Respect The Rabbit - Easter Amnesty Program

It's no secret to anyone who reads this blog that Easter can be a difficult time for rabbit rescue groups.  Every year we see rabbits who are purchased as impulse gifts for the holiday, and then neglected or discarded when the novelty wears off.  New rabbit owners are often ill-informed about proper rabbit care and the need for spaying or neutering.  The lucky ones are turned into Red Door or other rescue organizations, but too many are dumped in the wild under the mistaken impression that they will survive.

That's why we are excited about this year's new 'Respect The Rabbit' campaign!

   Through press releases, radio spots, and posters we are working to spread our message about rabbit education!

No Greg, that's not what we meant ...

"We want the public to become more familiar with rabbits and educate them on proper care" says Rabbit Adoption Coordinator Toni Greetis.  "Most people think of rabbits as low maintenance starter pets who only live for a couple of years. Red Door wants rabbits to have the same level respect that is given to dogs and cats. the more people know about rabbits, the less likely they are to make impulse purchases."

Stores participating in the Amnesty program agree not to sell any rabbits between April 1st and April 15th, and to display our poster in their store. 


The Amnesty simply prevents people from buying a rabbit on impulse just because it looks cute cuddly and fluffy. But the Amnesty also works to raise awareness of rabbit welfare issues. It is an idea opportunity for retailers to openly demonstrate how they take their animal care responsibilities seriously - and are both able and willing to put animal welfare before commercial profit. The Amnesty is also a great way of engaging customers, forging long-term relationships with customers and the local community through positive action...From the retailers perspective, acustomer who gives the rabbit up after a few weeks or months is only a very small and short-term financial benefit. A customer who is truly committed to the long-term care of their rabbit can be a great customer for 10 years or more!

  (from the program intro packet)

Over a dozen pet stores were approached, and we are pleased to announce that  The Animal Store  and Wilmette Pet Center have teamed up with us as part of this new campaign.  Each store will be featured in an upcoming blog entry, and we encourage you to choose them for your pet supply needs and to let them know how much you appreciate their taking part in this campaign. 

Big Black or British Broadcasting?

BBC first came to Red Door in the spring of 2000 as a stray cat. His name stood for Big Black Cat or Basic Black Cat, depending on who you asked. But BBC was anything but basic. He had a birth defect which fused his toes together on one paw, giving him the appearance of having a club foot. Because of that, he developed early arthritis and it could become painful for him to walk. Despite all of that, BBC was adopted a few months after he came in with three other Red Door cats.
His story didn't end there unfortunately. In May of 2003, he was returned with two of the other cats (one of whom was Luna, who you can read about below). They were left in a box with no air holes and no note. All three cats were very dirty. BBC got cleaned up, and despite having a very friendly personality, was overlooked year after year at Red Door. People were often put off by his birth defect or when he became over stimulated and had a tendancy to nip at times.
However, in December of 2010, BBC's luck changed. Red Door Animal Steward, Molly, could not resist BBC's charm, not to mention his lovely vampire fangs. Molly took BBC home to foster, and he quickly became British Broadcasting Cat. Recently, the official adoption paperwork was completed for BBC, and over 11 years after first coming to Red Door, BBC finally found his forever home.
BBC's story really shows that there really is a cat for someone out there, and you never know when that person will come into their lives and give them the loving

home they deserve.

