About
The Naperville Area Humane Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit limited admission animal shelter for dog and cat adoption, foster care, and owner surrenders serving the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.
Mission
To promote the humane treatment of companion animals and create lasting human-animal bonds.
Vision
To engage people to compassionately and responsibly create a more humane world.
Values
To deliver services to our community that reflect our integrity, respect, compassion and joy for all people and animals.
Strategies
In order to achieve our vision we will strive to achieve these strategic objectives:
To improve the quality of life for animals through relationships with people
To improve the quality of life for people through relationships with animals
Care
Each animal is tenderly cared for at the Naperville Area Humane Society. Entering a shelter can be stressful or possibly even terrifying to some cats and dogs. Our dedicated and highly trained staff and volunteers offer compassionate care to each animal and work to address his or her individual needs.
The staff works diligently to match the needs of each pet with a family eager to adopt a dog or cat. While at the Naperville Area Humane Society, all animals receive basic vaccinations as well as medical care. All animals are neutered or spayed before being released to their new owners. In addition, dogs’ temperaments are thoroughly assessed before being made available for adoption.
Unfortunately, there continues to be far too many cats and dogs needing help in our society. Since we cannot solve this overwhelming problem ourselves, we have evolved our approach to the homeless animal crisis to include innovative community service initiatives, such as humane education and a behavior helpline, while we continue to re-home animals.
No-Kill Statement
There is no term in the animal sheltering field more divisive than no-kill; in fact, there is no clear definition. Generally speaking, a no-kill shelter is described as an organization that does not euthanize “adoptable” animals. A 90-percent save rate for animals entering a shelter is the common-sense benchmark for measuring lifesaving progress. Typically, the number of pets who are suffering from irreparable medical or behavioral issues that compromise their quality of life and prevent them from being rehomed is not more than 10 percent of all pets entering shelters.*
While the 90-percent benchmark offers a meaningful, consistent way to gauge progress, it is neither a floor nor a ceiling. For many shelters, a true no-kill statistic may be closer to a 95-percent save rate or higher. For some shelters, particularly those offering unique care and services such as neonatal kitten programs or compassionate end-of-life services for residents with pets in under-resourced communities, the benchmark may be slightly below 90 percent.*
The Naperville Area Humane Society meets the requirements of a no-kill animal shelter, but we choose not to use the term because of its ambiguity. At the Naperville Area Humane Society, we refer to our shelter as a limited-admission organization. We accept only those animals that we have space to house safely and properly, meeting the standards of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians. Rather than keep our animals in overcrowded conditions, we have a waiting list for animals needing to come into the shelter.
The Naperville Area Humane Society never euthanizes animals for space or time constraints. All animals are evaluated for health by local veterinarians and for behavior by trained shelter staff using standardized assessments. The decision to euthanize an animal is never an easy one, but we believe it is sometimes necessary. We will choose euthanasia when an animal is suffering from an incurable, debilitating medical condition or when an animal displays severe, unmanageable aggression. We believe it is irresponsible to place a dangerous animal in the community. When appropriate, however, we will transfer an animal to an approved rescue group that has the resources to provide behavior modification training in a foster home to change outcomes.
*The information in the paragraphs marked with an asterisk was taken from Best Friends Animal Society.
History
In 1979, a group of caring citizens dedicated themselves to helping homeless companion animals in their community. They created the Naperville Humane Society and fostered animals in their homes until permanent homes could be found. Wishing to serve more people and animals, this group solicited the financial support of the community and built a 3,550 square foot shelter in 1988.
After 43 years and more than 20,000 animals served, the Board of Directors changed the name of the organization to more accurately reflect the population we serve. In January of 2005 the name was officially changed to Naperville Area Humane Society. This new name more accurately reflects the areas we serve. In 2021 we completed our shelter expansion project which increased our square footage to 8,150. The Naperville Area Humane Society is a 501(c)3 organization. Our tax exempt number is 363040480.
Volunteer Philosophy Statement
Volunteers and staff work together to provide a level of service and care to the organization that would be otherwise impossible. Volunteers bring unique talents, skills and knowledge which allow staff to concentrate on the work for which they are trained. The volunteers and staff infuse the organization with energy and passion allowing all of us to accomplish the organization’s mission.
Contact
Naperville Area Humane Society
1620 W Diehl Rd
Naperville, IL 60563
Visiting Hours
Mondays: Closed to the public
Tuesdays/Wednesdays: 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Thursdays: 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Fridays: 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays: 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Hours subject to change
If you would like more information about the adoption process, please please call us at 630-420-8989.
We are closed to the public on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve.
“Articles sometimes give the impression all animal shelters are horrible places. Certainly not the case of the Naperville Area Humane Society where animals waiting for adoption are given the royal treatment befitting an honored guest.
Kennels and cages are cleaned every morning, fresh water, good food, new bedding, and clean litter are provided, and the first of four walks a day for the dogs are taken. The cats can watch their TV, check out the various napping places available, and enjoy socialization from dedicated volunteers. Dogs always have challenging toys in the kennel, including stuffed Kongs from time to time. Social times are part of their day with volunteers sitting with a lap ready for cuddling.”