Champaign County Humane Society


Urbana, Illinois

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About Champaign County Humane Society

Champaign County Humane Society’s roots go back to 1889. During that time, like many other welfare societies, the organization aimed to protect children and improve the working conditions of livestock and cart horses.

Over the years, Champaign County Humane Society has evolved to primarily focus their efforts on animal welfare, shelter, and public education. They're now an independent, non-profit, open-admissions shelter. As a private charity, they rely solely on donations, adoption fees, and fundraising to be able to operate. All animals, regardless of age, health, or adoptability are taken in to be cared for.

Each year the shelter serves around 1,400 cats, dogs, and other small animals desperate for help and in need of a new home. The pets that come to them are either stray, lost, owner-surrenders, or transfers from other shelters. A large number of those taken in will be found a new, loving forever home. Would you like to help the society continue their amazing work? If so, then consider adopting a pet, saving a life, and gaining a new best friend from their shelter today!

Contact Info

Address:
1911 E Main St
,
Urbana
,
IL
61802
Phone:
(217) 344-7297
Email:
dani@cuhumane.org
Website: cuhumane.org

Hours of Operation

Mon: 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Tue: Closed
Wed: 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Thu: 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Fri: 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Sat: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sun: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

Adoption Process

The adoption process at Champaign County Humane Society is simple and straightforward:

  1. Before visiting in-person, you can browse the adoptable pets on the shelter’s website.
  2. Ready to stop by? You can visit the shelter to meet all the furry cuties without an appointment.
  3. Each animal will have a name, basic details, and ID number displayed on their enclosure. If you'd like more information about a certain pet or to get acquainted, let a staff member know and they'll be happy to assist.
  4. The shelter requires all members of a household meet the animal before adoption can be finalized and approved.
  5. If you find a sweetie who steals your heart and decide you’d like to adopt, then you'll need to fill out an adoption application and questionnaire.
  6. The application and questionnaire will be reviewed with you, and you may need to provide additional information ensure that you are a good fit.
  7. The shelter will contact you 24-48 hours later to let you know whether your application has been approved.
  8. If it is, then it's time to schedule a time to pick up your new pet!
  9. When you arrive at the shelter, you'll be asked to sign the adoption contract and pay the associated fee. All dogs must leave on a leash and cats in a cat carrier.

Adoption Fees

Adoption fees at Champaign County Humane Society are as follows:

Dogs

  • Puppies (up to 6 months): From $175
  • Adults (6+ months): From $115

Cats

  • Kittens (up to 5 months): From $125
  • Adults (5+ months): From $75
  • 2 adult cats: Second cat is free of charge
  • Seniors (10+ years): From $40

Other Small Animals

  • Rabbits: $40
  • Guinea pigs: $25
  • Other small mammals, exotic, and birds: $5-$80
  • Highly exotic pets: Prices vary

Discounts

  • “Seniors for Seniors”: Adoption fee waived for senior citizens (60+) adopting a senior pet (10+ years)
  • Adopting more than one adult cat: Second is free of charge
  • Special dogs: Dogs that may need more behavior training also have a discounted fee. Please contact the shelter for more information.

Your adoption fee covers spay/neuter surgery, initial vaccinations, rabies vaccination (cats and dogs over 16 weeks), parasite treatment, heartworm testing (dogs), FeLV testing (cats), microchipping and registration, a free post-adoption vet visit, and discounted pet supply coupons.

Adoption Process & Fees

Our writing team is hard at work researching this shelter's adoption process and fees, so this page will be updated soon!

In the meantime, here's some nice-to-know info that applies to nearly every animal shelter, humane society, and rescue.

Why Rescue A Shelter Dog?

Because shelter dogs are full of love!

Is it because they know you saved them and love you harder for it?

I can't say for certain, but yes.

