CRY FOR HELP RESCUE

Thanks for a number of volunteers helping get Bella out of a high kill animal shelter and transporting her to the family out of state, Bella now has a wonderful home.  Below is a letter from the adopter.  We are so happy for Bella and her new family.

My family and I adopted Bella a last week and I wanted to send you an update on her.  She is fitting in so well with our family of 4 humans and 2 pets.  She has the men of the house wrapped around her little paw.  It has felt like she was meant to be with us since the very beginning.  I want to share with you a little bit about the bond she has with my youngest and what an amazing help she has been to him.

My youngest son, Jack, suffers from anxiety and one of his biggest fears is storms.  For as long as I can remember he has become extremely upset as soon as the first roll of thunder comes through or the rain begins to fall.  

Last week, 2 days after Bella joined our family, I had to go to a meeting for work and the boys were home.   As I sat in my meeting that afternoon, I heard thunder that seemed to come out of nowhere.  I instantly started to worry for my little Jack and even got up in the middle of our meeting to call him and see how he was doing.  Usually I would hear tears and hysteria on the other end.  When he answered the phone I asked him how he was doing and he immediately told me it was storming.  I told him to go downstairs with his brother and that the storm would be over soon.  He said to me, “Momma I’m fine, I got Bella.”  Well then a whole new panic came to me as I thought he took the poor blind dog down our basement stairs without me there. I asked where he was and he said he was upstairs lying on the couch with Bella, watching cartoons!  He then proceeded to tell me not to worry because, “Bella will take care of him.”  We said our I love you’s and good bye’s and I realized I had happy tears in my eyes.  For as long as I can remember I have had to watch the weather and plan our day according to rain and warn him of potential storms in advance.  

Jack never called me at work the rest of the day, usually I would get updates on the weather the whole time it’s raining.  Bella made him feel safe during a time of huge fear for him.  She was his lifesaver that day and I am so thankful for the calm she brought to him when I couldn’t be there.  She truly is a blessing to us!

Thanks,

Megan

  

Tucker, Formerly Casper

 It's been a year and a half since we adopted Tucker (originally Casper), a 1 year old beagle, from Cry for Help in spring 2011. Like some other stories I was browsing PetFinder.com just casually, not planning to add to our family (my husband and our 2 year old beagle Rocky), but Casper caught my eye.  I joking showed it to my husband saying "I found our next family member".  I can still remember the video you posted of him walking around the pet store...he looked so sweet.  Little did I know, the next morning my husband called CfH and arranged for a trial stay and pick up that night! We learned that Casper had been found abandoned in a dumpster and was very thin and neglected, people came forward claiming to be his owner but never returned to pick up Casper.

 

Adopted Fred (basset hound) from Cry for help rescue about 2.5 years ago. Fred has been nothing but loving and perfect since I picked him up from his foster home. I'm grateful I found him and was able to have such a great friend that always brings a smile to my face. Fred enjoys hikes in the woods and relaxing on anything comfortable. Fred also enjoys swimming and enjoys his rabbit brother.

 

 

 

Letter from Adopter. 

Roxy

Thought you might like an update on this confident little girl.  She spends her days lazing on one of her favorite chairs or sitting on a human preferably chewing on a nose if one is available.  Roxy is quite the princess and prefers not to be outside if it is cold, damp, wet, raining, snowing, or covered in leaves.  Summer times are fine as long as we are out there too.  At that time she enjoys sniffing around the deck but again prefers not to be in the yard. 

Roxy has had lots of opportunities to visit with our vets as we always take the whole pack whenever we go.  She currently weighs 27.6 pounds and has no ear issues.  She is struggling with dry skin so is now on a wild fish oil supplement to help with that and is also on a grain free diet in case it is an allergy.  Yesterday we took her to meet her optician and had a thorough check up.  She has no vision in her right eye and very minimal vision in her left eye.  The optician is not recommending cataract removal as she believes that Roxy would have less than 50% success rate.  Her glaucoma readings are perfect.  Currently she is on 3 meds twice a day.

