#adoption

Ronnie the #trashcanpuppy

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  Just over a week ago, Nile was walking in the alley when he heard a noise. He alerted his human who checked out a closed trash can where he heard squeaking. When he opened the lid, he found a tightly wrapped cloth bag on top…and it was wiggling. Inside was a brand new, baby puppy – less than a day old. With no idea how long he’d been there or who put him there, they rushed the newborn to their vet’s office. And it was a good thing too – because it was trash day and the trucks came down the alley less than an hour later.

We’re so grateful for Nile’s keen sense and his human’s swift actions kept the newborn (now Ronnie) safe and into the right hands immediately. Without a mother, he has had a village working to help. From his saviors, to the veterinary office who saw him immediately to the vet tech who took him home to nurse him for the first few crucial days…and now to his NLOL foster home where he’ll stay until he is ready for adoption.

Ronnie is a fighter in the best sense of the word. He is eating like champ and slowly gaining weight. We have no idea who he’s gonna be yet-but we know he’s bound to be awesome! Check back here for (MANY!) updates on his progress. #TeamRonnie #NlolChicago #trashcanpuppy

Pictured: Nile checking in on Ronnie to tell him “you’re safe now!”

10th Anniversary Celebration - Friday, June 12th

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Purchase your tickets in advance for our biggest celebration yet... the BIG 1-0! Limited amount of tickets available for general admission and VIP. Can you believe we are in our double digits!? With over 600 dogs saved, hundreds of events, many many miles driven, fantastic fosters, amazing adopters and out of this world volunteers we have reached this huge milestone.

We hope you will help us celebrate in style at the amazing Chicago Party Animals venue. This place is a lofty, amazing location, fantastic views and the perfect spot for us to celebrate!

Purchase tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-leash-on-lifes-10-year-anniversary-celebration-tickets-16919001188

General Admission ($50 in advance/$65 at the door) Includes: Live Music by Blackest Crow (https://www.facebook.com/BlackestCrowband?__mref=message_bubble) Heavy Appetizers 2 Beer/Wine tickets (more available with donation) Photo Booth access to remember this fantastic night!

VIP ($100 in advance/$125 at the door) - 60 available! Includes VIP Lounge Access Rooftop Access with an amazing Skyline view! Private VIP Bathroom Chef Demo 3 Cocktail/Beer/Wine Tickets (more available with donation) Free Wine Live Music VIP Host/Concierge

Back this year will be our fabulous Auction full of great restaurant gift certificates, concert tix, and more. Watch this space for donations as the list grows! Want to donate for our silent auction? Email lisa@nlolchicago.org

Town & Anchor Apothecary Few Spirits Lyric Opera of Chicago Little Beans Cafe Peckish Pig DAVIDsTEA Hamburger Mary's Milk Handmade Amy's Candy Bar Ballroom Dance Chicago The Logan Theatre Summer House Santa Monica Finch's Beer Company Cafe Selmarie The Goddess and Grocer Old Town School of Folk Music Double Door Glamour Girl Airbrush Tan LLC ENJOY, AN URBAN GENERAL STORE ComedySportz Chicago Cemitas Puebla ZED451 Rotofugi Designer Toy Store & Gallery Bottle and Botega

Will you be my Valentine?

Happy Valentine's Day from New Leash On Life!

New Leash on Life Chicago would like to wish you and your canine loves a happy Valentine's Day! Thank you for all the love and kindness our volunteers, foster families, adopters, and supporters show our dogs throughout the year!
*Spoiler alert: keep an eye on our website and Facebook page for pictures of the
5 new dogs we rescued this weekend!*
VALENTINE'S DAY FUNDRAISER!
Scrambling to find the perfect gift for your sweetheart? Look no further! We have several pairs of tickets to the following 5 upcoming concerts at House of Blues Chicago. With each donation of $40+ online, you'll get to pick your concert tickets and watch your honey swoon at how you planned a fun night out while helping save homeless dogs at the same time!

