About Us

Based in Will County and serving Northern Illinois, German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Northern Illinois, Inc. is a 501(c)3, State of Illinois Dept. of Agriculture licensed rescue, that was incorporated in April 2003.

German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Northern Illinois, Inc. is a no-kill, non profit organization that, through education, training and fund raising, is dedicated to caring for and finding good homes for all German Shepherd Dogs that are abandoned, abused, neglected, or in need of assistance for any reason. Our purpose is to save, rehabilitate and place German Shepherd Dogs from shelters and those that have been abandoned and/or relinquished by their owners into a secure, permanent home.

We are seeking dedicated volunteers willing to donate their time, effort energy and any skills they possess to help us save German Shepherd Dogs that need our help. Volunteers can transport dogs, help with home and dog evaluations, help with fundraising, help set up information events, pass out information about the Rescue, or add any of their talents. The only thing required of our volunteers is that they have a love for the German Shepherd Dog breed and will do anything for them! Volunteers will fill out a Volunteer Application, to help us get to know you and focus on your talents. A Volunteer Agreement is also signed after the Application is approved. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Northern Illinois, please contact us and we will send you information and an application.

Our greatest need is FOSTER HOMES!! This is very crucial for our Rescue, yet it's one of the hardest goals to achieve. One of our many goals is to be able to immediately place all the dogs that come to us into adequate foster care. This way each German Shepherd Dog can have the ability to be in a home environment and learn necessary house manners, training, etc. We would like to save our kennel space (which is pretty limited) for emergencies and wish to not have any dog stay in a boarding situation for any extended period of time. There are many different kinds of foster homes: Emergency Foster Care, Safe-House Foster Care, Short-term Foster Care, Buddy Foster Care and the most important, most cherished of all, Regular/Permanent Foster Care. The Rescue will provide food, medical care and a crate -- if one is available. All foster dogs are evaluated physically and behaviorally before being placed in foster care. Each foster home is required to fill out a Foster Application, which helps us learn more about the foster home and place the correct foster dog in that foster home. A home evaluation will be done before any foster dog is placed in foster care, to make sure the home is sufficient enough for a large dog. The foster home will then sign a Foster Care Agreement and receive Terms of Fostering for them to go by (rules and stuff). If you would like more information about becoming a foster home for German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Northern Illinois, please contact us and we will give you more information and send you an application.

We will gratefully take any kind of donation, monetary or otherwise, i.e., X-Large GSD size crates, leashes, collars, toys, etc. Any monetary donations can be sent to: German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Northern Illinois, PO Box 596, Plainfield, Illinois 60544. If you would like to donate a crate or other items for the dogs, please call us and we'll set up a time to come and pick up your donations.

GSDRNI is always looking for sponsors for some of the dogs that have health problems that are very expensive to treat or for any other dog that is in the Rescue. When you sponsor a GSD, you donate any amount of money toward that dog to help with its medical needs or boarding bills. Any monetary amount is greatly appreciated by the dogs (and us of course)! and nothing is ever thought of as not enough. So whether it's $1.00 or $100.00, your sponsor donation is always welcomed and greatly appreciated! If you would like more information on sponsoring, please contact us via email or phone and we can discuss it more in depth with you.

Our dogs come from shelters, animal control, humane societies and owners that can no longer keep their family pets. Each dog that comes into the Rescue will receive a full initial general exam including vaccinations for Rabies, DHLPP-C (Distemper), Bordetella, heartworm blood test and a fecal test. Depending on the dog's physical condition, more tests are performed and medication administered if necessary. All dogs that go through our program are spayed or neutered before being placed with a new family, as well as microchipped.

Our Adoption Fees:
Puppies under 12 months old: $325.00
Dogs 1 year and older: $275.00
Adoption fees are subject to change case by case

The very first step in the process of adopting a rescued GSD is our Adoption Questionnaire. Once the questionnaire is filled out completely, a GSDRNI Representative will contact you to set up a home evaluation. A home evaluation MUST be done before a dog is placed in any home. If you are interested in a particular dog, we will match the answers on your application with that dogs needs to see if that dog is the right dog for you. If the match seems like a good fit, then we go on to the next step. If the dog's needs differ from what you are looking for, we explain to you why we feel that particular dog would not be the best fit in your home and help match a different dog with your lifestyle. If you are not interested in any particular dog, we choose a few that might fit in your family and let you make the final decision. If we don't have the right dog for your at the time we receive your application, we will let you know that we are looking and to have patience. Most people are understandable and want to wait for the right dog; they trust we will find them a family member that will fit into their lifestyle. Once a dog is chosen, a visit to your home with the dog is then scheduled. This is to ensure that the dog will accept your other family members (2 and 4 legged). This is just a brief initial visit. After the dog visits your home, a date and time is then set for you to sign the Adoption Contract and get any and all information about your new companion. We do provide you with a copy of the dogs medical records, as well as a copy of the signed contract. If you have any questions about adopting one of our wonderful dogs, please feel free to contact us. We're always happy to answer any questions you may have!