Roxy has made great friends with all the other dogs who visit here.  She is good friends with Bandit – our snoopy look alike and they often hang out together.   Bella, our black lab, is good with her but will not allow Roxy to share her dinner bowl which frustrates Roxy no end.  She is quite the food hound so when we are medicating her we give her snacks of fresh blueberries, beans, or carrots.   Every day Bandit and Roxy tell us when they believe it is treat time – Bandit woofs at the treat closet and Roxy spins and jumps off of Bandit – or if we are too slow – sits and howls.  Yes I know that they are training us but we do give in…

Roxy loves to play!  We “wrestle” together with a toy or pat at her paws, or bounce a ball so that she can hear it drop.  She jumps and pounces on wherever she thinks it is.  Okay so she misses a lot but that just adds to the fun.  Andrew absolutely is besotted with Roxy and they spend most evenings curled up together on the chair. 

We cannot thank you enough for entrusting this little girl to us.  She is a bonded member of our pack and a beloved family member.  Now that our Christmas presents are behind this door!

 CUDDLE TIME!

UPDATE:  Lilly is back home with Kelly.  Kelly has made a remarkable recovery.  She is getting better every day and Lilly is very happy to be back home.

UPDATE:  Lilly is doing great.  Her surgery was a complete success and has completely heeled.  She is staying with Kelly's mom. 

Kelly is home and still healing.   Kelly will need continued therapy because of the traumatic brain injury.  Her spirits are a little low right now because she is very dependent on her caregivers (Kelly was always the caregiver and it is hard for her not to be in that position).   Please keep Kelly in your prayers.  Unfortunately she is not able to care for Lilli, which breaks her heart but she knows she is in good hands with her mother. 

I would like to thank everyone that contributed to Lilli's Vet Bill.  It was truly amazing to see so much support.  This is the second time we had a fundraiser for one of our injured animals and we cannot believe how much support we received.  We operate solely on adoption fees and it is sometimes difficult to come up with the vetting bills for injured animals.  This was so tragic for Kelly and her family.  Kelly just loves Lilli and I am so thankful she never found out what happened to her.  Lilli is being fostered by Kelly's mom and is in a quiet environment where she can recoup.  She is so terrified from her first abuse situation and then to have this happen terrified her even more and she screams when anyone approaches her, so it was so hard for the vets to work on her.  They had to sedate her just to give her xrays.  She is on the road to recovery and hopefully Kelly will have the same prognosis after such a devastating injury.  Thank you so much for your support.

Waldo came to live with us in January 2013.  He was just SO ready to be home and to bond with us.  He loved us right away and we loved him right back.  Waldo has a strong personality.  Obedience classes and a consistent routine have been very important, because he is just the kind of guy who needs to know who is the boss.  

Hello Jean,

We adopted Dixie from Cry for Help, she is the lab/spaniel mix a little over a year ago.  She is the happiest, friendliest dog I have ever seen.  She loves all people, especially children and all dogs.  She has brought happiness and joy into our house.  After she was here with us for about 10 months I noticed she was getting mopey, she would sit by the window and whine when she would see other dogs walk by.  We decided she needed a sibling. 

After much searching and trying out two other dogs who didn’t work out, Jean told me she had the perfect dog for us.  Well I was looking for a lab or shepherd mix, a dog similar in size and temperament to Dixie.  Jean shows up with a very odd looking terrier mix about ½ Dixie’s size named Joey.  To say the least I was doubtful.  Within 30 seconds Dixie and Joey were romping around the backyard, racing, wrestling and playing.  It was love at first sight, Dixie chose Joey.  Jean heard what my needs were, a companion for my playful active dog and knew exactly who would be the perfect companion. 

We have had Joey just over 2 month now.  Joey and Dixie have bonded and are inseparable.   At the groomers Joey escapes from his kennel and goes over to Dixie.  Joey is sweet and affectionate.  I now see Joey as adorable.  We couldn’t be happier.

