https://www.facebook.com/603227499870241/

LEAD Rescue, NFP

Home
United States
Chicago, IL
LEAD Rescue, NFP

Lead Rescue is here to rescue dogs and place them in foster homes, until a suitable adopter comes our way! We are a no-kill, all breed dog rescue. L.E.A.D.
(8)

Permanently closed.

Rescue supports any dog that needs a second chance. We may never know how or why they ended up in certain situations, but it doesn't matter. is here for them to make sure they receive the life they deserve.

12/07/2021

“You got a dream. You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it.” -The Pursuit of Happyness

It is with a heavy heart that I announce LEAD has decided to come to an end. Since 2017 LEAD has been on one incredible journey after another, bringing families together with a furry new friend. But LEAD this time is a "follower" and after Ellen Degeneres decided to say goodbye as well (the dream was to always be on that show, well prior to the recent findings), we thought it was best to see ourselves out now too. I guess I’ll just have to make some viral good deed video to make my way to 15 minutes of fame or learn idk about the planets. Have you seen those baby geniuses?

LEAD started and ended as a mission to help dogs out of all different situations. And for over 250 dogs, they LIVE to see another day in new homes. And that’s why I’m okay to close this chapter for my family’s well being and for my health. Being a mom to a one year old, he deserves full mommy mode, not part time kid servant and full time worry wart. I want to grow old happily and not sport a grey muzzle quite yet.

I gotta say, LEAD Rescue was the best conversation I could ask for. The dogs were always something I looked forward to writing about on the train, during my son's naptime, every Monday. I finally had an outlet to share about my most favorite thing in the world. Dogs are not just my livelihood. Dogs were my sole purpose of existing. But running a rescue on a completely volunteer basis outside of a full time job is, I'll say it, a lot of work! It is emotional, rewarding, draining, compassionate, voluntary, and selfless. And if you ever felt burnt out, try it when you have 25+ living, breathing animals counting on you to fix it ALL. It’s NOT just puppies needing homes and it IS harder than it looks.

But let me tell you, when I made this private decision, I had to deny a 3 month old purebred Husky whose owner keeps buying then regretting, 3 hypo fluffy butts-one of which was going to be given away at the dry cleaners, a chihuahua (because that one isn't unusual), the Turner and H***h dog, a bunch of people aggressive dogs (LEAD couldn't work with those anyways), a dog in a wheelchair whose owners didn't want to clean up after anymore, 2 puppy Puli mixes (man I wanted to see the dreads on them), a dog whose humans work too many hours to have, a litter of puppies, a neglected pooch, two Chihuahuas left in boarding when their owner passed, and 3 dogs who couldn't find placement in Southern IL. THIS IS THE STUFF THAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST. Feeling helpless, knowing every dog LEAD takes in or has taken in, there are 5,000 more waiting for their turn. I am sorry for those that needed us now. I will come back one day, maybe under another rescue's guidance.

Thankfully, LEAD was always financially stable due to the generosity of the public. Just so you all know, COVID did not cause this decision. In fact the pandemic strengthened and empowered our rescue and we never ran out of funds because you guys never let us. Every dog was taken care of as if they were our own with no limit. We also had an influx of foster homes, which kept us on our toes but made it worthwhile. We appreciate each foster home that welcomed a homeless 4 legged nobody and turned them into a LEADer. And LEAD had the most dedicated board members/coordinators who did a ton of heavy lifting. Without them, LEAD could have ended much, much earlier. I’ve been dying to use the above quote by the way. It struck such a chord in my heart because even though it’s time to say goodbye, I know I did it. And no one could take this dream away from me. I made something out of nothing, gaining new friends, volunteer and LEADership experience, and literally saving dogs from completely different outcomes.

I will always love dogs forever and ever. I mean it literally was the acronym, L.ove E.verything A.bout D.ogs. I just had to put that in there because I don’t want people to remember us as LEAD, 4 measley letters that spell out the UK version of leash or a type of poison. I do hope people remember each dog’s journey from rescue to adoption. That’s a good memory to always have. Just do me one solid. Please keep fostering, volunteering, educating, rescuing, spaying and neutering and ultimately adopting. Just because LEAD is no longer, doesn’t mean the dogs don’t keep coming. All rescues and shelters need you: their own version of a LEADer! I already know which organizations I'll be looking at to adopt and volunteer from. Please approve me!

As for the forward plans, we've connected with the organization that helped us when we first got into this whole endeavor - South Suburban Humane Society. They were a model that we loved and they were always there to help answer questions and offer support (thank you again, Emily Klehm!). And just as they did in the beginning they are offering help to us in the end. They helped us adopt out Simba, who had no foster to turn to and we did not want him fading into the darkness of boarding. We always hope every placement is forever, but we all know that reality is never what we hoped for. SSHS has agreed to assist with any LEAD dogs which may need to be surrendered in the future, and as such they will be the beneficiary of any remaining assets of LEAD Rescue, NFP upon dissolution. We are super proud to be able to give them something in return for the great work they continue to do. If you are interested in adopting, please go check them out!

