Before & After

Doris

We have some great news tonight... Doris has found her forever home!

This past July, TAF came across Doris in an open access shelter. She was scared and shook in the corner of her cage with her ears pinned back. As fate would have it, we pulled Doris just as she was going into heat. Because of this, Doris was our guest for quite some time until she was ready to be spayed. 

After many weeks in our care, Doris blossomed into a wonderful little dog and her ears have finally made their way forward. No more sadness for Doris... only happiness! Many blessings to Doris and her new family!

Buddy

On two separate occasions, TAF was contacted about two dogs in dire need of medical attention that had been brought into an open access shelter.

It is hard to put into words the condition that Buddy was found and do it justice. Buddy’s thickly matted fur formed a cocoon-like structure around his torso and legs. The fur was wrapped so tightly that it prevented air circulation to his skin, which in turn prevented his damaged, irritated skin from sloughing off. As a result, Buddy had very thin, paper-like skin. A gruesome side effect of this happened while he was being shaved down; parts of Buddy’s skin started to tear away from his muscle like it was tissue paper. This tearing happened on the upper inside of his front legs. This was quite possibly one of the worst case scenarios for a dog covered in extreme filth because it exponentially raised his risk of infection. In addition to this, Buddy’s mouth was rotten and he would eventually have 18 teeth removed.

Because of the severe abuse and neglect, Buddy would go to be hospitalized for weeks undergoing surgery and receiving IV pain medications, antibiotics and fluids. Since Buddy was a senior, nearing 14 years old, we knew that his chances of a full recovery were not in his favor.

At the same time Buddy was at the vet recovering from his abuse, the other dog Hannah was also there. Unbeknownst to us, these two were forming a special kinship through the bars of their cages at the vet. Perhaps that is what they needed to make it through the atrocities that they had lived. A bond between two friends that had suffered similar abuses and were now struggling to survive not only physically but mentally. The comfort that they brought each other was insurmountable and was the driving force behind their recovery.

It was about the time that Hannah and Buddy were leaving the hospital that we received one of the most touching and inspirational adoption applications that we had ever read. It told the story of how a loving father and mother took a 12 year old boy into their home after tragic circumstances left him to grow up in and out of abusive foster homes since the day that he was born in Cook County Jail. After taking on unfathomable hurdles for the past 17 years, their son is now an honor roll student who is lettering in 3 varsity sports and is college bound. Only love can hold one up for such success… the love of a son and the love of his mom and dad. Surely, our Hannah and Buddy would be blessed to be part of this family.

When the day came for Hannah and Buddy to meet their potential family, it was truly amazing. Hannah’s new dad lay on the floor so that she felt more comfortable and Buddy went up to their son and sat on his lap. The family was head over heals for them and said that they wanted to give them a forever home… together!

To say that Hannah and Buddy’s new family have moved us would be an understatement. They are a beaming light in a world that can be dark and cruel. They are an inspiration and are actually doing the footwork to make this world a better place. Their love truly knows no bounds and we are so thankful that they have welcomed our beautiful pups into their home and into their hearts. Hannah and Buddy have finally gotten their happy ending and we are all better people for having met their new family… may the world follow suit.

TAF would like to thank everybody that donated their time and money to make sure that Hannah and Buddy didn't go without and received the best medical care possible. You made their success possible! To everybody that has kept these two in their thoughts and prayers, you are truly special people and we appreciate you!

Read Hannah's story here: http://www.trioanimalfoundation.org/before-after/hannah

Hannah

On two separate occasions, TAF was contacted about two dogs in dire need of medical attention that had been brought into an open access shelter.

One dog, Hannah, was so terribly matted that she could no longer eat, drink or use her front leg. Her leg was in such critical shape that her medical team feared that it would need to be amputated. The fur was wrapped so tightly around her leg that it had cut through her flesh and her bloody tissue was starting to ooze out. Once shaved and at the ER Vet, it was discovered that Hannah had several deep, ulcerated lesions that extended all the way to the ligaments and tendons in her leg. This coupled with Hannah’s emaciated, weakened state did not leave her doctors optimistic.

Because of the severe abuse and neglect, Hannah would go to be hospitalized for weeks undergoing surgery and receiving IV pain medications, antibiotics and fluids. 

