Before & After

Tully

If the photo on the left doesn't make your heart ache just a little, I am not sure what will… if you look closely you will see Tully lying in a pile of garbage in top right corner.

On March 5th, after living homeless on the streets of Chicago for over two years, Tully was finally lured into a kind Chicago Policewoman’s car and brought to safety.

Tully did not come from a part of town that most people would choose to drive through, let alone walk through. The poverty level is high and many times it is every man for himself. Some good people made it a point to throw Tully food when they could, while others took her puppies for their own gain. In many of these depressed economic areas, suffering is an everyday occurrence and it is truly hard to fathom what goes on.

Calling Tully a survivor would be an understatement. Not only did she battle brutal sub-zero winters, Tully rallied and made it through some pretty serious medical emergencies.

When Tully first came to us, her stomach was 3x’s larger than it should be and she was suffering from pancreatitis. She also had an infection in her uterus and a lime-sized tumor on her ovary that needed to be removed. If it would have ruptured when she was out on the streets, she most assuredly would have died. To make matters even worse, when there was the Canine Influenza Virus outbreak in Chicago, she contracted it and was hospitalized for weeks. The poor girl couldn’t catch a break and it almost cost Tully her life. It would take almost two months of medical attention for Tully to make a full recovery.

It took Tully awhile to fully come out of her shell but after she learned to trust again, the world around her opened up and she saw things in a different light. She was happy and knew that she was loved.

Now for the best news ever…TAF couldn’t be happier to announce that after almost 7 months in our care, Tully has found her forever home! Tully no longer lives in a crime ridden neighborhood but a quiet suburb of Chicago with a new mom that absolutely adores her. It is truly surreal to think that this might be the first home that Tully has ever had in her life. 

When it was time for Tully to leave us, she walked straight over to her new mom and jumped into her car. There were no ifs ands or buts… she was ready to start her new life and drive off into the sunset.

Oscar

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 and Oscar (white pup) were transferred into our care.

Oscar weighed in at only 45.6 pounds, his body had already gone into starvation mode and he was suffering from hypophosphatemia. This meant there was not enough phosphorous in his blood, which caused a reduction in the amount of oxygen getting to his heart, red blood cells, skeletal muscle cells and brain cells. Oscar was in critical condition and his body was dangerously close to liver failure. 

Merit

YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AFTER READING THIS STORY… MERIT’S STORY

It was about a week before Memorial Day when Merit’s lifeless emaciated body was first spotted under the lilac bushes in Chicago’s Grant Park. It was initially thought that it was too late and that Merit had passed away before help could arrive. However, when Merit noticed the water that the kind staff of Lakeshore Athletic Services had set out for him, he lifted his head and let them know that he had not given up.  

For the next few days, LAS set food and water out for Merit until one of TAF’s most trusted friends, Katie, went out to catch Merit with a humane trap. Once Merit was caught, TAF worked with Katie to get him the emergency medical care that he needed.

When Merit was initially brought in to the hospital, he was dehydrated and suffering from severe diarrhea caused from rocks and sticks trying to pass through his intestines and rectal area. In addition to this, Merit had over 50 ticks removed from the inside of his ears. It would soon be discovered that even more ticks were lodged down deep in his ear canal causing him a tremendous amount of pain. 

After showing no signs of improvement after of week of supportive care, Merit was diagnosed with a tick-born-illness. In hopes of stabilizing his system, Merit continued to receive subcutaneous fluids, pain medication, antibiotics and medication to help stop the diarrhea and sooth his stomach.

TAF spent about two months working with Merit to help him heal both physically and mentally. As it turned out, Merit LOVED other dogs and would light up when he saw the dogs from TAF’s Canine Rehabilitation Team. This was a big surprise to us as he was so antisocial in every other situation with people. Merit never showed any signs of aggression towards people but instead liked to be more of a loner. He would wag his tail when he saw you but wasn't the type of dog that would seek you out for affection. 

Just to make sure that we were reading Merit's behavior correctly, we had him do a board and train with one of the best trainers in the city. After spending a week with Merit, his trainer said that she trusted him in every situation but that he was the type of dog that just wanted to watch from afar and not socialize in the way that most dogs would.

Unsure what the outcome would be for a dog such as Merit, we decided to take a leap of faith and put Merit up for adoption. Almost immediately, we were contacted by a single mom who had a ten year old son who was born with down-syndrome and was autistic. She said that at age six her son was diagnosed with autism and has not spoken since... he now only makes noises.

The woman was looking for a companion for her son as he does not like to be around people. She also needed a dog that would not jump on him and one who wouldn’t be too disruptive to the routine that is necessary for her son. The hope was that Merit and her son would provide each other with the no pressure companionship that they both needed. The kind of friendship and loyalty that only a dog could provide.

