Update on Chief!
From the rescuer:
All of you wonderful people have opened up your hearts, wallets, purses, pocket books and check books for poor Chief, and Chief does THANK YOU! Chief’s surgery was a success, and was done at Vet Specialist in Buffalo Grove, IL. Chief IS expected to make a FULL recovery. While Chief was “under the knife”, he was also neutered.
Chief is back in Bolingbrook, and is convalescing at one of the VCA Bolingbrooks receptionist’s house. Chief IS doing well, and is in high spirits. Chief will be in and out of VCA Bolingbrook for regular visits, follow ups and routine bandage checks, etc.
So now, PLEASE STOP the donations. Debbie & I are truly grateful and over whelmed with the outpouring of money that came in for Chief. Be advised that all of Chief’s follow ups, bandage changes, shots and still more xrays need to be done. We have enough money to cover that. You all can be proud, and your hearts can be filled with warmth knowing that you helped save Chief’s life. We can’t thank you enough. Any funds that are left over, will sit in the “Bully Breed Fund” at VCA, and will be used on the next poor victim of cruel human beings, in the name of Chief, and those who cared for Chief. Trust me, there WILL be another one. No hidden agendas, no service fees,etc-all the left over money will go to abandoned and abused dogs, and not into anyones pocket.
This is what keeps me going in my line of work, and this is what volunteering all of your time, and spending long hours after your just too tired to go any more is all about. The happy endings!
Again, Chief, the staff at VCA, Debbie and my self THANK YOU for your support of Chief!
Best regards, Todd (Bully Breed Rescue)
Filed under Animals | Comment (0)Labs need a rescue
Their days will be up on Wednesday this week. These two boys are running out of time, please if you can help save them please email Sadeghi@mchsi.com . They are friendly and outgoing and if not rescued they will be put to sleep Wednesday. The lab rescues are full and they are on their last days!
From the pound: This pair was picked up running the neighborhood. I didn’t even get pics right away, confident their owners would come looking for them. Well, it’s been over 5 days (now more) and nothing. Both are intact males, the chocolate boy I believe is a strong mix, he looks full lab until you see his tail which curls up over his back. The black boy is full lab. Both are dog friendly and maybe about 3-4 years old.
Filed under Animals | Comment (0)Cheap or Free Spay/Neuter at Anti-Cruelty
Anti-Cruelty in Chicago provides spays/neuters at the drastically reduced price of $10 for cats and $25 for dogs. They also offer low-income assistance, and free spays/neuters for feral cats and bully breeds (if you qualify). See the Factoids sidebar for more information.
Filed under Animals | Comment (0)Seal hunt begins today
Click here to sign petitions, a pledge not to buy Canadian seafood, and more. >>
Filed under Animals | Comment (0)Portrait of a Rescuer: Sheri Berliner
Sheri Berliner with a Rottie pup
Sheri Berliner is an animal lover who dove in with both feet and never looked back.
As the owner of Petraits Pet Photography, she takes portraits of pets and their humans, as well as for local shelters and rescue groups who hire her.
“Better photos and the extra publicity I provide keeps the pets moving into their forever homes faster, allowing rescue groups and shelters to adopt out more animals,” Sheri said
After photography sessions, Sheri promotes the animals virtually; she sends a short biography along with a portrait of each pet to a list of around 3,600 people. She also runs two adoption websites; one on 1-800-save-a-pet.com and one on petfinder.com (see links along with contact info below.)
One of Sheri’s emails
She takes it further by finding homes for pets whose humans can no longer care for them, and takes in strays and fosters herself.
“At first I started volunteering at a shelter. Then I started taking in stray pets that I found. I realized that with my photographic and writing skills I could use the pets’ own beauty and stories to find them homes.”
Sheri has always been a pet lover. “I grew up with dogs, rabbits, turtles, and fish. But 19 years ago, I overheard a conversation that changed my life forever.”
A coworker casually mentioned her husband was going to drown a litter of kittens that had sought refuge in their yard. “I had never had a cat, never wanted one, but that night in May of 1989, I came home with a box of flea-infested kittens. Bugsy, the only surviving cat, turned 19 this week and sleeps on my pillow every night
In the past year alone, Sheri has fostered and found homes for over 30 pets. “When I foster a dog, I take them for lots of walks, introduce them to various situations, and learn as much as I possibly can about them so I can find them the appropriate home. I also foster cats, rabbits, hamsters, and birds.”
The shelters give Sheri the most difficult cases to spotlight for them. Though she’s not sure of the statistics, she says “3-legged, senior, special needs, one-eyed, allergies, whatever, people are willing to give homes to these very special animals. There are so many wonderfully loving people in this world. It’s my job to find them.”
It’s not always a happy ending. One of the most difficult experiences came when Sheri saw a neighbor kicking out a litter of kittens with the toe of her boot. Sheri took in the kittens, but the woman wanted to keep the mama cat. Sheri offered to take the cat to be spayed and at first the neighbor declined. “(She) came back a few weeks later to say I could get her fixed. I thought it was such an exciting point in my life that I had gained this horrible pet owners’ trust.” Sheri returned the cat after keeping her for a week to heal. The next day, she was found dead on the street. “I sobbed, cried, and grieved more for her than for any other pet in my life. I had grown so attached to her and I felt like I had failed her.”