At the same time Hannah was at the vet recovering from her abuse, the other dog Buddy was also there. Unbeknownst to us, these two were forming a special kinship through the bars of their cages at the vet. Perhaps that is what they needed to make it through the atrocities that they had lived. A bond between two friends that had suffered similar abuses and were now struggling to survive not only physically but mentally. The comfort that they brought each other was insurmountable and was the driving force behind their recovery.

It was about the time that Hannah and Buddy were leaving the hospital that we received one of the most touching and inspirational adoption applications that we had ever read. It told the story of how a loving father and mother took a 12 year old boy into their home after tragic circumstances left him to grow up in and out of abusive foster homes since the day that he was born in Cook County Jail. After taking on unfathomable hurdles for the past 17 years, their son is now an honor roll student who is lettering in 3 varsity sports and is college bound. Only love can hold one up for such success… the love of a son and the love of his mom and dad. Surely, our Hannah and Buddy would be blessed to be part of this family.

When the day came for Hannah and Buddy to meet their potential family, it was truly amazing. Hannah’s new dad lay on the floor so that she felt more comfortable and Buddy went up to their son and sat on his lap. The family was head over heals for them and said that they wanted to give them a forever home… together!

To say that Hannah and Buddy’s new family have moved us would be an understatement. They are a beaming light in a world that can be dark and cruel. They are an inspiration and are actually doing the footwork to make this world a better place. Their love truly knows no bounds and we are so thankful that they have welcomed our beautiful pups into their home and into their hearts. Hannah and Buddy have finally gotten their happy ending and we are all better people for having met their new family… may the world follow suit.

TAF would like to thank everybody that donated their time and money to make sure that Hannah and Buddy didn't go without and received the best medical care possible. You made their success possible! To everybody that has kept these two in their thoughts and prayers, you are truly special people and we appreciate you!

Read Buddy's story here: http://www.trioanimalfoundation.org/before-after/buddy-2

Freight

THE DAY HAS COME WHEN FREIGHT HAS FOUND HIS FOREVER HOME!

When TAF was contacted about Freight he was in pretty bad shape. In fact, he was so matted that he could no longer properly relieve himself or fully extend his legs. It would take shaving his bottom down to even see what gender her was. The burrs, dried feces, urine, twigs, dirt, etc., matted into the tangled fur, made it impossible to see his anatomy. If that wasn’t bad enough, it was discovered that Freight was heartworm positive. Poor Freight just couldn’t catch a break. It would take weeks of hospitalizations before Freight was healthy enough to go into foster care. This is where his recovery continued while undergoing heartworm treatment.

Freight’s foster mom and dad took him under their wing and made sure that he made it to all of his vet appointments at our vet. They not only gave Freight a serene environment to recover in but allowed us to focus on some of the other critical medical cases in our care. We knew that they had our back and that Freight would not go without.

Well, we are happy to announce that Freight’s foster family has adopted him! They are so in love with Freight and just couldn’t bear parting with him. To his new mom and dad, Freight was part of their family well before he was available for adoption. By the look of Freight’s adoption photo, he couldn’t be prouder or happier. 

A big thank you to everybody that has donated towards Freight's medical care and kept him in their thoughts and prayers. Your generosity and kindness has truly been appreciated!

Itzy and Tinkerbell

A MOTHER & DAUGHTER THAT HAD BEEN WAITING FOR A MIRACLE…

For over a year, this bonded mother and daughter pair have been waiting for someone to find them at a rural open access shelter. AT the rate it was going, they would have died there. Knowing that a shelter is no place for a senior dog to live out their twilight years, TAF offered to take them into our care and help to find them a forever home.

Ironically the tiniest of the two girls is the momma. Itzy weighs in just under 5 pounds and is estimated to be around 14-15 years old. Her daughter Tinkerbell weighs in around 6 pounds and is estimated to be around 12-13 years old.  

Since we never met these golden girls before taking them into our program we expected the worst and hoped for the best. We knew that their quality of life was always going to be the most important factor in any decision making about their future. 

The girls physically looked a little rough when we first met them but their spirits were off the charts. Their energy levels could rally that of any puppy that we had ever worked with. It was obvious that Itzy and Tinkerbell wanted to start living and pick up where they had left off over a year ago. 