Jean and Ania, THANK YOU!

 

After a month with our special little guy, we are so happy that we took a chance on this beautiful, charming boy. I hadn't had much experience with boy cats. I'd also hoped to get a kitten (my boyfriend has only lived with adult cats, and I thought he'd have a good time with a kitten) but when I found Aspen on one of my frequent visits to Petfinder, I had to call immediately to ask to meet him. Not only is he beautiful, but the description of him on his profile as an affectionate, made him just what we needed in our family.

He won us over immediately, although it took our nine-year-old tabby Frida a bit longer to embrace the idea of sharing her turf with another four-legged. I could tell that my boyfriend, who originally was not as excited about having another cat than I was, adored him as quickly and fully as I did. After a couple of days, trying to be cool, he said, "I like him. He's very laid-back and good-natured." (I read this as, "I love him! He's so cool and sweet!")

Now we're all settled in, almost as if he'd been here the whole time. After trying a multitude of names, including "Aspen" (the name from Cry for Help), we have settled on Willie. He responds to it the best and it seems to suit his fun-loving but sweet nature. Willie loves climbing on our cat tree, often taking a mad dash across the room and charging his way to the tippy top.  He loves hunting the various mice and crinkle balls we have around the house, too, and luckily, he likes chilling out on the couch with me to watch TV in the evening. He and Frida now nap on the same bed and usually sleep throughout the night these days on either side of me, no longer waking us up with the arguments they'd often have the first week or two.

Willie has already become one of the family and a daily delight for us. I am so thankful to Petfinder and A Cry for Help for helping us find him and making our family complete. I'm not sure we'd have taken the chance without Cry for Help's week trial--adopting a four-legged is a big commitment, one not to be taken lightly. Especially considering we'd already had a cat in our family, I'm not sure we'd have felt comfortable going all in without knowing we could return him to his foster guardian if it didn't turn out. Keep up the excellent work!

 

We were not necessarily looking for a third dog - we had two Cocker Spaniel rescues from another rescue agency. But one look at Sidney on the Cry for Help site, and it was love at first site!  He had a sweet face and beautiful dark freckles on his face, black "eyeliner" around his big brown eyes.  He is a Cocker/Brittney Spaniel mix, which we felt would get along well with our two Cocker Spaniels.

 

At first we thought we would foster him.  We filled out all the paper work, there were lots of questions, but this told us that Cry for Help was very serious about making good matches. But a few days later we received some devastating news from Jean - Sidney was heartworm positive.  He was scheduled for treatment that week.  But we were confused, what did that mean for us and would our 2 dogs be in danger of getting heartworm? Jean and her staff took the time to educate us about the treatment and assured us that once Sidney was done with treatment there would be no risk.  We did have to make sure that he was on heartworm prevention monthly for the rest of his life (which we already did with our two dogs). With this education in hand we continued with the foster process. A home visit was scheduled to see where Sidney would be living, as Sidney went through his treatment for heartworm and completed it with flying colors. Cry for Help proceeded with neutering him, and giving him his vaccinations (none of this was done by his previous owners).

 

Many rescue organizations will not go through the expense of treating heartworm positive animals.  Cry for Help saw the potential in Sidney as well as his "bunk-mate" that were given up by their previous owners.  Cry for Help saved their lives.  We would not have had a chance to rescue this beautiful and happy boy if it was not for the people at Cry for Help and the Vet's that help treat these animals.

 

It wasn't long after we brought Sidney home to foster that others started to show interest in adopting him. We quickly changed our status from "foster parents" to "forever home parents" and Sidney was ours.  Five months later, he is thriving and enjoys his walks, loves a good "tug -of-war" with his toys and sister "Ruby".  He is such a happy boy and his tail is always wagging (except when he is sleeping). We were able to crate train him, which Cry for Help started for us, and after a 2 week intense obedience training, he is very easy to walk.  He loves to chase squirrels in the back yard with brother "Hank".  He is a real socialite in the neighborhood.  On walks he is friendly and playful with dogs his size, but so gentle when he meets smaller dogs.  He has such a diverse "language" of sounds including different barks for different situations, and funny groans and grunts when he is playing.  He is always entertaining us!  Everyday when I get home from work he meets me at the door with the biggest toy he can find hanging out of his mouth.  Even after the most stressful day at work he resets my mood and reminds me what is important in life.

