Red Door Animal Shelter

They are one of the only shelters in Chicago that will take in smaller animals like cats, guinea pigs, even injured ducks. We got our first rabbit from here and they were very knowledgable. They care a lot about the animals and treat them well. My bunny is well socialized and litter trained.
They offer grooming days, boarding, and will continually answer questions about rabbit behavior, illness, toy recommendations, etc. They sell cages and hay, too, which helps for a first time owner. They will always take the rabbit back if it does not work out for any reason, but it should be fine since they provide so much support. We got someone’s cell number and he is very kind and responsive.
My fiancè compared the shelter to a hipster coffee shop: sometimes it can feel cold or snobby, they are really particular about animal care (e.g. only buy x brand of hay, only use this particular vet, etc). But they have a high standard for adopters which is great.
One final note– they are located in a not-​so-​nice neighborhood. We didn’t mind making quick stops there, but I would feel a bit odd leaving an expensive car in the street to park or taking transit there with children.

We rescued our little guy from here.
Kepler has a forever home
We gave a home to other bunnies.
Red door is bunny friendly shelter with resources and even some very large boxes of Timothy hay for way less than the pet store.

Boarded my rabbits here for a week yet again and was not disappointed. My eldest now, at 8-​years old, had 4 medications to be given twice a day. And she is a sassy rabbit who will refuse them. But, as expected, all was well. My elder-​bun was wonderful. She and her new mate (the 1-​year old) were boarded together since they are bonded and had plenty of room. They even had a few toys, a blanket, and plenty of fresh hay.
While picking up my buns, I did a little walk-​through of the place, which I was welcome to. They did have some rules about using hand sanitizer in between cat rooms and making sure doors were completely closed. But overall they were happy to have me playing with the cats.
My allergies were going nuts, but anyone who comes in expecting the place to be sparkling obviously doesn’t spend time in a not-​for-​profit shelter. This isn’t a pet store. There will be dust and fur and hay.
The cats had so much space to run around and interact with each other and with me. And Mike, who is always constantly busy (he was working with multiple sick cats in an isolation situation) was even willing to talk to me about the newest kitties that were brought in.
Toni, who was working with some folks who wanted to adopt a mate for their current rabbit was really nice too. There is literally bunny speed dating where your rabbit can meet others in hopes of finding a partner, which is important since rabbits are social creatures.
Overall, I will continue to come back and even volunteer when I can.

I can’t say enough good things about Red Door! I got my two bunnies here back in 2007. While my search has been fulfilled I still come back regularly for the fundraising Spa Days for grooming, nail clipping and photos. They also have great deals on hay in bulk.
Red Door takes very good care of their animals, are a no-​kill shelter, and are knowledgeable about their rescues and how to care for them.
I currently still have my one girl going strong but definitely plan to foster and eventually adopt when the time comes. Please consider Red Door for your next adoption!

We found an ~6 mo. old stray kitten and decided to take him in and try to find a shelter that would accept him. Lesson learned, that’s much easier than it sounds. I called every no kill shelter in the city and all were full. This little guy was also injured, had a damaged bottom lip. I emailed back and forth with Mike, explained the situation and since we lived in the area, were able to bring him in for a meeting. Mike took a quick look at his lip, determined it wasn’t too serious and agreed to take him in. So grateful for Red Door because our only other option, since we couldn’t keep him would have been one of the larger shelters. With him not being perfect, there’s a good chance he would have been put down.
Now at least, he has a chance of finding a good home. Support your local rescues, they need funds the most!

The worst ever. We went in with our son who has been after us for some time to get a cat. Now that he is five and we are ready, we went to red door. The greeting was quite cold but the girl that showed us around was good. Our son bonded right away with a young male tabby named Abu. We agreed and tried to claim him as the newest member of our family. The girl said that we had to wait and get interviewed by Mike. He was there but said we had to wait; he was too busy. We were told to get the online application filled out and he would call us for the interview… but maybe not in the following week as he WAS SO BUSY. We did our part and now 8 days later nothing. Try to explain to a five year old that the man in charge of the shelter is a deadbeat… Without using that language of course. On another note, the place was a mess!

