About SCCR

Our Mission

Second City Canine Rescue’s mission is to rescue homeless animals and responsibly place them into permanent, loving homes. We believe in rescuing responsibly.℠

Second City Canine Rescue (SCCR) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is largely volunteer-operated. We are dedicated to serving the homeless dogs of Chicagoland, as well as branching out to other areas (such as Oklahoma, Indiana, Kentucky, Southern Illinois, Texas, & Michigan) – wherever homeless dogs & puppies need us.

We are extremely selective about the dogs we place and temperament test each and every adult dog prior to adoption from our program. Our goal is to responsibly place dogs with solid temperaments that will make loving family pets.

We rely heavily on foster homes to house our dogs. These foster homes are the backbone and heart of our organization. Without them, we would not be able to save as many dogs as we do. We also opened our first Adoption Center in 2020! While the majority of our dogs still remain in foster homes, the Adoption Center opened up additional space for us to house dogs. The center is an innovative, bright, warm, welcoming, and safe home-like environment for dogs in our care. It also allows us to complete families 7 days a week!

SCCR does NOT discriminate. All breeds, ages, sizes, and colors are welcomed and loved.

Euthanasia Policy: We feel that it is important to be up-front & honest with the public regarding our policy. Euthanasia will only be performed in extreme cases of aggression or illness. We take animal welfare very seriously and would only use euthanasia when deemed absolutely necessary.

Diversity and Inclusion

SCCR recognizes that a diverse and inclusive team is the key to creating a relevant and differentiated experience for our volunteers, fosters, adopters, donors and board members. By broadening our outreach to reflect the society we operate in we can create deeper connections and better collaboration throughout the organization.

Definitions

Diversity
Diversity includes all the ways in which people differ, encompassing the different characteristics that make one individual or group different from one another. While diversity is often used in reference to race, ethnicity, and gender, we embrace a broader definition that also includes age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, and physical appearance. Our definition also includes diversity of thought: ideas, perspectives, and values. We also recognize that individuals affiliate with multiple identities.

Equity
Equity is the fair treatment, access, and opportunity for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. Improving equity involves increasing justice and fairness within the procedures and processes of institutions or systems, as well as in their distribution of resources. Tackling equity issues requires an understanding of the root causes of outcome disparities.

Inclusion
Inclusion in the act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported and valued to fully participate. An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences and offers respect in words and actions for all people. It’s important to note that while an inclusive group is by definition diverse, a diverse group is not always inclusive. Increasingly, recognition of unconscious or ‘implicit bias’ helps organizations to be deliberate about addressing issues of inclusivity.

Diversity and Inclusion Mission

We at SCCR are making a commitment to equitable treatment and elimination of discrimination in all its forms at all organizational levels and throughout the program. Recognition of the rights of all individuals to mutual respect and acceptance without biases based on differences of any kind will be at the forefront of our mission. We respect and value diverse life challenges and are committed to creating an environment that is inclusive of all. Just as the animals we strive to protect come to us from different backgrounds, we are all different in who we are, what we have experienced and how we think. Compassion and acceptance of both animal and human are the building blocks necessary to establish a brighter tomorrow for all.

How are we going to make SCCR both diverse and inclusive?

Goals:

  1. Increase Diverse Representation throughout the organization;
  2. Empower Courageous Engagement from All; and
  3. Address and Eliminate Unconscious Bias.