Stray Hold Information

Office Hours  

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri – 7:30am-6:00pm 
Wednesday -7:30am-4:00pm 
Saturday – 7:30am-1:30pm 
Sunday – Office Is Closed

Golf Rose Pet Lodge – Lost and Found Pets

Please note: All animals must be brought in by the police department of the town they were found.

Please call the police department in that town and let them know you have found a lost animal.

Golf Rose provides Animal Control for the following government agencies. Click on the department to be directed to their website. PLEASE NOTE: We CANNOT accept animals from anyone other than police departments/government agencies.

• Arlington Heights
• Cook County Animal Control
• Des Plaines
• East Dundee
• Elgin 
• Harper College Police Department
• Hoffman Estates 
• Park Ridge
• Rolling Meadows 
• Roselle 
• Schaumburg 
• South Barrington 
• Streamwood 

What happens to the animals brought to Golf Rose? When lost pets come to our facility, they are first scanned for a microchip. If no microchip is found and there are no tags, we house and care for the animal for the mandatory 7-day stray hold. Many pets are claimed well before that 7-day hold is up.

Below is a video of our Hospital Director, Jen, playing with one of our friends, Sable. Our team gives as much love as possible to stray pets while they’re with us. We try to play with them and even teach them some tricks if they’re friendly and willing to listen. Sable was one of our longest residents, with us for an extended stay despite major rescue requests. Luckily, after much waiting, Sable is now with a foster home until her forever family comes along.

What happens if a pet’s “stray hold” is over and a pet is unclaimed? If a pet is not claimed, we work with several local rescue groups in the area. Friendly & Furry Cat Rescue takes most of our stray cats and holds adoptions out of our facility. Northwest Rescue Network Team works with us to find rescue groups that will take in stray dogs. We also have other breed-specific groups that come when we need them. The rescue groups come in, take pictures and do temperament tests to see if they have a place for the stray pets. Some animals take longer for placement, and we work with the rescues in these special cases in hope of seeing all the adoptable animals placed somewhere. Below is a list of the main rescue groups we work with in the area. Occasionally, a stray pet like Sable (above) stays with Golf Rose for an extended period of time, so we are always on the lookout for people to help foster through the rescues listed below. Click the links to learn more about each group and how you can help:
A & S Rescue
A Heart for Animals
Adopt a Husky
ADOPT Pet Shelter
Albert’s Dog Lounge
Animal House Shelter
Bark of an Angel Dog Rescue
Border Tails Rescue
Chicagoland Bully Breed Rescue
Chi-Town Pitties
Common Ground
Dark Horse Dogs
Deeby’s Senior Chihuahua Rescue
Dogs are Deserving Rescue
German Shepherd Rescue, Inc.
Glory Bound Rescue Ranch
Homes for Huskies
Hoof Woof and Meow
It’s a Pittie Rescue
Mit Liebe German Shepherd Rescue
Pawsitive Impact Pet Rescue
Perfect Pooches Adoption Agency
Reach Rescue
Riley’s Rescue Foundation
Stardust Animal Sanctuary
Tails Humane Society
Tender Loving Care Animal Shelter
Treasured Animal Rescue
Underdog Railway Rescue
White Paws German Shepherd Rescue
Will County Human Society
Wish Upon a Rescue
Young at Heart

Do all the animals get placed? We are not an animal shelter or rescue group, and unfortunately in some circumstances animals may need to be euthanized due to severe illness or injury beyond care. Most of the stray animals that come here are not euthanized. We all work here because we love animals, and the end goal is always to help them.

To help additional animals get taken in by rescue groups, Golf Rose started a Spicy Cat Boot Camp. Learn more about the program here: https://www.golfrose.com/spicy-cat-boot-camp/

Can I adopt an animal who is being held at Golf Rose? If you are interested in an animal in our care please contact Golf Rose Pet Lodge at 847-885-2122 with your name, phone number and a brief message/description of the animal you are interested in adopting. Your information will be transferred to the adoption agency once they accept the animal. You will then work with them directly to establish the requirements for adopting an animal. This does not guarantee that you will be able to adopt the animal; it is only putting you in touch with the correct organization.

Please be sure to support your local animal rescue organizations. The volunteers who operate animal adoption organizations utilize their own time and resources to facilitate rescuing pets. At Golf Rose we handle the first 7 days, after that, we rely heavily on their kind generosity and efforts to assist us with all of these homeless pets. Donating money, time and perhaps your home to these organizations is always greatly appreciated. 

My Pet is at Golf Rose:

1. Contact Golf Rose at (847) 885-2122 or [email protected]. Let the staff know that we may have your pet. Email a picture with your name, address, and phone number. If you call after hours, please leave us a brief message with your name, and phone number. We will return your call.  

2. Find your pet’s current vaccine information. If your pet was taken to Golf Rose for running at large, you will be required to furnish rabies vaccine information. State Law requires all pets be current on their rabies vaccination. Your dog or cat must be current on its rabies vaccination prior to release. If it is not current, a vaccine will be administered by a veterinarian prior to your pet’s release at your cost.

Why is a rabies vaccination required prior to my pet’s release? This is a state requirement. The State of Illinois enforces rabies vaccines for a very good reason. Rabies is fatal, if not caught in time you or your pet will die if they contract the rabies virus. Rabies is rare because the State and County enforce rabies vaccines effectively. Still, rabies is active. We see multiple positive rabies tests in animals every year. The local police and Golf Rose are simply enforcing the rules that are required to by the State. These rules are for your protection.

Why did you give my pet a distemper/lepto vaccine? Upon every animal’s arrival by the police department, unless tags or microchip are present where records can be traced, they are given a canine distemper with lepto vaccine for dogs and a feline distemper vaccine for cats at the owner’s expense. This is to ensure your pet and other pets in our facility are protected from harmful diseases and viruses.

3. Find your pet’s microchip information. If your pet was running at large and is not microchipped, they are required to be microchipped and registered to you prior to release at your expense. If your pet was brought to us for safekeeping in the event of a car accident, arrest, home issues or any other reason than running at large, your dog or cat may be exempt from the rabies, distemper and microchip requirements. We use AVID brand microchips.

4. You will be required to visit your police department prior to the release of your pet in most cases. Elgin residents are not required to visit the police department prior to claiming their pet and may proceed to Golf Rose. You are required by law to redeem your pet and pay the fees for the care of your pet. Golf Rose staff will indicate the fees required when you call — every municipality has different requirements. Golf Rose only accepts cash, debit or credit cards for animal control services.

5. Your pet can only be released during the following hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 7:30am-5:30pm

Wednesday: 7:30am-3:30pm

Saturday: 7:30am-1:00pm

The staff who is trained on the laws and requirements are only available during the above hours. Our on-site staff cares for your animal outside of these hours, but are not authorized to release your dog or cat.

6. A thank you to the officer who found your pet is always appreciated. Be sure to thank your local police department for providing animal control services. It is their generosity that provides the manpower and financial means to care for your pet if they become lost.