Written by Frosty
What do you expect to see when you go to a dog park? Owners and their dogs, right? But that’s not what Mom and I saw on our only trip to the Hammel Woods dog park on Monday. (Note to Mom: Why did we only get to visit once during the week? What’s wrong with you? ) The Jon Hiller family of Joliet don’t have a dog right now. But their kids, Sarah, 3, and Sam, 5, love dogs. (The kids also think a trip to PetCo or PetSmart is the best thing in the world.)
“We’re waiting for the kids until they get a little bit bigger,” said mom Colleen. Their Welsh Corgi died exactly a year ago at age 14.
We also saw our neighbor Dory Hewlett and her gorgeous collie Sunny. Sunny and I don’t get along too well when we meet on leash as we both are a tad (just a tad) bossy. But at the park, where we ran wild and free, we had fun, fun, fun! Maybe we’ll be nicer to each other the next time we meet on a sidewalk.
Then Jane Montello of Joliet showed up with her boxer, Rooster. Mom told Jane she took her photo when she was playing the piano at the annual Joliet Junior College culinary arts scholarship. Jane and her hub Lenny won the Dream Room contest last year and that’s where Mom met the happy trio.
You never know who you’ll run into at the dog park!
Killer’s story
Mom thinks it’s amazing how much a dog will go through and not lose its sweet nature. I just shrug. Who’s sweeter than me?
She told me about a dog named “Killer,” who couldn’t be more misnamed. He is a 6-year-old German shepherd mix who loves car rides and learning what treats and toys are all about. He’s never had any of this before.
He spent the best six months of his life with a lady who must now give him up as she moves.
His previous owners were abusive, starved him and gave him no water. They would hit and kick him for fun. He was chained up outside with no shelter.
Sometimes when they did let him off the chain, which wasn’t often, he ran to the lady’s apartment next door, where he knew she would feed and give water to him. It broke her heart to see a dog mistreated so.
The owners didn’t like Killer because they couldn’t make him mean. When they moved, they left him, saying they’d get a pit bull and make him mean for fighting.
He’s housebroken, doesn’t bark and is the sweetest dog ever, according to Liz Bagley of Making a Difference rescue, who told us this story.
E-mail her at findmeahome2@sbcglobal. net
And give him a better name, OK?
Yummy treats
The last time we accidentally ran into a bake sale sponsored by Making a Difference, Mom got the best goodies ever, but none for me. The peanut brittle and cookies were so good … why didn’t I get any?
The next bake sale is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at PetCo in Shorewood at Illinois 59 and Black Road, next to Staples. The money goes to veterinarian bills.
Rescue needs help
I have a soft spot in my big heart for Making a Difference, as this is the group that led me to my Mom’s home.
I was Mom’s third foster dog through them. She didn’t plan on keeping me, but I had different plans.
This is a fledgling group that is working on getting its 501(c)3 (charity status) that should really help it grow.
Liz is a person with a huge heart who doesn’t know the word “no,” (you’d think I don’t either, sometimes).
She and her small band of helpers are getting overwhelmed. They need everything: more foster homes, permanent homes for a growing number of puppies, kittens, cats and dogs and money.
They need phone help, someone to build a Web site and fundraising aid.
Any kind of help would be appreciated. E-mail Liz at [email protected]