And as I say farewell to this beautiful organization that gave me “courage, integrity, courage…again, and never had a reason to be litigious” (this FRIENDS show is probably the only contender of what I love as much as dogs), I want to say THANK YOU to everyone for your support and love of everything about dogs!

“Bow wow old friend. Bow wow.”~Parker on of course, "FRIENDS"

Love always,
Michelle
Former Founder, President, Writer, Dog Lover, Dog and Human Mom to LEAD alum, Tum Tum
LEAD Rescue, NFP ❤️🐶

10/12/2021

"What should I tell the original owner? She asks for updates, but we don't have any real updates to share except, we still have your dogs since January."-E&S's foster

LEAD has always wanted to help dogs where we can. It started with strays and then went into owner surrenders and then went into strays, owner surrenders, whatever else showed up. But for the most part, owner surrenders were more likely to enter the rescue than anything else simply because we were able to get more information about a dog from the original owner and fosters would step up because of it. Yes, I know we have been lied to multiple times on how great a dog is, but I don't blame the dog still. And we are thankful to those fosters who pushed through all the "extra" to save a life.

We have told everyone from the start that we keep in contact with the original owners (if they want) to show them the new adopted family. We do get questioned by original owners wondering if we are a real rescue and not a scam to get their dogs. Without a doubt, I make sure to let them know you can look up LEAD online and know that all that paperwork to form a NFP was not for nothing. Some dogs get adopted quickly by their fosters and good for those dogs. It's an easier transition when it goes smoothly like that. But some, just some, stay put with us for weeks or a few months. And that can be hard news to hear from an owner who had to give them up. But recently, it seems like the dogs I've posted have been the ones who finally catch their break!

Emilio and Sasha. I'm not sure how many times I have reposted these guys but eventually it started to feel like absolutely no one gave a dog's b***y about. Their foster took them in back in January temporarily, in the hopes that another foster or adopter would take them in. But we definitely put the cart before the horse because we know bonded pairs take longer to place (although if you don't try, how would you know?). I just thought that someone would be dying for a Border Collie Lab and could be ok taking in the little tag along dog. Let's face the truth. If you saw Emilio at the shelter in a sea of bully breeds, you mean to tell me he would be there for almost a whole year? I thinkth not. Of course, everyone saw Sasha and applied for her even though her name on PetFinder was Sasha (bonded with Emilio). That wasn't like a cool AKC name or a well thought out typo. No, Emilio is an actual dog, her brother, her ride or die that must go with to "Sasha's" new home. And you couldn't miss Emilio (bonded with Sasha) either with his 80 lb body, who is allergic to alot of ingredients in food, dust and cats, and has an excessive need for attention via whining.

So the updates to their original owner were kinda redundant. The dogs are good. No apps yet. The dogs are good. No apps yet. We had an app...but no the dogs are still good. However, even though the light seemed always dim, their "temp" foster committed to them the entire time. She's happy to know that they didn't end up somewhere else and every conversation was that they are super duper easy to take care of. LEAD and her were giving them the best chance to find a home regardless of how long it was taking. We reduced their fees then eventually waived them completely, and agreed an out of state adoption was possible if a good app was sent our way. Although adoption fees help with vetting and what not, it just wasn't worth it to take in a dime if it prevented these angels from being adopted. By the way, Emilio already spent his fee on the special diet he eats.

In a last ditch effort, we were thinking of transferring them to a more well known group. It felt like the amount of time they were with us, they could be HOME within a couple days with a new rescue. As we arranged a time and a date and felt TERRIBLE to make this decision, 3 days before drop off, we got an email that eventually turned into an incredible application!

These wonderful people, who we are blessed to show you, are Emilio and Sasha's new family. They told us that they had always talked about adopting a senior for their next dog and even better if they could find a bonded pair of seniors. There was nothing that could get in their way of the adoption. There were no competitors. No other dogs or cats they had to get used to them. NOTHING was stopping them from the best word ever in rescue: ADOPTION. We then let their original owner know their dogs were more than just good. Congrats to Emilio (bonded with Sasha) and Sasha (bonded with Emilio)! I can just call you Milo (new name) and Sasha from now on!