The Marilyn Monroe of Cats

June is adopt a cat month, and it turned out to be a really great month for Luna. Her journey of finding that forever home was finally realized on Wednesday.
Luna was originally adopted from Red Door in 2001 as a kitten, with 3 other cats. A few months after adoption, her and two of the other cats were unceremoniosly left in a box outside the shelter. It was a very hot day, the box had no air holes, and no one knew how long they had been there. The cats were dirty, greasy, and matted. Needless to say, Luna got back on her paws, and quickly found a home again, this time for over 10 years.
Sadly, Luna was returned to the shelter again late last year, this time due to inappropriate elimination. It had been doing on for several years, and her adopter had tried everything in the book, had numerous medical tests done, and nothing seemed to work for poor Luna. It was with a heavy heart that her adopter brought her back.
Upon being readmitted to Red Door, we ran comprehensive tests to evaluate Luna's condition. She was also being treated for arthritis, pancreitis, and liver disease. When the xrays came back, they showed a tiny minute facture in one of her vertebrae. Dr. Gia at Animal 911 came to the conclusion that most likely everytime Luna went to make a bowel movement in the litterbox, that the squeezing of her abdominal muscles and intestines most likely put pressure on the vertebrae to make it painful, enough so that Luna associated the litterbox to be a painful place to be. Given her current medical conditions, and the fact that she had lived in a home for over 10 years and was now back at the shelter, Luna's outlook seemed gloomy, and it was speculated that her physical condition might continue to deteriorate quickly.
However, Luna pressed on and took her more than 6 medications each day like a pro. She definitely wasn't happy being at the shelter, but she would never give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her down in the dumps. Then one day, Luna's luck changed when a couple who had just lost their cat to illness came in looking to adopt again. It turns out they fell in love with two cats. After hearing Luna's situation, they decided to foster Luna for awhile to see how she would do in a new home. They fell in love with her of course, and this week they came in to finalize her adoption. They said they just couldn't imagine their lives without Luna, and they love her so much. As the adopters put it: "She's just so beautiful. She's like the Marilyn Monroe of cats!".
Some like it hot, and some just like to be loved.

From Rags to Riches

Annie the dog came to us early April. Her owner showed up with her at the door saying that his family was moving and couldn't take her with. When the staff person turned her back for a moment, the man let Annie go and ran out the door. She was dirty, matted, and very thin. By our best estimates, she was probably left outside a lot, and definitely neglected. Needing to come up with a name, the staff temporarily named her "Ragstock". She was moved into a foster home, who got her cleaned up, groomed, and started on a good diet. Annie became a totally new dog, hardly recognizable from the scruffy pup who first showed up on our doorstep.

After a couple of months of not getting many looks, Annie finally met her match this past weekend and went to her new forever home who is sure to be her new Daddy Warbucks.

Red Door on 190 North

Jade 9/20/2010

Many volunteers over the years at Red Door know and remember Jade the cat. Originally Jade came to Red Door in 2004, after living on the streets and being cared for over a year by a woman. Potential adopters visiting the shelter over the years were always drawn to her because she was very striking and beautiful. However, Jade was always a bit of a wall flower, very sweet once you get to know her, but very shy to start with. For that reason, Jade was overlooked by adopters time and again for over 6 years.

Back in April, staff at Red Door discovered some tumors on Jade's underside. After having them removed by our vet Dr. Gia, she did a biopsy, and the results came back positive for cancer. The doctor speculated that even though we had caught the tumor, most likely the cancer had metastasized and spread. She said Jade most likely had weeks to months left to live, and it would be great if we could find a hospice foster home for the time she had left.

A family did step forward and offered to care for Jade during her last days. They provided over 4 months of love, attention, and care for Jade. They reported that Jade was frequently run throughout the house and loved to play. As you can see in her picture, she was absolutely content in her new home.

Sadly, Jade passed away yesterday. However, we can celebrate the fact that she was able to live in peace and happiness, as every animal should, for a brief time in her life. It really goes to show how living in a loving home environment can change any cats personality. So remember to give that shy or special needs animal a second look next time you're thinking of adopting...you could be looking at a wall flower turned social butterfly.

Special thanks to Jade's foster family and to all of Red Door's foster providers for the work they do everyday. We wouldn't be able to do it without you.