After spending about a month in our care, we are beyond ecstatic to announce that both Itzy and Tinkerbell have found their forever homes… TOGETHER!!! This is truly unbelievable and pretty much unheard of in the rescue world! Most senior dogs do not survive a year in an open access shelter let alone stay together in the process. By some miracle, this mom and daughter pair beat the odds and found their way into one of the most loving and caring homes that we have ever met.

Itzy and Tinkerbell’s new mom and dad said that they wanted to honor their senior Chihuahua that recently passed away by adopting another needy senior Chihuahua. When they saw the girls’ story on TAF’s facebook page, they knew that they could give them both the second chance that they had been waiting over a year for. After multiple conversations with Itzy and Tinkerbell’s future family, it was finally time for big introduction and home visit. 

It was love at first sight when Itzy and Tinkerbell met their two new Chihuahua siblings. All of the pups ran around their big fenced in backyard together and then climbed into their new dad’s arms for photos. It was honestly one of the most beautifully touching things to witness. Without a doubt, they knew that they were home.

Not many people would open their homes and hearts up to two senior dogs whose time left on this earth is uncertain… it is singlehandedly one of the most selfless acts of kindness that one can do. If the world had a quarter of the integrity of Itzy and Tinkerbell’s new mom and dad, it would be a much better place. Not all superheroes wear capes and this is one stellar example of it.

Reese

LEFT TO DIE... BRAVE LITTLE REESE HAS BEATEN THE ODDS AND HAS FOUND HIS NEW FOREVER FAMILY!

There is nothing more painful to watch than an animal being surrendered by it’s owner at a shelter. We were about to leave our local open access shelter when a man walked in with his obese senior doxie, saying he wanted to put him to sleep because he was too old and couldn’t make it up the stairs. The poor dog, with obvious skin issues and tumor on his chest, just stood there staring at his dad. He had no idea that he was about to be left behind. The shelter manager asked if the dog could be transferred to a rescue and he said that he didn’t care.... a few minutes later Reese was safely with us on our way to the vet. 

Once at the vet we could see just how bad Reese’s skin was. Parts of his skin were sloughing off leaving open, oozing sores behind and Reese’s hind legs were so raw and swollen it looked like he had bed sores. In addition to this, Reese’s chest and belly were also raw. Our vet suggested that Reece had been left in the same position for a very long time. 

Reese’s fingernails were so overgrown that he could barely stand on them. They bent in different directions and one had already ripped from his paw. Between his obesity and overgrown nails, no wonder he couldn’t make it up his owner’s stairs. To make matters worse, the inside of Reese’s ears were swollen, thick and smelled terrible. They were infected and horribly overgrown with yeast. However, the most worrisome aspect of Reese’s condition was the tangerine sized tumor on his chest. After surgery to remove the tumor, it was determined to be non-cancerous. Further testing would also show that Reese suffered from hypothyroidism.

After many vet visits, medications, surgery and a lot of TLC, we are happy to announce that Reese is one healthy pup and has found his forever home!!! Reese now has a new mom and dad who love him unconditionally and will never turn their back on him. They are a loving couple that has opened their home to a senior pup that had been left for dead by his previous owner. His new family has given him a second chance to experience true happiness and a healthy, pain free life that is filled with love. This is how it always should have been.

Thank you to everybody who helped sponsor Reese’s medical care, prayed for him and kept him in your thoughts. This is victory for everyone!

Lily

On March 26th, TAF was contacted about a stray dog that needed emergency medical attention.  

Lily came into the ER with a tight collar around her neck that had part of a cut off leash hanging from it. The bottom half of Lily’s body was stained with car oil and urine and it was obvious that she already had many litters of puppies. One can only guess if she was tied up somewhere and once she had her puppies was let go… or even if the scrapes and wounds on her body were caused from being hit by a car. 

From eating garbage off of the street and having intestinal parasites, Lily had blowout bloody diarrhea. Her bloated stomach made it hard to get a clear picture of what was going on in her tender abdominal area. Ironically, her emaciated state made it hard to decipher what was going on in her ultrasound and x-rays.

Lily also had a thick bloody mucous coming from her vaginal area. She had a severe infection in her uterus and she needed to have it removed as soon as she was stable enough to survive the surgery.