 

He is getting used to belly-rubs, being brushed, and cuddled. He still has this look of surprise on his face like he never experienced this before (he likely did no with his previous owners).

 

I was so impressed with Cry for Help, their screening process and willingness to save animals that other organizations might pass up that I have made a recurring charitable donation to them. Thank you for brining "Sidney" into our lives! He has found his forever home!

 

Debbie and Chris

.In Feb 2011, I was puttering on Petfinder.com mostly just browsing, but at the same time, wondering whether my husband and I could again squeeze a third pooch into our ‘pack’ which consisted of an 8 year old Scottie, who’s been with us since she was 8 weeks old, and 3 year old bassett/corgi/? mix that we adopted from a rescue outside of Knoxville TN – she had been abandoned at the local dump.   

 

So it must have been fate when I stumbled upon ‘Maggie’, an adolescent female Airedale/basset mix.  A Cry for Help Rescue had rescued her from a local shelter.  Maggie had  photos AND a video set to background music.  I fell in love instantly.  A few weeks later, after emailing A Cry for Help and talking with Aeyne, Maggie’s foster Mum, we took a little road trip over the border to Woodridge IL.  As we arrived, we were greeted by several barking canines and one tailwagging, silent Maggie.  We could only take her for a short walk – both of her front legs needed surgery to repair birth deformities, one for the 2^nd time. 

 

On April 7, 2011 we met Aeyne & Maggie at the Buffalo Grove Veterinary Specialty Center for her 10 day post surgery checkup with Dr Gendreau.  Although both of her front legs were wrapped and splinted, we brought her to our home just north of Madison WI and ‘updated’ her name to ‘Ellie’ (Maggie was just too close to ‘Maddie’ - our other hound’s name).  Her convalescence went very well and after 10 long days, it was time to remove the splints and wrappings.

 

Ellie also was experiencing some IBD-type symptoms – I remember Aeyne saying that Ellie ‘is not very food motivated’.   After a couple of appointments at the Univ of Wisconsin Veterinary School, she was diagnosed with ‘ indiscretionary eating‘ – which   is a scientific way to describe chewing and consumption of undigestible items like pillow cases and bedsheets.   Ellie’s gastrointestinal upsets were caused by a vicious cycle of abdominal discomfort causing consumption of inappropriate items causing discomfort, and so on.  Thankfully, she is now on a prescription diet which has made ALL the difference in her overall health and personality – she now has a healthy appetite and IS food motivated.

 

When Ellie notices that we are preparing for a walk, she wags her tail and barks happily.  Her thick fur keeps her very warm in the summer, so she much prefers to go for longer walks during the cooler seasons of the year.  We have discovered that Ellie has an ‘Eeyore’ personality – when she decides she is done walking, she just stops and sits.  She seems much more inspired to walk further when the other two members of her pack are with her or when bribery with treats is involved.

 

Ellie loves her kennel.   She jumps right inside and anxiously waits for her ‘goodbye – we’ll be back soon’ treat.   When we do return home again, she has to be sure to grab a nylabone or Kong to carry outside with her.  Ellie’s successful surgeries allow her to chase and wrestle in our backyard with her hound/bassett sister Maddie – the two of them are so close in size and weight they are like siblings. 

 

Ellie accompanies me on visits to my mother who lives in assisted living.  Her calm, gentle demeanor is perfect for the environment and the staff and other residents enjoy her company.  Ellie is rather submissive and responds extremely well to our voices so discipline is simple.

 

Our family has found so many positives in rescuing an ‘adolescent’ dog that has left their puppy stage in the past  – their energy level is much more manageable, they are most likely housebroken, and will probably chew up far fewer sheets and pillow cases.