09/22/2021

"Whoa, whoa whoa, Ms. Lippy! The part of the story I don't like is that the little boy gave up looking for his puppy after an hour. He didn't put posters up or anything. He just sat on the porch like a goon and waited. That little boy's gotta think, ‘You got a pet. You got a responsibility.' If your dog is lost you don't look for an hour then call it quits? You get your ass out there, and you find that ****ing dog"~Billy Madison

I wonder if that's what happened with Sparrow since her owners have still never been found. We have had Sparrow since December 2020-I know don't bring up 2020 ever-and still can't wrap our heads around how she ended up on the streets by herself. Or how does any dog end up that way. No one saw her being dumped. No one saw a car speed off. No one saw her run out of her yard. No one called or contacted us. No one recognized her and said that’s Ms, Garrett’s old girl who lives in that big yellow home at the end of the block. But I guess after almost an entire year with LEAD (we did do a shelter hold for those that don't know Sparrow's beginning) with her face plastered all over our site, she is off to her permanent home with someone that would spend more than an hour looking!

Sparrow absolutely had a home before becoming a “stray” and probably a nice one too. Obedient, loving, almost too perfect in many aspects, and was a senior when picked up. So for those past 7-8 years, she most definitely spent them in someone's home or lap even. If the owner passed away, wouldn't someone notice this big dog was missing at some point?

Anyways, Sparrow was not the most popular beauty for LEAD. And going along with our where did she come from, we also wondered why she almost celebrated 1 year with us. Looking primarily like a Doberman, maybe it was part Black Dog syndrome or it's just been that type of year where puppies and small dogs just continually keep winning. Everyone was missing out on the most chill senior who could win your heart over if you just gave it a shot!

But wishes to the stars, a shooting star, a happy birthday wish, and a prayer to the Almighty, finally we were answered. In August, my email notified me that Sparrow was about to leave us all with a perfect application. This new dog momma didn't have anyone to compete with to take home Sparrow. She had applied after she met another Dobie from another rescue and they just didn't hit it off. But Sparrow, good girl, Sparrow. Thanks for giving it your all and putting your best paw forward. You have now found your REAL home with a ginormous yard. Congrats to Sparrow now named Zoey!

09/09/2021

Removing a dog no longer in need of a home off our website is so gratifying.

I literally can’t wait for when the first adoption app comes in for a brand new LEADer. The thrill of reading an app to see who will be granted the privilege of one of our precious royalties. The excitement of hearing all the good things from peoples’ references and setting up the home checks, wishing we could live in that adopter’s castle. The gratification of scheduling the meet and greet knowing someone is about to possibly find their soulmate in dog form. And then bundled all together is the beautiful moment the actual meet happens, a family and dog falls in love, a contract is signed, a notification of the adoption fee has been paid, and the best saved for last-the adoption photo is taken, and the second best saved for last, clicking the dropdown menu and selecting, “Adopted”.

It’s even better when it’s for a dog we weren’t too sure what was going to happen. Gorda, not knowing how she was prior to foster care, worried me. She needed much more decompression time than most especially compared to her siblings/mom, Vaca aka Jane and Canela. While those two embraced foster care, Gorda cowered in her corner trying to be as small and invisible as possible. She needed to be muzzled to go to the vet as you could guess and even outside, she tried to stay as far away from people. But even though she needed to be muzzled to receive veterinary care, it really benefited her. She was missing a critical component towards her health which was making her feel extra cruddy: thyroid medication. With a prescription in place and her amazeballs foster mom, Gorda wasn’t that sad, invisible, hairless potato sack anymore. She blossomed into the chunky, fluffy dog who now finally embraced the good foster life. And ultimately was ready to find her new home.

But our worry was still, where are all the adopters? Gorda had like 5 months to transform and while other pups were taken off the site or added, I kept scrolling past her thinking is she ever going to leave us? The internet reaches millions but maybe Gorda’s code was like a number or letter off. Like if i wrote Pi wrong.

After I decided to repost her looking so fresh and so clean, well 3 more apps were sent our direction. Adopted in JULY, I patiently have been waiting to show off her new family to all of you. But Gorda had to reset and get used to her new family after 5 months being with her fosters.The family by the way is going above and beyond for her and I don't want to keep pestering for a family picture if Gorda hates it. Although you guys don't get to see these wonderful people, here's Gorda sitting upright and proud on a cozy rug, in the place she calls home. There's no rule what an adoption picture has to look like. As long as the dog is happy, we're happy! Congrats to Gorda!

08/24/2021

"I got my Peaches out in...Illinois"~Justin Bieber

Ok, so yeah Georgia is famous for peaches. Idaho, potatoes. Cali, w**d. Chicago, crime *sarcasm*. No, but seriously, Chicago, Illinois should really be famous for dogs. We have a list of delicious Chicago style hot dogs. You can literally take your dog to so many places including boat tours and allover Michigan Avenue. We even have dog breed park meetups and a dog beach dedicated to your pooch having a splashing good time. And one of the best, adopting from your local Chicago based rescue!