    • MARCH 1: The Brothers (Allman Brothers tribute band) ~ 25 pairs
    • MARCH 16: Toots & The Maytals ~ 5 pairs
    • APRIL 1: Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 ~ 10 pairs
    • APRIL 3: Band of Skulls ~ 10 pairs
    • MAY 11: The Fab Four (Beatles tribute band) ~ 10 pairs
Instructions for Participating:
When donating online, write the name of the show in the "description" line on the form. We will confirm that you've won the requested tickets within 1 day of your donation by email. If your top choice has sold out, we'll offer you tickets to another show. If you want to verify the tickets of your choice are still available before donating, or if you have any questions, just email amber@nlol.org.


On behalf of all the dogs saved and those still dreaming of rescue, thank you for your support!
 
 
PS. We just picked up 5 new adorable pups that will be making their debut very soon!

Big ol' Bessie

New Leash on Life is committed to rescuing dogs that wouldn't be given another chance.  We are known for rescuing elder bulls and medical cases, and Bessie fits the bill.  She's a bit older and was waiting for us to grab her from ACC (Animal Care & Control), we couldn't pass that sweet face.  Once we got her to our vet we had her thoroughly checked, we found out that Bessie may need some extra medical testing. 


We originally just thought she was a big girl, more for everyone to love at a mere 98 pounds.  However, we found that her weight trouble wasn't from overfeeding, it may be something more internally.  Immediately our Medical Director along with the vet staff at VCA started blood tests to identify what could be troubling our girl.  They noticed on external exam that her liver seemed enlarged, they also noticed that she was drinking LOTS of water and gobbling up her food.  Because of these signs, we tested her liver for Cushings.


Cushings is hard to identify, many of the signs are also signs of older aging so many owners think that it's just their dog showing signs of age.  The signs include: increased water intake, ravenous appetite, pot-bellied appearance, and hair loss.  Cushings disease typically effects older dogs but it can appear as early as 5 years old and is mainly in smaller breeds, however, we test our larger dogs as well.  Please note: Cushings does not show up in regular blood tests, and has to be specifically tested.

Bessie's liver results came back high, but not high enough for Cushings, it could be an early indicator, so we are treating it as a precautionary. 


During testing, we noticed Bessie was developing bruising on her chest, just under the skin.  This worried our Medical Director (because of earlier liver testing) and decided to get an ultrasound done, thankfully, nothing showed up on the ultrasound.  Bessie also had a raging upper respiratory infection and tested positive for Lyme disease.  Lyme disease is something that she is a carrier, however, doesn't necessarily HAVE it.  She is currently on antibiotics for all, and we are running a PCR, the test that determines if her Lyme disease is active. 

We are happy to report that Bessie's respiratory infection is all cleared up, her water intake has slowed down and she is being checked regularly for her liver levels.  This shows that we may think we are taking a healthy dog, and further examination shows a pup that needs a lot of TLC. 


While this post may seem sad, Bessie is no worse for the wear and is LOVING her new foster home with foster sister, Ms. M and foster brother, Mr. B of Two Pitties in the City.  She is happy-go-lucky and feeling 100% better than when we first got her.  We are so happy to have Bessie as a part of the NLOL family and can't wait to find her a forever home!

Bessie is currently on a weight loss diet and has lost 8 pounds!  She is being fed Sojo's dehydrated fruits and veggies.  For more information on her diet, check out: Bessie's Diet and for more information regarding adoption an elderbull, check out this post here: On the Secrets of Elderbulls.

If you would like to donate towards Bessie's medical needs, please click the link here, and in the note section, mention Bessie!

Levi Update!

LEVI HAD HIS SURGERY!

Levi's eye surgery went well and we couldn't have done it without the amount of support we received from everyone near and far.  We were overwhelmed and humbled by the turn out.  Thank you, thank you thank you.  You can read about the whole story on his blog here.

Little Levi sends his thanks as well!

ALSO:

Remember these?? If you ordered a Super Levi T-Shirt but either didn't get one, or it never got picked up, please email Jenna at: jennanlol@gmail.com to claim yours!! THANK YOU!

Have you seen a face like this?

