 Chevy, a DCAS alum currently in foster with Animal Heartline, has been wiating for over a year for her family. Click on the photo for more information on her!
Each year DuPage County Animal Services provides care and shelter for ~2,500 animals! This would not be possible without the dedication of shelter staff, volunteers, and partnering animal rescue groups that transfer animals struggling in the shelter into their care where they can relax in a foster home before they are adopted. This holiday season we want to say a special thank you to all of our rescue partners who have, so far this year, helped us save whopping 442 animals of all species, ages, and sizes! This amazing effort has helped find these 442 animals homes while also opening up cage space here at the shelter for the constant stream of incoming animals.
Each and every rescue that partners with DCAS to save lives is amazing, and we are so thankful for their dedication to saving the lives of homeless pets in DuPage County. In this issue we would like to give a special shout-out to rescue partners Animal Heartline Humane Association, Chicagoland Animal Rescue, and Fur Angels Animal Sanctuary, groups that have rescued the most animals in the categories of cat, dog, and small animal so far in 2019.
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Animal Heartline Humane Association-Rescued 26 dogs, 4 cats, & 5 birds
Animal Heartline Humane Association is a foster based rescue group that is dedicated to finding homes for stray and unwanted pets. An amazing rescue, Animal Heartline has stepped up time and time again when DCAS had a dog that just wasn't able to handle the shelter environment and needed a foster home to flourish. Never afraid to take on a challenge, the foster volunteers for Animal Heartline have welcomed the high energy dogs, the behaviorally challenging dogs, the dogs that just plain lacked manners, or were overlooked by other fosters and rescues.
Under the loving care of Animal Heartline foster volunteers each dog has been able to flourish and many have found their furever homes! Some however, are still waiting, including Chevy who has waited for over a year, and we would love to help to them find a family to be thankful for!
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Fredo: 1yr old, neutered male, Pit Bull mix
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Chevy: 6yr old, spayed female, Pit Bull mix
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Speckles: 2yr old, spayed female, Pit Bull mix
Click here to learn more about how to adopt one of the amazing adoptables at Animal Heartline Humane Association!
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Chicagoland Animal Rescue- Rescued 44 cats
Chicagoland Animal Rescue is an all-volunteer foster home rescue that is committed to finding loving, furever homes for abandonded or unwanted cats. A regular rescue partner of DCAS, Chicagoland Animal Rescue is dedicated to providing freedom rides for shelter cats, including many seniors, which helps DCAS save more lives by clearing up much needed cage space.
Chicagoland Animal Rescue does a wonderful job finding the best homes for the cats in their care. They do however have some lovely DCAS alums still looking for their homes. We'd love to see them home for the holidays!
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Landslide: 4yr old, spayed female, DSH
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Thunderboop: 1yr old, neutered male, DSH
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Cozy: 11 month old, spayed female, DSH
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October: 1yr old, spayed female, DSH
Click here to learn more about how to adopt one of the amazing adoptables at Chicagoland Animal Rescue!
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Fur Angels Animal Sanctuary-Rescued 13 hamsters, 29 Guinea PIgs, 16 birds, 3 reptiles, 1 rabbit, 1 chinchilla, 1 ferret, 3 mice, 1 rat, 1 gerbil, 6 dogs, and 4 cats
Fur Angels Animal Sanctaury is an all volunteer, foster-based animal rescue that works tirelelssly to give all animals a second chance at finding a forever home. An amazing rescue for many animals, Fur Angels is a go-to contact for DCAS when there are rabbits, guinea pigs,birds and other small animals in need. In the past month, Fur Angels has taken in 16 animals from DCAS which has opened up a lot of much needed cage space at the shelter!
Fur Angels has taken in so many small animals from DCAS and we want to help them all find a home for the holidays! Interested in adding a small companion to your home? Consider adopting from Fur Angels!