In June, Simba and Mabel came into LEAD when their owners' children sadly were too allergic for them to be around. Having to live in the garage for 6 months was the only solution to keeping them. However, one day they had to make the roughest decision as they knew they couldn't possibly leave them outside any longer. They were going to end up at the shelter had we not intervened. There is nothing wrong with shelters by the way, well the good ones. But dropping your beloved pets there does not come easy if there are better solutions just a phone call away.

We were that phone call.

Mabel, as this is what the post is about (sorry Simba), and Simba were not bonded at all. We placed each in their own foster home and it went about as good as it could be. Mabel with her stumpy potato body and tater tot legs, was happy and excited to live with a bunch of kids and another dog. But a couple weeks passed and Mabel became territorial or defensive towards the other dog if her people were around. They squabbled a few times and it was just better to find Mabel a foster home that she could be the only dog.

We received many applications for Mabel and picking someone was not easy. Some dogs get all the best applications and some get absolutely no content except, "I had a dog once, so I want this one." Obvi, we didn't go with that one. But we found this couple, from the burbs, who applied to our smol city rescue. Although not local to us, they were committed to do foster to adopt as we all didn't want Mabel to be bounced around while we waited for her to become available.

So while Simba is off hobbling missing a toe bean, Mabel had been relaxing comfortably in her new home. After waiting almost 2 months for a spay appointment (vets are still backed up), which she eventually went into heat and we had to pay 3 times more for might I add, Mabel is now an official Illinois Peach! Congrats to Peach!

08/17/2021

Monica: It wasn’t your whole toe.
Chandler: Yeah, well i miss the tip. It’s the best part. It has the nail.

Simba who we should really have been calling Sir Limps A Lot will be losing one of his toes on the right. You see, when we took him in to foster, we were not notified of anything “physically” wrong with him. However his foster noticed right away that there was a lump on his right paw.

At the vet, we biopsied the mass. And as unfortunate for Chandler as it is now Simba, it is the dreaded cancer diagnosis. Hoping that we caught it early and to not spread more, the amputation must be done. More than the tip. More than the quick. Goodbye Frito smelling toe bean. There will also be no replacement toe. No tiny carrot on ice to be sewn back on. No one gagging at a toe left in the kitchen.

However instead of accidentally throwing a knife up in the air for surgery, we will be going the more conventional route. The $1,200-$1,500 estimated route. Yes, a simple owner surrender to LEAD will now cost the rescue 5 times more than Simba aka Sir Limps A Lot’s adoption fee. He should be able to walk just fine as he does have his other paws to balance him out. There’s no way though to tell how long he has had this mass and if this will nip the entire cancer situation. Once removed, we will biopsy it again. But we can only pray for good things. A good surgery. A good outcome. And a final home for this pooch.

We hope that our dedicated LEAD supporters will help donate to us and even more so, to Simba. No one is safe from cancer and even though Simba won’t want to rock wicker booties anymore, this is only a small setback.

We have actually been quite shocked no one has typed in Labrador online (purebred too!) and seen this goober looking back at you. Maybe the filter was on puppy or young adult and not perfect senior!

Simba is still available for adoption come September. His adopter will need to know that there will always be a chance cancer could come back and that future surgeries might be a possibility. But if that doesn’t frighten you, good. Because you’ll otherwise miss out on the other amazing things about Simba. He is 9 years old, 101 lbs, child, dog, and cat friendly, housebroken, easy going, mellow, and would do best in a single family home (he has a loud bark) that can take him to dog parks and lots of walkies. Also, we believe he would find comfort with another dog to help him ease into a new home. Simba’s really a big Lab baby and hates to admit it.

So this is a two part ask. Please if you can spare some change for LEAD’s Simba, that would really help with his continued recovery. And if you know someone who wouldn’t mind having this face following you from room to room, please apply to adopt him at leadrescue.org!

08/12/2021

On January 28, 2021 I wrote this adoption post. And 7 months later, I had to rewrite every single word.

I had brought to your attention Archer who needed to find a new home when his current family was not able to continue with his needs. Archer, as goofy and cutesy as he may look, actually had certain requirements before he could make his bed with new people. I can promise you, I wrote and wrote every like and dislike this dog could offer. But like a moth to a flame, almost every single person who applied just saw Great Pyrenees Retriever mix and thought I could use a big dog cuz I'll be the cool kid that has a huge dog. Just like they say about German Shepherds or any other breed: don't get one based on the looks.

We shut down the people who had no dog experience, wanted an easy pup, who had young kids and dogs, who didn't even acknowledge he needed a full fenced yard in a quiet neighborhood, with his own garbage can to engage with for his own "recreational" activities. Nobody had innocent garbage cans they were willing to part with! We are not sorry our reputation is based on placing dogs in appropriate homes that can provide the adequate care our rescue dogs deserve.

