Happily Ever After….
“Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them, and filling an emptiness we didn’t ever know we had.” – Thom Jones
Butternut “the gourd” Now Louie
Butternut came to New Leash a sweet but nervous pup, unsure of the world and hesitant to trust. Affectionately nicknamed “the gourd” by our team, we knew this little guy would come out of his shell in time. Butternut’s foster mom took things slow and with love and patience, soon our little gourd was opening up, starting to trust, and learning the perks of being a dog.
Butternut’s foster mom dreamed of this sweet pup finding the perfect forever home, until the moment she realized that he was already home. Here is what she had to say about falling in love with Butternut, now named Louie:
“I can’t believe this happened! I never meant to fall in love again and then he happened! I don’t normally even like small dogs, but he’s my everything. I think he’s happy too 😊 I’m going to give him the best life possible!!
We could not have chosen a more perfect adopter. Congratulations!
Keypto Now Ira!
We're excited to share with you that Krypto has started a new chapter in his life and we can't wait to see what adventures he has in store.
His new mom, Abby, is part of our #nlolfamily. Krypto (now Ira) will be joining #nlolalum Walter! She shared this with us:
“You all are so awesome! I am forever indebted to NLOL for bringing Walter into my life, EVERYTHING that was done to rescue and take care of that little nugget. And not to have sweet goofy Ira is just a spoil of riches, my heart is so so full!!”
Macy Now Willow
"When we met Macy (now Willow), her sweet, playful demeanor met our most basic criteria when seeking an adoptee -- OK, we have a soft-spot for brindles, too. But, we also learned she had a bit of a history as a stray with health issues. After a couple of meetings, we realized we had a big learning curve ahead. However, there was also no questioning that Macy was well worth the challenge.
NLOL gave us the information we requested to transition her medical care seamlessly & put us in a good place to provide for this special little dog. If Epilepsy if her one weakness, remember even Superman had Kryptonite, we learned her superhero POWER ... living a highly active, happy, curious life. And, every day we're learning her many other powers, including her ability to separate shoes to opposite sides of the house, standing in the exact spot we need to be at any given time, munching on cantaloupe, and returning love at twice the rate received.
Over the years, we have adopted other dogs and have been lucky to work with good people and groups along the way. What separates NLOL above all is their commitment to the wellbeing of the dog and there dedication to finding the right match. Jacki even worked with us to ensure our 10-year old Plott Hound mix, Junior, was in a position to accept this new member of the family. We couldn't be happier."
Wilma
You may remember Wilma, the sweet piglet pittie we rescued last summer as a part of Chicago Rescue Days! Wilma was one of our pandemic pups and has spent almost a year working hard on herself and waiting ever so patiently for her forever family.
Today, we are thrilled to announce that this quirky sweetheart has finally found her forever home, and she couldn’t be happier!
Her new dad had this to say:
“She's grown so much over the time she's been here. As the world opens up and comes out of its pandemic shell so has Wilma. Where she used to get nervous around humans and extremely anxious around other dogs, she can now interact with much less stress and more enjoyment. She definitely had some kind of trauma in the past but with patience and love she's been able to slowly be more comfortable in almost any environment.”
Toby
Toby, our sweet southern boy, traveled from Alabama to join the NLOL family through our partnership with the Hinsdale Humane Society. Very early on in his journey, we could tell that Toby had become quite enamored with his foster dad. He liked us but LOVED Sergio.
And as time went on, we realized that this feeling was mutual, and that Toby’s foster had fallen in love with him, despite some sauciness mixed in with that sweetness. We couldn’t be happier for Toby!
According to his new dad, “Toby has been enjoying his new home and being able to be outside in the backyard! He is also very excited to be going to daycare to play with all of his new friends.”
Eloise “Ellie “
When Ellie came back to us by no fault of hers, we were heart broken. But we rallied around Ellie and promised to find her the best possible home that she deserved. And then out of all that haze, the stars aligned, and that magical moment occurred when you knew that a pup has found their perfect home. Even more so when it turned out to be a “foster-fail”. That's exactly what happened for our Ellie and we couldn’t be more thrilled for this sweet, precious beauty.
Her mom had this to say, “Ellie is my 5th foster dog I've cared for and I'm so unbelievably lucky that she entered my life! Quickly she fit right in and has been my superstar sidekick ever since. Seeing her cute little face each morning instantly puts me in a great mood. The neighborhood is already loving her from the corner barber to the Venezuelan coffee shop ladies. She's keeping me healthy with her love of steamed veggies and walks to the lake. We are both so grateful for the tremendous care and support of the NLOL family. Ellie (Ms. Eloise) and I will be growing old together. I just love her so much and can't wait to see what else this precious pup can do!”
