In 2007, Heather Owen, One Tail at a Time’s Executive Director and Co-Founder, visited Chicago Animal Care and Control for the first time. That year, the city shelter was euthanizing more than 13,000 animals. The visit was an inspiration to get involved in the animal rescue community and be part of the solution. The next year, in 2008, One Tail at a Time was born inside an Albany Park apartment among five friends.

One Tail at a Time (OTAT) started as a backup plan for dogs that were not getting adopted or rescued by other groups in the area shelters. Over the years we have experienced consistent and steady growth: we are among the top transfer partners for dogs at Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC) and for cats at several open intake shelters in Indiana, we have a robust transport program in which dogs are rescued from high-kill shelters in southern states, and we are even able to pull dogs from a rescue partner in Tulum, Mexico to help them get adopted in the Chicagoland area. Our growth has been, and continues to be, due to the overwhelming support received from our community. Members enable us to take on complex medical cases and continue to grow our annual intake numbers. Volunteers have continued to line up to foster and care for dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs, to take on leadership roles, and to help build One Tail at a Time into a well-known and respected rescue organization in Chicago and beyond.