Coraline: From foster to adopt

Many volunteers at Red Door are familiar with Coraline, the cute little cat who showed up on our door one day with four newborn kittens. All of her offspring had been adopted, and Coraline still waited. Finally a lovely couple came along interested in adopting Coraline, but they had some reservations. One of them had experienced allergies to cats in the past, and wanted to be sure that adopting a cat wouldn't worsen those allergies. So they decided to try fostering Coraline first, to see if their allegies became an issue, and also to make sure that Coraline was the right fit for them. Needless to say, and as you can see from the photo, they felt Coraline was a wonderful fit (and she agreed), and the foster parents reported no allergy flare ups. The couple was more than thrilled with her, and they decided to move ahead with the adoption.

Fostering is a great way to try out an animal, especially if you're unsure if the animal is the right fit for your home, or if you're concerned about any issues. The process is very similar to that of adoption, though it's not as permanent. That way, if it doesn't work out with the animal for some reason, they can come back to the shelter, and we can say that they got a nice vacation from the shelter. Of course, everyone's hope is that it does work out in the end, and that their story ends the same as Coraline's.

Of course, some volunteers foster animals, long term or short term, for a variety of reasons. Some foster just to give the animal a break from the shelter, some foster because it helps to create space for more animals at the shelter, some foster because a home environment is always more enjoyable for an animal than a shelter environment, some foster for terminally ill animals or animals with medical conditions, etc. The reasons are infinite. Please consider opening your home to foster an animal in need.

Cookie gets Blogtastic

Check out recently adopted Red Door cat, Cookie (now Boo) and her new blog!

http://booyah.posterous.com/

Time to Wash That Dog!

With all of the hot, rainy, muggy weather we've been having now is the perfect time to get Rover rinsed! On Sunday, July 11th, join us at Central Bark Doggy Day Care (3358 N. Pulaski) for some scrubtacular dog washing. The dog wash takes place from 11am-2pm. A clean dog will cost you only $10, and all proceeds go to help homeless animals at Red Door. What a deal!

3 Days to the Doggy Splash Pools!

You won't want to miss all the fun at Gimme Shelter! on Sunday, June 13th. It's Red Door's 10th anniversary and everyone will be celebrating! Join us at Indian Boundary Park, 2500 W. Lunt, Chicago. www.reddoorshelter.org

Thelma & Louise Are On a Runaway Rampage for June 13th

Thelma and Louise are seriously on a robbing rampage for this Sunday's Gimme Shelter! Walk for the Animals. It's Red Door's 10th anniversary and these two rabbits know that--if not for Red Door--there'd be no no-kill shelter in the Chicago area for homeless bunnies to go. You don't want these two to turn into disapproving rabbits, do you?

So empty your pockets and give a little up for Thelma and Louise--and all the soon-to-be-abandoned Easter bunnies that we'll be taking in. You can make a secure donation at www.firstgiving.com/reddoor-rabbits

Get your tickets!

Spring To Life raffle tickets are in! Be sure to stop by the shelter and pick some up. Tickets are only $1 each, and the drawing is April 24th at the end of Spa Day. Grand prize is a $500 Visa gift card + a bottle of champagne, 1st prize is a case of 12 bottles of "Wines Around the World", 2nd prize is an Olympus FE digital camera, 3rd prize is an ipod touch, 4th prize is 2 books + 2 Vosages chocolate bars! Don't miss out!
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=2187

"Quack" means "Thanks!" in Duck

Last week Red Door staff received a call from a woman concerned about the fate of a duck on the pond at Indian Boundry Park. When staff went to investigate, they found a white duck with a black head shuffling through the 6 inches of snow on the pond. To make matters worse, the temperatures had been around 10 degrees during the day and below freezing at night. The duck (now named Boris) was clearly freezing to death and starving. With some assistance from the Flint Creek Wildlife volunteers, Red Door was able to get Boris to a vet later that day. He was suffering from frostbite on his legs and feet, and his legs were literally frozen stiff. Now Boris is back at Red Door receiving treatment and on his way to recovery. If anyone knows of a good home for a very friendly duck, let us know!

Marcus says, "Don't Forget www.romeothecat!"

