• Limit breeders to possessing no more than 20 unaltered dogs 
• Prohibit felony animal-cruelty offenders from obtaining dog-breeding licenses

Read more about what you can do to help pass this law.

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As Grogan and Jenny move through life’s challenges (changing jobs, relocating, conceiving a child, miscarriage, post partum depression and illness), Marley faithfully moves with them. When their hearts break after a miscarriage, Marley’s head hangs in sympathy. And when they discover they’ve conceived again, it is Marley who steals the pregnancy test results then gives himself away by dancing his signature “Marley Mambo”— tail-wagging so vigorously it shakes his entire back half!

“I have this theory…that people can learn a lot from their dogs. Lessons on how to lead happier, more fulfilling lives. Lessons for successful relationships. Think about it. Many of the qualities that come so effortlessly to dogs—loyalty, devotion, selflessness, unflagging optimism, unqualified love—can be elusive to humans.” -John Grogan, Author of Marley & Me

In no way, however, is Marley the perfect dog. An obedience school reject, his dirty deeds test the couple’s patience and good will as much as his unconditional love teaches them! Although totally without malice, Marley is, as Grogan describes him, “the world’s worst dog”! So bad, that the obedience class instructor, whom Grogan refers to as Miss Dominatrix, uses Marley as an example of “what not to do” before expelling him. He is neurotic, with a fear of thunder so intense that the vet describes him as mentally ill and prescribes doggie Xanax to keep him from hurting himself during storms when he plows through drywall and chews off doorknobs in the Grogan household. He shreds screen doors, gouges couches, and ingests fine jewelry.

And Marley is social, if not socially skilled, as the Grogan’s horrified neighbors witness one sunny afternoon as the 97-pound wrecking ball drags a food-laden restaurant table half a mile down a crowded Florida beach to his canine friends.

The dog brazenly goes after what he wants in the name of fun, (nearly ousting himself from the Grogan family in the process), forcing the couple to redefine their idea of a “loveable” dog. This redefined idea of what it means to love and be loveable is the messageMarley & Medrives home. Marley is easy to love, not because he’s cute and entertains, but because his misdeeds and weaknesses make the end result of loving him so sweet—because they become better people.

Marley & Me is now a major motion picture, scheduled to be in theaters on December 23, 2008.

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Her wish was granted when PAWS Chicago opened the doors to its new Adoption and Humane Center last September. The cageless, No Kill shelter depends on volunteers and Smith seized the opportunity to use her sunny disposition to help homeless animals. Little did she know when she walked through the doors of the Adoption Center over a year ago that the time and love she dedicated to PAWS Chicago would be returned three-fold by the animals she helped and the people she met.

“I’d hoped that being at PAWS on a regular basis would help this fixation (with having her own dog). Well, it works!”

Smith, who has lived in the Chicagoland area for over 44 years, began her volunteer work at the Adoption Center as a dog walker. But her can-do attitude and charisma made her a prime candidate to be a greeter. She now also serves as an adoption counselor on weekends, and lends her time and expertise at PAWS Chicago’s off-site adoption events. The one area of service Smith has not yet explored? The organization’s rescue missions. “I missed out on the rescue trip to Iowa because I had out-of-town guests, but would do it if it came up again,” says Smith.

Smith is an active volunteer and her list of rewards for the work seems a mile long. Perhaps her favorite thing about working at the Adoption Center is seeing the sheer happiness on the faces of families who’ve adopted an animal. She also lists the positive attitudes and quality of people she meets through her volunteer work and loves the chance to spread the word about PAWS Chicago’s No Kill mission.

She admits still feeling the sting of not being able to rescue a dog herself, but adds that her time around the animals at the shelter helps. She’s excited about getting the Spay/Neuter Ordinance passed, and the huge number of animals it will affect. And Smith understands that all non-profit organizations, including PAWS Chicago must operate on a tight budget, but adds, “I see (PAWS Chicago) from all views and it’s very expensive (to run). But it’s so amazing what they can do with so few paid employees who work so hard.”

In between the hours she dedicates to her volunteer work at PAWS Chicago, Smith enjoys boating during the summer, needlepoint and spending time with her children and grandchildre

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Experience the joy of knowing that your donation has helped a homeless animal in need every time you send one of these heartwarming cards. Then, double the holiday cheer by letting a friend or loved one know that your lifesaving gift was made on their behalf. You can even donate an amount that specifically covers one of the many medical services PAWS Chicago provides for homeless dogs and cats (see below for a list of costs).