Adoptable Nick just can't take a bad picture.  Here are a few of our favorites! 
Ps. You can check out his profile here.


 Nick on his first day in our care!

 Getting a feel for NLOL on day 1.

 Nick is learning great behavior from his foster siblings. (above and below)


 Nick is still in high spirits after his growth plate was fixed.


 Nick meeting Santa!


Happy Monday!!

Chemical Burns and Pups.

Little Miss Pancake squeezed her way in with one of our recent trips to ACC (Animal Care & Control).  She's a puggle and her little body was covered in chemical burns.  We couldn't pass up this sweet pup that needed extra attention to treat her open wounds. 
Puggles were bred quite rapidly a few years back, but with the decrease in interest in that mix breed, many are abandoned or dropped off at the pound. Pancake has a lost history, not sure if it was by accident, trying to get rid of extra puppies, a bad owner, or misguided people that found her, either way- she came with chemical burns over her back and some on her head.  The chemicals had burned their way through her fur and past her skin. 


There isn't much information about chemical burns/ how to treat/ dogs.  Probably because the large majority of the world would never think to do such a thing to an innocent animal, however, most articles say to wash thoroughly with water to dilute the chemical and see the vet immediately. 


We talked with Gordon's forever parents about chemical burns for further help.  Gordon came from One Tail at a Time Rescue in Chicago.  When he first arrived, he had chemical burns covering the majority of his little pit bull body.  He walks with many of our alums and adoptable dogs with Chicago Sociabulls on Sundays.  Gordon's parents were incredibly helpful when talking about things they do to help Gordon and some of the tips they have learned. 

They use lotion to help with cracking and overall flexibility of the tender skin.  Gordon's hair (like Pancake) will not grow back in some places, so the exposed skin needs to be treated just like human skin.  It gets dry in the winter and they use Aquaphor on his back.  It's a bit of a thicker lotion and can be found almost anywhere, Walgreens, Target, etc.  For a lighter lotion, they use Eucerin for sensitive skin.  After applying lotions, put a tshirt on the dog to avoid rubbing off on furniture, etc.

Gordon's forever parents use tshirts a lot.  This helps with sun exposure as well as making sure he doesn't scratch or rub to vigerously inside his crate.  Since his wounds have healed a lot, they use the tshirts less, however, he is in one whenever they are gone while in his crate.  They also recommend kids tshirts which are less expensive than dog tshirts and still fit.

During the summer months or when there will be high exposure to the sun, they apply sunscreen.  And the vet suggested giving Gordon fish oil pills because they improve the skin/coat.


Pancake will make a full recovery from the burns but her future owners will need to apply sunscreen during the summer and it would be helpful to have a humidifier during the colder months.  Just like with a human with exposed sensitive skin, they need to be on the look out for cracks in the skin and bleeding which can be treated with ointment as mentioned above. 
Pancake also has a bit of a trick knee.  The medical term is a luxating patella.  It can pop out and may need help putting it back into place.  It can require surgery, however, she's not at that stage yet.  With careful play, minimal stairs and joint supplements, she may never need surgery.
Thanks to Lydia, our Medical Director for input and explanations. Also a big thanks to Gordon's forever parents for all the information and helpful suggestions!

Dog of the Week: Greer!


This little beauty is a true gem. Greer came to us with a bad case of heartworm.  She spent a bit of time being low key to help speed her to success and we are so happy to report that she has made a full recovery.  Left untreated, heartworm can be terrible, but Greer went through a grueling few months of shots and she remained positive and happy throughout it all.  She was being cared and loved on by her great foster parents who helped get her through her tough time. 

Greer is a true mix.  She looks a bit like a French Bull Dog, a bit like a Corgi, and some have suggested a little like a Pit.  Whatever she is, she is a fantastic dog.  Chill, low key and super fun. 
She has a tiny body with short little legs but don't let her size fool you, she has a great personality. 

We are happy to report that she is in a Foster to Adopt home.

