K9 Enrichment Initiative, Inc.
We began in May of 2015 as a rescue resource group, hosting adoption events, raising funds in awarding funds to rescues for training, facilitating relationships between trainers, vets, and rescues in need of assistance.
In January of 2016, we were contacted regarding taking in a homeless dog found tied to a bench outside a business by a good Samaritan. The finder’s contacted several rescues without receiving a response and after having the dog visit their vet, they were desperate to find someone to take the dog. Since we had more experience than the finder’s, we agreed to take the dog and at least place her in vets care to begin healing. She was given the name Sugar.
Sugar arrived at the hospital emaciated, frightened, and either pregnant or about to go into heat. After a few days, it proved to be the later of options, what a relief. Two weeks into her care, she was still unable to gain weight despite being fed several small meals daily. Two more parasite treatments finally did the trick and she began to show weight gain and we were thrilled as her health improved as did her personality. Sugar wasn’t as timid anymore, in fact, she proved to be a really Diva Dog. We could have named her “pushy” at this point as her foster canine brother discovered.
Sugar went on to choose a loving couple and their 9-year-old giant mix dog, Patches as her family. We went on to rescue Hope from CACC, then King Cairo from Cairo, IL and we determined we needed to take on having our own license, non-profit status and insurance.
Our first official rescue was Ferro, who we pulled from North Chicago Animal Control and then had Sugar, Hope and Cairo transferred to our rescue legally.
In January of 2017, we jumped in head first in bringing 12 dogs into our rescue within 2 weeks time. 10 within two days as they were on the kill list and we felt they deserved a shot at their second chance. What did they have to lose in entrusting their lives to us?
Of those 12 death row dogs, 10 are healthy, well mannered, loving family members of 10 very proud and caring families. For the two dogs who didn’t make it, who were unable to overcome the damage brought upon them by humans, we dedicated 8 months to intensive force-free, fear-free training, behavioral work, constant medical check-ups, alternative treatments of massage, essential oils, CBD oil for anxiety and in the end it was not safe nor humane to keep them battling their demons.
The pain of saying farewell to a dog who you love with all your heart, who you’ve spent hours upon hours working with, comforting, championing for; is a pain we wish on no one.
We went on to rescue and place in homes 91 dogs in 2017. A feat we never imagined possible for a two-person rescue. An unexpected feat for individuals who believe “quality over quantity”, yet we managed to stay true to that belief. We did so by utilizing our volunteers wisely, depending on the resources of quality veterinary care, trainers & behaviorists. We didn’t rush dogs into homes, we allowed them to heal physically, mentally, and spiritually. They were adopted when they were whole again and not a victim of human abuse & neglect or a shelter system unable to buy them more time.
Our rescue goals for 2018 were more in line with the numbers of dogs brought in, but the degree of abuse they had suffered was tenfold. Ivy, shot, beaten in the head in an attempt to kill her, Trinity tossed from an overpass onto a highway, and Kyla runs over by a vehicle leaving her with a mangled front limb needing removal and a back femur head crushed in need of surgery. Kyla’s road rash wounds healed as she waited in a kennel in a southern Illinois vet’s office hoping for a rescue to provide the surgeries she needed to live.
Three heartbreaking cases, three amazing dogs with a will to not only survive but live life to the fullest.
As we look forward to 2019, we have our eyes and hearts set on developing a plan to build a vet hospital, training facility and shelter all encompassed in one compound dedicated to saving the 10 percent who time has run out at Chicago’s municipal shelter’s. Dogs like our Chicago 12 we pulled in 2017, dogs who had been forgotten in the ever-flowing stream of dogs entering an open admission shelter. Dogs who have run out of time at the shelter, but with more time will find that beautiful balance of being a dog if given the chance.