It’s easy to send a Holiday Tribute Card. Simply select the festive design of your choice; then select the dollar amount you wish to contribute. PAWS Chicago will indicate which service your donation covered to the recipient right on the card. Please allow seven business days for delivery.

Suggested Gifts

• A donation of $24 provides vaccinations for one homeless pet or fed a nursing mom and her litter for two weeks
• A donation of $76 provides spay/neuter surgery for one pet
• $125 saves the life of a homeless pet
• $350 saves the life of a special needs homeless pet
• $500 provides intensive care for a sick puppy or kitten
• $3,000 provides surgery for an injured pet

Every donation will directly benefit a homeless animal.

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Do You Know About The Revolution In Animal Shelters?
With Guest: Rochelle Michalek, Executive Director of PAWS Chicago

Visit Wild About Pets and Listen to the show (Flash player required)

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Ziberna, a Senior Director of Risk Management at Bally Total Fitness always wanted to give back, but the job, family commitments and lack of time prevented her from diving in. Finally, in January, Ziberna decided, “it was now or never, bit the bullet, and went part-time at my job so I could pursue this next phase in my life.”

Ten months later, Ziberna is happier than she’s ever been, volunteering four days a week at PAWS Chicago. Rescuing animals is nothing new to Ziberna, whose two beloved cats; Jeremiah and Sammy NO are both rescues.

“It is difficult not to take this personally, and to see the dear little creature back again in search of a family. But as Robin likes to remind me, it is just not the right home for them, PAWS will take care of them and they will all eventually make that perfect match.”

Ziberna started at PAWS Chicago in Kitty City (where all the cats in the Adoption and Humane Center reside) cleaning up, helping potential adopters and greeting newcomers. She quickly moved on to Dog Town, where she cared for, socialized and walked the dogs. But she wanted more responsibility. She began working on new volunteer orientations, eventually finding her niche as an adoption counselor.

Ziberna explains that this was the first time she ever felt that she was really making a difference in animals’ lives. “Truly, the first time I completed my first adoption on my own, I felt a part of the process, a part of the whole,” says Ziberna. “I am still going strong being an adoption counselor, and am about to lend a hand to the head of the adoption program”. Today, the adoption events are her favorite part of working at PAWS Chicago.

The animals themselves top the lists of both her favorite things and the hardest parts of volunteering. Ziberna describes three of her favorites – a dog, Missy, who reminded her of her long-deceased, and beloved German shepherd; a blind cat named Sheridan; and the fat-and-sassy cat, Shakespeare. The drawbacks of volunteering, she insists, are few and far between, but Ziberna says the hardest part of her work is “…when an adoption does not work out and the animal is returned.”

Her eyes tear up as she describes the most difficult area of adoption counseling.

“It is difficult not to take this personally, and to see the dear little creature back again in search of a family. But as Robin likes to remind me, it is just not the right home for them, PAWS will take care of them and they will all eventually make that perfect match.”

When Melissa isn’t dedicating herself to PAWS Chicago, she loves spending time with her husband and working out at the gym. Ziberna also loves spending time with the people at PAWS Chicago, who she describes as exceedingly talented, and who’ve made a conscious decision to follow their passion to help animals.

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In 2003, Deborah felt the need to combine her love for animals with her desire to do more philanthropic work. She joined the PAWS Chicago Development Board and quickly combined her experience in advertising, journalism and retail with her people skills to recruit the help of her Michigan Ave. contacts to secure sponsorships.

As Deborah continued to volunteer on the Development Board, her interest in a PAWS Chicago goal of creating a state-of-the-art, cageless, No Kill Adoption Center deepened. During her time working for Chicago magazine, she came across an article contrasting PAWS Chicago’s No Kill mission with other traditional shelters’ objectives. Her commitment to saving the lives of animals was solidified.

Landing a full-time job at PAWS Chicago, Deborah dove into the Capital Campaign to raise money for the Adoption and Humane Center. “My greatest reward that brought tears to my eyes was seeing the pets coming in to the new Adoption Center for the first time. We have inspired many other rescue groups and shelters throughout the country.”

Having helped to make PAWS Chicago Adoption and Humane Center a reality, the self-described “people and pet” person fulfilled another dream–adopting her first dog–a stray terrier.

“Rania” was a handful in the beginning, needing training, but Deborah ignored her doubts and rose to the task, entering Rania in K-9 University, where “Rania and I both had training…It made a world of difference. Now Rania goes everywhere with me: the office…dentist…even the hair salon.”