It's getting near the end of the month, so don't forget to make your donation to Red Door through the very cute web site Romeo the Cat [www.romeothecat.com] Romeo and Pugsley have been working hard to help all the animals at Red Door and we appreciate it! Also, remember to check out the Rescue Mom and Rescue Dad magnets for sale at Romeo's web site and the Rescue My Animals stickers. Money raised from these sales in September help out the homeless animals at the shelter.

Come out and support Red Door!

Come to Avieve Salon and Day Spa on Saturday October 10th from 9am-5pm, where a $10 donation gets you entered in a raffle of dozens of great prizes from local area businesses. Also, Red Door dogs will be there from 9am-11:30am for your viewing and adopting pleasure!
A portion of sales at Avieve that day will also go to support homeless dogs, cats, and rabbits at Red Door.
Avieve is located at 2558 N. Southport in Chicago.

Don't Miss Dog Wash Sept. 12 at Evanston Whole Foods!

Don't Miss this great dog wash at Whole Foods Evanston South, 1111 N. Chicago Avenue, Evanston. It's from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and all the money goes to the homeless animals at Red Door, a no-kill, cageless shelter for cats, dogs, and rabbits.
Wash is $10 or a brushing with spritz is $5.

Aaaaaattt Laaaaaasst!

Etta James couldn't have said it any better herself. Long time resident Gabriel was officially adopted on Saturday to his forever home. Gabriel was a favorite of the staff and volunteers at Red Door, and was well known to people in the neighborhood as "that big gray Maine Coon in the window". Gabe was often known as "King Gabriel" for his regal attitude and big furry coat. Not to mention the way he was respected like a king by the other cats in the shelter. Gabriel was adopted and returned an astonishing 3 times, and fostered & returned once. Most people didn't understand Gabriels true nature, and didn't want to give him the time, patience, love, and respect he deserves. His new home offers him that and so much more!

Gabriel's new mom adds:

"He has this new routine when I get up in the middle of the night. He will crawl up me when I get back into bed, and lay partially on my shoulder and pillow and then he'll head butt his forehead against my chin or back by my ear, with his wet nose pressing against my neck, all the while purring very loudly. It sounds kind of wierd when I describe it, but its really quite sweet."

Everyone at Red Door is really happy for Gabriel and his new companion!

Boots adopted!

Boots the cat has been a resident at Red Door since 2003. He was originally found living under someone's front porch. He was extremely shy when he 1st came here, and wouldn't even allow anyone to touch him. Over time Boots warmed up, and he's become a favorite of the Red Door staff and volunteers. Most importantly, he was the gentle giant, and father figure in the kitten room, and was frequently found with his "harem" of cats snuggling with him. Earlier last month Boots was adopted to his new home! Here's what his adopter had to say:
"Boots is doing very well. He was a bit shy the first couple days, but he was eating and exploring right away. He and Kai are now to the point where they are chasing each other around all night! He does like attention when he gets up from naps and loves to be brushed."

As you can see from the picture, he absolutely loves his new friend, and his new home. :)

Hooray for Boots!

Consider becoming a Red Door Foster Home

There are a lot of great animals at Red Door that could use a "break" from shelter life. A couple of our cats, Gerri & Brenna, for example have been putting on a lot of weight and could use a foster home that would be able to encourage play and excercise. We are also always looking for foster homes for many of our rabbits, and potential foster homes for any dogs that find their way to Red Door. Check out the website or call the shelter for more details!

Help Red Door Spread the Word About Easter Rabbits!

Each year around this time hundreds of rabbits are purchased from pet stores and other places to be given out as Easter presents. After a few weeks the novelty of the "present" wears off and people quickly realize how much care is involved. The rabbits then become unwanted, and shelters like Red Door are inundated with phone calls from people looking to place the rabbits. In even more extreme cases people think the domestic rabbits can survive outside so they're let go. Help Red Door spread the word that rabbits require as much love and attention as any other pet! Come by the shelter and pick up flyers like this one and distribute them around your community.