TAF spent last night at the ER vet after being called about a puppy that needed emergency medical attention. Before Ivy was caught, a man was seen running after her with a 2×4. One can only imagine what her life has been like in the short 8 months that she has been alive.

Once at the ER, it was determined that Ivy once had a collar/electrical cord wrapped so tightly around her neck that it actually bore through her skin. This form of torture happened slowly and painfully over an extended period of time. The back of Ivy’s neck is scabbed over but the impression of the collar remains. Ivy’s throat is another story… it bears a large open slit, is swollen and pus drips from it. Infection has already set in and she has a high fever.

Ivy remains hospitalized at the ER Vet and has undergone sedation to have her neck shaved and the dead/rotting tissue cut away from her infected neck wound. We will know later on today the direction that her medical team choses to go in her recovery. Having a drain placed in her neck is a real possibility if her wound is not properly draining. Our main focus is keeping Ivy’s infection from spreading and the real threat of blood poisoning.

We will be visiting Ivy this afternoon and will keep you updated. Please keep Ivy in your thoughts and prayers.

A big thank you to a concerned citizen, named Jarod, who stopped to catch Ivy and to our friend Katie who played a part in getting her to us.

October 12^th:   Ivy’s surgery to repair the deep, infected laceration she suffered from an embedded collar/electrical cord went well. The surgeon was able to remove all the necrotic (dead) tissue, flush out all the purulent fluid (blood/pus) and close the wound completely. Having this done will allow a complete recovery in 10-14 days. As you can imagine, after enduring such abuse, 8-month-old Ivy is having some trust issues. Because of this, we are going to work on some emotional rehabilitation so she is not set up for failure.

If you would like to help sponsor Ivy’s medical care, please consider making a tax-deductible donation at www.trioanimalfoundation.org. can earmark your donation “Ivy.” If you are making a donation via a smartphone and are not given the opportunity to earmark your donation, please forward your receipt confirmation to sue@trioanimalfoundation.org.

Please keep Ivy in your thoughts and prayers… she is just a baby and deserves so much more than life has given her.

On October 25^th came a happy update:  Today, Ivy is doing very well and on her way to recovery. In the 10 days she has been back with TAF she has learned that people are nice, and usually have treats and toys. She has met several dogs, including hunky Miller (one of TAF’s therapy dogs… he is on the right)! Ivy had such a huge crush on him and couldn’t stop gazing at him and licking his muzz. The two of them played all afternoon and then hung out in the office while we worked on paperwork.

Ivy is crate trained and understands the idea that outside is the best place to go potty. She is still very much a young puppy, so she is learning some basic commands and manners.

Ivy will have her sutures removed later this week. We are very optimistic that she will make a full recovery, physically and mentally!

The post Abused Puppy Chased Down the Street With a 2×4 Is Now All Smiles appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

This comes from the devoted staff at Trio Animal Foundation in Chicago:

On October 10^th they posted:  ONCE SHE BROKE OUT OF AN EMBEDDED COLLAR/ELECTRICAL CORD, THIS POOR GIRL WAS CHASED DOWN THE STREET WITH A 2X4…

TAF spent last night at the ER vet after being called about a puppy that needed emergency medical attention. Before Ivy was caught, a man was seen running after her with a 2×4. One can only imagine what her life has been like in the short 8 months that she has been alive.

Once at the ER, it was determined that Ivy once had a collar/electrical cord wrapped so tightly around her neck that it actually bore through her skin. This form of torture happened slowly and painfully over an extended period of time. The back of Ivy’s neck is scabbed over but the impression of the collar remains. Ivy’s throat is another story… it bears a large open slit, is swollen and pus drips from it. Infection has already set in and she has a high fever.

Ivy remains hospitalized at the ER Vet and has undergone sedation to have her neck shaved and the dead/rotting tissue cut away from her infected neck wound. We will know later on today the direction that her medical team choses to go in her recovery. Having a drain placed in her neck is a real possibility if her wound is not properly draining. Our main focus is keeping Ivy’s infection from spreading and the real threat of blood poisoning.

We will be visiting Ivy this afternoon and will keep you updated. Please keep Ivy in your thoughts and prayers.

A big thank you to a concerned citizen, named Jarod, who stopped to catch Ivy and to our friend Katie who played a part in getting her to us.

October 12^th:   Ivy’s surgery to repair the deep, infected laceration she suffered from an embedded collar/electrical cord went well. The surgeon was able to remove all the necrotic (dead) tissue, flush out all the purulent fluid (blood/pus) and close the wound completely. Having this done will allow a complete recovery in 10-14 days. As you can imagine, after enduring such abuse, 8-month-old Ivy is having some trust issues. Because of this, we are going to work on some emotional rehabilitation so she is not set up for failure.