WHAT a GREAT Place!
I had heard of the Red Door and even called to get recommendations, ranging from a rabbit sitter to a vet but I had never been to the facility to see it in action until last week when I decided I wanted to get another rabbit (mine had died and they do make great fun friendly pets). I had gone to a pet store but then remembered hearing about Red Door and thought I would check it out. Am I glad I did! They have the largest collection of WELL CARED FOR rabbits I have ever seen! (Red Door also has many cats if you are a cat lover – dogs too though they are kept mostly in foster homes until adopted due to space!)
All the rabbits were clean, vetted-​including neutered and spayed – a HUGE expense for pet owners and a service pet stores sure don’t offer!) Also impressive, additional vet appointments made and documented in up-​to-​date charts as needed) The cages, too, were clean with fresh food, hay and water and notes where necessary regarding special needs of any kind. And did I mention it is a «no kill» facility? No «death row» (in fact the city pound often calls them) and completely run by donations!
And the staff? If possible more amazing even than the animals they care for! They are all volunteers and well informed and friendly. I went the first time alone (yes been back 4 times this week!) The next day I took my niece. I was told the rabbits can be adopted (after you fill out the application and payed with On Wednesday evenings. I was there! So, too was the Red Door vice president (yes, still all volunteer!) who spent two HOURS with me, showing me the rabbits, bringing them out for me to meet and giving me all kinds of helpful information to help me narrow down my choice I know, awful, I have still not chosen but have narrowed it down and WILL make up my mind this weekend. Truly, it is just so hard as there are so many wonderful ones to choose from.
I know this sounds like a paid commercial but it is NOT! Come by and you will see what I mean! If you like rabbits – or cats, or dogs – you really must check this place out
Only suggestion is longer hours so more can visit and adopt easier.

We got our bunny from red door four years ago and it was a great experience. We board her there when we go on vacation and they treat her like family! We also get hay here and hope to someday come back for a kitty. Fantastic volunteers!

Red Door does an excellent job caring for animals. They really make sure that the animals are healthy and socialized before putting them up for adoption. If you are looking for a rabbit in the Chicago area– this is the place to go!

In March we decided to adopt a rabbit companion for our 8-​year old Maltese who, as a pup, was socialized with rabbits. We took a late Wednesday night tour of the shelter and were introduced to all of the rabbits the shelter rehabbed and housed. We found a perfect little black Rex bun to bring home. Red Door made it convenient and easy to get her home: they offered us a travel carrier (we had already purchased one) and we were able to buy an x-​pen, litter and hay direct from them, simplifying our journey immensely.
Our first rabbit adoption went so smoothly that we offered to become a foster family. Bad news: we are no longer a foster family. Good news: we adopted our foster rabbit because he was so sweet and friendly and would be easier to bond with our girl than another female. Red Door also helped in bonding our two rabbits by taking them on a speed date to see if they got along!
Being one of few rabbit rescues in the Chicago area, many Red Door staff and volunteers have extensive rabbit care knowledge. They send rabbit families home with an informative packet that covers all the bunny basics from housing to healthcare. It’s a great place to go if you are looking for a bouncy, quirky, fun little rabbit friend. They also adopt out cats who are often offered free (supervised) range at the shelter.

If you are considering getting a pet. Please think of adopting one. There are so many abandoned. And sadly… mistreated ones out there.
If you do go the route of adoption or fostering an animal look no further than Red Door. They have cats, dogs, rabbits, and the occasional ducks, chickens, and geese. It’s a no kill shelter that does its best to be cage less too. As my pal Kate W. mentioned it is the only shelter in Chicago that both houses and adopts out rabbits. And the amount of ones abandoned is huge so for one shelter to try to help the problem and educate is great.
I adopted my bunny from there and it was a fantastic experience. My first visit I toured the facility just to see and it was very clean and all the staff and volunteers were so loving. I’m not going to lie, the animals I saw who were abandoned or abused was really was affecting. There’s many looking for a home and sadly, some great animals either left on the streets, dropped off places, or worse hurt.
They work very hard to find the right fit for the adoptees. Which I admire. And know as much as they could about each ones history, medical back ground, and personality.
Red Door often holds fundraisers, spa days (so your pet can be groomed), bake sales, pet speed dating (ha. But it’s just so they can scamp and run around with others).
If you want a furry pal I suggest adopting and if so go to Red Door.

