IRVING PARK — An Irving Park animal rescue is elevating money to assist a teenage lady discover housing so she will be able to preserve her pitbull, Prince.
The 18-year-old, who requested to stay nameless on account of security considerations, known as Famous Fido, 3124 W. Irving Park Road, a couple of month in the past, attempting to surrender Prince as a result of she doesn’t have wherever to reside with him, she mentioned.
“I’ve been trying to take care of him to the best of my ability,” {the teenager} mentioned. “Prince brings a lot of joy to my life. I think we were meant for each other, me and him. I got him at a time in my life when I was extremely depressed and felt like I had nothing to live for. Before I had him, I was always hoping I could share my love with something.”
Gloria Lissner, Famous Fido’s founder, agreed to quickly deal with Prince however promised to assist {the teenager} discover reasonably priced housing and lift money to allow them to reunite.
“It’s very depressing to see this because she loves her dog so much, and her dog loves her,” Lissner mentioned. “It’s a very scary thing to be out on the streets as a young girl who hasn’t even graduated high school yet. She needs support.”
People can donate money to assist {the teenager} and her canine by calling Famous Fido at 773-907-0305 and specifying they need their donation to go towards Prince and his proprietor. Lissner hopes to lift about $2,500 for the pair.
The 18-year-old obtained Prince for her birthday about two years in the past from her mother’s pal, who may not deal with the canine. The pair instantly bonded.
Prince is shy and skittish, however he by no means “really acted scared of me,” {the teenager} mentioned. Even although she was instructed Prince likes to run away, the canine has by no means left her facet — even when he would slip his harness, she mentioned.
But the 18-year-old’s household misplaced their home shortly after she adopted Prince. The teen and her canine all of a sudden discovered themselves on their very own, separated from the remainder of the household.
“He’s the only thing that’s stuck near me when everything else fell apart,” the teenager mentioned. “He didn’t leave my side. I think he always knew that he was meant to be my pet. I always make sure he’s good before I’m good.”
Since leaving him on the shelter, the teenager has visited him almost each day, she mentioned.
“When I see him, he starts whimpering because he really misses me,” she mentioned. “I think he wants to be back with me full time. He gets really, really excited to see me, like he’s never seen me before.”
Famous Fido receives 25-60 calls every day from individuals who need to “give away their animals as fast as possible” as a result of they’ve skilled some sort of disaster, Lissner mentioned.
Whenever somebody calls Famous Fido to relinquish their pet, Lissner tries to assist the person discover methods to maintain their animal as an alternative as a result of most shelters are overcrowded. Famous Fido has greater than 100 cats and about 26 dogs available for adoption, Lissner mentioned.
In the previous 5 years, there’s been an inflow of calls as extra folks have struggled to maintain their pets on account of monetary considerations, Lissner mentioned.
“In our current time, living expenses and buying food for the people and animals in your family can be very expensive, and people just don’t have the money,” Lissner mentioned.
In some instances, Lissner helps the person fundraise or supplies them with money from the shelter’s basic fund.
“I can’t help everybody who calls, but we try to help people who can’t help themselves,” Lissner mentioned. “I try to help people who are responsible but have had terrible things happen to them. There are tons of people and animals like this who are just slipping through the cracks.”
Famous Fido has helped just a few different canine homeowners preserve their pets after they fell on exhausting occasions — like Henry Koral, who almost needed to relinquish his three rescued pitbulls, Wiggles, Loki and Thor.
Each of his dogs had been returned to kill shelters a number of occasions, so Koral took them in to save lots of their lives, he mentioned.
Koral and his dogs misplaced their home in a 2018 Little Village fireplace that killed 10 youngsters. The complete condominium complicated was shut down following the fireplace.
“I wasn’t expecting the kinds of problems we had,” Koral mentioned. “I thought my apartment was fine, but when it caught fire, we were in trouble.”
Koral struggled to seek out housing as a result of many condominium buildings don’t permit pitbulls. He known as Famous Fido to surrender his pets, however Lissner raised $15,000 for Koral and helped him safe reasonably priced housing so they may keep collectively.
“I was stunned she did that for us,” Koral mentioned. “I feel that once you’ve got your dogs, they’re your family. You can’t just give them up.”
Returning dogs to shelters is difficult for individuals who lose their pets, nevertheless it’s additionally tough for the animals who discover themselves in overcrowded shelters, Lissner and Koral mentioned.
“People stopped adopting dogs as much after COVID, and if you bring a dog to a shelter now, its chances are not good, especially if it’s a pitbull,” Koral mentioned. “People are intimidated by pitbulls, and lots of landlords won’t take pitbulls, so it’s difficult to rent.”
Some pets spend one to 3 years in cages awaiting adoptions, Lissner mentioned. Pets who’re separated from their homeowners additionally are inclined to develop behavioral issues that make them much less fascinating, Lissner mentioned.
“How would you like it if you were left somewhere and nobody came back for you?” Lissner mentioned. “Some of them can get to be snappy and bitey, and then people don’t want to deal with that. We have a lot of animals like that, but they get along with us fine because we don’t do anything they don’t like.”
Lissner, 72, has been rescuing animals for greater than 50 years. She and her husband keep at Famous Fido 24/7 to ensure the pets are protected and brought care of, Lissner mentioned.
“I just deeply love the animals and care about their needs,” Lissner mentioned. “There’s way too many of them who never get a good home. It’s not right that they all just sit here waiting and nobody comes for them.”
It prices greater than $40,000 a month to deal with the pets at Famous Fido, Lissner mentioned. The organization is at all times accepting donations online.
Famous Fido is internet hosting a “howliday” bazaar and bake sale Dec. 9, with baked items and domestically crafted gadgets. They’re nonetheless on the lookout for folks to supply baked items and different gadgets, Lissner mentioned.
Tickets will be bouht online for the shelter’s annual gala Jan. 20 at Loyola University, 1032 W. Sheridan Road. There might be meals, drinks and speeches from animal advocates.
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