As a result of this program, Purdue will be able to dramatically expand its shelter medicine educational program and PAWS Chicago will benefit from significantly increased medical and behavioral resources at the Lurie Spay/Neuter Clinic, the Admissions & Recovery Center and the Pippen Fasseas Adoption Center. Purdue veterinary students, veterinary technology students and graduate students will support the PAWS Chicago team in all aspects of the organization’s medical and behavioral operations.

This involves working on the full spectrum of activities at the fast-paced, high-volume environment of the Lurie Spay/Neuter Clinic, including the initial exam, surgical prep, spay/neuter surgery and recovery. The students will also be a valuable resource to PAWS Chicago’s adoption program, assisting with the initial health assessments and exams, vaccinations, micro-chipping, diagnostic testing, and the daily care of the many sick and injured animals that are part of the adoption program.

Research initiatives will focus on minimizing the spread of disease in a shelter environment; how to prevent and/or shorten the recovery times for common shelter illnesses through innovations in technology, medical protocols and disease prevention; and the prevention of the deterioration of behavior that is sometimes seen in a shelter environment.

There are three principal objectives of the Purdue University program:

1. to educate and train future leaders in the field of Shelter Medicine,
2. to conduct research in the areas of Shelter Medicine and Pet Homelessness, and
3. to develop leadership in public education, dissemination of information and continuing education in Shelter Medicine.

When asked why they chose PAWS Chicago as a partner to collaborate with on this grant, Annette Litster, Director of the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at Purdue responded: “PAWS Chicago is a wonderful example of what can be done when dedicated and smart people work together to achieve something that they are passionate about.

The facilities at both the Lurie Spay/Neuter Clinic and the Pippen Fasseas Adoption Center are state-of-the-art and they set a new benchmark for what can be achieved for pets in a shelter environment. These factors make PAWS an ideal learning environment for our students and I feel there is a real meeting of minds between PAWS and Purdue regarding the importance of our work and the areas we need to pursue to help improve the lives of shelter pets all over the USA.”

Maddie’s Fund is a family foundation funded by Workday and PeopleSoft Founder David Duffield and his wife, Cheryl. Maddie’s Fund is helping to create a No Kill nation where all healthy and treatable shelter dogs and cats are guaranteed a loving home.

To achieve this goal, Maddie’s Fund is investing its resources in building community collaborations where animal welfare organizations come together to develop successful models of lifesaving; in veterinary colleges to help shelter medicine become part of the veterinary curriculum; in private practice veterinarians to encourage greater participation in the animal welfare cause; and in the implementation of national strategies to collect and report shelter statistics. Maddie’s Fund is named after the family’s beloved Miniature Schnauzer who passed away in 1997.

Purdue University is one of the top Veterinary Schools in the country, and is one of only two educational programs in North America that integrates the education of the veterinarian health care teams by training both veterinary technicians and veterinarians and incorporates animal behavior. This comprehensive team approach is ideally suited to advancing shelter medicine in this relatively new field. PAWS Chicago is looking forward to working with and proud to be partnering with Maddie’s Fund and Purdue University in shaping, positively influencing and setting a new standard for the future of Shelter Medicine.

Laurie Peek, DVM, Maddie’s Fund Veterinary Program Director is excited to see the results from this new partnership. “The wealth of new knowledge that will result from the collaboration of Purdue University and PAWS Chicago is incredibly exciting. We are glad to be able to bring these outstanding organizations together to advance shelter medicine for the benefit of homeless pets throughout the nation.”

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If you love Angel Tales Magazine, you’ll be excited to know that you can now connect with your favorite stories 24 hours-a-day. That’s because we’ve just launched a brand new website at AngelTales.org that’s designed to provide you with everything you love about Angel Tales Magazine and much, much more!

• Explore – Browse articles from current and past issues, and enjoy exclusive content available only online.
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Mid-July last year, the Burbank Police Department stopped a vehicle carrying seven dogs on South Cicero Avenue.  Without an animal expert on staff, Burbank reached out to Chicago’s Animal Crimes Unit. When James Conlan and Thomas Barker responded to the scene, they immediately recognized that further investigation was needed. They secured felony charges against the driver and passenger, Brian Baley and Tony Self, well-known and trusted couriers of specially bred dogs for the dog-fighting community, who were held without bond at the Cook County Jail.

