Furniture store funds Mundelein animal rescue efforts

Submitted by Lekas & Levine Public Relations

It's tough enough being a puppy mill puppy. But it's even worse being a puppy mill puppy born with a malfunctioning liver as a result of overbreeding. Just ask Huey, an adorable six month old Cavapoo puppy (Cavalier spaniel/poodle mix) who was rescued by REACH Rescue of Mundelein just in time.

Before then, this fuzzy little fella was passed from puppy mill, to dog broker, to a family that returned him when they realized he was sick, to a "free puppy" post on Craigslist, to Waukegan Animal Control. REACH Rescue, which routinely rescues dogs and cats from Waukegan as well as local and southern kill shelters, pulled him, knowing he'd require expensive surgery in order to survive.

"We knew we'd have to do some aggressive fundraising," REACH Rescue co-founder Cindy Geers said. "But he is such a sweet puppy, and he deserved so much better. He had his surgery mid-May and he is doing wonderfully. Without it, he'd have died, but now he'll be able to have a normal, healthy life."

To date, REACH has raised $5,700 of their $6,400-plus veterinary bill, one small donation at a time. REACH (Rescuing Each Animal for Caring Homes) Rescue Inc. is a volunteer based not-for-profit 50(c)(3) no-kill rescue group. hey are a coalition of rescuers, foster home parents, vets, humane societies, humane investigators and shelters that advocate saving the lives of homeless animals.

Their mission is to rescues dogs and cats that are stray, abandoned, relinquished, abused, neglected, or have run out of time at public shelters and scheduled to be euthanized as a result of overpopulation. REACH attempts at all times to bring animals and people together.

A unique aspect of REACH is the primary way they fund themselves.

Whiskers and Wags is a 5,000-square-foot upscale resale furniture and accessories shop where 100 percent of the profits from the sale of gently used, donated items fund the lifesaving efforts and medical needs to maintain the rescue organization. Next door is a 2,900-square-foot adoption center, where on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m., many of the 40 volunteers bring their rescued foster animal. There, they meet members of the public who may be interested in providing a permanent home for a dog or cat that has been evaluated as a suitable family pet. The average stay for a rescued pet is 17 days.

REACH was founded by Cindy Gears, Patti Bianco and Suzanne Solin and was incorporated in 2011. Their idea was that the furniture resale store would support the rescue. The women are hoping many more area residents will become aware of REACH when the new Jewel Food Store opens later in the year in their strip center. Long Meadow Shopping Center is at Route 176 and Midlothian Road, 1126 West Maple in Mundelein. The resale shop is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and weekends until 5 p.m. For information, visit www.REACHrescue.org.

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