Sweet lil’ Lemon is an adorable 3 month old Shepherd Mix puppy who was admitted into foster care due to kennel cough. After almost 3 weeks in the loving care of a foster home, she was nursed back to health and is now ready for adoption!
Here’s what Lemon’s foster mom had to say about this incredible pup!
Princess Lemon Foster really is the sweetest dog on the planet.
She loves carrots and frozen banana pieces. She wants to meet every dog she sees, although most of them had no interest in being pawed by a goofy puppy. Most dogs would just turn away from her and ignore her; one dog gave her a warning growl, which she heeded immediately and stopped acting the fool. So she does pick up on signals from other dogs if they are stern enough.
The only thing that she demonstrated any skittishness around was a street cleaning vehicle; otherwise she accepted new things with curiosity and interest, and recovered very quickly from being startled by things she had never seen before. It took about a half day to get her to go up and down stairs without a problem, but the promise of kibble made her forget all about being scared of them.
I love this dog. If I knew for sure she would be under 40 lbs fully grown, I would keep her. She learns quickly, is pretty mellow for a three month old puppy, is affectionate but not slavish, is great to sleep with, and is just so sweet and happy and interesting that anyone who adopts her is going to be very lucky to have her.
If you’re interested in meeting Lemon, or one of our many other incredible dogs, visit our adoption gallery here or swing down to our Adoption Center at 510 N. Lasalle. We’re open 12-7pm on weekdays and 12-5pm on weekends. We’d love to see you!
Our Foster Volunteers provide care for animals who come to us from all sorts of circumstances.
One such puppy, originally named Beefcake, now re-named Gabriel by his foster parent, was brought in as a stray after being found roaming around the Gold Coast. This beautiful Rottweiler puppy was transferred to the city shelter for a five day stray hold and was then brought back to the Society so we could find him a new home.
After meeting Gabriel at our recent Foster Open house – the foster mom was smitten by his cuddly demeanor and politely playful energy – so she scooped him up right then and there! Needing a few weeks of foster care to overcome a small cold, Gabriel will be adoption ready soon.
Here is his foster’s most-recent update:
“Gabriel is doing so well! What a nice dog he is. For a puppy he is so peaceful! But, not in the lethargic way he was when he was ill. He loves to play, don’t get me wrong, but he is also content to just chill on the couch and yes, he does watch TV! He is gaining energy by the day and he is turning into a really fun and frisky puppy. (more…)
Fraulein is a super-sweet, playful 10-month-old shepherd mix puppy who is spending the holidays with me, enjoying a needed break from the shelter. As a young pup, Fraulein LOVES to play and is easily distracted – she wants to meet every person she sees and explore the source of every noise, and sometimes her energy seems limitless! But she displays such utter joy at the same time, which makes it doubly fun to play with her and indulge her love of fetch, tug-of-war, and running through the park.
Meet Faith! This adorable Shepherd Mix puppy first came to The Anti-Cruelty Society mid-November when her previous owners could no longer care for her. While with us, she and her siblings all came down with mild Kennel cough. To help the pups recover, we recruited foster volunteers to give them the love and attention they’d need to grow strong and healthy.
Faith’s foster mom sent us the following update on how she is doing:
She is a wonderful puppy. Faith is quiet, affectionate, playful, and so very good inside the home and outside. She will give you a clue when she is ready to do her business. The only accidents are when I have not paid attention to her clues.
She will curl around your feet or curl around your neck or in the crook of your arm to sleep. She has taken to crate training without any issues. She already understands commands for sit and drop. She will eat anything and everything. She is good about not begging for food but will sit and watch you eat if left out of her crate.
Playing with her is fun and mostly without much mouthing. She will fetch and return. She will play by herself with her toys. So far, her only faults are being enthusiastically overly affectionate with other dogs and people which is a distraction when outside for a walk. She doesn’t chew items she shouldn’t but will abscond with my slippers.
If you’re interested in becoming a foster volunteer for puppies like Faith, visit our website for details on how you can join this invaluable team!
Apple is a special dog. Having come to The Anti-Cruelty Society with her litter of brothers, mother, father and even aunt, she was the teeniest, tiniest dog of the bunch. Weighing less than a pound at 4 weeks old, when she arrived staff rallied to keep her well fed and warm, worrying that she may not make it the first few days.
With the devotion of staff and volunteers, Apple made it through that week and the next and the next. A few weeks back the whole litter hit their 2 month mark and were ready for adoption. Everyone except Apple. Just a smidgen too small to go through her spay surgery, she was whisked away into a foster home to give her a chance to become stronger, heartier and more independent.
Approaching 3 months, Apple is now ready for adoption! This beautiful Boston Terrier Border Collie Mix weighs in at just over 5 pounds and will probably be about 15 pounds when she’s full grown.
Here’s what her foster family had to say about this little runt who defied the odds:
“Apple has been an absolute joy to foster! She came to us as an itty bitty pup and has blossomed into a courageous and outgoing little lady. She absolutely adores play time and snuggles and loves staying close to our pets which include two 20 pound Boston Terriers and a finicky cat.
Apple is very sharp and is learning new things every day. She sits with or without a vocal cue, fetches and always brings the toy back, and recently learned to conquer stairs going both up and down. She is generally quiet and will only vocalize when she wants to play, is nervous in a new surrounding (she rode the bus without a peep though!) or has to go to the bathroom at night.
We attempted to crate train her at first, but believe that the sudden shock of being separated from her siblings made solitary confinement a daunting experience. So since the second night of being with us she’s enjoyed the same freedoms as our pets. She has not been destructive and has been using her puppy pads regularly, though she does have accidents still here and there. She is getting better and better and communicating her bathroom needs and goes when cued ‘potty.’