Jokes aside, there are three things all shelter dogs need to thrive in their new home:

  1. Love
  2. Patient
  3. Training

Older shelter dogs, generally 1+ years old, may have experienced a lot of trauma, which often results in one of 8 common behavioral issues:

  1. Anxiety
  2. Aggression toward people & pets
  3. Resource guarding
  4. Destructive behavior
  5. Housetraining regression
  6. Poor social skills
  7. Leash reactivity & barrier-related aggression
  8. Constant whining

These issues are correctable! Your dog isn't broken, they're just damaged. You can fix them with enough love, patience, and a good training plan.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, finding good dog trainers can be hard. Like everything else, dog training is moving only. but there are great online dog trainers that are proven to work and can help get your new pup on the right path.

Animal Shelter vs Humane Society vs Rescue: What's the Difference?

You can learn a lot about an animal welfare organization just by looking at their name.

Animal Shelters

  • Most Animal Shelters are city or county-run organizations, often operated by the local Animal Control department, that manage strays and handle owner surrenders.
  • They usually have kennel facilities you can visit to adopt animals, and they usually have less stringent adoption requirements, lower adoption fees, and same-day adoptions (because their goal is to get animals out of the shelter).
  • Unfortunately, they usually know very little about each animal, including their true personalities and any behavioral problems.

Humane Societies

  • Most Humane Societies are non-profit organizations, many of which are no-kill shelters.
  • Some (but not all) are affiliated with The Humane Society of the United States.
  • They exist to improve animal welfare in the local community and often partner with city or county-run Animal Shelters that often euthanize animals due to capacity restraints.
  • They usually have kennel facilities, sometimes at multiple locations, and usually offer other services to the community such as low-cost spay/neuter clinics, community education programs, and more.
  • They may also have some animals in foster care.
  • There's a lot of variation in process and fees among Humane Societies, but they usually have really good websites that detail everything for you.

Rescues

  • Most Rescues are foster-based organizations that don't have physical facilities.
  • They usually have websites and contact emails, but not all of them have phone numbers.
  • Because they don't have a physical facility, you need to view animals in their foster network online, usually on their website but sometimes on their member pages on either PetFinder or Adopt-a-Pet.
  • If you see an animal you'd like to meet, contact the rescue using the process listed on their website or via email. They'll help you through the application process and set up a time for you to meet the animal at the foster's home.
  • Adopting from a rescue generally is the most expensive option here and takes the longest, but you get an animal that's been cared for in a loving home environment and their foster can tell you a lot about their personality.

6 Tips to Improve Your Adoption Experience

Adoption processes vary drastically from organization to organization, but here are some general tips that apply in most instances. Note that we'll use the term "shelters" here for simplicity but it includes all types of rescue organizations.

  1. See an animal online that you'd like to meet? Call the shelter before your visit to make sure the animal is still available. This especially applies for puppies, which are adopted out quickly.
  2. Usually, you'll need to get some paperwork in order: a photo ID, vaccination/medical records for any pets you currently have, possibly your vet's contact info and a couple of personal references, and (for renters) proof you're allowed to have a pet (copy of your lease or your landlord's contact info).
  3. If you need to provide contact info for your vet, let your vet know ahead of time. Otherwise, they may not release your information.
  4. Many shelters require your current dogs to meet adoptive dogs. Your current dogs need to be up-to-date on vaccinations.
  5. Some shelters require you to schedule a home visit to ensure a suitable living environment for the new animal.
  6. Adoption fees may seem excessive, but they're actually amazing values. Truthfully, caring for a pet is expensive. Most adoption fees include required medical care to get the animal ready for their new home including (but not limited to) spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, general vet exams, flea/tick treatment, deworming, heartworm testing/treatment for dogs, and feline leukemia and feline AIDS testing/treatment for cats. In general, your adoption fee is less than the cost of this care, so you're saving money in addition to your new animal's life!

If you have any questions about adopting an animal (what you'll need, what to expect, etc.) feel free to contact the PetLists team!

For more information about what's included in your adoption fee, or any other questions about the adoption process, reach out to
Champaign County Humane Society
in
Urbana
,
Illinois
directly using the contact info above.

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You can also go back to our listing of all 50 states to find shelters elsewhere in the US.
All information on this page is accurate and up-to-date to the best of our knowledge. If you spot an error, please contact us using our contact form.
Note: Hours of operation and other information on this page are subject to change during the COVID-19 pandemic.