However, month after month of more no's than yes's, posting him with new photos but essentially the same information (he was pretty set in his ways) and Archer being in his original home until he could be adopted, his mom didn't know what else to do. Archer was so stubborn and bullheaded that he was causing much more frustration than happiness around the people who owned him. We pondered if LEAD was the right fit because we were getting zilch that fit the criteria. We are a city based organization where almost all our fosters live in a high rise, may not feel comfortable with a 115 lb horse, or had their own pets-which Archer could not live with.

We empathized. We circled. We had no answers.

So, in agreement with his owner, we began the journey of trying to find another rescue to transfer Archer. LEAD has never done this and have always been able to scrape by somehow with our itty bitty group. We tried Great Pyrenees rescues in other states, large dog rescues, and other rescues that have more resources/space. I mean if you are applying to a large breed rescue, they gotta have more help than us, right?

More zilching however happened as we were left on "read". Maybe it was summer and no one wanted or could help. Maybe it was because no one wanted Archer and all his needs. Or maybe it is because every rescue and shelter is overpopulated (especially now) in general and why take on a dog that is already in a rescue? We know we were asking for a lot and we do not blame anyone for our situation.

And then somehow before we felt like absolute failures and not LEADers, an angel man appeared...with a garbage can for Archer to make "friends" with. From this adoption picture, it is clear, this is what we were all waiting for. Archer found his literal twin and we literally did the biggest air, virtual high five yet. Now on, August 12, 2021 I can happily post this rewrite. Congrats to Archer!

08/02/2021

I wish I never met you.

Ok, you know how if you’re on the verge of a breakup, people say the above? The tone on that one is vulgar and supposed to get the other person enraged. I mean you’re breaking up lol. But did you also know that saying could also be for a much lighter, lovelier tone towards something or someone you care about? So many of LEAD’s foster families now LEAD adopters probably will relate 😎.

Look fostering is tough. The love or hate relationship cycle goes a little like this. You get a foster dog you probably know nothing about but agreed to take in because you committed to it and really want to enrich their life. You welcome that dog in your home and it either takes to you like your long hair in the wind to sticky lip gloss or it says f*ck you and your sticky lips. They learn you hate dogs on couches. They go on it anyways. You learn they like to drink from the toliet. You now have an extra step in your daily routine and question, “did I forget to close the door?” You finally have a buddy to go to the store with and they have someone to well just take them anywhere dogs are allowed. Day by day, both fall in love or out of with each other and hour by hour you say to yourself, I want this dog forever or you gotta go NOW.

But then another family is about to come into this dog’s life and take away all that time good or bad you spent with this pooch. And all of a sudden the emotions start bursting and that’s when fosters make the decision to adopt their foster dog. Otherwise if you don’t act now, that selfless act of fostering could mean you’re left heartbroken and dogless. That’s when people say, “I wish I never met you cuz you’re coming home with me. Let’s go to the store to spoil you!”

Urkel was just that for his foster mom. From day one with her, it was nothing but happy news about having him. He bonded with her dog like they were old war hero buddies reminiscing what life was like in their early years, he loved everyone he met, he was affectionate and comforting, he wasn’t afraid of fireworks (yay!), and he felt right at home. His foster was in LUVVV.

We assumed Urkel was gonna get the green light for adoption from her. However his foster decided against adopting as she knew her own dog would probably do better with a dog less playful. Sad to let go of her boy, we luckily were able to find the perfect adopter for him. And although she misses him dearly, she can honestly say, “I wish I never met you”, (the good breakup kind), because she was really happy to have! Congrats to Urkel now named Arthur!

07/27/2021

When you don’t have to convince your husband to get another dog, protect him at all costs.

We’ve all been there. You want a pet but you don’t live alone and have to get every one on board. As a part of responsible ownership, everyone has to be ok with another living, breathing, soul. Someone-historically a male-is bound to say no and needs some convincing. But what if the suggestion is to just foster the pet until a home is found? The commitment is only for a bit and you get to fulfill what life would be like if the animal was a part of your life. I mean it’s already in your home and surely *no one” falls in love with their foster pet. See what I’m doing here?

Sanrio went through the ringer trying to find a home which I could only think was because of the season we are in. Highly doubt it was due to her age, her precious face, her remarkable lifesaving story, her ability to live in all different home environments, or her designer breed makeup. People kept saying, “How is she still available?” Maybe I did her wrong. Maybe I couldn’t express how pawsome she was this time around. Nah, it was really “after Covid, I’m going out, don’t got time for a dog, put me in a sweaty non-social distance concert” reason.

