Medical Fund Stories

Lily

Lily was a paralyzed, seven-year-old dog who loved humans, but not other animals. We worked to get her the medical treatment she needed for her leg paralysis. Unfortunately, life is not always what we want it to be. Lily was eventually diagnosed with cancer and we knew the best path was to let her live out her days with the people she loved the most.

So she became a member of our shelter family, spending most of her days surrounded by the little humans she loved the most in our Humane Education program, and barking at all of the bigger humans in our offices, to get attention and lovies. With all the strikes against her—her misunderstood breed, her paralysis, a skin condition—she never wavered in her love of life and her humans. She worked her way into all of our hearts and found her family with us. Families take on different forms and look different. She was ours and we were hers.

Her story shouldn't make you sad. Lily spent the last year of her life doing the things that made her the happiest. She gave and received love from staff and volunteers, played ball at Chicago White Sox field, was welcomed as a member of the Brookfield Police Department K9 Unit, played with her favorite giant egg toy, and ate all the ice cream she could handle.

As we sat with her in her last moments, we were so grateful she was able to teach kids that differences make you special, that pit bulls are a magical combination of sassy and sweet, and that no matter what your circumstance is in life, you need to find joy.

Although Lily's journey looked different, her legacy will live on, and we are all forever changed by Miss Lilith Ann Marie and her zest for life, no matter what.
 

Logan

Logan was part of a litter that suffered from a case of canine parvovirus in 2021. This left his immune system severely compromised, resulting in him catching an upper respiratory infection. Logan needed to spend two days at the emergency vet where he had to be put in isolation and receive fluids to help his tiny body bounce back. Fortunately, Logan is a fighter and was able to recover and go home to his new family!

Bella Donna

Bella Donna came to us from the La Grange Park Police department as a stray. Her ears were terribly infected, so much so that it had caused a complete hardening and closure of her ear canals. We can only imagine the pain she endured during that process. Thankfully, our Medical Director, Dr. Kristin Tvrdik, was able to get her on medication to halt the infection and ease her discomfort.

However, the damage was done from her end stage ear infection and her journey wasn't over there. She underwent two procedure to remove her ear canals in order to live a life free from pain. Her loving foster home supported her throughout this ordeal and, after realizing they couldn't live without her, adopted her.

Saint Gin

Saint Gin came to us as a two-year-old Great Pyrenees from southern Illinois. We don’t know the extent of his previous situation, but we do know he was severely neglected. When Saint Gin arrived at our partner shelter, Washington County Animal Control, he had a limp and was so malnourished that his fur was falling out. On a feeding schedule of at least three small meals per day, he slowly began gaining weight and his fur started to fill back in. The results of an initial x-ray on his leg were inconclusive but showed abnormalities of the femur and tibia, possibly from an infection from skin contamination. Despite it all, he seems to love lif and is always happy no matter what. After taking him home to foster, an HHS staff member decided to formally adopt him and he is now the spoiled king of the castle.

Sultan

Sultan was hit by a car in November 2020 and had been left outside untreated ever since. His leg was broken and infected. The poor guy was surrendered to Aurora Animal Care & Control because the other dogs he lived with were starting to pick on him, likely due to his injury. Sultan was a bit traumatized, with good reason, but still a very friendly dog and let staff members pet and walk him. Six months outside in this kind of pain was too much for anyone to have to endure. The Zach Leathers Emergency Medical Fund allowed us to quickly get his leg amputated and help this sweet boy on the road to recovery.

Sultan was adopted in July 2021.

Honey

Honey came to us from Tennessee with a broken femur and dislocated hip. Shockingly, she also had evidence of being shot with a BB gun. West Suburban Veterinary Associates amputated her leg to give her a better quality of life. As energetic and happy-go-lucky as she was, we aren't sure if she even noticed. Honey was adopted in 2021.

Paco

Paco came to us from Chicago Animal Care & Control (CACC) at around three years old. He is a sweet boy who was found outside, where his injury likely occurred. Whether it was a car, animal, or fence-jumping injury... he isn't saying. He had a chronic hip dislocation and his knee was also damaged, so the recommended procedure according to our veterinarian and a second opinion was amputation, which took place successfully in mid-March of 2021. He was happily adopted only a month later.

Linka

Linka came to us from southern Illinois in 2020 with a unique condition: it appeared as though she was born with an only partially-formed front leg. Dr. Kristin and her team made the decision to amputate in an effort to give her the best quality of life. Once she had her surgery, she was up and running in no time and getting into mischief. She was adopted quickly by a loving family of HHS supporters and is living her best life with them now.