 

Ellie has found her furever home and will never again experience being abandoned in a high kill shelter.  She is loved.

Sally Sue-AKA-Flash-AKA Ethel

Hi Jean!

I was thinking this weekend when Ethel went for her annual check-up and shots at vet, that wow, its already been 12 months since Ethel came into our lives. 

I will never forget the day when Doug and I both said it was time to adopt another Basset Hound and signed onto Petfinder to see who needed a home and there was Flash, with a desperate request from Cry For Help for a home!  I will never forget when we first spoke and she had not yet been pulled out of the high kill shelter that used a gas chamber as their form of Euthanasia and you told me that she was sick and emaciated.  I will never forget when we first met her in the Petsmart parking lot as she was quarantined with what was thought to be Kennel Cough and I got to pet her for the first time and that you wouldn’t let me take her home right away until she had seen the vet again.  I will never forget the day that I pleaded with you to allow me to take the responsibility physically and financially of adopting a sick dog and having you finally agree.  I will never forget the day that Barb the transporter volunteered to drive her from IN up-to far Northern Illinois and to see her curled in Barbs lap as she pulled into the driveway and I said “Ethel your home”

The one thing I no longer remember was quite how sick she was.  I took her to see my veterinarian and the kennel cough was Pneumonia and it was further challenged by her poor body state.  We battled that over a couple months, with great care, meds and I even learned how to inject a dog with meds and how to nebulize a dog.

So, here we are, almost 12 months later and I took Ethel to the vet for her follow-up.  The vet walks into the room and say’s “my goodness, what have you done to this dog”  I obviously looked completely shocked, because he then responded “she looks fabulous”  His diagnosis after he gave her a full check is that she is thriving, her lungs are as clear as a bell with no residual scar tissue from the pneumonia, her coat is the glossiest that he has seen, her weight is right where it needs to be (she is double the weight from when she was rescued by you) and her muscle tone is perfect.

Ethel, has fit into our home as though she has always belonged.  She loves the 3 other rescues we have, is indifferent about the cats, loves to play, romp and wrestle, especially with Barkley the lab/golden mix.  All the neighborhood kids love her and she is so great with them from toddler to teen, at least 3 days a week one of them rings to door and asks to take her and her Basset step sister Éclair for a walk and this summer she learned to retrieve a ball better than the retrieves we have owned.

I just want to thank you, and all of the wonderful volunteers that Cry for Help has, for everything you did for Ethel.  Without you all who knows where she would be now, but I know that I most probably wouldn’t have her lying on my lap with her short legs in the air having a belly rubbed as I write this.  You are an amazing human being Jean, there is nothing you wouldn’t do to save an animal, I have experienced this first hand so I know.  I am sure someday’s you wonder if your organization is making a difference, let me remind you that you do each and every day.

I am attaching a couple pictures so you can see her progress.  I promise someday soon to bring her down to an adoption event so you can see her in person.

Thank you again, you angel in disguise!

