Based on a principle that a humane community is safer, Safe Humane Chicago is a nonprofit organization that was founded to make communities safer by reducing violence for our children and companion animals. Safe Humane Chicago has become a leading resource for education and training about the benefits of the human-animal bond through our core programs:

-Court Case Dogs: These dogs are victims of neglect or abuse who were rescued by police and animal control and are associated with criminal court cases against their abusers. In this program, Safe Humane Chicago assesses the dogs, then engages volunteers and interns to socialize and train them to be family companions, transfers them to partner rescue groups, and provides them lifetime behavioral support.  

-Lifetime Bonds Program: In this program, handlers use science- and reward-based training techniques to teach incarcerated teens and youth in under-resourced communities how to care for, socialize, and train dogs. Program participants learn shelter-dog handling and training skills as well as social responsibility and job skills.

-Youth Leaders: The Youth Leaders for Safe Humane Chicago program is an elective that educates and certifies Chicago Public high school students as Safe Humane presenters and ambassadors in disadvantaged communities. The teens educate peers and younger children about the safe and humane treatment of companion animals.

-Collaborative Justice: These programs are partnerships of government agencies and community members that promote identification, arrest, prosecution, and effective sentencing of perpetrators of animal cruelty and to ensure, where possible, that the animal victims are placed in good homes. 

-Veterans Advancing the Lives of Rescues (VALOR): Our VALOR program matches veterans in need with our Court Case Dogs in a structured 8-week program providing training, companionship, skills and camaraderie.

Our Mission is to promote education, advocacy, and second chances.

Safe Humane Chicago

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