The Anti-Cruelty Society

The Anti-Cruelty Society is a full service animal shelter, providing a wide variety of programs and services to help companion animals and those who care for them.

What Volunteers Do

After School Program: This program will give high school students an opportunity to explore animal welfare issues with hands on activities that broaden their understanding while giving them a sense of purpose and achievement. Students will have daily opportunities to interact with dogs, cats, and each other at The Anti-Cruelty Society. Direct interaction with the animals will teach safe and proper ways to approach domestic animals and compassion for living things. Participants will also learn training methods, the positive effects of animal socialization, and the various functions that the shelter and clinic at The Anti-Cruelty Society serve.

The goal of "Exploring the 'Link'" is to help students gain insight into how violence and cruelty affects their community, their selves, and animals. An aspect of this program will allow students to create presentations on the effects of violence in society and they will be encouraged to give these presentations in their schools; especially to younger classes (enabling the teens to become mentors and role models in their own communities). Students will each create a final project and create (or add to) their own resume. Students receive service learning hours. The After School Program is offered each semester during the school year. The fall session begins in October and the spring session begins in February. Classes meet at The Anti-Cruelty Society (169 W. Grand Ave.) every Tuesday and Thursday from 4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. for the duration of the semester. Download an application here.

Veterinary Mentoring Program: The Anti-Cruelty Society, in partnership with The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, offers an exciting program for high school students with a serious interest in veterinary medicine or animal science related careers. The Veterinary Mentoring Program is an academic program that introduces students to the many areas of science that they will encounter in veterinary school. Students attend seminars one Saturday a month at which they explore various topics and learn how clinical science is used in diagnosis and treatment of injury and disease in animals. They also become exposed to what college level course work will be like.

Students must meet the following qualifications:
• Students must be enrolled in 10th through 12th grade and have completed at least one biology course.
• Students must have at least a 3.00 overall grade point average verified by a teacher or guidance counselor (or equivalent if using a different grading scale).
• Students must have a serious interest in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine or animal related sciences and a proven aptitude for science.
• Students must be able to attend a two hour seminar one Saturday per month at The Anti-Cruelty Society.

Applications for the academic year will be available in April. For more information or to receive an application, contact education@anticruelty.org.

Directions To Each Site

The Anti-Cruelty Society occupies the block of Grand Avenue between LaSalle and Wells, in Chicago, Illinois. The shelter entrance for adoptions and receiving of animals is at 510 N. LaSalle. The Education & Training center entrance is at 169 W. Grand. Our parking lot is located on Wells Street, just south of Grand Avenue.

Contact Information

For more info, contact:
Humane Education Department
(312) 644-8338 ext. 344
education@anticruelty.org