ZLEMF Success Stories
Here you’ll find the stories of the sweet babies who were helped by Zach’s fund, along with the stories of the special care each of them needed. Our thanks to the Leathers family for making this possible, and our thanks to you for considering a matching donation to help even more animals in need.
Noah
Coming on the heels of Betty was another starvation case that deeply affected HHS staff. One afternoon, we found an emaciated and lethargic dog tied up right outside our front door. Even though we were open, someone chose to abandon this dog who desperately needed medical intervention. Not only was he malnourished, but he had an abcess on his face and healing scars all over his body. We had no idea what this dog had been through, but we knew he needed help.
We immediately rushed him to Veterinary Emergency Group Oak Brook, where they provided lifesaving care and kept him under observation until he was stable enough to be released into our care. We decided to name him Noah, after a very special dog in our past who we weren’t able to save. Despite his ordeal, Noah turned out to be a gentle and loving dog who wanted to be friends with every human, dog, or cat he came across. After spending some time in foster, he was finally healthy enough to be adopted and found his forever home in June 2024.
Betty
In February 2024, we learned about Betty – a dog found trapped inside a plastic container with no food or water, forced to eat her own waste to survive. A small hole was the only thing that kept her from suffocating. By the time she was rescued, she was severely emaciated and matted, needing to be shaved down completely.
After emergency care at MedVet Chicago, Betty came to us to continue her recovery. Our veterinary and foster teams carefully managed her nutrition to prevent refeeding syndrome, and through it all, her sweet spirit never wavered.
Thanks to the Zach Leathers Emergency Medical Fund – and the compassion of her caregivers – Betty made a full recovery and found the loving home she always deserved.
Marilyn
Marilyn first came to HHS in 2021 as a healthy young lady. She was quickly adopted but soon seemed to be urinating outside of the litter box. This is often a sign of bladder or kidney issues in cats, and her owners brought her to the vet several times to get to the bottom of things. Unfortunately, they could never find an underlying reason for her issues, and decided to relinquish her after two years of struggle.
Thanks to our Zach Leathers Emergency Medical Fund, we were able to bring Marilyn to our friends at VCA Aurora Animal Hospital. They deduced that Marilyn needed an episioplasty, a surgery to remove excess tissue that was partially blocking her urethra. The tissue was preventing Marilyn from urinating efficiently and made it seem like she was going outside the box as urine leaked out. The surgery allowed Marilyn to finally live comfortably with the help of medication.
Colonel Mustard
Colonel Mustard was brought in to our clinic for TNR surgery from our local partner CatVando. He had been frequenting a yard of one of their regular feral cat caretakers. On arrival to the HHS clinic for his neuter procedure, it was discovered that he had severe Feline Gingivostomatitis, similar to Stephen’s story. He was drooling blood-tinged fluid, had significant URI symptoms, and overall was not a candidate for TNR and release due to these illnesses. Luckily, Colonel Mustard was not feral and could be admitted into our adoption program where he could receive the care he needed. He was scheduled for a Full Mouth Extraction with our local boarded veterinary dentist. Unfortunately, there are a small percentage of cats for whom FME does not completely resolve the symptoms of pain and inflammation. Colonel Mustard was one of these refractory cases, so we placed him on several medications to reduce the immune response in his mouth. We are happy to announce that he found his forever home with his foster family.
Stephen
Stephen arrived at HHS from a partner shelter in Indiana, where they noticed that he was unable to eat because of a severe dental problem. He was suffering from a condition called stomatitis, a painful inflammation of the gums and mouth that essentially results from the cat being allergic to its own teeth. There is no cure and the recommended treatment is complete dental extraction. Thanks to the Zach Leathers Emergency Medical Fund, Stephen was able to receive treatment and is now happily recovering without pain.
Davis
When Davis was neutered at Chicago Animal Care and Control, vets discovered he was struggling to breathe. X-rays showed a severe diaphragmatic hernia – his abdominal organs had shifted into his chest, squeezing his heart and lungs. Without surgery, he wouldn’t have survived. Thanks to the Zach Leathers Emergency Medical Fund, we were able to act quickly and get him to a specialist.