If you would like to help sponsor Ivy’s medical care, please consider making a tax-deductible donation at www.trioanimalfoundation.org. can earmark your donation “Ivy.” If you are making a donation via a smartphone and are not given the opportunity to earmark your donation, please forward your receipt confirmation to sue@trioanimalfoundation.org.

Please keep Ivy in your thoughts and prayers… she is just a baby and deserves so much more than life has given her.

On October 25^th came a happy update:  Today, Ivy is doing very well and on her way to recovery. In the 10 days she has been back with TAF she has learned that people are nice, and usually have treats and toys. She has met several dogs, including hunky Miller (one of TAF’s therapy dogs… he is on the right)! Ivy had such a huge crush on him and couldn’t stop gazing at him and licking his muzz. The two of them played all afternoon and then hung out in the office while we worked on paperwork.

Ivy is crate trained and understands the idea that outside is the best place to go potty. She is still very much a young puppy, so she is learning some basic commands and manners.

Ivy will have her sutures removed later this week. We are very optimistic that she will make a full recovery, physically and mentally!

The post Abused Puppy Chased Down the Street With a 2×4 Is Now All Smiles appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Maggots have burrowed deeply into her face and tunneled through to her neck. However, since the fur on her neck is so badly matted, you cannot see the carnage that lies underneath. You can only see maggots pop out around the edges and through her ear. It is absolutely horrifying and smells of rotten meat. As maggots grow, they begin feeding on a dog’s skin and tissues. They eventually produce a special salivary enzyme that is capable of liquefying intact skin. As the maggots feed, this destructive salivary enzyme actually digests the dog’s skin, creating full-thickness, punched-out skin lesions (sores) within a matter of hours. The maggots move into these cavities. They continue feeding on exposed skin and enlarging the raw openings, creating a perfect environment for severe secondary bacterial skin infections. Some flies can secrete toxic substances into these wounds. If a dog becomes heavily infested with maggots, it can go into shock. In Antonia’s case, the maggots could have also already done irreparable damage to her sinus cavity, ear canals or even brain.

Since Antonia has such a high fever, she is being started on IV fluids immediately. Her medical team will have to do a full blood panel to see if she is stable enough to be put under to shave/cut off her matted fur with a scalpel… it is that hard. Pain medication and antibiotics will also be given through her IV. We won’t know anything more about her condition until her medical team can dig deeper and flush the maggots out. The abuse that this girl has endured is gut wrenching and makes absolutely no sense at all. The lack of morality in some neighborhoods in Chicago seems to progressively be getting worse. God help us all.

September 6^th:  TAF transferred Antonia over to our regular vet today. The poor girl is literally dying to scratch and rub her head and face to alleviate the itching, but then her ear is so painful and sore that she can’t lie her head down properly so she just sits and stares in misery. It’s really hard to see. TAF’s vet said she needed to sedate her and really scrub her head and neck clean as infection is already seeding the area, despite the antibiotics. (The brown and red marks on Antonia’s skin are a result of the maggots eating away at her skin.) She will also be looking more deeply/closely into Antonia’s ear (her right one) to figure out what is going on that is so very painful. We want Antonia to get some relief and comfort so she can rest and settle down to begin healing. It’s clear our girl has never had a good day in her life and it’s almost like she has post traumatic stress from the maggots crawling around her poor face, neck and ears. Antonia is now hospitalized.

September 8^th:  TAF visited Antonia at the hospital today. She clearly felt better because she was very happy to see us, vocalizing and jumping around. Her ear is much less raw and inflamed though she still tilts her head a bit to that side. Antonia is receiving medication and painkillers twice a day for her ears and has started to fight them less, which we hope is a sign the pain and inflammation are reducing inside the ear as well. Antonia’s head and neck are still very scabby and itchy from where the infection is. The vet staff is applying silver sulfadiazine cream to the raw areas. (Silver sulfadiazine works by stopping the growth of bacteria that may infect an open wound. This helps to decrease the risk of the bacteria spreading to surrounding skin, or to the blood where it can cause a serious blood infection (sepsis)). Antonia will be re-assessed tomorrow to determine the best course of action. We want to be sure her pain and discomfort is completely managed before moving her, and will do whatever it takes to make sure that is possible. Antonia’s medical team can more aggressive with her pain management, than we can, so we are leaving it up to them.

September 22^nd:  It has been a couple weeks since Antonia came to us with a maggot infestation on her face, head and neck.  But it was her severe earaches that would cause her excruciating pain. Even after two weeks on ear antibiotics, the infectious bacteria inside her right ear is still present. She is about to start her third round of antibiotic ear drops.