Sanrio went into a few foster homes during her surgery recovery and then awaiting adoption. She soon became fosterless when her foster had to leave for family business. Already bounced around a few times, we hated it btw because we hoped her miracle home would appear but some things you can’t help. With no one able to take her in, we sadly emailed boarding AGAIN. This year has been the worst with this being our only option and taking the dog out of a warm home.

Luckily, one of their employees, who I met when we used to work at a shelter together and kept in touch, just happened upon our email. She agreed to take in Sanrio until her OG foster came back and if she could get along with everyone. Things were going practically perfect with Sanrio really opening up and falling head over heels with their current dog and her husband. Remember, Sanrio really loved women more so I was happy to hear such a change. They formed a bond so fast that the husband, knowing Sanrio could leave anytime said, “but what if I want to keep her?” My friend had just adopted a dog and wasn’t in the market of adding another.

A potential adopter (their friend) wanted to try Sanrio in her home but Sanrio was stressed, anxious, and wasn’t her usual self. Happily, that husband took her back, carried her around like a baby with her head nestled into his neck, and decided to never let go.

“She’s his dog.”-Sanrio’s new mom. Girl, your husband is everyone’s guy now too! So that part about fostering and hoping “someone” falls in love, surprise, it happens to that historical male! Congrats to Sanrio!

07/26/2021

“Well that was easy to do.
Big dogs need big beds. Little dogs need little beds. Why make big problems out of little problems?”-Big Dog…Little Dog by P.D. Eastman

Yeah I know Dr. Seuss was cancelled like everything else in this world, but I have to hand it to this children’s book I read to my son. It teaches him and apparently adults that not everything needs to be so outlandish and in reality things can be so simple if we allow it to be. That’s what I’ve been trying to say about rescue dogs! Dogs in GENERAL are simple with needing the basics: a roof over their head, food/water, someone to freaking love them until their last breath. They don’t ask for anything else and it is OUR responsibility to provide these things and then some for the dogs we say we want. We should try to accommodate or try to make a lifestyle change for our pups. Just because the words preceding dog is “rescue or foster” does not make them any less worthy of finding a home. And it definitely isn’t more reason dogs should lose theirs.

So when it comes to dogs like Jaegerbomb, who was returned after 2 years, we had to figure out what she needed to be the best version of herself aka be readopted. Jaegerbomb’s issues were a triangular affair: one owner who has to go to work leaving Jaeger home alone (or at daycare which was costly week after week) that caused separation anxiety, then not regularly eating because of separation anxiety and had been recommended to see a specialist (because a regular vet said no meds would work), and then emotional stress caused by missing owner putting financial burden on owner which caused lack of eating. Tbh, I didn’t believe she had a medical condition that was creating all this so when we were told the specialist was the only option, I called BS. Knowing her from 2 years ago and now, she didn’t change in one regard: Jaeger loves dogs. Let’s get HER a dog.

Foster family search was on with a requirement of must have dogs. Once in the home, it worked almost instantly! Her foster home, a past adopter of Willow Smith, has two Huskies that fulfilled all of Jaeger’s dreams. No more stress, no separation anxiety, no heartbreak, no more costly medical attention or daycare, and she was finally eating, ALOT. If only all solutions were as easy as Jaegers’, so many dogs would not be displaced.

We didn’t get much interest on good ol’return Jaeger btw. I don’t know where the diehard Husky lovers were but we were let down. Huskies actually are all weather, so Illinois is like the best when it comes to these pretend wolf lookalikes. But then it took one email from another past adopter who expressed interest in Jaeger, to set the fire within her foster to say, “She’s mine” and to never let her go. Jaeger simply fit too well with her pack and not only was it what this foster home wanted forever, it is what Jaeger wanted even more. I am beyond thrilled that Jaeger didn’t need to be bounced around or poked and prodded and can now re-say, Congrats to Jaegerbomb now named Skyler James!

Address

Chicago, IL
60605

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when LEAD Rescue, NFP posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to LEAD Rescue, NFP:

Videos

FOSTER NEEDED PLEASE! I wonder if people who surrendered, returned, dumped, whatever their dogs, check up on them online just to see how it’s going. Or even physically go to the shelter to visit them. Realistically any dog that was given to LEAD, because they had to out of NO pressure from us, they sometimes do contact us asking if there are any updates. A picture is all they really ask for hoping their dog is doing well with their foster home. We tell them the truth whether it be good or bad but once surrendered, it’s LEAD’s responsibility to figure out the dog and plan moving forward. Chuppah is one of those dogs who sadly was returned due to being territorial towards visitors. But I want her original family to know Chuppah is doing well. She’s made a million friends and has the ultimate blast at the dog park. She’s literally Snooki with the “party’s here” vibe. All the dogs as you can see want to follow her! She has adjusted well to living in an apartment and even knows how to open the front door. Ok, maybe that one we’re not so proud of. However, her foster is going back to work for very long hours and Chuppah is on her way to boarding starting tomorrow until we find someone. This is indefinite until someone helps us and her out! We asked our other fosters if she could grace their presence but that was met with silence (mostly because we have small dog fosters or are big dog fosters are full up). You see, Chuppah is protective of her territory. She is a gold plus STAR meeting dogs, kids, people outside cuz well there ain’t anything to protect there. But for some reason if a person decides to visit her home-sadly she really doesn’t have a permanent home just a foster home, although she doesn’t understand that-she is unhappy to have new people walk on in. So a dog walker was out of our realm. We tried it. It was knocked down almost instantly. I want to reiterate from her previous post in case you missed it that Chuppah is dog, kid, pe

