Year in Review

2023 was quite a year! Despite a number of challenges, we rescued more than 900 animals, helped hundreds of others with free vaccines and microchips, and kept many pets out of shelters by supporting their families.

Many of the pets we saved had physical or behavioral challenges that put them in danger of euthanasia. They included puppies from Kentucky and Texas, some infected with the often deadly Parvovirus, and about 50 sick, under-socialized cats from a hoarding house. We also rescued nearly 200 animals from Chicago Animal Care and Control, the city shelter. We were one of only two groups (with PAWS Chicago) in the list of top 10 rescues for both dogs and cats.

Committing to helping the most vulnerable animals is often heartbreaking, but these challenging cases also mean we get to watch dogs and cats leave the shelter with proud new families.

We weren’t planning to take on another tough case during the holidays, but then we heard about 11 newborn puppies from Texas — the state with the highest euthanasia rate — with nowhere to go. On December 23, we welcomed mom Daysie and puppies Pear, Dove, Goose, Frenchy, Goldy, Birdy, Swan, Milky, Lady, Piper, and Drummy. They just celebrated their one-month birthdays! Daysie’s family brought our December intake total to 122, the most of any month in the past 3 years.

While we are proud of our work in 2023, we know it’s not enough. Public shelters in many parts of the country are in crisis as intake numbers increase and adoptions decline. Our new strategic plan focuses on maximizing our ability to help, and we need your continued support. Please consider becoming a monthly donor or increasing your donor level through our Heartland Heroes program.

We are so grateful for how much you care about homeless animals. And we look forward to working together to save more lives in 2024!