ABOUT RENKO ANIMAL RESCUE

We are an all-volunteer, foster-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue serving Kendall County, Illinois, and surrounding communities.

Our mission is simple: save lives, provide the care animals need, and give them the safe, loving environment they deserve until they find their forever homes. We believe every animal matters, and we work to provide the best medical care, foster support, and adoption opportunities possible.

President & Founder

Terry has been a Registered Nurse for nearly 20 years, with 18 of those years spent working in the Emergency Room. Her dedication to helping others extends well beyond people—she has been an animal advocate for just as long.

Her animal rescue experience began with small animals and exotic animals, and she has also volunteered in a traditional shelter setting. Terry has spent time caring for horses at a local barn as well, although she readily admits her horse-related talents are primarily limited to petting them and mucking stalls!

Her years of nursing experience, combined with her lifelong commitment to animals, bring a unique combination of compassion, medical knowledge, and dedication to Renko Animal Rescue.

Executive Director & Board Member

Raised on a farm in rural Oswego, Illinois, Leslie grew up surrounded by cats, dogs, and horses—an upbringing that shaped her lifelong compassion for animals.

For more than 30 years, Leslie has been dedicated to helping homeless, stray, and feral cats through TNVR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return) projects, as well as finding loving, forever homes for adoptable kittens and cats throughout Kendall County and neighboring communities.

Cats have a way of finding Leslie wherever she goes, and she has made it her mission to be their advocate. Her work extends beyond domestic animals as well. Leslie works closely with a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, assisting with the rescue and relocation of injured raptors and other birds of prey.

Whether it has four paws, feathers, or simply needs someone willing to step up, Leslie believes in giving animals the help they need.

 Renko Animal Rescue was established in 2016 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue.

What began with an idea grew into a community-based rescue dedicated to helping animals in need and giving them the opportunity for a better life.

Today, Renko is an all-volunteer, foster-based rescue serving Kendall County, Illinois, and surrounding communities. We work to save animals whose lives can be changed through medical care, rehabilitation, foster care, and responsible adoption.

OUR GOALS
Our work is centered around several important goals:
Save as many treatable and rehabilitatable animals as possible.
Provide medical care, rehabilitation, foster care, and safe placement for animals in need.
Educate our community about responsible pet ownership, proper care, spay/neuter, and the importance of veterinary care.
Support local communities and animal-control facilities by helping animals who might otherwise overwhelm already limited resources.
Promote responsible animal welfare policies, legislation, and ordinances that protect animals and support the communities they live in.
Find loving, responsible forever homes for animals who are unable to remain with their original families.

OUR COMMITMENT TO NO-KILL
Being a no-kill rescue and furthering the no-kill mission is an important part of Renko Animal Rescue.
To us, no-kill means saving every treatable and rehabilitatable animal whenever possible. We do not euthanize an animal simply because we are out of space or because an animal is difficult, inconvenient, frightened, or requires additional care.
When an animal is suffering from an irremediable condition and humane euthanasia is necessary to prevent further suffering, that decision is made based on the animal's welfare—not available space.
Every life matters.
Every animal deserves a chance.
And when we say “Saving Lives, One Rescue At A Time,” we mean it.

Renko Animal Rescue is dedicated to saving treatable and rehabilitatable animals, providing the care they need, and finding them loving forever homes.
As a community-based rescue, we strive to be a trusted resource for animal welfare, responsible pet ownership, and lifesaving support throughout Kendall County and surrounding communities.
We believe in the no-kill mission: animals should never be euthanized for space. When humane euthanasia is necessary, it is reserved for cases of irremediable suffering.
Saving Lives, One Rescue At A Time.