In addition to all of this, Lily’s was having issues with blood clotting. One possible explanation was that Lily got into something dangerous while scavenging for food on the streets, potentially even rat poison. In case rat poison was the issue, Lily received vitamin K injections to help save her life.

While dealing with all of these medical issues, worrying about re-feeding syndrome was always an issue. It would be weeks before she was out of the woods and we knew that she would make it.

When all was said and done, it would take six weeks for Lily to make a full recovery.

Now for the good part…

Once in a while, the emotional journey that an abused dog takes to recover will touch the life of another. One photo can tell more about emotions and heartache than any words could ever on paper. Lily’s photos had a story to tell and her future mom just happened to be watching. It would be Lily’s beautiful brown eyes that ultimately spoke to her mom… through all of Lily’s pain, there was still a glimmer of hope. The hope to one day be happy again.

We at TAF are happy to announce that Lily has found her forever home! Lily has left what can be the cruel streets of Chicago and is now living on a quiet farm with horses, acres of land, dog friends and a devoted mom that loves her. Lily goes for runs with her mom and then plays with the neighboring dogs. Lily also goes on trail hikes with her mom and can even take visits to the beach. 

It is as though Lily had to go through hell to finally find her heaven on earth… she is one of the lucky ones. 

We honestly couldn’t have picked a better happily ever after if we tried. A beautiful beginning for a mom and her new best friend.

Terry

Whether you thought that he looked like Dobby from the Harry Potter movies or Falcor from The Neverending Story… there was no denying that Terry’s sad face captured the hearts of many. 

When TAF came across Terry at an open access shelter, he was so shut down and frightened that it would take almost an hour before he’d allow us to pet him. The fear and loneliness in his eyes spoke volumes and shed some light on the emotional obstacles that lie ahead for Terry.

It would take a couple of weeks with TAF’s therapy dogs, Miller, Antler and Hazel Grace for Terry to start to open up to new things. Terry chose to follow the littlest of the three, Hazel Grace, around and he copied her behavior. After about 2 weeks, Terry picked up a toy for the first time and sought Hazel Grace out to play with him. It was this friendship that allowed other people to be introduced to Terry. If Terry saw that Hazel Grace was allowing somebody to pet her, Terry would slowly but surely follow suit.

This leads us to Terry’s happily ever after… 

TAF received many wonderful adoption applications for Terry but one, in particular, was the best fit for our “go slow” pup. It was from a loving couple that had no children, lived in a quiet neighborhood and had no reservations about what needed to be done to give Terry his storybook ending. Besides happiness, TAF’s main goal was to make sure that Terry was not set up to fail.

We are happy to announce that Terry’s adoption is a huge success and his new family adores him! Terry loves to play catch in his new backyard and to sun bathe on the deck. He sleeps in bed with his new mom and dad and even finds time to hang out with his two cat siblings.  

Terry is so beyond lucky to have found his very own family that understands that, like us, some emotional scars take a little longer to heal… this is an absolute gift to a shelter dog and we will be forever grateful!

Scribble

We have some good news this morning! Scribble has found his forever home!

Scribble's fate was questionable after he did not show well when rescues came to visit him at a local open access shelter. He had a bit of an attitude that turned people away. 

When TAF decided to take Scribble into our program, we made sure to have him interact with our therapy dogs right away. It was in their company that he came out of his shell and turned into the pup that he was always meant to be. 

Once Scribble was able to trust people again, he was ready for adoption and the perfect home just happened to be waiting for him. A loving couple that had been looking for that one special dog to make their family complete. Now, this once homeless dog has a warm bed of his own, a mom and dad that love him and the peace of knowing that he will never be left behind again.

Garland

Do you remember Garland? Back in December 2015, Garland was found in the street by a Chicago Police Officer. She was emaciated and too weak to stand. 

Garland was hospitalized for quite some time receiving IV fluids and critical care to ensure that her organs did not begin to fail. She also had to slowly be introduced to food, again, so that she didn't suffer from overeating syndrome.

After several months of continued care, we are happy to finally announce that Garland has found her forever home! Garland has a mom who loves her, three kids to watch over and her own furry friend to play with. Never again will she be hungry and alone... a truly beautiful beginning.