IRVING PARK — An Irving Park animal rescue is asking the public for help after taking in a badly injured puppy who needs extensive medical care.
Officials at Famous Fido Rescue Adoption, Wellness and Learning Center, 3124 W. Irving Park Road, received a call Monday about Cody, a pitbull mix puppy who was tied to a pole outside a Rogers Park 7-Eleven, founder Gloria Lissner said.
When Cody was brought into Famous Fido, he was extremely nervous and malnourished, and he had cigarette burns, protruding ribs and overgrown nails, Lissner said.
The rescue is at capacity and doesn’t have the resources to take in more animals, but caretakers decided to help Cody anyway since he was in such bad shape, Lissner said.
Now, Famous Fido is asking for donations for Cody’s medical treatment, vet visits and housing.
Lissner also hopes they can also find the right permanent home for Cody after he recovers.
“Every dollar counts in giving Cody the chance to heal and live a happy, healthy life,” Famous Fido wrote about Cody on its Facebook page.
Famous Fido will set up a GoFundMe page for Cody that will be posted on the rescue’s website. For now, people can donate to Famous Fido’s PayPal or on the Famous Fido website, Lissner said.
The donations Famous Fido receives help emergency intakes like Cody and the many other animals the rescue cares for, Lissner said. The rescue also sometimes needs to take out loans to cover costs to house and care for its animals, Lissner said.
“All of the dogs, of course, and cats, are in trouble because there’s not enough good homes for them out there, and people get them [but] they don’t think about what they’re doing and then they don’t want them anymore,” Lissner said.
“But they have no place to go. If people don’t help them and keep their animals, they just keep taking them to shelters. There’s not enough room. We’re not a shelter; we’re a rescue. But there’s just not enough room for all the animals that are out there that people don’t want anymore.”
People interested in adopting Cody should expect to provide physical and emotional care as he recovers, Lissner said.
“The right person would probably be somebody that likes larger dogs, bully-breed dogs, that’s going to devote their time [to him]. Somebody that would be … working from home would be great, so he doesn’t have to be in an apartment eight or nine hours by himself,” Lissner said.
Lissner said the ideal home also wouldn’t have small children or other dogs and cats. A stable home with a large, fenced yard would also be best for Cody, as he likes to take walks, Lissner said.
It will be about a year before Cody is ready to be adopted, but people can inquire on the Famous Fido website about fostering Cody temporarily before he goes to his permanent home. Famous Fido would also continue to work with Cody’s new owner after he leaves the rescue, Lissner said.
People interested in helping Cody should also consider supporting the rescue’s other animals, some of whom have been at the rescue for more than two years and need homes, Lissner said.
Adoptable animals can be viewed on the rescue’s website. People can also go to Famous Fido to learn about caring for animals and how to prevent situations where pets end up abandoned, Lissner said.
“We cannot stress enough how urgent this situation is,” Famous Fido wrote on its Facebook page. “Cody needs us, and we need you. Please help us give him the second chance he deserves. A puppy should not have to start their life this way, but together, we can make a real difference in his future!”
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