After skillful interrogations by the Cook County Sheriff’s police, Brian Degenhardt, and James Conlan at Cook County Jail, it was evident that the Burbank PD has unwittingly uncovered a nation-wide dogtrafficking transportation system.  Baley would pick up dogs from O’Hare Airport and house them in southside safe houses. He also made frequent trips to New York’s LaGuardia Airport. After funds were received for the dogs, he would personally deliver them to the residence of a well-know dog-fighter in Pima County Arizona.

Conlan and Degenhardt made contact with the Pima County Sheriff’s office, providing information with sufficient probable cause that they could initiate their own surveillance. The Pima County Sheriff detective was able to execute two search warrants.

The Raid

On February 19, a coordinated effort by SWAT team, Animal Control, and the FBI raided four separate properties simultaneously in Tucson, Arizona. Six people were arrested and indicted on a total of 69 felony and misdemeanor counts, allegedly operating the dog-fighting ring for the past eight years in Pima County. The primary culprit, Mahlon Patrick, had been involved in dog-fighting since the 70s and was known worldwide for originating two blood lines, going by the names Tombstone and Bolio. Regarded as one of the top three breeders of fighting dogs in the country, his dogs ranged in price from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.

All total, law enforcement recovered more than 150 dogs, $10,000 in cash, and 60 firearms, varying from revolvers to assault-type guns. Investigators also suspect ties to organized crime.

The Victims

At least ten of the dogs required immediate medical attention for foot infections resulting from standing in their own waste and others showed signs of fighting, including scars on their faces, necks and front legs, signs of a poorly healed broken jaw, and missing teeth. One timid neutered male dog with substantial scarring licked investigators hands when they approached his kennel, which showed signs that bebe pellets were fired at him to torment the poor pup. Dog-fighting paraphernalia, such as a rape-stand and training equipment such as treadmills, were also confiscated.

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Charlie Trotter, Kathleen Casey, Marca Bristo, Kendall Ciesemier, Haki Madhubuti, Modesto Valle and Paula Fasseas.

In addition to the luncheon at the Four Seasons on January 24th, Fasseas and this year’s other recipients were recognized with a feature in the January issue of Chicago magazine, a video documentary on each of their achievements that aired on CLTV throughout December and January and a $1,000 contribution to their favorite charity from the Chicago Tribune
Foundation.

Each year since 1994, Chicago has honored a handful of people whose actions have changed life in the region for the better. This year we honor a champion of the disabled, an African American publisher, a world-renowned chef, a mother who turned loss into hope, a lifesaving animal lover, a kid helping other kids, and a longtime advocate of tolerance and diversity. At a January luncheon at the Four Seasons, Chicago will celebrate the achievements of these seven remarkable individuals and reward them each with a $1,000 donation from the Chicago Tribune Foundation for the charity of their choice.

In her article, Jennifer Wehunt wrote: “It’s like a scene out of Snow White—if Snow White had an MBA. As Paula Fasseas prowls the new PAWS adoption center, downy hounds lick her fingertips and skinny kittens twine around her ankles. It almost seems as if they know that Fasseas, the founder and chair of Pets Are Worth Saving (PAWS), is the best friend Chicago’s homeless animals have.”

This year’s honorees also include Charlie Trotter, Kathleen Casey, Marca Bristo, Kendall Ciesemier, Haki Madhubuti and Modesto Valle.

Congratulations to all of these wonderful Chicagoans for their many achievements. We would like to thank each of them for their continued efforts to make Chicago a better place for all.

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This language allows them to express pack rank, cooperate in play, alert others to danger and show affection. Their language is both instinctual and learned and is designed to insure survival of the pack.

Your dog should always look to you as the pack leader or “Alpha” and your job as pack leader requires that you have an understanding of your dog’s body language or “signals.” Communication among dog can come from eye contact, body posture, tail carriage and other complex signals.

Many of these “signals” are often read incorrectly which can result in behavior problems. It is important that your dog should display a submissive attitude to you and family members. A dog that considers himself the leader could turn aggressive and become uncontrollable or even dangerous.

A dominant dog will advance down the street confidently with head and tail held high. He will usually strive to initiate contact with people or animals first. He will feel that it’s his job to rush up to strangers and either jump up in an obnoxious way or bark aggressively to defend his territory. Many dog owners incorrectly interpret this behavior as overly-friendly or fearful.

In fact, he feels it is his job, as pack leader, to be in control of encounters on the street. This behavior can be displayed by putting three or more dogs behind a fence. When a strange person or animal pass by, the dominant dogs will advance first.

