Safe Haven with Secondhand Snoots

Our Safe Haven program is a division of our foster home program, dogs with severe special needs, terminal illnesses. Due to their delicate medical conditions and the need for a consistent, stable living environment, our Safe Haven animals are not available for adoption. They reside with foster families that provide specialized care by working closing with our veterinary partners and the animals will spend the remainder of their lives with these families. We welcome much-needed donations to continue this program and provide extensive medical care and other daily needs for these amazing animals. To date, we have had 10 dogs in our Safe Haven Program.

Slate Slate was the first animal in our Safe Haven program. A deaf and visually impaired Australian Shepherd, Slate was rescued from the Scioto Dog Pound, a high kill shelter in Ohio on July 25, 2012. Slate was too severely epileptic to be adoptable. He suffering from an average of 3 grand mal seizures a week while on medication. He care was being overseen by a canine Neurologist in Chicago and our regular partner veterinarians. He was on was on multiple medications and received regular blood work and	Suzy Suzy, a 12-year old Border Collie, came to us from Kankakee County Animal Control on July 18, 2011, where she was owner surrender from a hoarding/squalor situation. We scheduled Suzy for desperately needed dental and subsequently found out that she was in the early stages of Renal Failure. She was also arthritic, mildly incontinent, had an enlarged heart, and mild deformation of her trachea and vertebra. We helped Suzie cross the Rainbow Bridge in December, 2012.
Shadow Shadow came to us on the same day as sweet Suzy. Shadow was a senior boy who had been abandoned by his family when they left him with a neighbor temporarily and never came back. The neighbors kept him for months, and could not continue his care. He had laryngeal paralysis making breathing difficult and senior vestibular disease. We lost Shadow in May, 2012.	Juno Beauty aka Juno, was our 8-year old Husky / Mix who came to us from Ohio with a known heart murmur, after another rescue backed out of saving her. During her intake exam we learned that she was in advanced Renal Failure. She was with us for 3.5 loving months before her condition and quality of life deteriorated. We helped her cross the Rainbow Bridge in March 2013.
Charlotte Charlotte, a 1-year old Labrador/Pit Bull mix who was abandoned after hours, tied outside of Evanston Animal Control. We were asked to take her in to our program to save her from being euthanized. Our veterinarian discovered that she has a grade 5, almost grade 6 heart murmur and referred her to a cardiologist. After some tests and further examination by local canine cardiologist, we learned that she had a Subaortic Stenosis. We helped Charlotte cross the Rainbow Bridge in September 2013.	Charlie aka Carlitos Sweet Charlie came to us through our veterinarian's office when his owner brought him in to be euthanized. It was reported that he was having seizures and the other dog in the home was picking on him. Our vet asked if she could rehome with a rescue, and he came to us. He was in his foster home for months before he started showing any signs of seizures, he was moved to our Safe Haven program when they started. He only has a few a month, and is doing great in his forever foster home.
Sherman Sherman is a senior black / tan coonhound who is living his life in the lap of luxury.	Cara Cara came to us after she was picked up by animal control, a little scared girl who could barely walk or stand. It is believed that she was exposed to distemper early in life and it slowly took it's toll. We helped Cara cross the Rainbow Bridge in January, 2014.
Bear Bear was a 17-year old owner surrender to a high kill animal control agency. We believe that he had cancer and was suffering. We helped him cross the Rainbow Bridge in January, 2014.	Myley Myley came to us from a local animal control agency. Shortly after coming into rescue, her foster mom noticed a mass on her back. The fine needle aspirate revealed that it was a cancerous mass. The two types of cancer that we suspect are both deadly with little to no hope of a cure. We are treating with an alternate treatment and she is doing well. While this will not cure her, it will hopefully prolong her life so that she can enjoy a few years in her forever foster home.
Coco Coco came to us as part of a litter who were being sold on Craigslist at only 2-weeks old. Soon after coming to rescue, the whole litter came down with an unknown deadly virus, and 3 of her siblings did not survive. It was during this illness that we learned that Coco has a congenital cardiac condition; we later learned that she has a PDA. She will have heart surgery to repair the defect and is expected to live a long happy life afterwards.