Apple is very affectionate and not at all timid with being handled by those she knows and strangers. She does show some insecurity with new doggie friends, but after time will warm up and sniff to say hello. She’s much bolder with canine meet and greets when her two foster brothers are around.
Apple will do great in any kind of home that has the time to work on her house-training while exposing her to a variety of people, places and pets. She’s very gentle and loves loves loves other pets – so a home with other animals would be ideal!”
If you have questions about our foster program, please contact us at: lkrupinski@anticruelty.org
Here at The Anti-Cruelty Society we are just now winding down from our highest intake season. Over the last 6 months we’ve sent out myriads of kittens and puppies into foster care so that each pet could be socialized in a home environment.
Malcolm is one such puppy. A 2 month old Labrador Retriever Mix, he was transferred to the Society from a community partner along with his two other siblings.
Malcolm is thriving in foster care and will be coming back the week of Thanksgiving to find his forever home. His foster sent us an update on this adorable little guy:
Malcolm is a very smart puppy – housebreaking has been remarkably easy – he goes both outside and has even learned to use puppy pads too! He is sweet and adorable with everyone, kids, adults, fellow dogs.
He seems to be over the kennel cough. OCCASIONALLY if I take him out when the weather is especially cold, he seems to have a bit of it again, but not too bad.
On our walks, he literally walks up to everyone, eagerly and instant smiles break out as he comes close. He is so lovely.
This lovely little girl is Lucy. Lucy is about 4 and a half months old. Part Beagle and part hound, Lucy is a great pup to have around. She’s very energetic and can walk for miles with her nose going the entire time, but settles in with little fuss when it’s time to go to bed in her crate. There are a few things to note…
Lucy loves talking to the cat. (Mr. B. Of course wants nothing to do with the big silly puppy). But since B wants nothing to do with her, there are several occasions when she has followed him, trying to sniff the air without getting TOO close and, frustrated with not being able to play with him… she barks. Not ALL the time, mind you, only when she gets curious.
Lucy also LOVES people. And if we stop to chat with anyone, chances are (even though we’re working on staying down) she’ll want to jump up to say hi. She’s luckily a pretty light jumper, so no pushing anyone down, and most of the time when she’s up there she’ll bury her head into your chest for a good old head rub…but she IS a puppy, so little children might not be such a good idea around her right now, as she’s a pretty big puppy.
Since she’s a puppy she loves to pick things up. Not to eat it, but she likes to hold things in her mouth. And since at the moment she’s teething into her adult doggy teeth, chew toys would be a VERY good idea. She also loves to pick up her food bowl and water bowl to carry around, which I haven’t figured out yet. I have a feeling she just likes to be around her friends, and if that means carrying her food bowl into the living room…ten so be it.
Dogs from all walks of life venture through the doors of The Anti-Cruelty Society. From underage pups and kittens, to senior cats or neglected dogs, our open door policy ensures that no needy pet is turned away at their time of need.
Emma & Hugo are just two dogs of thousands who will be helped by the Society and it’s human team this year. With a sweet disposition, mom Emma came to us with her young underage puppy in tow. Because of Hugo’s small size we were worried that he may not fare well in the shelter – so we sent both of these cuties out to foster care.
Having recently returned from foster, this mom and pup duo have stolen the hearts of both staff and volunteers, and will be available for adoption soon! Check out our adoption gallery to watch for their debut!
We love receiving updates from our foster regarding their current charges and enjoy sharing their progress with our supporters.
An adorable puppy named Addison (previously named Mary) went out to foster care after contracting kennel cough. Her fosters have been doting on her and day and night and sent us the following update:
Addison is doing great. She finished her meds and seems to have stopped coughing. She is very well behaved and only had 2 pee accidents so far. She took to toileting in the yard very well. She has eaten the dry food from the first day with no need for canned food.
She is not crazy about the leash, but is getting used to it a little.
All in all a very nice puppy.
Interested in fostering? Contact us! We are always in need of additional foster homes for dogs and cats. Even if you only have a few weeks to spare – you can make an incredible impact for a needy animal. Email us at foster@anticruelty.org
Meet Greta! This adorable Shepherd/Rottweiler Mix was sent out for foster care as she was too young to be adopted when she first arrived. But now she’s ready!
Our veterinarians estimate that she will be a medium-sized dog, about 40-45 pounds. She lives in a foster home with 2 geriatric cats, and only mildly torments them. House-training is going very well, and she’s attending puppy classes! She’s a very very nice puppy and her foster mom is very sad to have to let her go. She’s very cuddly, loves chew toys, and wants to say hello to everyone she sees.
If you are interested in meeting Greta, or becoming a foster volunteer, email us at volunteers@anticruelty.org
The Anti-Cruelty Society Foster Blog is maintained by foster volunteers who are donating their time to help cats and dogs in need.
If you are interested in becoming a foster volunteer, or have a question about a featured pet, please contact:
Lydia Krupinski
Foster Coordinator
The Anti-Cruelty Society
169 W. Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60654
(312)645-8040
lkrupinski@anticruelty.org
Princess Lemon Foster really is the sweetest dog on the planet.
The only thing that she demonstrated any skittishness around was a street cleaning vehicle; otherwise she accepted new things with curiosity and interest, and recovered very quickly from being startled by things she had never seen before. It took about a half day to get her to go up and down stairs without a problem, but the promise of kibble made her forget all about being scared of them.