Louise, Doug and Ethel the Pickle

Ginny came from animal control in Indiana and was in very bad shape.  She was severely neglected and matted.  She was also blind in one eye and could not see very well out of the other eye.  She was 12 years old and did not stand much of a chance of getting rescued.  When Cry For Help received the email asking for rescue help we decided that we would like to help her.  Once in rescue, we realized she did not have very many teeth.  She was so afraid to be picked up and would turn her head to try and bite you, but did not hurt because she had very little teeth in her mouth.  She was a quiet girl, liked to lay on her bed in the corner.  We never thought she would get adopted, but wanted to give her a place to call home during her senior years.  We received an email from a potential foster wanting to foster a small, older dog, female with good house manners and who got along with other dogs.  I told the potential foster (Renee) about Ginny.  Renee thought it might be a good fit and said yes to fostering.  At first Ginny was afraid of her husband and her sons, but would allow Renee to pick her up, but she sometimes would startle Renee because she would turn her head and try and bite and let out a faint scream.  Eventually she would let Renee pick her up and hold her and Renee was no longer afraid of being bitten.  She also got used to her husband and the boys, but did become attached to Renee's husband.  We had no inquiries on Ginny because of her age so Renee and Kevin continued to foster her.  Unfortunately she became ill and we learned that she was not spayed (we thought she was).  When we took her in to be spayed the vet said she had pyometra, a life theatening infection of the uterus because of not being spayed when she was younger.  She pulled through the surgery and went back home with Renee and Kevin.  After a few months Renee and Kevin wanted to adopt Ginny, she was now a part of their family.  Cry For Help was so happy for Ginny because this was the only offer she had for adoption and she could not have asked for a more wonderful loving home.  Everyone in the family adores her and makes sure she has a lot of love.  Right now she has a heart condition and is being treated for that, but with all the love she receives she is doing pretty well considering all of her health issues.  Renee and Kevin also adopted another dog from Cry for Help named Katie.  She is a Papillion that was very that came  into out rescue extremely skittish and afraid.  After being adopted by Renee and Kevin, she has come out of her shell and is now a loving member of the family.  Thank you Renee and Kevin for opening your hearts and home to two sweet girls.

Update:  Unfortunately Ginny went over the rainbow bridge, but she went there having so much love, something she never experienced before thanks to Renee and Kevin and the boys

 

 

Little 3.2 lb Roo was pulled from Anticrulety because she had two injured legs.  We are not sure what happened to her but we did not want her to be euthanized because of her disability.  We had xrays taken and two vet opinions and they confirmed that it was not fixable and that her legs had old injuries.  We posted Roo on our website as a special needs girl.  For such a little girl she had such a big personality and just loved to be held and wanted to be with people all the time.  Renee, a coordinator for Cry for Help talked to her mother about Roo because her mom and dad loves chihuahuas and have a big heart for the special needs animals (just like their daughter).  They live in Georgia and wanted to adopt Roo and give her a furever loving home.  We were trying to make arrangements to have Roo hitch a ride on a transport or through Pilots n Paws, but they decided to drive all the way from Georgia to Plainfield, IL to pick up Roo so it would not be so traumatic for her.  What a wonderful family Roo was going to have that would be willing to drive such a long distance to adopt her.  Roo is now living in Georgia with her new family.  What a happy ending to a rough start for such a sweet girl.  She is truly loved and will never be hurt or alone again.  Thank you Curt and Kathy for giving Roo such a wonderful life. 

 

Teddy came into our rescue just about 2 years ago.  He sat at a high kill shelter for over a year.  The shelter workers liked him so much that they kept moving him to keep him out of sight so he would not be euthanized.  They also had all his vetting done so a rescue might offer to take him.  Cry For Help said we would take him and he went to a very experienced foster home in Chicago.  It was very difficult at first because foster mom had two female dogs and Teddy was not fond of other dogs, especially if they got in his face.  There were a number of encounters with foster mom's dogs and Teddy, with a few trips to the vet.  Foster mom thought it best to run a divided household, keeping Teddy away from her two girls and letting them in the yard and then Teddy.  Teddy eventually was allowed to sleep in foster mom's bedroom with the girls and he did great, but she was very careful knowing what could happen.  We knew he was going to be a hard dog to adopt because he needed a cautious adopter and it was best if he was not exposed to other dogs, so we listed him as needing to be the only dog.  But, even then a potential adopter would need to cautious outside around other dogs.  This made him almost unadoptable.  We did have a few inquiries on Teddy and foster mom explained everything in detail to the few potential adopter inquiries we had received.  All of them decided not to adopt.  So Teddy has been with his foster mom for almost two years and on 9/24/12 we received an adoption application from Foster Mom wanting to make it official to adopt Teddy.  Teddy now has a wonderful furever home with foster mom and he has two sibling sisters.  He has made great progress over these two years thanks to foster mom and her continued patience, training and love.  Congratulations Teddy!