This past week, the woman came to meet Merit to see if he might be a good fit for her son. It did not bother her that Merit did not run up to greet her as most potential adopters would… she appreciated that which made Merit different. In fact, it made her like him more. 

Within days, Merit was brought over to meet the woman’s son to see if there was connection between the two.

When greeted at the door, Merit left Bridgid’s side and for the first time was confident enough to walk in on his own. In a scene straight out of a movie, Merit walked straight to the couch and sat next to the young boy. With no words said, the boy gently patted Merit on the head and put his arm around him. They sat quietly together and it was as though they had picked up where they had once left off… an unspoken connection between two souls. Whether you believe in a Higher Power or not, there is no denying that something very special happened at that moment. 

With his mom and grandma by his side, Merit found his purpose and a little boy found his best friend… it is truly a match made in heaven.

Scuttle

They say that fate will find a way…

Back in February while visiting an open access shelter, TAF came across a little pup that reminded us of our departed therapy dog Geiger. In honor of our Lil G, we pulled Scuttle that day and started to prepare him for adoption. It was not too long after he was in our care that he broke with kennel cough. Coming out of a large facility, this was expected but when the outbreak of the Canine Influenza Virus hit Chicago, poor Scuttle’s weakened immune system didn’t stand a chance. For weeks, Scuttle was hospitalized in an isolation area where he received breathing treatments, antibiotics and supportive care to help his 10-pound body survive. After over a month, Scuttle was finally breathing well enough that he was able to go into a foster home and continue his rehabilitation. 

As many of you know, TAF’s youngest member of our Canine Rehabilitation Team, Hazel Grace, has been in training. Knowing that Scuttle had a good temperament right off the bat, we decided to use him to help train Hazel Grace. Scuttle went to stay in my home with Hazel Grace, Miller and Antler.  At first, Hazel Grace wasn’t too sure what this strange dog was doing in her home so CRT members Miller and Antler took Scuttle under their wing. After about a week, Hazel Grace followed the guidance of Miller and Antler and started to interact with Scuttle and show him the ropes. By the end of the second week, Scuttle was running around with Hazel Grace and he helped Hazel Grace to pass her first test.

Now fate…

When TAF first came to be, our beloved Trio was still alive. On and off for almost two years, Trio underwent physical therapy 2-3 times a week to help make her more comfortable. When the end was coming near, I counted on Trio’s therapist, Ana, to motivate Trio and to help keep her happy. Trio lived and breathed by Ana and her face would light up by the mere mention of her name. Ana was a life changer for all of us. 

When Trio passed in November of 2011, we lost touch with Ana and thought that we would never cross paths again. Imagine our surprise when she walked out of the back room during a new vet consultation. It was sweet serendipity… the kind of chance meeting that changes one’s life… a pup’s life that is.

Well, we at TAF are happy to announce that the lil man that was pulled out of love for our departed Geiger has found his forever home. A forever home with the woman that gave our Trio some of the happiest days of her life… Ana will now pick up where she left off so many years ago. Scuttle is the luckiest boy in the world!

Sparrow and her puppies

SPARROW AND HER PUPPIES ALL FIND THEIR FOREVER HOMES!!!

Back in February, TAF came across a new momma and her 4 puppies at an open access shelter. Sparrow and her babies were being kept in a back room that was used to house cats. Since Sparrow was scared, undersocialized and had newborn puppies, this was the best place for her in the facility. When the day came that TAF had the financial means to responsibly bring the whole family into our care, we pulled them and the rest is history.

Following the aviary theme, we named Sparrow’s female puppy Robin. Robin was the smallest of the 4 and she had a recessed eye. Sparrow’s three boys were named Avis, Lark and Byrd. All pups were healthy and thrived under the loving care of their mom.

As days turned into weeks, it was so heart-warming to watch the puppies grow and explore. When Sparrow was due for a much needed puppy break, TAF's Canine Rehabilitation Team member Antler would lend a paw and "puppy sit" for Sparrow. 

It was around this time that Sparrow and her puppies all became ill from the Canine Influenza Virus outbreak in Chicago. Sadly, the entire family had to be hospitalized until they were healthy enough to be placed into foster homes. (All 4 puppies went into one foster home… thanks Jen!) Once given the thumbs up to be neutered and spayed, Robin, Lark, Byrd, and Avis went in for surgery. While under, Robin had enucleation surgery (eye removal) on her recessed eye to prevent complications in the future. After making a full recovery, all the puppies were officially adopted into their forever homes!

