Walk-a-Thon helps Naperville animal shelter
The scent of all the dogs had hundreds of canines in a dither Sunday morning at Animals Deserving of Proper Treatment's walkathon through Naperville, but none, perhaps, more than Rocco.
The scrappy pup yipped and yapped mightily, defending his turf, whenever a Doberman or shepherd approached in the Fifth Avenue Station parking lot, where pets and owners assembled for the 5K fundraising event, the Makin' Strides for Strays Walk-a-thon.
"He's a little overwhelmed right now," explained his owner, Anthony Camasta, of Bartlett, scooping up the six-pound dynamo and cuddling him into submission. Nikki Camasta, Anthony's wife and Rocco's "mom" explained it wasn't just the vast sea of dogs that had Rocco unhinged. Sunday was his birthday.
"He's one today," she said of the all-white Maltese and Yorkshire terrier mix, known as a morkie.
Amid tents of vendors selling dog bones and biscuits, poop-scooping services, pet accessories and supplies, Patti Grijalva of Naperville prepared for the walk through and around Naperville's downtown with her 4½-year-old Bernese mountain dog, Jasmine, at her side.
At 70 pounds, Grijalva's wiry-haired dog looked healthy and not at all petite. But for her breed, Grijalva explained, she is small.
"She's a puppy mill survivor," Grijalva said. "Usually they're big. She lived for 2½ years in a cage in Missouri. She's been with us for about two years. She was 45 pounds when we got her."
Grijalva said Jasmine, like other dogs raised in puppy mills, spent her first years confined, secluded and deprived of exercise and companionship.
When she was rescued through an organization known as BARC, Bernese Auction Rescue Coalition, she had to be socialized and taught about simple things she hadn't been exposed to before, such as doors and windows.
"She didn't know toys. She didn't know stairs," said Grijalva, who regularly visits shelters in central and southern Illinois and brings animals back to the Chicago area for adoption through area shelters, including ADOPT, a Naperville-based, no-kill shelter that was founded in 1989.
ADOPT started the fundraising walkathon 17 years ago.
"Last year, we had just under 800 (people)," said ADOPT President Sandy Boston, adding that the number might dip a bit this year due to the stormy Saturday night weather.
Boston said she is hoping the walkathon will bring in between $65,000 and $70,000 - funds that will contribute to the shelter's operating costs. Most of the proceeds will be used to cover veterinary bills, she said, though some may help with ongoing projects.
The shelter, which takes in dogs, cats and occasionally a few other species, is currently improving its facilities for dogs.
"We're trying to reconfigure and expand isolation and intake areas for dogs," Boston said.
Before Naperville Mayor George Pradel announced the walk's official start and a clergyman blessed the animals, hundreds of people and pooches poured into the sunlit parking lot, giving the appearance that last year's turnout would be either equaled or exceeded.
Nestor Battung of Aurora was there with Aspen, a 10-month-old shepherd/Husky mix. Battung said he adopted Aspen from ADOPT just two weeks earlier. He discovered the ADOPT shelter on Industrial Drive while out bicycle riding. When he entered the shelter's dog area, it was almost like Aspen chose him, instead of the other way around, he said.
"He was in the middle of all the cages. I just saw him and he saw me. He came right to me. I'm, like, he's got to come home with me," Battung said, adding that having a canine companion is a great stress reducer.
"Seeing him, everything goes away," he said. "He's rescuing me and I'm rescuing him."