Correct interpretation of your dog’s body language can also tell you if he’s feeling frightened or anxious.

Occasionally, a submissive dog will advance also, and the dominant dog will turn and bite or correct him for stepping out of rank. Your job as “Alpha” requires that you initiate and supervise all the interactions your dog has with the outside world.

Another area where communication between humans and dogs tends to break down is when and how we show affection. A dominant dog will come up to its owner and either lean or paw in a pushy manner to be petted. He may even roll on his back to dictate how and where his owner should rub him. When he is satisfied he will end the session. This same dog may not allow his owner to brush him, clip his nails or disturb him while he sleeps. He may also resist rolling over on your terms to check his feet or stomach area.

Many dog owners give in to these behaviors not realizing they are a display of dominance. Remember that it is always the leader’s choice to initiate or end petting. Ignore your dog when he tries to control your affections. As pack leader, you have the right to handle your dog whenever you want.

Many dog bites on humans occur due to our lack of understanding a dog’s body language. We humans greet each other with a big smile and direct eye contact. This can be considered a threat or inappropriate behavior to a dog. Full eye contact, hugging, face to face contact such as kissing, and going over the top of a dog’s head can all be perceived as a threat to a dog.

Always allow a dog to approach you on its own terms. Ignore an unfamiliar dog, avoiding full eye contact until he is comfortable. Put your open hand out and allow him to sniff it first and wait until the dog displays a relaxed body posture. The dog may yawn, look away or be still with ears perked up and mouth relaxed or slightly open “smiling.”

Even easier to read is when the dog’s entire rear is wiggling and his front end is bowed in an invitation to play. Never approach a dog displaying aggressive body language. This includes ears pinned back or sometimes forward, hackles raised, hard stare, low head stance with growling or a snarl.

Correct interpretation of your dog’s body language can also tell you if he’s feeling frightened or anxious. A dog that is fearful will appear tense and crouch low in a submissive position. His tail will be tucked between his legs and his ears will be laid back flat and low on his head. In extreme cases he will drool or possibly release his anal glands. He may also tremble or whine.

In these situations it is best to remember that the pack leader is calm, fair and assertive. Sending your dog calming signals as opposed to soothing or stroking him can help diffuse the situation. Remember that dogs interpret petting as praise and you don’t want to reinforce his fears.

Keep a confident, upright stance, move slowly, yawn or look away. This will communicate to your dog that he has nothing to fear. If your dog is fearful or timid around people, keep him on a leash and have them walk with you. Don’t force your dog to take on more than he’s ready to handle.

Remember that by closely observing your dog over time, you will pick up on many of the “signals” he is sending to you. Through time you will learn to communicate and maybe even send effective “signals” back. Obedience training will help to develop a language that you both can understand. Proper communication will strengthen your bond leading to a more enjoyable relationship.

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Michael Vick and his legal team.

2001 was a banner year for Michael Vick. The Atlanta Falcons drafted him as the first overall pick in the NFL draft that April and things were only getting better. On May 9, he signed a six-year contract worth $62 million and received a signing bonus of $3 million.

The next month, in June of 2001, Vick spent $34,000, presumably from his generous signing bonus, acquiring property in Smithfield, Virginia on Moonlight Road. This property became the main staging area for housing and training pitbulls, as well as a hosting site for dog fights. He also began collecting pit bull adults and puppies for the fighting operation, importing them from North Carolina, New York, and other locations in Virginia. Soon after, he established “Bad Newz Kennels.”

At least four cooperating witnesses provided investigators with information on Vick and his compatriots in Bad Newz Kennels.  It was common practice to “test,” determining which dogs were the good fighters and executing those who did not perform. Dogs who lost matches also usually lost their lives, either in the pit or at the hand of their angry sponsors who had bet money on bloody victory. Shooting, hanging, electrocuting, drowning and slamming bodies to the ground were all common methods of killing by Vick and his three co-defendants.

It is estimated that between 20,000 and 40,000 people participate in the multi-billion dollar dog-fighting industry. Hundreds of people attend fights, with the average purse size at $10,000.  Days or weeks after these fights, often in abandoned buildings, dead dog carcasses are found burned, skinned or hung.  The brutality of the industry is unparalleled.

Vick often played host at Moonlight Road to regular dogfights and “Grand Champion Fights,” which meant each dog was fighting for his fifth consecutive win.  Fighters came from various places in Virginia, as well as Alabama, New York, New Jersey, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Maryland. Bad Newz Kennels also sponsored their dogs in fights in North Carolina, South Carolina, and New Jersey. The winners would walk away with purses that ranged from $2,000 to $26,000, even more according to anonymous dogfighters who spoke with journalists after the story broke.  They claim Vick was a “heavyweight,” betting $40,000 or more on some fights.