Do names make a difference? In LEAD, we like good, fun, makes you question why, names you probably wouldn’t think of for a pup. I mean we’ve had Ducky Duck, Daddy Long Legs, The Baconator, and Honey Badger to name a few. I could go crazier, funnier, stupider, but I understand I’m not the only person who makes decisions on our dogs. And some fosters might not want to call the dog the name I give them because I might be the only one amused by it. In fact some of the public have criticized the dogs named Hammer and Venom (these are nowhere near wild names. Not like I named one Sh*tty Fartbag) because they stated those dogs wouldn’t get adopted with “scary” names. Hammer and Venom were both black shorthaired dogs and do you see them with LEAD anymore? Yeah they got homes faster than dogs named after puffy clouds and baby cheeks. Adopters take notice and actually apply because of the silly names and even freaking better when they keep the name, which actually is pretty frequent! But of course there have been plenty of pups who were already named, mostly owner surrenders, and we didn’t change them since they respond to it. So when we took in Gorda who came with that name lol well we don’t think she identifies as a “fat” dog. We don’t see her as pleasantly plump or large and in charge. To think Vaca aka Jane (her sister) would be the one to have the “big” round belly! Nor would we go up to Gorda and be like “hey big booty girl, wassup?” She wouldn’t be able to say any comebacks to that rude comment. Because she’s a dog. A non talking “chunky” dog. Gorda has been making so many strides since being with us since March. Her hair has grown back significantly now that she is on thyroid medication-which she will need to be on still after adoption. She is no longer itching herself raw and bloody. She also is no longer afraid of men and actually has met a lot of people that have visited her foster’s home. Gorda has been doing fine saying

“Little Boy Blue come blow your horn, The sheep’s in the meadow the cow’s in the corn. But where’s the boy who looks after the sheep[dog]? He’s at the shelter surrendering then fast asleep. Will you wake him? No, not I – for if I do, he’ll be sure to cry...like his dog...when he watches this video of what it looks like when your dog is now homeless and missing its family.” -My rendition of Little Boy Blue I had never heard of this nursery rhyme until my son’s book played this on repeat. And I’m not a huge fan because it’s annoying. But what I have heard on repeat? The endless situations erm mostly excuses of why people can’t keep their dogs after years of loving them. I also find this annoying too. This is just a preview of our newest LEADer, Little Boy Blue whose story I will highlight once we get him all acclimated to being one of our fosters in a foster home. I’m sure Little Boy Blue wasn’t expecting today would be “that” day he earned such a regal title. He too is trying to hide under the haystack (original words of nursery rhyme) blankie trying to wish himself out of that cage. Feel what you feel when you listen and see this video of him feeling completely lost at the shelter-don’t worry he is in a foster home now! don’t know whether to punch the sky, shed a tear, sigh, or smile because we’re here to pick up the pieces. I think I’m going to smile because it’s happier, easier, burns more calories, and ah yes, because Little Boy Blue was saved! LBB is not available for adoption for awhile but if interested in others available now, please apply at leadrescue.org!

It was graduation all over again. 4p slot, the anchor said my last name wrong even though I spelled it out phonetically in an email prior. Lol that’s ok. No one could spell my maiden name either which was only 4 letters and at least they didn’t call me Michael-this is my graduation reference. 5p slot, right on the money. And even said they love LEAD’s actual name! Some of you asked me to videotape it in case they missed it and because I have YoutubeTV which sucks and didn’t record like I asked it to, my momma came through AGAIN. Enjoy and THANK YOU ALL for your kind words!

