PAWS Chicago has started turning a quiet former horse farm in Hawthorn Woods into its first freestanding suburban flagship, a 20-acre "Rescue Ranch" that aims to feel more like a nature retreat than a traditional shelter. The campus is being designed with walking trails, individual animal suites and a teaching farm so anxious dogs and cats can decompress from city shelter life. At the groundbreaking ceremony, founder Paula Fasseas told guests that "nature is so healing" as the nonprofit works to speed adoptions and expand lifesaving medical services.
Campus features and capacity
The Rescue Ranch plan calls for the old clubhouse, arenas and stables to be converted into a two-story atrium for adoptions, a canine pavilion with suites for up to 80 dogs and puppies, and a dedicated cat center designed to house up to 100 cats and kittens. A high-impact surgery center on site is expected to handle hundreds of spay and neuter procedures every week, and the campus will also include volunteer spaces, training areas and a hands-on teaching farm. Those details come from PAWS Chicago.
Groundbreaking, timeline and public open house
PAWS marked the formal start of the project with a Sunday groundbreaking celebration and says construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with a tentative opening in fall 2027. Before then, the group is planning a public open house in September so neighbors can see how the former horse farm is being transformed. That reporting was detailed by Daily Herald.
Neighbors and approvals
The village signed off on the project after public hearings, approving it with conditions meant to keep noise down and respect nearby property lines. Village records show the board attached a list of requirements, from limits on outdoor play hours to a joint-meeting requirement with nearby residents, to respond to concerns raised by Grand Dominion neighbors. Those procedural details are documented in the Village of Hawthorn Woods planning commission minutes.
Where Rescue Ranch fits into PAWS' work
PAWS leaders say the Hawthorn Woods campus is the next step in a decades-long push to build a No Kill Chicagoland. The organization's 2024 impact report cites an 89 percent drop in citywide euthanasia since PAWS was founded and notes that the nonprofit performed more than 17,000 spay and neuter surgeries in 2024. Advocates say the new suburban setting will give large, fearful dogs more room to breathe and access to a different pool of adopters, which they hope will shorten the time animals spend in shelter care.
Next steps and ways to help
With construction slated to begin this year, PAWS says it will roll out volunteer and foster opportunities in phases as the campus comes online, while also seeking donors to help fund the build-out. A public open house is planned for September, and the organization has said it will post more information about volunteering and adoptable animals ahead of that event. Those timelines and outreach plans were reported by Daily Herald.