Chicago Tribune

We are so lucky that many of our adopters have stayed active in our rescue and committed to responsible dog ownership and being ambassadors for our breeds.  Adoptable and Alums both participated in this Sunday's Chicago Sociabulls walk.  Chicago Tribune tagged along to highlight bully breeds behaving well.  You can find the article here!

Dog of the Week: FERRIS!


This is Ferris.  He is American Pit Bull Terrier and roughly 2 years old.  He is easily amused with toys and loves being challenged mentally with stimulating games or exercising.  He was a grab from ACC (Animal Care and Control) where he was being held while his previous owners awaited trial.  He sat patiently and now we are so pleased to have him out of his cage and in our rescue. 




Because Ferris waited patiently for his rescue, he was enrolled in "Chicago Court Case Dogs".  These dogs come with a life time free training.  They have also already been working with trainers to teach them basic commands.  Ferris excelled and we are happy to announce that he has also completed basic obedience classes.  He is house trained, crate trained and ready for his forever home.




Ferris has also been quite the socialite.  He is working on his socialization and has been attending Sunday walking packs with 20 or more other dogs, hosted by Chicago SociaBulls.  He has been doing very well with zero reaction to other humans and dogs.



While Ferris can appear very serious and stoic, he is really just a fun loving guy, ready to kick back with his forever family.



You can find out more information and fill out an application to adopt here.

Jenny in Time for the Holiday!


I'm sure you all remember this heart breaking story.  11 year old JLo was left at our vet's office and abandoned.  With the rising vet bills and the family deciding to not return, the office was left with few options.  They asked New Leash on Life to take JLo on and get her adopted.  It was a tall order.  She was older and thus has the 'old dog stigma', she had been in boarding for so long that she became leash reactive, and she had infected paws and ears.



We put the call out- this dog matched what NLOL stands for, taking in the dogs that would have been put down or overlooked because we believe that there is someone for every type of dog.  Because we can only take on as many dogs as we have foster homes, we hoped someone would step up to the plate and let this beauty come home with them.  And boy did people step up!!  We were overwhelmed with the love and concern that was extended to JLo and were so happy that a former adopter opened up their home to foster JLo. 

JLo (now Jenny) came with quirks and kinks that needed to be worked out, but overtime, she grew to know her family and fit right in.  We are so blessed that Halstead's (Moe) parents decided to officially adopt Jenny after his passing this year.



She is IN LOVE with her new family, the fenced in back yard where she is able to run throughout the day.  She came just in time for the Holiday! 

When trying to take a picture, she could barely contain her excitement and sit still.  But, her paws and ears are looking fabulous, she looks at rest and ease, and her coat is looking so much better!


Welcome home Jenny!

Apartment Size Noca


We always know that our dogs have limited time at Animal Care & Control.  We never know how much or little time they may have left, until one of our more recent trips to ACC.  Sweet, shy little Noca was being walked into the Euthanasia room as our intake directors walked through the doors.  Noca's handlers recognized our directors and asked them to take a look at this sweet girl.  They immediately feel in love with her demeanor, her cute looks and her small body.



While Noca is still part puppy, she is a quick learner and is doing great in her foster home.  She loves exercise and playing.  She is house trained, crate trained and is learning basic commands.  She will blossom with some basic obedience classes.


She is quite the social pup, making her rounds at adoption events, walks, and doing great at playing with other dogs.  She has been tested with kids- and passed! 


In her spare time, she likes to cuddle up around your legs as you can see her here, with her foster brother.


Cooper


 Mr. Cooper came into our family at New Leash on Life.  He was originally a shy little mutt and was on the skinny and rough side.  He quickly opened up and showed us his personality in his "wookie" barks, and soon he was a favorite of everyone that met him.


He showed us his goofy side on Halloween.



And his soft gentle side when it came to eating doggie ice cream on a hot summer day.



Cooper was in desperate need for a foster family.  The boarding was stressful and Cooper needed some confidence building.  One family took him on and soon, he snuggled right in.



We are happy to announce that Cooper's foster family, is now his forever family.  With the dedication and patience, we are so blessed to welcome another family into New Leash on Life with the addition of Cooper into their forever home.



Congratulations!!