Brownie
After learning that little Brownie had lost his person earlier this year, we were determined to find this guy the perfect family. We wanted to find a place where he could once again feel right at home. Watching his face light up with absolute joy when he met his soon-to-be family, we knew he had found exactly what he needed!
His new family had this to say: “We knew immediately when we met Brownie at his foster's house that he was such a sweet boy. And even through all the medical challenges he experienced early on, he remained so sweet and loving with expert level snuggle skills. Brownie fit right into our family, and we couldn't be happier.”
Wishbone now Suggs
Our hearts smile especially wide when one of our more longer-term pups finds the perfect forever home. Wishbone, now Suggs, has been with us since November. From the moment he became a part of the NLOL Chicago family, he managed to charm every single foster and volunteer he came into contact with. We couldn’t be happier for this sweet boy and his wonderful family.
His new family had this to say:
“For ten years we lived in an apartment that couldn’t have dogs and we dreamed of the day we could have a furry friend! After a recent move we began searching and absolutely fell head over heels for Wishbone’s handsome face! His bio described him as loving Netflix, and as filmmakers ourselves, we knew it was the perfect fit. He’s funny, stubborn, loving, and the greatest cuddler of all time! We wouldn’t have him any other way. We are so grateful to New Leash on Life for going above and beyond to make our boy happy and are excited to take over the reins for the rest of his beautiful life. We love him with all our hearts!”
Hannah Moo-Tana now Oreo
When we work with adopters, we always express the importance of the Rules of Three as a general guideline - three days, 3 weeks, 3 months - to allow your dog to adjust to a new home. Every dog is unique and will adjust differently and it’s really important to let them go at their own pace.
This was especially true for our little cow, Hannah Moo-tana. She’s still a baby and it took her some time to adjust to life outside the shelter environment. We are so very grateful her adopters understood this and were dedicated to helping her become the best Moo (now Oreo) she can be.
Her new family couldn’t be happier!
“Oreo is a loving puppy with a lot of energy and needed structure and socialization. With the help of training sessions, Oreo can now play with other dogs and has become a canine good citizen. It’s such a joy to see her grow and be at her fullest. We are looking forward to all the days and years to come with Oreo in our lives!”
We knew this smart and special girl had it in her!
Binx
Binx joined the New Leash on Life Chicago family earlier this summer through our partnership with the Hinsdale Humane Society. We immediately noticed that although Binx was super shy and timid, he had the sweetest soul and a playfulness just waiting to come out. We knew that his breed blend (Jack Russel/Lab) and his beautiful shiny coat would make him quite popular, and we were right. He gained many admirers.
The connection Binx had with one family immediately stood out, though. This shy pup seemed comfortable right away, and it was clearly love at first sight for the family.
His new family had this to say “Our marriage feels more complete with Binx in our life. He’s brought happiness, a bit of sass, and way too many toys into our lives. We couldn’t be more in love and happy to have him in our lives”.
Pepper now Abby
Building families one rescue dog at a time. Happy tails Abby, we know you are going to be the best big sister!
We met Pepper (now Abby) within the same 24 hours of finding out we were expecting our first baby. We knew life was about to change and we’ve wanted a dog for years now – so why not jump in head first! She was walking with her foster mom, Katie, wearing a bright pink “adopt me” bandana, and she was so friendly and sweet with us, and my brother’s four kids. We fell in love immediately!
After a series of meet-ups and walks, we finally brought Abby home and are so thankful to NLOL for giving us a chance! We know we will be moving in the next year and wanted to name her after something special to us and our time in Chicago. We were married at the Columbia Yacht Club, named the Abegweit, or Abby for short. Abby loves to be outside and people watch (especially little kids), but she’s also the biggest cuddle bug we’ve ever met.
The local restaurant owners already know her and love her, which isn’t much of a surprise. She gets smarter every day and now we couldn’t imagine our lives without her!
Tina
Tina came to us by chance one day, when her owner was surrendering her for euthanasia due to severe skin ailments. Luckily, we were able to convince the owner to release her into our care and the rest is history. This beautiful, precious girl thrived, flourished, and blossomed with her amazing fosters. In no time, she became healthy and happy and was ready to find her forever family. Then when Kyrie and Angel’s application came in, we knew it in our hearts that this was just meant to be. This is what Tina’s mom had to say:
“We fell in love Tina after seeing her posts on Insta. Her ears and eyes. FTA made it possible for us to fall even more in love with her little mannerisms. The way she waits for you to get up in the mornings to snuggle into the vacant space while watching you get ready. The way she throws her toys at you when she’s desperate to get at your plate. Tina has undoubtedly changed our quality of life for the better.”
Here’s to a lifetime of love and snuggles and happy tails, you guys!
Mrs. Doubtfire now Billy Josephine Tubbins
Everything about today’s happy ending is extra-special! As a rescue we strive to bring awareness to the black dogs that are consistently overlooked in shelters based solely on their coat color. You only need to glance at these photos to see how misguided that is- this girl is a 👑!