 

Sheila was rescued from a high kill shelter in Kentucky where she nursed her puppies and they were adopted and Sheila was set to be euthanized.  We pulled Sheila not knowing her personality, but she had a sweet picture with the shelter worker.  When she arrived from Kentucky with 110 other dogs she was so fearful we could not get her out of the crate.  We had to take the top of crate off to allow her to come out.  Once she was out we tried to gain her trust with treats and love.  We were worried that she might not be adoptable because of her fear.  She went to a foster home where her foster mom brought her out of her shell.  Unfortunately, foster mom’s dog did not like Sheila and wanted to attack her so she was put in boarding for 5 days until the adoption event in Momence.  A wonderful family came to meet her and fell in love with her right away.  After the event we brought Sheila to her new home and the boys were so excited.  This is a happy ending to a very tough beginning of Sheila’s life.  Below is a post on Facebook from Sheila’s new mom.  We are so happy for Sheila.  This is truly a happy tail.

 

Picture from Shelter

 

 

I’d like to thank you all again for our sweet Sheila! She is more than just a dog. She is the shoulder my daughter cried on when her boyfriend and her broke up, my oldest son's video game partner, my youngest son's skateboard buddy. Thanks again

 

Nanci

 

Picture of Sheila at her Furever Home:

 

 

Hi Guys,
I just wanted to check in about the black pug we adopted from CFHR. Pugsly is doing awesome and adjusting slowly, each day a little more of his personality comes out . He is playing with our younger Pug Lelo and even getting our 12-year-old pug, BabyGirl, up and playing a little. He sleeps in bed with us and his 2 sister pugs and it all works out good. My 4 year old son loves him and gives him big hugs all the time. Just wondering if I will have to get a black pug tattoo to match my fawn pug tattoo. Thanks again for letting us adopt Pugsly and make him a member of our family
Rich & Michelle

 

Well, it has been 3 months since we met you at the Hodgkins Petco and adopted Oliver.  As you said, at 3 months, you see the dog you will have.  Let me tell you about the little guy!

He loves to be cuddled, he runs like the wind, and has a nose that can detect any morsel of food in DuPage county!!   I’ve had a lot of success with the raw dog food and kibbles, and so far he is maintaining a very sleek physique… as you know, hard to do with a beagle!!  I learned a lot of lessons with our first beagle, and have been successful with the feeding issues anyway… I’d be lying if I said anything other than “the little guy rules the roost”!!

 

As you remember, Ollie was chained to a fence and abandoned.  I am so thankful for your friends in Kentucky who found him and got him to you.   As you might imagine, he still has some abandonment issues and can get very scared in new situations.  He goes to doggie play dates every Friday and they report that he is getting very comfortable around other dogs.  He is about to complete basic obedience training – sometimes he actually sits on command!  Now that the weather is nice it will be much easier to practice with him outside.  Even though he is now about a year old, many of the puppy behaviors continue, but that’s fine… he certainly missed a lot of loving in his first year and needs to make that up!  The quiet little guy you saw has become quite vocal!  I’m glad my neighbors get up early, as he has been chasing along the fence with the joggers out in the street behind our yard and letting know that they are near his house!!  Right now he is barking up a storm at the cardinal and robin perched on the bush outside!!

 

Thanks again for all you do.  If you want to use his picture or any of my comments feel free.  I have given your name to several folks, so hopefully they will contact you as the opportunity comes up for them to adopt.  One of these days I will bring him to an open house for you to see him.  I have been hesitant to up to this point, as I didn’t want him to think we were going to leave him again.  He has made a lot of progress in the last few weeks, so hopefully that means he has come to understand that he finally has a permanent home!

 

Mary, Doug, and Dick

 

Greetings to all whose generosity and compassion saved Jeb's life and helped bring him to my home. He's doing great, and the first thing the many people in the 30-story highrise where we live remark about Jeb is how happy he looks. He's made the transition from life on the rescue front to his forever home seamlessly. He loves his meals, napping on my bed, walking around the block in the morning, strolling through Lincoln Park and around (never through) the Magic Hedge Bird Sanctuary on Montrose Point, running around the Puptown Dog Run, greeting neighbors and their dogs and children. It's difficult to think the first part of his life was spent always outdoors in the cold and rain, and always hungry. He will never again be hungry or cold.