I stopped in with my husband during the Great Kitteh Search of 2012. We left empty-​handed…
I can say that it doesn’t smell like a litter box, but I can’t say much else positive. The day we were there, they were having an off-​site fundraiser and apparently most of the staff was there. So it’s possible we just went on a bad day.
The volunteers with whom we interacted were, let’s say, mellow… They were also, unfortunately, devoid of information on most of the cats as well as not terribly motivated to help get our questions answered («I don’t know, you should ask so-​and-​so» except so-​and-​so wasn’t there). We ended up meeting I think one of the four we’d wanted to meet. Another was in an isolation room but no one even had a hint as to why. How does an organization run with such little communication?
Their
listings are in the same vein — there’s little detail and none of them have ages. I understand strays don’t come with a birth certificate, but could you make an educated guess at the range? There are also problems with the videos — many cats’ videos link to a video of a cat called Patches, who I’m sure is a wonderful cat but not among the ones we were looking to adopt. Another one was adopted sometime before our visit but the web site still lists her.
We obviously couldn’t help but notice the bunnies at Red Door, what with their Bunny Shantytown taking up half the space. They live on the floor in areas fenced in with metal and covered in flattened cardboard boxes. I felt like one sneeze and the whole thing would collapse.
So obviously Red Door has many fans, and our friend adopted a cat there, so we had high hopes. They may have wonderful animals and staff with customer service skills, but we wouldn’t know. Good luck, Red Door animals :(

I found Red Door online while searching for another rabbit to adopt as a friend for my lady bunny, Kali. They have been so incredibly helpful in our search! Thank goodness we found Red Door, because otherwise… well, who knows what would have happened if we just picked up a bunny using craigslist or from animal control or something, anything other than these great people?
Red Door has BUNNY SPEED DATING. It is *the* *single* *most* *cutest* thing you’ll ever experience in your life. (When all goes well between bunnies, that is. Bunnies apparently can get pretty vicious if they’re not into each other, and you can’t truly tell which ones will get along by looking at them, e.g. breeds don’t matter, size doesn’t really matter.)
They have volunteers who come help «bond» your bunny with other rabbits. This is so great, because you have the opportunity for an experienced bunny handler to hang out with the rabbits, interpret to you their behavior towards each other, and basically determine if you’ve got a good match!
Aside from all this cuteness and close attention Red Door staff and volunteers give their animals, they really care. They rescue, rehabilitate and socialize bunnies and kitties (and I think dogs, but I didn’t see any around the rabbits. Good call!).
This is probably one of the most positive environments I’ve ever seen… ever. Amazing place, amazing people!

I recently adopted a New Zealand rabbit from Red Door this last February. I cannot say anything but positive comments about both Red Door and it’s staff. Red Door is not some swanky adoption center, and I love that, because you know where the money goes… it goes towards the animals!
Red Door keeps impressing me with their spa days and excellent service and fundraising advertisement and events. I think the most impressive feature is their ability to rehabilitate these animals (cats, dogs, and rabbits). The rabbit came home to us with an even temper, litter training, and a social experience with cats. All of their rabbits are gauranteed not to be insane or villainous like I have seen some rabbits to be.
My fiancée and I are debating on whether or not we should get a girlfriend (spayed of course) from Red Door for our little boy rabbit. Red Door offers free spaying and neutering.

Red Door is a great organization! I have been volunteering there for many years, and have always been touched by the compassion and dedication of RD’s staff and volunteers. They go to great lengths to rescue and rehabilitate abandoned and abused rabbits, cats, dogs, ducks and chickens and find them loving homes.
The cats have a mostly cage-​free environment, the exception being sick animals or animals with special restrictions. The rabbits spend their days frolicking in big pens on the floor with all the hay they can eat! Rabbits make great companions, and Red Door does an awesome job educating people about these wonderful creatures.

