Before & After
Duke
SOME DISCARDED DOGS GET A BETTER CHANCE THE SECOND TIME AROUND...
Duke watched as his owner walked out the door of an open access shelter. He just stared at the door and waited for him to come back for him... he never did. This is what the picture on the left shows.
After spending time in TAF’s care and getting the medical and emotional attention that he needed, Duke was able to let his guard down and trust us. After about a month of working with Duke, we are so happy to say that he has blossomed into an amazing little dog. Better yet... Duke just found the perfect forever home and a mom that adores him!
We just received this sweet message from Duke’s new mom and we are so happy to be able to share it with you…
Dear Bridgid,
I just wanted to let you know how happy Duke, now Charlie, is to be here. He acts as if he's lived here for months. He's so comfortable being here. He has found out how much he loves chicken mixed into his food, which makes him a little bossy around feeding time. I don't think he could be any happier. I am also so happy that I have this sweet little boy in my life. I figured with how much you guys do you would like to hear how well he is doing! Thank you for everything!
Alycia
Campbell
On January 19th TAF posted that we had pulled Campbell from an open access shelter after he sat in a cage for 9 months. Since Campbell was a bit shell shocked and timid from being at the shelter for so long, he did not show well when rescues walked by his cage to assess his mental well-being.
TAF saw the potential in Campbell and knew that we had the capabilities to work with him and give him the time that he needed to adjust to what would be a “normal” life… Campbell needed to learn to be a dog again.
That night, Campbell walked on grass for the first in 9 months and he was finally free.
TAF is so happy to announce that Campbell has found a forever home in the suburbs with a yard of his own and a sibling to play with. The love that his new dads have for him has warmed his heart and given him reason to smile, again. This is the happy ending that every shelter dog should experience.
Vinyl
ONCE BROKEN VINYL IS TRADING IN THE CITY LIFE FOR A QUIET PLACE OUT IN THE COUNTRY...
On February 4th, TAF brought Vinyl into our program after he was found on the streets of Chicago with a broken leg. After hospitalization, therapy and a top notch medical team, Vinyl made a full recovery and is like a new man!
Even better... TAF is thrilled to announce that Vinyl has found his forever home!!! Vinyl will no longer be walking the streets of Chicago but running on 3 acres of land with his new brother and sister in the country... he will even have some chicken siblings!
Vinyl's moms are especially awesome because they are repeat adopters from TAF! The pup on the far right is a little blind boy named Hinkley. Hinkley's moms have taken amazing care of him and he has never gone without. Right off the bat, they rearranged their lives so that Hinkley could have the highest quality of life and feel safe and loved. When Hinkley's moms heard about Vinyl and his struggles, they said that they would love to care for him and give him a forever home. We were absolutely thrilled to hear that and the rest is history!
In these troubling times... it is so wonderful to see the greatest of people remind us that there is good in the world. Vinyl, you are one lucky pup to have found such a loving family!
Cruiser
HAPPINESS... HAPPINESS... HAPPINESS...
TAF is so thrilled to announce that Cruiser has found his forever home!!! Cruiser pretty much has one of the coolest moms ever and his senior brother is just the sweetest... love love love his gray muzzle! The two pups even have the same little underbite... this is a match made in heaven!
Shimmy
BElieve that fairytale endings do exist!
For over two weeks, Shimmy had been scavenging outside trying to survive in the frigid temperatures. Luckily, this pup was spotted by one of TAF's friends & partners, Katie C., who set up cameras and a feeding station to learn his schedule and humanely trap him.
Luckily for Shimmy, Katie is good at what does and he was safely brought in for medical care and shelter.
Well, we are so happy to announce that after weeks in our care, Shimmy has a spot on the couch to call his own and a mom that adores him. No longer will he be eating out of a cardboard box in the middle of a snow filled field and sleeping in the dirt. He will literally and figuratively know the warmth of love and it doesn’t get much better than that.
Shimmy ‘s new mom is extra cool because she even brings Shimmy to work with her! Then, on the weekends, he goes to his grandparents’ house where he plays with their pups… such a happy ending for an incredibly deserving dog!
Chula
Imagine that after 10 years of devoted love to your best friend, they decide to trade you in for a newer model… that is exactly what happened to Chula.
When TAF came across Chula at an open access shelter, she was so terrified in her cage that she was not willing to let people touch her. Because of this, she was slated to be humanely euthanized.
There was something inexplicably haunting when you looked into Chula’s eyes… it was a deep sadness that told a story of loss and hopelessness. Chula had not had an easy life and we knew that this was her last chance at redemption. If we didn’t take her then, she would not live to see another day.
It quickly became apparent that the way to Chula’s heart was with the help of another dog. Chula went to stay with three of TAF’s rehabilitation dogs, Hazel Grace, Miller and Antler. Chula was given as long as she needed to acclimate and used Hazel Grace as a guide for everything that she did. Once she felt comfortable, Chula started going to daycare with Hazel Grace and interacted with all sizes of dogs. Once she felt comfortable with the staff at Unleashed Pups, her world began to open up. Slowly, our little Chula started to learn that the only way that your heart will mend is to learn to love again… and that is exactly what she did.
It would take over three months to fully win Chula over and find the absolute perfect home for her. In fact, it was to a home that TAF adopted one of our first dogs to in 2009 and another in 2013.