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DuPage County Animal Services strives to provide the best care for each and every animal that comes through the shelter doors. This would not be possible without the endless dedication of the many rescue groups that partner with DCAS. DCAS staff would like to thank each of our amazing rescue partners that have done so much to provide homes for the homeless pet population of DuPage County. Thank you for your tireless efforts, for your endless dedication, and for your boundless love! We could not do what we do without your help!
 Click on the picture for a look at the festivities
DCAS really has the very best volunteers! Who else but Orange Paw Volunteers Amy, Susie, & Marie would think to set up a whole Thanksgiving themed spread to entertain and enrich the lives of shelter dogs? Everyone got to enjoy a tiny taste of turkey, sweet potatos, and other dog & cat friendly treats on their own, animal-level table! After dining, animal guests were invited to play with stuffed turkies and enjoy snuggles and playtime. We are so thankful every day for the immeasurable contributions of our loving and dedicated volunteers.
Interested in becoming a volunteer and being a part of the fun? Please visit the DCAS website for more information!
We, at DCAS, are thankful for all you, who make up such an amazing community of animal lovers. When we created the #DupageSaves hashtag, it wasn't to pat ourselves on the back—it was because of YOU, DuPage County (and beyond). With your help, we were able to find rescue placement for Raymond which utlimately led to his finding a furever home, Toast was fostered and then adopted, and Speckles is content and happy in foster. We could not save lives without the help of each and every one of you. Thank you again and again for supporting DCAS and caring so much for the animals that need us most!
Thanksgiving is a time for family gatherings and feasts but can be a potential safety hazard for our animal companions. Pets won't have anything to be thankful for if they dine on turkey carcasses or nibble on pet-unfriendly floral arrangements. Use these tips to keep your pet healthy and safe this holiday season and have many more years with you to be thankful for!
Please remember when you are visiting for the holidays that not all pets will be as overjoyed to see you as you are to see them. Allow animals time to adjust to your presence and decide whether and when they want to interact with you.
Visit the ASPCA and and AVMA websites for more tips to make this holiday as enjoyable for your pet as it is for you.
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It's that time of the year again. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and families will be gathering and feasts will be prepared. While we might love this togetherness and time to bond, our furry family members might find the overabundance of not so familiar faces in the home to be alarming. You might find that your pet is not as interested in meeting new friends as you had hoped for.
If you find that your canine family memeber is less than enthused about the holiday guests, Treat & Retreat is an effective training tool to turn an uncomfortable or tense interaction into a positive one. Even better, it's simple! Here's how it works:
- Upon entering the home, have your visitor turn his/her side to the dog, giving the dog as much space as possible.
- When the dog notices your vistor, have the visitor toss a treat behind the dog. If your dog doesn’t move to eat it, back up and reset. If your dog does, great!
- When your dog looks back towards your visitor, toss another treat behind her.
- Start varying where your visitor tosses the treat. One toss will be between your visitor and the dog, the next goes behind the dog again. This keeps the dog moving but also gives him/her frequent “breaks” from being close to your visitor.
- Most dogs will quickly start to approach between treat tosses. Reward every forward movement, no matter how slight, towards the visitor. Again, toss the treat behind the dog.
Helpful Tips
- Never punish a dog for growling or barking at a stranger. We want our pets to tell us they are uncomfortable so we can help them make posiitve choices.
- A stranger should never attempt to feed your dog by hand. This can create unneccesary tension.
- Always work within your dog's comfort level. Never force an interaction that is making your dog nervous or stressed. Treat & Retreat is a great tool to increase comfort with stranger but your dog may still decide that distance is best and that is okay!
- Keep it short and sweet, a few minutes at a time keeps "lessons" fun for everyone.
And never forget, a little management goes a long way. Setting your dog up in a calm space whether that be a crate or a bedroom with some toys,chews, and soft music will keep them safe and happy. A little quiet time may be all the holiday celebration they need!
For more information check out this article and video from pethelpful.com.
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