During this time, Sparrow came back to hang out with us and TAF’s Canine Rehabilitation Team. This gave us the opportunity to get to know Sparrow better and work on some of her insecurities… we did not want to set her up for failure. Sparrow thrived when given the chance to play with CRT’s Rylan and Jose, along with some of TAF’s adoptable pups like Scuttle. 

Once given a second chance to find happiness, Sparrow blossomed into a trusting girl that welcomed in new people and new surroundings. When the day came that the perfect adoption application was sent in, TAF went out to a quiet suburb of Chicago and did a home visit. Upon meeting the family and seeing where Sparrow could spend the rest of her life, it was clear that she was in the right place… a giant fenced in yard, kids, a small dog and great parents. It was the perfect fit!

When we left Sparrow that day, it was with a big smile on her face… it was the first day of her happily ever after.

Skylark

Prior to TAF pulling Skylark into our program, she sat for nine weeks in a cage at an open access shelter. 

On March 1st, TAF introduced you to one of the biggest female pitties that has ever been in our program. Weighing in at 85 pounds, Skylark stood proud and let us know right away that she was ready to leave the shelter. Her first steps out of her cage led straight to the front door of the facility and she never looked back.

On March 8th, Skylark came down with kennel cough and a terrible upper respiratory infection. After weeks of TLC and medication, Skylark’s symptoms were no longer present and she was ready to be spayed. 

On March 31st, Skylark went in for what were going to be a routine spay and a much needed dental. To our surprise, Skylark’s surgery was about to become quite complicated. While in surgery, the vet found that she had 8 large cysts on one ovary and 5 on the other...our poor girl must have been in so much pain. Since the ovaries were removed during her spay, all potential complications from the cysts were removed as well. When it came time for Skylark’s dental, it was discovered that one of her canines was in very bad shape and an extensive crown amputation needed to be preformed. To think that she had a toothache that whole time and never knew about it… she must have been miserable. It's hard to imagine just how uncomfortable she was from both her ovarian cysts and her dental problems. 

Within days of her surgery, there was a noticeable difference in Skylark’s temperament. She was much happier and even donned a smile on her face. 

Then, as fate would have it, Skylark was about to receive a cruel blow… on April 8th, she came down with the Canine Influenza Virus that was running epidemic in Chicago. Skylark was once again hospitalized for weeks and went on to lose 15 pounds. It was not until she was placed into a foster home, with two other dogs already infected with the virus, that she started to bounce back to health and put on some weight. 

Well, after all of her trials and tribulations, we are happy to announce that Skylark has made a full recovery and has found her forever home!!! 

Skylark's new parents had been looking for a solid female dog to complete their pack. They have two brother dogs and knew they would love a sister. 

When we took Skylark to their home, we knew right away she was home. The first thing she did, after introducing herself to the boys, was roll around on the grass. Her new parents live on 5+ acres with a pond, a stream, and tons of grass to roll around on! After some solid games of fetch happened, she drank some water and passed out in the shade… quite the difference from the crime ridden neighborhood in Chicago that she came from. 

Skylark’s new family says that she sleeps on their bed with them and loves to be a part of everything. Skylark’s brothers love her and she is beyond happy to be in their lives.

Bart

TAF came across Bart cowering in his cage at a local open access shelter. We couldn't stand to see him so scared and took him into our program that day. Little did we know that Bart was the coolest little guy who got along with all people, kids and other dogs...he was even great with cats! He ended up being with us for a little while before the most perfect family came for him, and Bart went to his perfect new home!

Rylan

Rylan is a 2 year old male Wolfhound mix who was surrendered as a baby to a local open access shelter. Rylan is very easy going and brings great comfort to new dogs coming straight out of the pound. He initiates play softly and gently, which helps the more scared or nervous dogs feel calmer in social situations. If they are not in the mood to play, our scruffy muppet will let them curl up close to him and just chill out. Rylan is currently in training to be a therapy dog.

Antler

Antler is a 5 year old female pitbull mix who was followed by police into an abandoned building where she had been caring for her 5 puppies. Because of her past, Antler is a very maternal dog that puppies and young dogs feel comfortable around. She is part of our Canine Rehabilitation Team and is useful in teaching these pups manners because she is incredibly tolerant of under-socialized dogs and their often pushy behavior. 

Bondi

Bondi is a 7 year old male Aussie mix who was surrendered to a rural shelter when he was about one year old. Bondi is a very chilled out dog and not much of a player.  Instead, this handsome fellow would rather let a new dog hang out with him and let them come up to him on their own terms. He is non-threatening and gives the dogs lots of room to get comfortable. We often pair Bondi with dogs who don’t really know how to co-exist in the presence of another dog. He has idiopathic canine epilepsy that is controlled with medication and diet.