Jeb has a remarkable spirit, and he's one of the smartest dogs I have ever known - I can actually watch him reason and make decisions. He doesn't bark (except occasionally outdoors when we approach another dog that he hasn't yet met) and he's a gentleman at all times. At the same time, he's very much a hunting dog - he follows scents, and "points" when he sees a small animal outside or notices one of the Peregrine Falcons (who nest nearby) fly by my windows on the 22nd floor. He is gentle and affectionate, and seems not to have a nerve in his body - calm, calm, calm under all circumstances.

Best,
Walter

Baby's new family has her new father and mother and she is getting three new sisters that have only two legs and feet each.  Two of her sisters live at home and are in their early twenties.  Her new father is a fireman and her new mother is a school teacher.  She has a great fenced in back yard to run and play in with her new family.    They had this to say: "Greta "Baby" came home today. She didn't mind the car ride at all. We gave her time in the yard and then let her explore the house. She seems very comfortable. Of course she has the attention of 5 adults right now, so she is getting spoiled with attention. We took her for a walk, and she warmed up to a male friend/neighbor of ours who was patient and gentle with her. She didn't mind the other dogs in the neighborhood who barked as she went by. She's playing with the toys, and has checked out her crate. Didn't like the looks of the pooper scooper so we'll watch that. She's had a lot of activity today and is worn out. Our thanks to all of you who had a part in getting her out of a bad situation and cared for her until we found her and brought her home."

Hi !! I am sending you some new pics of Barack, yes I renamed him, he is strong, smart and good looking as the President hahaha (plus I used to work for him when he was a national senator and during the presidential campaign and always think highly of him so I chose to name my puppie after him)... Little Barack is such a good boy, very happy and active, but he is also very mellow and sleeps a lot, hahahaha, he likes to play a lot but he hasnt broken anything inside my apartment when left alone, he is soo good!! He is very smart, already walks by me unleashed  and recognizes the entrance of the apartment when we come back from our daily walks. He is all the time by my side, if I go to the kitchen even if he is sleeping in the couch,he wakes up and he follows me...and if I go to the bathroom, he starts crying, ahahaha he must be the first boy that cant live without me!!!!! Anyways, wanted to show you the pics and give you the heads up ,everything is great! and cant imagine my life without him now. Hope you are great and continue with the great work saving puppies girl!!! You are definitely making a difference in the lives of these animals and their brand new parents. Hugs, Laura

I grew up on a farm with dogs all my life. When I moved out and bought a house, I had cats, but no dogs. I wasn't much of a dog person and wasn't sure if I wanted one. My sister adopted a rescue dog and around Christmastime, had sent me photos of rescue dogs she thought I might like. My sister finally sent me an email titled "our new dog Sadie" and really wanted me to take her. I made a split second decision and said yes. Sadie was found in Gary, Indiana, roaming the streets, with no collar. She was then placed in a shelter for dogs and was given 5 days before being euthanized. She had one hour left before being put down and a woman came and rescued her. She was then placed in a foster home in Chicago for 10 days and then on December 21, my sister and her dog Izzie came and got her to bring to my 6 yr old son and I. We met our family friend Sadie on December 23. From her behavior, we could tell she had been abused. She didn't like people touching her and hated going through narrow doorways. She was very leary of us initially and we weren't sure how she would adjust to the 2 cats Scooter and Buster. She has now been with us almost 6 months and she has been such a great addition and blessing to our family. She gets along great with Scooter and they love to chase each other playfully around the house. She also gets along well with my son. Sadie is such a well behaved dog and loves to be touched now and hugged. Every night she shows her loyalty by sleeping at the end of my bed. She is truly a rescued dog.