Before & After

Cranberry

Back in November, TAF was contacted about a female puppy that had been brought into a local emergency room by a mentally unstable man who feared that he was going to kill her because she would not stop crying. Once the man was admitted to the hospital, the nurses were able to reach out to local animal rescues to see if they could help them get the puppy the medical attention that she needed.

Upon receiving the message about the injured puppy, now named Cranberry, TAF asked if she could be brought to the emergency vet and we would meet them there. X-rays have concluded that Cranberry has been crying because her front right leg is broken clear through and she has rear leg soft tissue trauma.

We are happy to announce that after two surgeries, Cranberry has made a full recovery and has found her forever home! Cranberry’s new mom and dad adore her and she Cranberry is head over heals for them and her new brother. After such a sad beginning to her life, Cranberry finally gets her happily ever after.

Elden

December 1st scared and alone in an open access shelter... January 19th in the loving home of his new family... TAF sponsored Elden was given a second chance and has found his happily ever after.

Banks

Who would have thought that when TAF pulled Banks from the pound that our old man would end up finding a soul mate that looked just like him!  

Bank's new mom and dad are the nicest people and his new siblings look like they could be related... Bank's new family is just the greatest!

Rocco

Once given up because he couldn't compete with the new dog that had been added to his previous home… Rocco has found a new family that will care for him the rest of his life!

Here is a little back story…

While walking into the vet to drop off Rocco for his neuter, we ran into a woman who was immediately drawn to him. She asked his name and couldn't believe it was Rocco… she kept saying it was a "sign". After she left, the vet told us the woman and her family had just lost their beloved boxer to advanced cancer and they were devastated. It was a "sign" because, 11 years earlier, their boxer had been originally named Rocco by the rescue group that had taken him in. 

The family quickly filled out the adoption application and came to meet Rocco with their son and 19 year old Boston Terrier. 

Rocco was SO in love with the boy, was over the moon for the parents, and was intrigued by his fragile but hearty new Boston terrier sister. Tears were shed as the family talked of their boxer who just passed but also because Rocco is just the thing to help heal their broken hearts. 

Matrix

Matrix had been sitting in front of a school, on the south side of Chicago, since the early morning hours trying to get inside to warm up. It had been no more than 20 degrees that day and the poor puppy was freezing. Every time somebody new walked by or tried to enter the school, Matrix would follow them closely and either try to sneak in with them or to hitch a ride in their cars... he would actually follow them to their cars and try to get in. The security guard, at the school, was even kicking him every time that he tried to enter the school.

Matrix was so cold that he had a hard time walking because his paws were so cold. However, our little guy never gave up. Matrix's perseverance worked because a very nice woman named Sarah scooped him up and brought him to her home.

Sarah then contacted TAF and we worked together to get Matrix the help that he needed.  

Once Matrix was safely at our vet, he was neutered, given a "lite" dental, fully vaccinated, microchipped, treated for parasites, groomed and given treatments for fleas. Matrix was also treated for a skin condition that caused scabs to form on the back end of his body. This skin condition was due to an allergic reaction to flea bites.

Hinkley

From blind and terrified in the shelter to safe in the loving arms of his new family, Hinkley really hit the jackpot!

Skye

Skye was one of the 20 dogs that was pulled from local area open access facilities in honor of my Trio on the anniversary of her passing.

When Skye's new dad met her he was overcome with emotion. He had recently lost his long time companion,of 12(+) years, to cancer and the memory of his departed best friend brought him to tears. The two did everything together and never left each others side.  

Skye's new dad is head over heals for her and is looking forward to taking her fishing with him and spoiling her rotten. Skye is with him day in and day out and they are inseparable.

Dash

Cowered in the back of his cage, we walked past Dash's cage without ever realizing that he was in there. When we tried to get Dash out of his cage, he was so afraid that we needed to crawl into his cage and physically remove him. Once in our arms... he held on like a baby and we just left with him. It only took a few days for him to turn around in our care, and Dash quickly found himself a new home!

Rocky

The first time that we met Rocky was when we were hosting a volunteer day at a local open access shelter in Chicago. A Humane Investigator rushed in saying that he just picked up a dog on the side of the road that had been hit by a car. By the way that Rocky’s body was twisted, they thought that his back was broke but once the blood was cleaned away it turned out that his leg had a compound fracture and he was bleeding out.

To make a very long story short, TAF agreed to cover all of Rocky’s medical expenses and rehabilitated him after his amputation. Once healthy enough to leave the hospital, Rocky came home with me and my Trio cared for him until he was ready for adoption. Rocky adored Trio and he followed her around like a puppy. It was the perfect three-legged match and she taught him the tricks of the trade. They were like celebrities when they went on walks together.

TAF will always have a special place in our hearts for Rocky as he was one of the last injured pups that Trio cared for… he was one lucky fellow who received a very special gift.

Thistle

BEST...DAY…EVER… THISTLE HAS FOUND HER FOREVER HOME!!!

On March 30th, TAF was called about a stray female dog with an atrocious leg injury. Some sick person had tied a shoestring around the dog’s leg and knotted it so tight that it had severed her skin clear to the bone. In fact, the shoestring was so tight and had been on for so long that it was actually changing the shape of the bone. Infection had already set in and the necrotic (dead) flesh was oozing with blood and puss… it smelled like rotten meat. The poor dog’s leg was so swollen and purple that it looked like it was going to pop from the pressure.

Thistle was hospitalized at the ER Vet for a week straight and underwent two different surgical procedures to try and save her leg. During this time, she also received antibiotics, pain medications, anti-inflammatories and medicated foot soaks twice a day.After a week of hospitalization Thistle was back in our care where we followed the same medical regimen that was prescribed by the ER Vet. In the short time that we had her with us, Thistle started putting on weight and was filling out. We thought that she had made it and was on her way to a full recovery. It was then that hell was about to break loose…

The Canine Influenza Virus was already wreaking havoc at the ER Vet and other veterinary offices in Chicago and we knew that there was a high probability that our dogs would pick it up if not there, somewhere. There are just too many dogs that live and travel through the areas that we occupy. Dogs can be contagious way before they show any symptoms and people walking by always want to pet an adoptable dog.

Well, sure enough, Thistle was exposed to the Canine Influenza Virus and since her immune system was already compromised, her health deteriorated fast as she was once again hospitalized on 4/8/15. Days later, Thistle was diagnosed with pneumonia and once again hospitalized.

During this time, the infection in Thistle’s leg was raging on and she was losing her battle to survive… if she was going to make it out of the hospital alive, immediate amputation was her only option.

When Thistle’s new mom met our pup, her eyes became a little teary when Thistle ran to her. The affinity for a new mom and her dog family member was obvious and within a few minute it was clear that Thistle was “the one.” When it came time for her adoption photo, Thistle just peacefully leaned against her new family with a gentle smile on her face… Thistle knew she was home. Undoubtedly, she will love her family every step of the way.