DuPage fundraiser helps dachshunds

Lori Biesboer has seen what she calls the worst of people. As president of Midwest Dachshund Rescue, Biesboer frequently finds the little dogs in some of the worst conditions imaginable.

Especially when it comes to so-called puppy mills.

“It's the people that make them bad, not the dogs,” she said. “The dogs are treated like an agricultural product. They are the worst, most god-awful places I have ever seen.”

But her organization helps rehabilitate the dogs and, this weekend, will host its largest fundraiser of the year. The third annual Cross Town Bark Around runs from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 14, in two buildings at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton. The festive event will include a dog-owner look-alike contest, costume contest and wiener dog races.

Also, a silent auction and raffle will raise money for the Tinley Park-based organization. The event usually draws several hundred people and their dachshunds.

“It keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Biesboer said.

Biesboer said the reasons behind her group receiving the dogs range from the benign — owners getting too sick to care for them — to the downright malicious — the aforementioned puppy mills.

She emphasizes that her organization is a rescue group that works with foster homes rather than a shelter. The dogs often need medical attention, and that is where the majority of the group's expenses come in.

Biesboer said she fell in love with dachshunds after she adopted Oscar about 10 years ago. The tiny dogs sometimes forget their size, she said, and envision themselves as guard dogs.

“(Oscar) had more personality than any other dog in my life,” she said. “They are not big, but they think they are big. They think it's their job to be protective of their owners.”

Biesboer said Midwest's application process is deep and makes certain that homes are right for the dogs. Among the measures taken are reference checks, home visits and a two-week trial period for the dogs in the homes.

As an organization that rescues dogs, Biesboer says the dogs don't always come in as perfect pets. But because volunteers spend more time with them, they can tell prospective owners more than most.

“We don't get perfect dogs,” she said. “We have to work with trainers. The beauty of rescue is we can tell you how these dogs do because they live with us. People like the idea that they will get much more information about how the dog does. That reassures people.”

She said recent headlines casting a dark cloud around pet rescue and shelters have had the unintended benefit of raising the public's awareness of the issues.

“A lot of people are starting to understand what rescue is,” she said. “We serve a purpose because we do not want these little guys and gals to end up in shelters, because dachshunds do not do well in shelters.”

If You Go

What: Cross Town Bark Around

Why: Proceeds benefit Midwest Dachshund Rescue

When: 12 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 14

Where: DuPage County Fairgrounds, 201 Manchester Road, Wheaton

Admission: $4 adults, $2 children

Info: (815) 260-6734 or mwdr.org