advertisement

What happens to a one-eyed dog at a Naperville animal shelter

This is an animal shelter success story.

In the shelter's kitchen, Cassidy, an Australian cattle dog mix, runs up to workers, hoping for some loving pats.

Her teeth flash as she tries to catch her breath in all the excitement, forming what looks to be a little grin. But it's a little cockeyed, as a few teeth are missing. So is her right eye.

Not unlike many shelter animals, Cassidy has been through a lot. She was injured in a car crash, taken to a shelter in Oklahoma, and transferred to the suburbs a few weeks ago.

Despite the hardships, Cassidy loves people, loves being around them.

After a few minutes, though, it's back to her cage at the Naperville Area Humane Society, where she waits - along with about 30 other dogs and cats - for a new owner to come along and take her to her “forever home.”

“Some people think that shelter animals, that there's something wrong with them, and that's really not the case,” says Executive Director Anna Payton. “A lot of times we get animals because the owners are going through a situation that they can no longer care for them, whether they're moving or having financial hardship. It's very hard for them to surrender their animals.”

The Naperville shelter takes in about 800 cats and dogs a year, often from families who realize they don't have enough time or money for a pet, but also from local and out-of-state rescue and animal control facilities.

That includes animals like Blossom, a hefty Cane Corso mix found in the parking garage of the Museum of Science and Industry.

Asked how long Blossom has been at the shelter, Animal Care Technician Rebecca Kolzow says she can't remember.

“Too long,” she says. “That's all.”

At the Naperville shelter, there's no time limit on how long an animal might stay. Some are gone within a day or two, while others have waited up to two years to be adopted. Animals there are never euthanized because of space or time constraints, but sometimes they have to be put down because of aggressive behavior or because they are suffering from a severe medical condition such as cancer.

Generally, Payton said, the most popular animals are kittens and puppies, or the ones who are purebred or don't shed much. Middle-aged, nondescript animals often stay at the shelter longer.

Still, sometimes, those are the ones that fit an adopter's needs. Like Cassidy, perhaps?

“It's just what catches people's eyes,” Payton said of who gets taken home first. “It's always surprising.”

Best buddies

In the cat room, big, bright eyes dart to the door when it opens. Some of the cats hide in their cage or on shelves, while others curiously look at visitors.

  Summer and Carys are waiting for homes at the Naperville Area Humane Society in Naperville. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com

And some are divas who have to stay in a cage because they don't play well with others, such as Carys, who sneers at his neighbor, Summer, as a photographer snaps a photo of the two.

Near the offices, black cats Charmed and Shadow snuggle up next to each other. The two are best buddies, and Payton said the shelter will let them be adopted only as a pair.

While the shelter does its best to make life as normal as possible for the animals, the goal is to get them into a home where they will be healthy and happy as soon as possible. The shelter also offers a behavior helpline and other animal assistance programs that might help a family keep their pet, such as low-cost spay/neuter services.

“We try to offer people as many solutions as possible prior to bringing their pet into the shelter,” Payton said. “Our goal is to keep them in the home as long as possible. Whether or not they come to our shelter or another shelter, it's a loss.”

According to the organization's annual statistics, about 90 percent of the animals that come to the Naperville shelter each year are adopted. That's far better than the national average. An estimated 6 million to 8 million cats and dogs enter shelters nationwide each year. But only about 3 million to 4 million of them are adopted.

  Cassidy is a one-eyed Australian cattle dog who was hurt in a car accident. Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com

Until their adoption day comes, animals at the Naperville shelter receive the kind of attention pets deserve: They play with donated toys, and they take walks escorted by the more than 250 volunteers who help at the shelter 365 days a year.

The shelter also microchips all the animals, vaccinates them, gets them sprayed or neutered, and does behavioral training to get them ready for their new home. Those services are free for dogs older than 7 years, $125 for a kitten or $275 for a puppy.

Anyone interested in viewing an updated list of animals at the shelter can visit napervillehumanesociety.org.

Payton said petfinder.com also allows potential adopters to search for animals close to their homes by entering their preferences for species, breed, age and gender.

“Adoption should be everybody's first option,” she said. “There's really a plethora of animals that are available at animal shelters, even if you're looking for something specific.”

What about Cassidy?

Dr. Lynette Greenwood, who owns Emergency Veterinary Services of St. Charles, was looking for an Australian cattle dog. She'd had one for 14 years, but it died about three months ago and she was looking for a dog to fill the void.

  Better times arrived for Cassidy when she met Dr. Lynette Greenwood, owner of Emergency Veterinary Services in St. Charles. Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com

Her online search turned up a photo of the one-eyed Cassidy, who was so new at the Naperville shelter that her story wasn't up on the website yet. So Greenwood stopped by to take a look.

And there was Cassidy: missing an eye and some teeth, but seriously smart and seriously in need of a friend. For Greenwood, it was love at first sight.

“She was obviously intelligent,” she says, “but she was also kind of needy. She needed attention, and I'm the one who can give her lots and lots of attention.”

Greenwood renamed her new pooch Kora - an aboriginal word for “companion.”

And despite knowing Kora would face some challenges, Greenwood didn't hesitate in making a commitment.

  Dr. Lynette Greenwood changed Cassidy's name to Kora, an aboriginal word for "companion." After only a week, Greenwood's new pet was allowed to run off-leash, as they do at Fermilab in Batavia on Friday. Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com

“I said, 'I'll take her in a heartbeat,'” Greenwood said. “And she has fit in right away.”

DuPage Editor Robert Smith contributed to this story.

Images: The sad faces of pets waiting for their 'forever home'

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.