Source
r/reactivedogs•
zelmarcel

Rehome resources needed for Chicagoland or greater Midwest

Hi Friends,

so, we have come to the very hard but necessary decision to rehome our dog. He was tied up outside for the first few years of his life, so he has stranger and leash reactivity. He can get used to people from a distance, can't say for sure with other dogs or pets though.

A few months ago he had an incident with an unleashed dog. The other dog was tiny (my dog is a boxer-pit mix about 60 lbs), ran up to our dog persistently, and my dog bit him badly enough where since he was so small he had to be put down. Since then he is walked with his muzzle exclusively.

We live in a small apartment outside of Chicago, our landlord doesn't let us have him roam about the yard. He has to be on leashed walks only, which we realized later due to his history I'm sure aggravates his leash reactivity. Also, living in a pretty populated area you get people that are all over the place with their unleashed dogs, which given the previous incident we have some serious anxiety about. We are having a baby in January, and after the incident with the small dog, we cannot say with 100% confidence that he will be safe around the new baby, and if we aren't 100% sure, we aren't being responsible. So if we keep him we will have to gate him constantly, and we are in such a small space we don't think that's much of an improvement over his old life. Of course he would be loved and not tied up and starved outside, but he deserves to be able to run. To thrive.

Basically, we aren't the best family or home for him. We wish we were. We wish we had a bigger space or more income to use on extensive training, and more time to work with him. We made a semi-rash decision in taking him, we didn't realize the extent of his reactivity and how he's not the best dog for a family pet, which he doesn't have to be to be a great pet for someone.

We "rescued" him from a friend who needed to rehome him after she took him in because he got loose from the yard he was trapped in. She offered at first to help us out and take him back but I guess her circumstances have changed and it won't work for her.

my husband has contacted various breed-specific rescues in chicago (chi-town pittes, animal care league, etc) but they are all full and have no fosters available. I'm scared to take him to a shelter cause he hates new people/enviornments.

He needs a home with someone with no kids (small ones at least, teens might be ok. He is great and sweetly bonded with our 11 year old (which is a whole other reason this shit is awful to have to decide to do) but we still are as careful as possible and don't leave her alone unsupervised with him), no other pets, and with a decent fenced in property. Doesn't have to be huge (would be a plus though!) but he needs to be able to go outside to pee and not be leashed while doing so. Poor dude needs a break.

If anyone knows anywhere location specific (we can travel, we got him from Detroit and my husband has family in Northern Michigan) that has a rehome resource, or any other organization that might be less crowded due to not being so busy like near the city, I will take any advice.

Posted Sep 28, 2021, 4:52 PM UTC · edited

46
hseof26paws•

You have probably already tried them, but have you reached out to Players for Pits? Unfortunately, as you likely already know, there is an overabundance of pits and pit mixes in the Chicagoland area in need of homes (CACC is chock full of them). Be sure to ask the rescues you do contact for any leads they may have to offer in terms of other organizations that may have capacity. Good luck.

3
zelmarcelOP•

I don't think we actually have checked into this one! i'll give it a shot, thanks so much <3

1
slimey16•

I’m sorry to hear you’re having so much trouble with your dog. I also have a pit mix in the Chicagoland area who was tied up to a fence and rescued by animal control. The shelters are absolutely overwhelmed with pit bull type dogs and the unfortunate reality is that many of them with a history of aggression get put down after 6 months to a year at a shelter. It’s extremely difficult for these dogs to adjust to being house pets when they’re basically feral during a critical socialization period. Many dogs can be rehabilitated and acclimated to house life over time but most prospective adopters would prefer a dog who does not come with such baggage. I dream of people living in Southern Illinois with tons of space that might come up to Chicago to adopt rescued pit bulls but unfortunately it’s not the reality. I’ve heard of more people adopting dogs of the streets of Romania rather than off the streets of Chicago LOL! Anyway, please please don’t surrender your dog to a shelter. Shelters are a traumatizing experience for dogs and it could be unnecessary stress if eventually he is labeled as “unadoptable”. I’m not trying to guilt you into any decisions, I’m only trying to make you aware of the shelter and rescue situation in Chicago as it stands. If shelters aren’t getting back to you, it’s because staff is overwhelmed. I highly recommend reaching out to shelters and viewing yourself as your dogs foster home. Make it clear to shelters that you are not looking to surrender your dog but allow your dog to be visible to potential adopters. Also pursue your own rehoming efforts through social media, adopt-a-pet.com, and shelters in neighbor states. I adopted my dog from MCP rescue and they work with a very good trainer to rehabilitate dogs with more severe behavior issues. Please message me directly if you’d like additional details or support.

2
exponentiate•

You might reach out to Ruby’s Rescue & Retreat, which is down in McLean county (Bloomington/Normal). I don’t know if they’d have room to take him in, but they’ve shared similar posts in the past and have a more downstate audience that might be more likely to have a large fenced area for him to run in.

2
zelmarcelOP•

Thank you!!!

1
thastin•

I’ve been looking for a very similar environment for my Frenchie. He needs to be in a less stimulating environment than I can provide him. I hope I don’t discourage you, but I’ve contacted 10-15 rescues (many breed specific) and have been turned away from all who have responded. I also contacted my veterinarian who specializes in the breed, and I was turned down today by the local humane society. I’m so frustrated and at a complete loss. I don’t have any help to provide but just wanted to send some good luck your way that you can find the right home for your dog.

1