If I was a rich old lady drafting my will, I would leave my estate to Red Door. The people here are seriously dedicated to finding forever homes for rabbits, cats and dogs (and othe occasional duck and chicken).
My first experience with Red Door was taking my bunny Fitzi there for a «speed dating» session to help her find a mate. Toni, the shelter’s VP, spent a great deal of time with us and patiently introduced Fitzi to many of the shelter’s boy bunnies. A gray bunny named Hemingway came home with us that day. He was the first of three bunnies to come to my home from Red Door. I’ve also been a «foster mom» for them several times over the years when she shelter gets crowded or a bunny has been at the shelter for a while and needs a vacation.
What really stands out about Red Door is how much they love each and every animal who comes to them. They’re incredibly knowledgeable about providing the best possible care and are one of only a handful of no-​kill shelters in the U.S. to specialize in rabbits, despite rabbits being the third most popular pet.
Red Door’s fundraisers are legendary. Four times a year, they host «Spa Days» where rabbits and other small pets can be groomed and then pose for themed «glamour portraits.» Past photo shoot themes have included pirates, the wild west, space, Studio 54 and, of course, a «Year of the Rabbit» shoot this year. Their annual Walk for the Animals is always a hit as well.
I have so much respect for the people at this shelter and the time, love and dedication they provide to animals waiting to find their homes.

Great animal shelter! My husband and I volunteered here a few times and really enjoyed the experience. This is a group of people very devoted to helping animals who have found themselves in unfortunate situations.
After volunteering a few times, we decided to foster one of the cats. That turned into an adoption pretty quickly, and we are very thankful that Red Door was able to socialize our little girl so she could be adopted so soon!
We had previously adopted a baby rabbit from another place, but after having her for a while, we thought she might be happier with a bunny friend. So we asked about it at the shelter, and they told us to bring her on in for a «bunny speed dating» session in which she could meet some of the other rabbits and see if they were a good fit. The first time we brought her in for «speed dating», she freaked out and hated the experience. She actually made it kind of hard on the lady, Toni, who was introducing the rabbits. After that experience, Toni said that it just probably wasn’t the right time, but we could always bring her in, anytime, just to play with the other rabbits.
After a while, our girl had grown up a little bit, so we decided to bring her back in for another «dating» session. She instantly fell in love with one of the rabbits, and they bonded right away. We were able to adopt him that day, and we couldn’t have been happier! They called to check up on the rabbits a few days later, which shows they really care what happens to each animal. Bonus points.
They had a «Spa-​di-​dah» day for the bunnies a few weeks ago, and we took our little furballs. They got groomed, had their nails clipped and ears cleaned, had bunny massages, etc. We also had their pictures taken, which I thought was hilarious at first, but they came out so cute, and we were given the disk with all the photos on it. Nice touch! :)
Definitely recommend Red Door for anyone looking to adopt, volunteer, or just go play with some adorable furry friends!

I am allergic to cats. When I went to my girlfriends home to visit her family in PA, they had one cat that loved turning me into a walking sneezeball. With the limited choices to pets we could have here in Chicago, we decided in looking into adopting a bunny.
What we found at Red Door Shelter was amazing, they take great care of their animals and are extremely fond, passionate, and genuinely interested in the lives of their guests.
Walking into Red Door for the first time, we were greeted and taken on a full tour about the small shelter. My girlfriend and I learned so much about taking care of a bunny and just fell in love with one little pup named Miss Pickles.
We ended up learning alot about our new family member and walked out with her and everything we needed on the first day! Just one day later, what was a lonely holland lop left out in the cold from her abandoned family is now a gentle, lively and very happy bunny!
We cannot believe how quickly she has warmed up to us, she loves the lettuce/​celery and treats we feed her. She loves burrowing into our arms while we watch a movie on the sofa, and she loves to play. She is an absolute godsend and her recovery can only contribute to the quality of care Red Door takes.
I have never been so impressed. Thank you Red Door!

Thank you, thank, you, THANK YOU to Red Door for helping me find a home for a chicken I found, even though they aren’t a shelter that keeps birds. Marcia was extremely communicative and helpful. I wish I could take in more rescue animals right now, but I have 4 cats and a dog right now.
If you’re considering donating or adopting, this is a stellar organization. Check them out!

I just love Red Door Animal Shelter. I have been fostering dogs for them for quite some time. These are a bunch of people that truly love animals. Their shelter is small but houses a good amount of rabbits and cats in need of homes. And if they dont get adopted out, then there they remain which is so awesome. Foster care is needed for the dogs as their shelter is limited in space. The animals are cared for in the best possible way. I am so happy to have places like Red Door around for animals in need.