In addition to all of this, almost all of the scabs that covered Antonia’s neck, head and face have fallen off. Her new skin underneath is incredibly sensitive and she is very cautious when you put your hand near her head, face or neck… some of this is also a reaction to the neglect and abuse of her past.

Antonia has gone into heat so it is going to be awhile before she can spayed and ready for adoption. Until then, she will be hanging out with her therapy buddies Antler, Miller and Hazel Grace. As you can see in the photo, Antonia likes to sit with her foster mom Antler.

October 12^th:  After ER hospitalization and weeks of doctors’ appointments, Antonia went in to have her ears scoped yesterday. We are happy to announce that Antonia’s ears have fully healed and that she was able to be spayed.

As you can imagine, after such neglect, Antonia has been a little shy at times. She has been in a foster home and we have been working with her day and night to build up her confidence. She has made great strides and we are really looking forward to finding her a home that would cater to her needs.

October 20^th:  AFTER MANY WEEKS OF RECEIVING MEDICAL CARE, ANTONIA IS NOW READY FOR ADOPTION!

On September 2nd, Antonia was found behind a garbage can in a Chicago alley. Antonia’s face, head and neck were covered in maggots and they were eating away at her skin. As bad as this was, it was the excruciating pain of her raging ear infections that brought Antonia to her knees.  She has now received a clear bill of health and is ready for adoption.

Antonia is a 15-pound, 1-year-old shih tzu/poodle mix who loves to snuggle, hang out and sit on your lap. She is a low maintenance girl who is very friendly and loving, but can take a minute to warm up to people. Antonia would be best in a home where she can be the one and only, or with another very chilled out little dog. She just isn’t sure what to make of other dogs, but seems to enjoy their company. In addition, we believe it best that Antonia not go to a home with young children. As you can imagine, after such neglect, Antonia has been a little hand shy at times and we don’t want to set her up for failure.

If interested in adopting Antonia, please visit our website (www.trioanimalfoundation.org) and click on the adoption icon. There you’ll find information about our adoption program as well as the application

The post Once Infested With Maggots, Antonia Is Now Like a New Dog! appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Wallace was found as a stray by a wonderful Chicago police officer named Tammy. Tammy is also the police officer that found Halo (more about Halo another time). She is pretty amazing and went above and beyond to save both dogs.

Wallace was found as a stray by a wonderful Chicago police officer named Tammy. Tammy is also the police officer that found Halo (more about Halo another time). She is pretty amazing and went above and beyond to save both dogs.

Wallace’s medical team estimates he is 12-13 years old. He has large growths on several locations over his body. This includes a perianal tumor which is likely the result of high testosterone levels from not being neutered. He has muscle atrophy consistent with aging. He is thin. His eye was infected from a large upper eyelid growth that is scratching his eye, which is covered in thick, goopy discharge. He had open wounds on one of his rear legs with draining tracts. His spleen was enlarged via palpation during his physical exam. His ears are filthy and inflamed. He has diarrhea.

In order to be sure we knew exactly what we were dealing with, we authorized a myriad of tests:

-Fine needle aspirate of the 4 major growths: one under his neck, one on the back of his leg, one on the side of his leg and one on his side. 
-Culture of the draining fluid from the open wounds on his other rear leg
-X-rays of his chest and abdomen
-Full blood panel
-Eye staining
-Ear cytology
-Fecal test
-Urinalysis

We have received the results from many of the tests:
-His vet was concerned he might have blastomycosis and wanted to send off a blood test to help aid his diagnosis. Blastomycosis is a systemic fungal infection. The most common sites of clinically apparent infection in dogs include the lungs, lymph nodes, eyes, skin, and bone. Fortunately the test for blastomycosis was negative.
-Bloodwork was mostly normal, with an increase in white blood cells consistent with infection.
-Heartworm test: positive
-X-rays showed his spleen was enlarged, but there were no obvious masses anywhere else in his body. His heart shows no sign of physiological changes from heartworm disease.
-Fine needle aspirates showed several of the growths were inflamed lymph nodes. He has no signs of lymphoma or other cancer, which leads us to believe the inflammation of his spleen and lymph nodes are due to the overall infection his system is fighting.
-Antibiotics for open wounds started. After 3 days there was no improvement so a stronger antibiotic was started.
-Eye stain was negative for corneal ulcers so drops were started with plans to remove the growth.
-Urinalysis was clear minus some white blood cells. He is drinking and urinating a significant amount.
-Ear cytology showed a significant yeast infection in his ears and they were cleaned and treated.
-His fecal was negative so he was started on probiotics to help restore the natural flora in his gut.