Just because you’re an only child, doesn’t mean you won’t find your own pack someday, even if it’s with an older crowd. If you are lucky enough to have a sibling, you had a built in friend for life. Unless you guys don’t get along then you probably can stop reading. The endless plots against your parents. The inside jokes. The regret you feel when you blamed your sib on something that was definitely your handywork. So what if you didn’t have that? You might have actually been luckier or felt kinda sad missing out. Dogs just like most people are social creatures. Whether it be people, dogs, sometimes even cats and rabbits, dogs live and breathe attention and interaction. And if it weren’t for dogs loving us oh so much, life could just suck it. As Jack Byrnes put it, “You prefer an emotionally shallow animal?” Uh, yeah, I honestly do. I love when they are happy to see me even it’s just coming out of the bathroom. I love having “a built in friend” that can’t go anywhere without me opening the door. So yeah, I’m not about to spend my whole life making sure a cat enjoys my presence. It kinda sucks neutered balls that Montego didn’t get to have his sister or brother make it. But could you imagine the double cuteness if they did? However, his foster is making sure he gets every bit of new friend and foster sibling love, so he constantly stays socialized. You see, from the time pups are born until 12 weeks, they should stay with their mom and brothers and sisters to learn about cues, play styles, food sharing etc. When those things don’t exist, a dog can easily grow up with behavioral and temperament issues. Enter the realm of dog dumping. But with the help of meeting past LEAD alumni dogs (look at Marble now named Mojo Jojo remembering her days as a mom), lessons taught by his foster’s own dogs both big and small, cat babysitters, neighborhood kid visits, Monty is going to grow up very, very well rounded. He is getting all the cues,

Every hangry girl. Ok, so Baconator isn’t a female or a human, but he too gets all mood changey and animated when food is on the horizon, especially after an argument with your significant other-girls, you know what I’m talking about. To think English Bulldogs are fat, lazy, silly geese, stubborn, and can’t catch some air, you never met The Baconator! Maybe the next video will be of his fosters asking if he wants a Wendy’s burger, cuz ya know, represent. Still patiently waiting for free Nugs or Frosties for even one year if a lifetime was asking too much. The Baconator had great interest and we placed him as adopt pending, so the influx of potential adopters probably made some sad, frowny faces when they learned he wasn’t available. But just like we all get bad news, the app for him didn’t pan out. It’s time to turn those frowns upside down and send in your fun and sarcastic words via our adoption application, because Bacon is bac-on the market. We have some distinct things we are looking for, particularly a home with other dogs and pretty much no stairs inside for Baconator to climb everyday. We got him checked by a vet and at this time, ours does not believe he needs surgery to correct his breathing. However, in the future your vet will highly recommend to get it done. This breed is definitely costly from the day they were born and to be aware of it before thinking Bacon is going to be a dog that stays out of the vet office. There’s really so much more to this dog but I just can’t stop watching and laughing at his excitement. But if you make it through to round two of our app process, we expect a video sent to us of you jumping for joy as well. Apply at leadrescue.org!

A deck of cards. 2 tennis balls. 20 quarters. Montego weighs more than these random items! A week after Montego came into our lives, he beat death so far! Weighing originally 3.8 ounces, he is now 4.5 and growing everyday! And he is so active! He crawls all over his box and can even climb whatever gets in his way. We may not know what Montego is mixed with yet besides Chihuahua but dear Lord we hope it’s not Husky! Montego consumes all his meals in stride via tiny puppy bottle and he is so excited when it’s that time, which is like every 2-3 hours. He wiggles, his tail wiggles, he just can’t get enough! He also is eliminating all his waste so he doesn’t get backed up and it may not be a two person job but it is one truly dedicated foster’s job to stimulate him every time to go. He also is getting lots of calm, individual time with caring family members who will just sit there and meditate, holding Montego so he never ever feels abandoned. If all that isn’t melting your heart, Montego has been adopted by the resident cats because who else is going to teach him how to knead dough and be fierce? Last week we raised almost $1,000 for this dog to have a chance. And everyday his heart is beating, he is beating the odds against him. So thank you all who opened their hearts and wallets for Monty! Check out the video his foster made of him eating because we all know someone who shimmies a little when they get food in their belly too. We really believe Montego will be okay. We really believe in MONTEGO!

Here’s that treadmill and the dog in training you helped donate to. Roadie is getting acquainted via treatos in his board and train by becoming a more structured puppy after he proved to be more difficult than we expected. As one of the most common sayings trainers reiterate, “A tired dog is a happy dog”. And Roadie had no off switch unless it was crate time or literally when he was going to the bathroom. So we are really glad we made this necessary, large purchase for Roadie’s mental and physical stimulation. And in the long run, this will benefit his potential future adoption one day. I’m sure the next update will be him doing a stroll sans leash. But look, no playbiting on those human hands! LEAD’s return on investment is making a family complete with a new and improved Roadie. And that will be the only “return” in his future. Apply for Roadie at leadrescue.org!

Shortcuts

Our Story

L.E.A.D. Rescue supports any dog that needs a second chance. We may never know how or why they ended up in certain situations, but it doesn't matter. L.E.A.D. is here for them to make sure they receive the life they deserve.