Amelia Finefrock
This past Saturday, Crystle Delles made the drive from Aurora to Chicago’s animal shelter to look for her family’s next dog – discovering a long line of people checking out the dogs in need of homes.
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According to the Chicago Tribune, Crystle saw a tan 2-year-old bully breed named Gordo.
“He snuck his way into my heart,” Delles to the news outlet. Delles dog Wrigley had passed away last month. Gordo had licked her hand and inched forwards toward her in his cage, the news outlet reported.
“Seeing the smile on his face when I was scratching his back, it just tugged at my heartstrings,” Delles admitted to the Tribune.
After Chicago Animal Care and Control shelter reached capacity last Thursday with 300 dogs – a critical level that led to city officials considering euthanizing dogs for space’s sake – Delles joined a line of others who were ready to meet their new furry forever friends, according to the news outlet.
A grand total of 59 dogs were adopted from Friday through Tuesday and others were moved to no-kill rescue groups, therefore avoiding the possibility to euthanize animals as well as reduce the dog population at the facility, according to the Tribune.
“While there is more work to be done and new dogs and cats arrive at the shelter daily, many kind, compassionate people shared information about (Chicago Animal Care and Control) animals with their communities, dropped off donations, and best of all, came to adopt a dog!” the shelter said in a statement according to the Tribune on Monday.
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Among the dogs adopted, Gordo was one of them. Delles said she had renamed the doggo Blaze. According to the news outlet, Blaze took a long snooze after arriving at his new home and has since bonded with Delles’s second dog, the 5-year-old Diesel.
The news outlet reported the city offered incentives to rescue groups as well as potential pet owners to help decrease the population of dogs at the center. The Tribune reported those who adopt dogs can get a $100 rebate after completion of a basic dog obedience course.
If you are a rescue group, you could get up to $200 for each dog you take that has been at the shelter for at least 30 days, according to the Tribune.
The nonprofit Friends of Animal Care and Control helped free up space on Thursday night, boarding 11 dogs at the PetSmart PetsHotel in the South Loop along with rescue groups pulling additional dogs to stay in foster homes until they get adopted, according to the news outlet.
To learn more about adopting a forever friend, click here.