Asked about her favorite part of working at PAWS Chicago, Deborah describes what gives her the most pleasure. “Recruiting and cultivating new members and helping them find their ‘niche’ on our Development Board. Each member brings a special talent to our organization.” And where will she be in 20 years? “I’ll still be loving pets and wanting to help save them. I’m sure I’ll be a PAWS Chicago volunteer and loving every minute of my time at the Adoption Center.”

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Unlike in America, Cairo’s animal welfare issues are forced into the public eye at every turn. Images of dogs and cats living and dying on the streets in huge numbers, and malnourished horses and donkeys pulling excessively heavy carts confront tourists and residents every day. Despite a long history of attention to animal welfare in Islamic law, modern Egypt has failed to care properly for its animal citizens. The Egyptian government’s idea of animal population control consists of poisoning and shooting homeless dogs and cats.

United by a sense of outrage about the situation, and a passion to make a difference, a group of Egyptians formed The Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA).

Headquartered in Cairo, ESMA currently provides a home to 179 dogs and 123 cats, and focuses on emergency rescue cases, rehabilitation, and adoption. ESMA Vice President Mona Khalil, who runs the day-to-day operations at the shelter (in addition to her full time job as a broadcast journalist) says that, “education is the key to the future of animal welfare in Egypt. Ignorance produces this cruelty that we see on a daily basis; ignorance about the many ways in which even a poor society can do much better for its animals.”

The Egyptian government’s idea of animal population control consists of poisoning and shooting the dogs and cats on the street.

ESMA teaches proper animal care and compassion. “We have made huge progress within the semi-rural community in which our shelter is located,” Khalil explains, “because we provide the only source of care people have for their animals.” ESMA provides animals in need with free spaying and neutering, as well as free medical care.

With animal welfare a new field in Egypt, ESMA faces challenges that range from a lack of veterinarian medical supplies to difficulty finding employees to work at the shelter. Graduates of veterinary school have never worked with cats and dogs, since vet schools focus mainly on animals for consumption.

ESMA has begun offering vet students internships that provide them with hands-on experience with companion animals, generating interest in this new field of vet care. “Vet students can face ridicule from their families and peers for wanting to work with dogs and cats,” Khalil explains, “We have to help them understand that their work is essential and honorable.” ESMA hopes to be able to send its vets for short training courses in the U.S. in the future.

Misunderstandings of religion also challenge ESMA in its work.

Under some interpretations of Islam, dogs are considered ritually impure, and handlers are required to wash the part of the body or clothing that has been in contact with the dog before prayer. Unfortunately, many Egyptians take this purity issue and its accompanying rules to the extreme, harming dogs on the street despite its reprehensibility in Islamic law.

ESMA has helped to produce a primer on Islamic law and animal welfare, which will be widely distributed this fall. ESMA has undertaken a capital campaign to raise the funds to buy land to construct its permanent shelter and medical center. Currently it operates on rented land, and so is limited to the existing infrastructure. Visit esmaegypt.org to find out more information about how you can help.

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These calendars will be sold for $45 to help raise funds for PAWS Chicago’s life-saving work.  As part of the calendar, your pet’s photo will be seen in many popular “pet places” including the PAWS Chicago Adoption & Humane Center, pet boutiques, veterinary clinics and many other locations in and around Chicago.  It will make the ideal house-warming, birthday or holiday gift.

The three calendar options are:

• Monthly Tabs ($2,000) – Choose your favorite month and have your pet placed on a tab divider. Includes three copies of the calendar.
• Weekly Page ($600) – Photo will be placed across from the week of your choice based on availability. Includes two copies of the calendar.
• Standard ($300) – Photo will be placed across from another pet page. Includes one copy of the calendar.

Don’t miss out! Order your page today.

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Click to add to this event to your Google Calendar

On December 4, 2008, the PAWS Chicago Professional Board invites you to a holiday celebration at the Adoption Center, including cocktails & hors d’oeuvres, and the opportunity to sponsor a homeless animal for the holidays. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. and tickets are $50 each.

Your support of Santa PAWS will help PAWS Chicago save more homeless cats and dogs this Holiday Season, and find them homes for life. If you have any questions about the event, please call (773) 890-5118. Please note that this event is for two-legged guests only.

Online registration for Santa PAWS is now closed. Tickets will be available at the door beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Sponsored by:

• Tucker’s Pups Dog Activity Center
• Friends of Jake
• Tommy Bahama Ultra Premium Rum

Free parking at the Anixter Center
2032 N. Clybourn Ave map

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