you work with this shelter or with Dominica Cece be very very careful as your future fur baby could be ripped right from under you.

I can't believe this happened to me .

Mad dog they have, unwelcome staff and smell. Feel sorry for all that dog staying in the same small room unhappy . FYI Staff won't help you but just sit at the counter and acted like we weren't there. Good luck

This is one of the best shelters ever. Gloria the founder has such an big and caring heart . I adopted two dogs from them about 5 years ago.

The lady who answered the phone was rude and really nasty. I said hey I want to give up my dog would this be the place, she say that's not how you call about a dog and some other rude stuff just by that statement I didn't want to do any business with them

Famous Fido is THE place to go to save animals from a miserable life.

Tried to go see what pets they had there and it says they close at 7 and she closed the store at 6:38

The owners work endless hours to keep rescued animals alive.

Has a little gift shop, grooming service, volunteers and .

I should have listened to the majority of the reviews. This place is run as bad as it smells. Watch out for the entry mat leading up to the desk (where the extremely rude lady sits) it was completely saturated with pee. I had a 1030 grooming appointment and was told when dropping my dog off that there was no way he would be ready by 1pm because they groom four dogs at a time. I just asked for my dog back and left. My recommendation is to believe the bad reviews and go somewhere else.

We were looking for new buddy for my Mom after she had lost her BFF of 15 yrs. Gloria and the staff took the time to hear about us and to understand how dedicated we were to our furry little ones as she is. She introduced us to Molly (Dolly) and Molly made us her forever family. She is so sweet and is the perfect match for my Mom. We love her dearly. Thanks to Gloria and her crew.

Never contacted me back. I reached out multiple times. I guess I'll check Craigslist.

After reading several other troubling reviews, I'm inspired to write one of my own based on a foster situation that I found myself in several years ago.

I was fostering a cat named Becker that was pulled from CACC. After many generous people promised pledge money for the rescue that pulled him, Famous Fido agreed to assist. The problem was, all they really wanted was the money. Despite Becker needing veterinary attention, they refused to make an appointment for him until I harassed all of those people for the pledge money. When they were satisfied with the amount, the appointment was made and I paid out of my own pocket, with the promise of reimbursement from the pledge funds. Unfortunately, I never saw that money. There were excuses and promises to pay later, but in the end I was just ignored. There was no effort on the part of the rescue to find a home for the cat. When he started breaking out of the room to attack my cats, my calls for help were ignored. Eventually I brought him in to the rescue to explain the situation and left in tears. Gloria basically told me I was a horrible, heartless person who didn't care about animals.

I'm not sure if Famous Fido really cares about animals. Maybe they're just in over their heads and felt they had to sacrifice some ani.als for the good of others. Maybe it really is just about the money. I wouldnt feel comfortable supporting their organization in any way, especially since there are so many others in Chicago that go above and beyond.

these people here pour their hearts and souls into this place hopefully this review will help... you just dont find people like this anywhere

100% of the proceeds from Grooming at this place goes to the rescue animals that live here. To the people writing bad reviews- The place wont always be sparkling clean-there are animals that live here, and the staff and volunteers clean up after them to the best of their ability! Their groomer does a GREAT and careful job. Unlike quick chain places where they treat your dog like an object and traumatize them, leaving them unattended and at risk for injury, and traumatizing them in dangerous cage dryers. Instead of complaining, how about donating or volunteering or doing something positive?

I dropped off some supplies. What i see is an older couple who have been in rescue a very long time and see over and over the pain humans cause these discarded animals. It's easy to sit behind your screens and judge , with many animals who have never been cared for, trained or socialized it's almost impossible to keep up with cleaning especially without enough help! I dont know this place well but all the animals I saw seemed very content and even happy. Maybe donate or help out instead of judging from afar. This is a no kill rescue, they do not put animals down to make space for more!

I went to see it because of all the bad reviews.
They were rude from the minute I walked in the door. No hello no how can I help you I heard Gloria say to the other lady, what's this one about?
I said I'm just looking. A guy came in behind me and said he wanted to adopt a dog. Gloria said to him, I'm busy, go home and apply online. Its was 2:45 & they close at 7. I read that she is really just a hoarder and dont really want to adopt out the animals and I believe that. She could have had that man look around, fill out some paperwork. I feel really sorry for all the animals in that situation. Bad reviews go so far back and are plentiful. Famous fido needs to be reported to the dept of ag and have the license revoked. To any and all reviewers, call the Illinois dept of ag with your complaints.

I spoke to a young lady name Gloria this morning at this shelter. I was contemplating on wether to give my dog away of six years. It must have been faith for me to speak with Gloria. Gloria, I thank you so much for giving me the information I need, and for being so pleasant and caring.

Got my cat here. Great place, they truly care for the animals and are very thorough in their adoption process!