Rescue pit bull gets new life in Gilberts
It's rare that Elgin Police Animal Control Officer Matthew Ciesielczyk gets to find out what happens to the animals he rescues, but Libby the pit bull is a special case.
For one, her injuries from her abusive owner were so bad she required surgery to both hind legs shortly after she was rescued a little more than two years ago. And just three weeks ago, she had another leg surgery from which she is recovering well in her adoptive home in Gilberts.
Libby and Ciesielczyk caught up Thursday morning in the home of John and Kathy Warnock, who took in the now almost 3-year-old animal in May 2013.
This was their second meeting since the dog was placed in the Warnocks' home through A and S Rescue, a group dedicated to finding homes for American Staffordshire Terriers and American Pit Bull Terriers in northern Illinois.
“In this line of work you don't get to see the after effects,” Ciesielczyk said. “To see her this happy and healthy — it's great.”
Libby's latest $3,600 surgery, which included inserting a titanium plate in her right leg, was paid by A and S Rescue, which commits to paying all medical and food bills for the dogs it places with families, said its fundraising marketing director Denise Wiedmeyer.
Libby's recent, more expensive surgery went well, but she might need surgery to her left leg, too, John Warnock said.
Libby — whose formal name is Liberty, a name originally suggested by Ciesielczyk's wife — was rescued in April 2013 after her owner Gregory Griffin was seen kicking her while her head was stuck in a door frame. The dog was first taken to Golf Rose Animal Hospital in Schaumburg and then placed with the Warnocks.
Griffin was sentenced to 180 days in Cook County jail and a $379 fine in September 2013, Ciesielczyk said.
The Warnocks said they thought they'd never get another dog after the death of their beloved dog Kuma, a chow chow whose ashes they keep in a wooden box in the living room. Getting Libby turned out to be a blessing, they said. “The old saying, 'Who rescued who?' is the way it goes in this home,” Kathy Warnock said.
Libby was a “skinny little runt” full of scars when she first came into their home, but quickly gained weight and turned into a friendly dog who loves to chase squirrels and rabbits, John Warnock said.
She's great with the couple's grandchildren, although not so much with other dogs, he said. “She's treated like royalty around here,” he said lovingly.
A and S Rescue has placed almost 1,500 rescue dogs with families over the years — and constantly fights the misconception that pit bulls naturally are aggressive, Wiedmeyer said. Dog owners also have to follow the rules by keeping their animals on a leash unless they're in a fenced area or a dog park, she said. “Bad people create bad dogs — it's simple,” she said.
Her first surgery was done pro bono by Dr. Stephen Neihaus of Chicago Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center, and an anonymous donor pitched in $1,500 for surgical implants and anesthesia.
Ever since, A and S Rescue “has done an incredible job” ensuring Libby's medical needs are met, Ciesielczyk said. “Without their assistance, she wouldn't be where she is.”
Anyone interested in donating to the nonprofit group can visit aandsrescue.com.