Friday Wallace underwent surgery to be neutered and have the eye growth removed. He recovered easily. Now that Wallace is neutered, the perianal tumor should diminish in size. He has been on strong antibiotics now for 4 days and there is significant improvement in the wounds on his legs, his increased drinking/urinating, and his eye is no longer infected. His ears are clean and less inflamed. Overall, Wallace is doing very well. He will remain hospitalized until we can recheck his bloodwork later this week to ensure his infections have cleared up. We will also come up with a game plan to treat his heartworm disease once the other issues have been resolved.

On October 4^th they shared an update with supporters:

Amazing news… the Chicago police officer who found Wallace on the side of the road has adopted him!

When 12-13 year old Wallace came into TAF’s care he was an absolute mess and needed to be hospitalized for 2 weeks. In that time he underwent a multitude of tests, treatments and even surgery to keep him comfortable for the twilight time that Wallace has left with his mom. 

When Tammy arrived to pick up her buddy Wallace, he walked over and buried his face in her arms. It was obvious that he remembered the kindness she showed him when he was not feeling well and all alone. He wouldn’t leave her side, and as they walked out the door, we swore there was a spring in his step!

Officer Tammy… thank you so much for all that you do to help the homeless dogs in the city of Chicago!

The post Tumor-Ridden Senior Dog Is Adopted by the Heroic Police Officer Who Saved Him appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

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!

The post Dog on the Absolute Brink of Death Makes an Unbelievable Recovery appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

When Porkchop was brought to Chicago’s One Tail at a Time rescue, he seemed like any other healthy dog.  But when his foster mom took him to the vet for urinary tract issues, it was discovered that he had over 50 BBs lodged in his abdomen and groin area!  Porkchop suffered through horrific abuse, but now he is living a life of luxury after being adopted into a loving home with a brother he loves already.

After his owner died, Porkchop wandered the streets until he was rescued by a shelter in Carbondale, Illinois, who turned him over to sister shelter One Tail at a Time.  The Lab-shepherd mix was a sweetheart, and no one would have guessed what kind of hell he had been put through.

But it was made clear when his foster mom brought him to a vet, suspecting that he had urinary tract issues.  The X-ray revealed he had been shot over 50 times, the BBs still embedded in his lower half.  It was rumored that neighbors shot at the poor boy while he wandered the cold streets, frightened and alone.

“You would never know anything negative happened to him,” said Anna Friedman, adoption manager at OTAT.  “The resiliency of animals and dogs specifically is always really amazing. The dogs don’t tend to dwell on the negative, so hopefully we can all look at the more positive side of things with this.”

Because the BBs pose no threat to his health, they will not be removed.  Extracting so many foreign objects could lead to infection, so it was determined that the benefit did not outweigh the risk.

After Porkchop’s story was made known, a number of applications to adopt him came in.  The lucky adopter was Dr. Teuber, one of OTAT’s veterinarians.  He was sent to his new home with a cornucopia of new toys and other goodies that his supporters kindly sent to him via Amazon.

It’s only been a couple of days since his adoption, but OTAT says he is getting along great with his new brother Dino, who is silly and plays like him.

The post Dog Shot over 50 Times Adopted by Loving Family appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

A new bill signed into law in Illinois will allow for a canine therapy assistant to be present in the courtroom.  It’s aim is to have the dog be a comfort to victims of crimes that are very traumatic like child abuse or exploitation, or in the event that there’s someone developmentally disabled and needed to be present for proceedings.

Hopefully, people will feel more at ease and a bit more protected.  Being in a courtroom for some is stressful enough.  When someone is put on the witness stand to testify can be even worse.

If victims felt more at ease, some of the difficulties associated with getting a victim to stand up for themselves, and in general make life a bit more bearable for them.  This seems to be a growing trend in many places.  Funeral homes have therapy dogs, and they are even cropping up with young students in classrooms.  Keep a look out, as you state or county may be next to follow suit!

The post Chicago County Court to Put Therapy Dog in Courtroom appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Usually, the latter group people are all talk. Yet sometimes, these hang-ups can have violent, often tragic results. Just ask Fifty.

Due to his massive wounds, Fifty’s owners could no longer afford to keep him, so Fifty landed in a high-kill shelter. Luckily, he was saved by Doberman Rescue Plus, and eventually found a permanent home with Kelly Michael, who loves pit bulls regardless of their bad publicity.

Kelly was smitten with Fifty as soon as they met. “As soon as I met him, it felt right and I knew he was my soulmate,” she says. Now, she and Fifty are working to educate the community in and around Chicago about pit bulls and the misconceptions about the breed. Kelly says that she’s going to keep working until pit bulls are as loved and accepted as any other breed.

The post This Pit Bull Was Brutally Injured For Being ‘Violent,’ But Now We Know The Truth appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.