Chula’s new mom and dad are two of the most loving, patient and caring people that we have ever met and we knew that they would give Chula the time that she needed to blossom in their home. They are pretty much the dream home for a dog that doesn’t know just how truly special they are. We are all made up of scars... some just take a little longer to heal.
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!
Flora
On June 23rd, TAF was called about a maggot infested dog suffering from 100s of bite wounds and chemical inflicted burns on her face, head, neck and upper torso.
There were so many pockets of maggots burrowing through her skin that they made at least 5 gaping holes resembling bullet wounds. There must have been over 100 maggots under her skin.
(GRAPHIC VIDEO of the night Flora was found. https://www.facebook.com/
Touching the scabs that were forming over the numerous bite wounds on Flora’s back and inner/outer thighs really helped to paint a picture of the living hell that Flora had been through. The wounds on her back end look like she was trying to get away and another dog was pulling her back with their teeth. This in addition to injuries on the rest of her body makes it look like she was being pulled in two different directions… simply horrific and sadistic.
Flora would go on to be hospitalized for over 5 weeks receiving painstaking intensive medical care. Once given medical clearance, Flora was transferred back into our care where we worked on her emotional well being. After months of training and positive reinforcement, Flora blossomed into a loving dog that trusted people implicitly. That, in and of itself, was a miracle.
Well, here is where Flora’s happy ending begins… Flora met a very special couple over the weekend. They had recently lost their beloved best friend and were smitten with our squishy faced girl. Flora warmed up to them immediately and showed off her toys, her goofy personality, and then plopped down for some belly rubs. It was then that we realized that our girl would be leaving us for her forever home.
We had tears in our eyes as she jumped in her mom and dad’s car and drove away...it's always hard to let the pups go, especially when they have suffered and been through so much. But we do everything we can to get them healthy, healed and ready for life. It feels like a momma bird setting her babies free from their nest!
We couldn't be prouder of what we accomplished with Flora. The financial support from our donors and Flora’s medical team at Heal allowed Flora to receive the absolute best medical care possible and for that we will forever be grateful. From the moment Flora came into our care… she has known nothing but love.
One night Flora went to bed with a dream and woke up finding her happily ever after. I guess that sometimes in order to find a rainbow you have to experience the rain.
Thomas
Just a little over a month ago, Thomas was found collapsed in the snow hanging on for life. He was already in shock, covered in over a hundred bite wounds and had a baseball size abscess on his chest that smelled of infection. Thomas’ body was failing him and time was running out.
Hospitalized in critical condition, Thomas was started on warm IV fluids and warming packs were placed around his body to help stabilize his dangerously low core temperature. It would take weeks of wound care and IV antibiotics for Thomas to finally be given a clean bill of health.
It was then that we focused on Thomas’ emotional recovery. This can sometimes be just as challenging. After spending many hours with TAF’s therapy dogs, Thomas learned that when we raised our hands it wasn’t to hit him and when we approached him he did not need to cower… he learned what it meant to be loved and how to trust those that watched over him.
Now for the happy ending… it is with great joy that we announce that Thomas has found his forever home! Thomas’ new dad is a Chicago Police Officer and knows all too well the abuse that Thomas has gone through. He knows that he has a very special pup on his hands and will continue to watch over and protect Thomas, just like those before him. Thomas has already bonded with his new dad and they are inseparable... buddies for life!
A big thank you to everybody that helped to sponsor Thomas’ medical care and to his medical team at Heal. Without all of your help, Thomas would not have made it. Thank you so much for saving his life!
Emmy
On July 6th, TAF received a call that the Chicago Police Department had just rescued 2 dogs from an abandoned building and needed assistance getting them emergency medical care. At 1 am, TAF met the officers at the ER Vet and Emmy (red pup) and Oscar were transferred into our care.
Emmy weighed in at only 22.4 pounds and her body was in starvation mode. She was anemic, had an elevated white blood cell count and was dangerously dehydrated. Emmy was started on IV fluids, pain medication, antibiotics and a slow feeding regimen. The slow feeding regimen was to prevent "refeeding syndrome" that could have overwhelmed her starved system and cause organ failure and even death. Several small, high fat meals were fed to Emmy over the course of the day to help her system adjust.
During her hospitalization, Emmy fell for one of her vet technicians and he fell for her. When Emmy was weak and didn’t want to leave Anthony’s side, he would drape her around his neck and carry her around like a little fawn… this is when Emmy was happiest.
As Emmy started to gain her strength back and put on some weight (19 pounds), she was not about to give up her favorite routine with her new best friend. Since Emmy was now allowed to walk around the back rooms of the vet office, she would search for Anthony so that he could hold her. Thankfully, Anthony had a strong back and a heart of gold!
When it came time for Emmy to come back with us, Anthony had a very hard time letting her go. In fact, he teared up when we picked Emmy up to leave. It would take almost losing her to another home for Anthony to realize that he couldn’t lose his favorite girl. It was then that Anthony asked to take Emmy home with him… the two haven’t missed a day of work since.
A big thank you to the Chicago Police Department, Emmy’s medical team and TAF supporters for giving Emmy this second chance at a new beginning! For some reason… this second chance seems more beautiful than most!