Mrs. Doutfire, now Billy Joe, was found at Chicago Animal Care and Control by our amazing intake coordinator. Mrs. D’s previous owner could no longer care for her, and she was certainly rough around the edges when we scooped her up. She was clinically overweight and without access to her much needed allergy medication, but you could feel that good dog energy ruminating off of her. Within a few days of being at her first foster home, Mrs. D got cleaned up, chilled out, and ready to show us how much love she had to give (a LOT!!).
This happy ending is doubly-special because her adopter is also a NLOLC AC, foster, and just all-around rockstar volunteer! Here’s what Margo had to say:
“When I started volunteering with New Leash on Life Chicago I was not looking to adopt, but you can’t fight fate! I got to assist in picking up Billy from CACC, and it was literally love at first sight. I dropped her off at her first foster home, and I could not get her out of my head. I had to bring her home. My partner and I then saw Billy go from a beautifully crusty, old lady, cat-dog, to a shiny, spunky, full on dog. We are so proud of how far she has come and cannot wait for the rest of our time with our soulmate, Billy Josephine Tubbins.”
Bell now Muffin
Bell was found as a stray on the mean streets of Chicago. Though we’re sure that adorable face would run the streets, the team at New Leash on Life Chicago figured she is much better suited for snuggles and fun indoors. As soon as Bell made it into her foster home, foster mom and dad were smitten. She settled in very quickly and her goofy personality appeared. After an ER false alarm, Bell’s foster parents realized how much they cared for Bell. They would do anything to protect their little, well, Muffin! They soon made the decision to become forever parents. Here’s what the family has to say:
“We are so excited to give this little cutie a forever home! A special thank you to Maureen, Margo, Noelle and all the NLOL volunteers for helping us find our dream dog.”
Thank you to Nina and Mav for giving this little one a great home!
Zucchini now Ruby
We are excited to celebrate the happy ending of Zucchini, a member of our Summer Garden pack! This pint-size nugget stole the hearts of many at NLOL, with her adorable looks and sweet, playful nature.
Zucchini’s forever family had this to say: “We are thrilled to have Zucchini as a new member of our family! She has lots of energy and loves to go on walks and chase balls in the backyard. Plus, she is an absolute sweetheart; she loves to snuggle and always keeps me company when I’m working. Thank you so much for sharing her with us!”
Fawkes
Fawkes returned to us this fall after his family broken-heartedly decided that changes in their family dynamic were causing too much anxiety for the little guy. As Fawkes anxiously hopped into the car to head to his foster family, little did he realize that he was being driven straight to his forever home to start the next chapter of his beautiful life.
Of course, we at NLOL knew that we were bringing Fawkes to the perfect place to decompress. Often referred to as the Thurman Ranch, Spa, or Resort, this pup was going to stay at a home with a beautiful fenced in backyard, dog beds of every shape and size, built in dog BFF’s, and a family of kind, patient humans.
What we didn’t know was that the humans at the Ranch would fall head over heels in love with this sweet, anxious pup, and that Fawkes wasn’t going anywhere. He was home.
As his new mom said “He loves us, we love him. The heart wants what the heart wants”.
Huck now Han
Huck came to us a shy but very sweet 3month old puppy with a face we could not resist. He thrived in his foster home and was guided in becoming a confident, playful, gentle and loving dog by his foster brother lovie.
When we brought him to his Foster to Adopt home, we all knew the signs that he wasn’t going anywhere else. As you can tell by the words of his family below; he found his place.
“Huck, now Han, is the perfect addition to our family. He is the sweetest little brother to big brother Chewy and his feline brother and sister Luke and Leia. In just a short time, he has already brought our family so much joy and we love him dearly.”
A Star Wars happy ending we can get behind!
Eugene
Eugene was found as a stray and brought to MedVet for treatment immediately by a kind Chicago resident. He was covered in fleas and severely underweight. Eugene was immediately shaved, cleaned up, and rescued by the New Leash team to continue his journey to recovery. In his first foster home, it was quickly discovered that we were dealing with one of the most special little dogs. In his first moments at MedVet, Eugene touched one of the employees right away. She became his forever family and has this to say about her special boy;
I am legitimately one of the most indecisive people I know, but from the moment I saw Eugene I knew he was meant for our family. He is the perfect combination of calm and chaos. We will never know what his life was truly like before but I can say he will now never have to spend a single second alone or unloved. He now has his two fur brothers (who he now lives to annoy), a human sister whose lap is his favorite bed, a grandma to spoil him/try to fatten him up, and a Mom whose hip he would attach himself to if he could. He even has an extended family of cousins-human and fur alike- who adore him to pieces. And all our lives are infinitely better with him in it. We will forever be grateful to everyone at NLOL for allowing us to have this perfect gremlin in our lives.