When Vick’s Smithfield property was raided this year, authorities found bloodstained carpet and dog-fighting paraphernalia, including a dog-fighting pit, a “rape stand” used to strap down females for breeding, a “break” or “parting” stick used to pry open fighting dogs’ mouths during fights, treadmills and “slat mills” used to condition dogs for the fight, and buried car axles that dogs could be chained to without getting tangled. Sixty-six dogs, most American Pit Bull Terriers, were also confiscated, some showing scars and injuries related to dog fighting. Carcasses were found buried across the property.

For six years, Vick ran an inter-state dog-fighting ring, and it all caught up with him this year when he was convicted of federal felony charges. The government charged Vick and his codefendants with accounts of killing dogs, as well as frequently transporting them across state lines after purchases and to get to fights.

Entering a guilty plea on August 27, he is awaiting sentencing on December 10, expected to be between one and five years. (It is presumed that Vick pled guilty to prevent the horrific details of his actions going public.) Most of his product endorsements were suspended or terminated by the end of August, and he was suspended from the NFL. On September 25, a Virginia grand jury in Surry County indicted Vick for two additional felony counts under state law: for beating and killing an animal and for dog-fighting charges. If convicted of these state charges, Vick faces a sentence of up to 40 years.

In 2004, Vick signed a 10-year contract extension for $130 million, the most lucrative in the history of the NFL. The Falcons have already recovered $19.9 million of the $37 million in bonuses paid to Vick under terms of his contract extension. He also may be banned from the NFL permanently, since NFL rules do not permit any form of gambling and Vick admitted to funding the gambling side of his group’s dogfighting operation. Michael Vick has lost millions, his freedom, his career, his reputation and his future. Cruelty certainly doesn’t pay.

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On September 8, 2007, PAWS Chicago will welcome the public to an open house, and animal lovers who walk through the front door will be flooded by natural light from the curtainwall of windows that surrounds the Petco Welcome Center. Large wood trusses scale the Center, thirty feet above, giving the feeling of a farm in the city. Fitting for the location, since in the late 1800’s, the building was first erected as a stable to hold the horses belonging to the workers of the metalworks shop next door. In the center of the lobby is a three-sided fireplace, and further back, on a rear wall of the Counseling Center, is the original barn door recovered from the site before demolition and restored for the new adoption center.

“This Adoption Center will be an inviting place for adopters where families will be counseled around a large fireplace and coffee bar after completing interactive training in the computer gallery,” said Paula Fasseas, founder and chair of PAWS Chicago. “The Center will increase adoptions and adoption retention by offering lifelong counseling and support.”

Flanking the entrance are the pavilions of homeless pets in need of permanent families. Visible from the vestibule is Miss Kitty’s Senior Cat Room, where ramps, perches, and climbing posts are easily accessible to senior felines. Further into the Barbara Bradford Kitty City are kitten rooms for high-energy youngsters, adult rooms, and special kitty condos for cats that prefer humanonly companionship or for litters who arrive at PAWS together. Each room has large windows to allow for lots of natural light, as well as viewing by potential adopters.

In Dog Town, homeless residents will live in large suites with comfortable beds, other canines to comfort their pack instinct, and windows to allow natural light. Dogs will enjoy at least three walks a day, as well as interaction and training with volunteers. In the David E. Klaskin Family Dog Play Space in the middle of Dog Town, dogs will socialize with one another and volunteers, while their suites are being cleaned. The Bill & Maria Smithburg Rooftop Garden will also be a popular destination for dogs and volunteers.

Both cats and dogs reap the benefits of the custom-built 13,000 pound HVAC system that provides 100% fresh air to each room and 15 air exchanges per hour. The system is designed to avoid recirculating air within animal suites, so disease will not spread and pets will stay healthy. However, if a dog or cat does come down with an illness, they will be moved to the Kenneth Sachsel Medical Care Center, just beside Dog Town, for treatment and closer observation.

A sound system brings calming classical music to each homeless pet, which is proven to reduce stress and behavioral deterioration in sheltered animals. Natural light reaches all suites to enable proper circadian rhythm, essential for pets’ healthy sleep patterns and mental wellbeing.