There are other hurdles. “I wish that more vets were willing to give drastic discounts to rescuers. The adoption fees have gone up based on the cost of vetting the pets. A litter of kittens with distemper set me back thousands and half of them died.”
Petraits Pet Photography is now going into its 13th year of business and Sheri’s main goal is the same; to keep pets from ever ending up in shelters.
“Ideally, I’d like to see them go from loving home to loving home and never be institutionalized.”
Advice to those interested in getting involved? “Take it slow, one pet at a time. It might be best to offer to foster a pet for a local rescue group. That way they are usually taking care of their medical care and food. Don’t overwhelm yourself or it won’t be fun and you’ll get burnt out.”
Please take a minute to peruse Sheri’s work and contributions.
Petraits Pet Photography
Web site: http://www.petraits.com
Adoptions: http://www.petraits.petfinder.org
E-mail: sheri@petraits.com
Phone: 773-777-2891
Update to blog
In the upper right corner are links to pages I’ve set up with specific subject matter. Please check them out too!
ADOPT needs volunteers
Look at these cuties. You KNOW you want to play with them. And you can…read on!
ADOPT in Naperville is in need of volunteers, especially with the dogs. The gang above is currently at the shelter. Click here for more information.
It doesn’t matter where you are, shelters and rescues everywhere NEED YOU! The bonus for you is surrogate pets…and of course unlimited love from all of your new buddies. They need “hands off” help just as much - administrative, adoption associates, computer wizards, monetary and supply donations. They always need food, toys, cleaning supplies. Next time you decide to toss out some old towels, blankets, sheets or pillows, take them instead to a rescue!
Filed under Animals | Comment (0)Katrina Rescue
I started posting the journal and pictures from my experience rescuing animals in New Orleans after Katrina. I don’t want this taking up blog space, so click here if you would like to read it.
Filed under Animals | Comment (0)Abused pup needs your help!
Meet Chief. His story and more pictures are below. The Bully Breed Rescue needs help paying for surgery as some cruel degnerate beat Chief with a bat or tire iron and smashed his leg to bits, as you can see in the xray picture. Look at that face. His eyes tell you so much. My heart hurts for him…
FROM THE RESCUE: This is the SAD and true story of a pup named “Chief”. My last call of the night yesterday was for an injured dog in a field. Upon arrival, I could see that it was a young Pit Bull. When I got close enough to him, he didn’t run, curled up in a ball, he just looked up at me with sad brown eyes, as if to say “HELP ME”. That is when I noticed his wounds. “Chief” was obviously used as a bait dog. He has puncture wounds to the head and face, and all over his little body. His hind quarters are the worst. You can see the tears in his flesh, and bite wounds on his rump, and thighs and paws. Although his wounds were scabbed over, perhaps 3 days old or so, it is when I picked him up, I knew there was more to this poor pups injuries. Although “Chief” did not whimper, cry or yelp, when I picked him up, his right rear leg was just dangling. I tried to stand him up, and his leg was useless. He could not put any pressure on it. I could see under his black fur, that his upper thigh wa s black & blue and swollen.
When I got back to the pound, and checked him for a micro chip (I knew he wouldn’t have one, but we check every animal that comes in),”Chief” gingerly ate cookies from my hand, and wagged his tail in thanks. He knew he was safe.
This morning, I took him to VCA Bolingbrook to be evaluated. Although he is scabbed up all over, those wounds are expected to heal, and he will have scars. His leg is the problem. His femur is completely busted in half, and probably happened that same day, aprox 3 to 4 days ago. The break is a direct result of blunt force trauma. Poor “Chief” was beat with a baseball bat or a tire iron.
That is when I came up with his name. Through all the abuse, all the bite wounds, and the severe beating he took, and not to mention the poking and prodding and weird positions he had to be in for the x-ray, at no time in my possession, did he whimper or cry. You look into his eyes, and it is as if he is telling you: “I have been beaten and abused, neglected and abandoned, but they have not taken my pride. I will still love you and shower you with kisses. Even though I am in severe pain, I will not show you I am weak” I could not imagine the pain this little guy is in right now. Once you see the photos, you will understand. (you can CLEARLY see the break in the x-ray)
“Chief” is currently on pain meds, but he is being kept under hospital care at VCA Bolingbrook. “Chief’s” leg needs to be plated together, and that is a $2,500.00 surgery. Even all the staff at VCA think he is worth the cost of surgery, as he is so affectionate. Unfortunately, we don’t have the money to pay for that.
If you can find it in your heart to help this abused pup get back on the mend, and neutered, it would be a blessing. Donations can be called in to or mailed in at:
VCA BOLINGBROOK
570 concord
Bolingbrook, IL
60440
630-759-5700
***PLEASE REFERENCE “THE BULLY BREED FUND”****
Please cross post, as we will need to place him in a safe home after the surgery!
Still need a home or rescue!
Please read their story below. If you can help, please email me! nic.bgirl@gmail.com.
