The Next Dark Age
We're in it Now
Shout Out for Amy
The other day a post popped up on my Facebook feed from Heartland Animal Shelter. This isn’t unusual, as they are active in social media, but the post was a flyer for a fundraiser in memory of Amy Thier, founder of Splash Dog. My mother, Kay, used to take our late dog, Shadow, to Splash Dog in his senior years and it was great for his arthritis. I wrote about them when Gibbs went for a visit a couple of years ago.
I hadn’t known Amy well and hadn’t even heard that she died, but she was active in the local rescue community. I decided the least I could do was show up at the fundraiser yesterday and plug our common causes today:
Heartland was founded by a veterinarian and the facility is adjacent to his practice in Northbrook. They are very active in the community, with volunteers bringing adoptable animals out to meet potential forever families in the neighborhood almost every weekend. The next event listed on their website is Portraits with Santa Paws on December 7 from noon to 3pm. I am considering taking Fiona, as you know she photographs beautifully. (This is from a similar fundraiser a couple of years ago for a different rescue.)
The Puppy Mill Project serves the rescue community by educating the public about and actively protesting against puppy mills. In particular, they shine a light on the connection between pet store puppies and the horrible industry that mass produces them. Besides the cruelty to the breeding dogs, the puppies that come from these conditions are notorious for coming with major health issues. It is so bad that the state of Illinois literally has a Puppy Lemon Law. They do not have any upcoming events listed on their page, but I am sure donations would be welcome on their website.
Finally, both Amy and I adopted from Wright-Way Rescue. You might remember reading about a bus crashing into their old facility (no people or pets were hurt), and they have recently re-opened in Morton Grove. Wright-Way has an interesting “business model” for their work – they take in pregnant mama dogs and the litters of puppies that are dumped in county shelters. Gibbs was one of a litter of eight. Wright-Way maintains a page of Facebook for people to hook up with the families of other adopters, which led to Gibbs having a play date with his brother, Kermit:
I don’t see any upcoming events listed, but I did find that they are now doing kids’ birthday parties. Education, celebration, support rescue work! I hope this catches on. Also, I have a fundraising project for Wright-Way on Crowdrise that you can find here.
Rest in Peace, Amy. We will do our best to continue your work.
The Next Dark Age 