Save-A-Pet a Chicago Area Shelter that Cares for Pets

Save-a -Pet is a no-kill animal shelter in Grayslake, Illinois, located in Lake Country which is northwest of the City of Chicago. I have adopted and/or fostered four dachshunds from the shelter and have also worked as a volunteer there. The first dog I adopted at Save-A-Pet was a red dachshund named Brandy.

I already had three dachshunds and wasn't particularly looking for a new dog.I stopped at the shelter because I had heard of it and wanted to see what it was like. As luck would have it, the very first dog I saw was a red dachshund, being held in the arms of one of the staff members.

The dachshund, Brandy, was a nine-year old dog who had been the beloved pet of a woman who had passed away. The woman's husband relinquished the dog to the shelter. At nine years old, her chances of adoption were lessened. She must have been very confused and sad, not understanding why she was in a shelter.

Luckily for Brandy, she was placed a shelter with a caring staff. She was particularly loved by the staff member who was holding her, but could not adopt her because she had cats and Brandy did not pass the 'cat test.' The shelter tests dogs by seeing how they react to cats when figuring out what kind of home would work best for the animal.

Save-A-Pet evaluates dogs for their reactions to cats, other dogs and children. Their goal is to place the pet in the right home the first time, because being returned to the shelter is very traumatic for the pet. The shelter also makes sure that the pets are vet-checked, immunized and spade.

After meeting Brandy at Save-A-Pet, I went home and asked my husband what he thought about having a fourth dog. He though it was a great idea and we decided to fill out an adoption application.

Save-A-Pet screens potential adopters by having them fill out an application that tells them what kind of household the pet would be going into. They want to know how many family members there are and ensure that the pet will be cared for. If the family has small children, the adoption counselors will make sure that the dog or cat is friendly with children.

When the potential adoptive family already has other pets, the shelter likes the pets to meet before committing to an adoption. Since we already had three dachshunds at home, they asked if we could bring them in to meet Brandy in a neutral territory.

We paraded into Save-A-Pet, with what became known as the Dachshund brigade. We walked the three dachshunds in on leashes and were taken to a large room. Brandy was brought into the room. We took the leashes off the dogs and they were allowed to interact. The adoption counselor sat on the sofa with us while we all observed the dogs. The visit was uneventful and she decided that we could offer Brandy a good home with companion dogs.

Brandy was not able to come home with us that day, because she was scheduled to have surgery the next day. Even though she was nine years old, she had never been neutered. Save-A-Pet gets all pets neutered before placing them into homes, unless they are too young to have the surgery.

Two days later we were able to bring Brandy home. She was a joy to have around. Adopting an older dog can be very rewarding, because you are giving them a home to live out their days, and they seem to understand that they have been given a second chance. There were times when she seemed sad and I wondered if she missed her previous owner.

Sometimes I would take Brandy for a ride in the car to visit the shelter, where she was always welcomed by the staff. Brandy loved playing with toys and she knew where to find the dog toys in the reception area.

Brandy lived about two and a half years after we adopted her. She had an enlarged heart and one day it just gave out. She died in my arms as I as carrying her into the vet's office, and although I was heartbroken, I was glad I could be with her when she left to go over the Rainbow Bridge.

Later, I was able to take in some other dachshunds from Save-A-Pet. Right now I have a male long-haired dachshund named Buddy, from the shelter.

Save-A-Pet is located on Fairfield Road in Grayslake, Illinois. The shelter has a small staff and relies on volunteers to help care for the animals. They do charge a fee for adoption, which covers some of the veterinarian fees and other costs. They also ask for a small donation from owners who want to leave their pets at the shelter.

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