Stray Stories

If you would have asked me a few years ago if this is what I would be doing right now I would have laughed out loud. For me starting my own business was the last thing on my mind. All I knew was that I needed a career change and that I wanted to work with animals in some way. After adopting Annabelle and dealing with all her struggles with medical issues, I started to think about what happens to all the sick strays in shelters. I decided that volunteering alone wasn’t enough for me I wanted to get more...

My first introduction to the rescue world was Christmas in 2015. I had seen some adorable dogs posted on One Tail at a Time’s (OTAT) Facebook page who were sitting at Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC). OTAT was looking for fosters – you only had to foster for two weeks! And that planted the seed in my head. While I have a history of animal allergies, I knew I could tolerate anything for two weeks. In June of 2016, we were official fosters, and we had picked out a dog who was coming to Chicago from a high kill...

Let's talk about how to save the strays this Valentine's Day! Here are some of the best ways we can help stray animals.1) Volunteering You can spend quality time with the shelter animals and learn their needs, get involved in training so they can learn important skills, and introduce them to potential new families.Also, taking them outside for exercise will help them expend their energy and is very helpful to shelter pups and the shelter staff. 2) Fostering Bringing a shelter pet into your home is invaluable in so many ways. Of course they will bring joy into your home!...

Winter is on its way and I typically do not look forward to the cold. I live in Chicago, where it seems the winters will last forever. The first winter I moved here, I was exhausted every day.  Towards the end of winter, I found out why.  I was vitamin D deficient. I had not received enough sunlight from staying inside as much as possible.  After adopting Annabelle and taking her on daily walks, I realized these walks were actually helping me! I felt more energized and I was no longer Vitamin D deficient. Now I love to run around with Annabelle and...

Our last Medical Case Monday of October goes out to sweet BeBe. Please read the story her amazing mom, Deborah, wrote on our blog. BeBe is another pup that might not have ended up with Mammary Cancer if she had been spayed at a younger age: BeBe was surrendered when her owner became homeless, and they were living in the back of a van in the dead of winter. She was taken in by The Barker Shop (now Bark From the Heart Rescue) where my husband and I volunteered often. She was six years old, not fixed and not current...