Exhibit rooms close to the Clybourn entrance will feature information on a variety of pet issues, from the pet overpopulation problem to animal cruelty, dog fighting, and puppy mills. The PAWS Chicago Adoption & Humane Center will be a resource for the pet loving community to learn more about how they can get involved in helping animals.

Impact Beyond Design

But the change brought forth in this new, state-of-the-art shelter is far more significant than bricks and mortar. The architectural concept was created by ARQ Architects, the nation’s leading architectural firm for designing No Kill shelters. Holabird & Root, the architect of record, can be credited with the detail, design and all construction documents. Though no shelter compares to a home when considering quality of life for cats and dogs, this new age of sheltering attempts to mimic as much of the home environment as possible.

Utilizing the scientific studies of such nationally renowned animal behaviorists as Dr. Emily Weiss, Dr. Ian Dunbar, and Pamela Bennet Smith, PAWS has focused on creating design and developing operations to decrease stress, increase positive stimulation and emotional stability, and improve visitor interactions with homeless pets. The large community room and the Smithburg Rooftop Deck will both serve as areas for volunteers to exercise and train dogs, while volunteers will socialize, groom, and play with cats and kittens daily. Special toys and treats, as well as lots of TLC from volunteers, will provide mental stimulation and distraction from the shelter environment.

Bringing homeless animals to Lincoln Park, one of the most vibrant retail and residential neighborhoods in Chicago, and integrating them into the community will generate more adoptions, more volunteers, more education, and more support. Child and youth education will help develop the next generation of animal welfare leaders, teaching compassion, empathy, and the value of service.

If you would like to help in the transformation of animal sheltering in Chicago, consider making a donation to the PAWS Chicago Adoption & Humane Center campaign. Pledges to the new Center are payable over five years. All donors who have given $100 or more will be recognized in the Center. A large plaque in the lobby will recognize all donors who contribute $5,000 or more to the campaign. Room namings are still available. Contact Peggy Asseo at (773) 890-5188. You Can be Part of this Dream for Chicago’s Homeless Pets!

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This adoption event was developed to showcase homeless pets in public venues where people would see the faces of Chicago’s sweet, loving cats and dogs. For decades, tens of thousands of homeless pets were killed each year in Chicago, and very few in the general public were aware of this practice. On May 30, 1998, Angels with Tails broke the silence surrounding the death of thousands of homeless pets by taking the message to the public on the streets and in the boutiques along Michigan Avenue and Oak Street. Since that day, the number of homeless pets killed in Chicago has been reduced by more than half: from 42,572 animals killed in 1997, to 19,701 in 2006.

After reading in a Sun-Times article detailing the massive killing of homeless animals in Chicago, PAWS founder Paula Fasseas was motivated to help create change. The Sun-Times article only confirmed what her teenage daughter told her after volunteering at the local shelter: hundreds of homeless pets were dying every day, and nothing was being done in the public eye to stop this tragic killing.

Fasseas recruited professionals from Chicago’s business community to find a way to bring the public’s attention and resources to this problem. To be motivated, people had so see the wonderful pets in need of homes—their hearts had to be touched.

Angels with Tails was born with the rationale that bringing thousands of people to shelters to see sad animals behind bars was a difficult task, but bringing wonderful homeless pets to the people in densely populated shopping districts was plausible.

By organizing an event with shelters and stores partnering to bring information about the pet overpopulation problem to the public, real change could be made and lives could be saved.

Twelve retail partners, including Ralph Lauren, Barneys New York, and Escada, opened their doors for the day to cats and dogs in need of new homes. Putting the faces of homeless animals in highly visible locations attracted new adopters, the media, and general public interest to the cause. Eight shelters participated by bringing pets available for adoption, marking the first time that shelters came from throughout Chicagoland to work together.

Friends of PAWS founding members were recruited to pass out pamphlets in the street, detailing the realities of the city’s tragic pet overpopulation crisis and the resulting rate of euthanasia while other volunteers drove unsuspecting shoppers to Animal Care & Control on Western Avenue to adopt pets they’d fallen in love with.

Since this was the first time Animal Control had allowed animals off premise, no remote adoption program was in place. The event was a huge success. Media and community response was tremendous, every animal was adopted, people were looking for ways to get involved, and PAWS Chicago was born.

This year, 49 stores and 28 shelters and rescue groups will celebrate the tenth annual adoption event on the Mag Mile. On August 26, 2007, join PAWS Chicago for the 10th annual Angels with Tails on Armitage Avenue.

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