On September 13, 2023, Davis underwent complex surgery at VCA Aurora Animal Hospital. The surgeon confirmed the hernia was massive and likely something Davis was born with. After two days in the hospital and some recovery time with one of our staff – rocking his adorable little stockinet – Davis made a full recovery.
Not long after, he found his forever home, where he now spends his days happily playing with his cat and dog siblings.
Wyoming
Wyoming came to us from Texas, where she was at risk of euthanasia due to severe pet overpopulation. After six weeks in our care, she found her forever home — but just days later, she collapsed and was rushed to an emergency clinic. She was in anaphylactic shock, likely from something as simple as a bug bite.
Thanks to the Zach Leathers Emergency Medical Fund, we were able to say “yes” to the urgent treatment she needed. After 48 hours of intensive care — fluids, medication, and monitoring to stabilize her blood pressure and fight liver damage — Wyoming made a full recovery.
Today, she’s healthy, happy, and thriving with her adoptive family.
Charlie
Charlie’s previous owners reached out to HHS when he suffered a femur fracture. They were unable to afford an expensive treatment plan or commit to the rigorous physical therapy that would follow stabilization of the fracture. Because of the Zach Leathers Emergency Medical Fund, we were able to say yes to taking Charlie into our medical care and he quickly saw an orthopedic surgeon who created a plan for him. After a rough start to life, Charlie was adopted in November 2023 and is now living happily with his forever family.
Penny
Penny came to us in January 2023 from an Illinois animal control partner and was originally said to be only a few years old. After arriving and getting her first medical examination, it was determined that Penny was actually a senior cat. HHS runs labwork on all of our senior pets and Penny was found to have hyperthyroidism, which is an illness that can cause chronic vomiting and weight loss despite a ravenous appetite. We started her on daily medications to combat this disease, she quickly became a staff favorite, and even made an appearance as a celebrity guest at our Unleashed fundraiser event! Although Penny gained weight and her coat became shiny, follow-up labwork showed that her kidney values were slightly elevated, which can often be the case after medication is started to control hyperthyroidism. At this time, HHS determined that Penny’s treatment plan would benefit from a thorough internal medicine workup and ultrasound. The Zach Leathers Emergency Medical Fund allowed us to send her for this thorough evaluation and she is being well-managed and thriving in her new home!
Gregory
Gregory came to us as a puppy in 2022 showing symptoms of hypospadias, a birth defect in males in which the urethra forms abnormally and in the wrong spot, making urination challenging.
Our Medical Director, Dr. Kristin Tvrdik, determined the procedure was too tricky to perform in our medical clinic, so Gregory was treated at VCA Aurora clinic thanks to Zach’s Fund. Gregory’s surgeon amputated the deformity and redirected his urinary tract so he could eliminate comfortably and without issues.
Thanks to this specialized surgery, Gregory is now living his best life in his forever home!
Lily
Lily was a seven-year-old dog who couldn’t use her back legs but never lost her love for people. We got her the care she needed, but life had other plans — she was later diagnosed with cancer. So, we made sure she spent her remaining days surrounded by the humans she loved most.
She became part of our shelter family, greeting staff with barks for attention, spending time with kids in our Humane Education program, and reminding everyone that joy doesn’t depend on circumstances. Despite her challenges — paralysis, skin issues, and her misunderstood breed — Lily lived every day with pure happiness.
She spent her last year doing what she loved: playing ball on the White Sox field, joining the Brookfield Police K9 Unit for a day, chasing her favorite giant egg toy, and eating all the ice cream she wanted.
In her final moments, we were grateful for everything she taught us — that differences make you special, that pit bulls are equal parts sassy and sweet, and that love and joy can shine through anything.
Lily’s story isn’t a sad one. It’s a reminder that family can take many forms — and she found hers with us.
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.
