Bolognia Dog Update

We are so excited to announce that Alive Rescue, a wonderful dog rescue located in the Roscoe Village neighborhood of Chicago, has offered to take Bologna into their program and help her find a forever home if no owner claims her. She will be going to their vet Tuesday for a thorough exam. We are deeply touched and extremely grateful to them for helping us out. Paws up and tails wagging!

Even Though WTRF Is A TNR/TNA Cat Rescue, We Would Never Walk Away From An Animal That Needs Help!

On my way walking home from the store, I saw a lost loose dog. She was clearly petrified and exhausted. I just so happened to stop at the McD's to pick up 3 plain hamburgers for my dogs, so I thought I would try to give her one to see if I could get her to come by me. I called 311 right away. She started to run and took off towards North Ave. She ran in the middle of North, and then so did I. I tried blocking traffic because this poor girl was going to get hit. She had no concept of what cars are. She almost got hit by the moving cars many times, myself included

The street you see in the background is the very busy North Ave

She then turned and started to run down the middle of Kedzie Ave and I tried blocking all that traffic too. I followed her. I had to make sure she didn't get hit. I finally was able to get her to go into Humboldt Park. She eventually laid down out of exhaustion and I made sure to keep my distance. I had called the cops when i was running down North and they told me not to block traffic. Yeah right, I'm not letting a dog get killed. I put in about 10 calls to 311. I put the hamburger down and walked away and sat down. She finally walked over and ate it. I did this 4 times. I remained sitting and slowly moved towards her little by little. Finally I was sitting next to her. I sat in the mud with this dog for 3 hours. I called the CACC dispatch and told them I had been waiting for over 3 hours for help. They told me they would not be coming out. They had been busy all morning with picking up injured dogs and only had 1 truck. I cried my eyes out.

Bolognia scared, but finally approaching the hamburger

Bolognia resting from exhaustion in Humboldt Park

I obviously called my person who is my best friend in the world Melissa and balled my eyes out. I told her I was meant to see this dog for a reason. Obviously, I was meant to help her. But why wasn't the man upstairs sending the troops my way to help? How could I sit with her for all these hours and then walk away from her? Then I would be failing her too. I called 911 and told them that I couldn't get help. They said they would send an officer. Officer Rodriguez came out and we spoke. He was going to go back to the station to see if he could get a leash. Well Melissa shared my post that I put on facebook. When I was sitting with the dog, this guy walked up with a dog noose and some pupparonis. I had the dog taking treats and eating out of my hands. The clouds were finally disappearing. Ron had seen Melissa's shared post and he drove all the way out from Brookfield to help.

We sat out there for a few more hours gaining her trust. Finally, we knew we just had to do it. Ron got up and tried to noose her. She barked at him to back off and he didn't. So she sat down and let him put the noose around her. My gosh, I was so relieved.

Ron who was able to noose Bolognia

Heather (Founder & President) of WTRF, finally enjoying some stress free time with Bolognia

 I ran home to get a chip scanner and then ran back to the park. No chip. She clearly also had a litter at some point. I also bought some bologne at the corner store to entice her to get her in the car. We ended up staying at the park for an additional 2 hours and finally just picked her up and put her in. She loves to be petted. She is the sweetest thing ever. She loves head pets and belly rubs and she takes bologne and treats from your hand nicely. Ron ended up taking Bologna home until we could find her a temporary home in a No Kill Rescue so she could be put up for adoption.

Licking her chops from all the Bologna we tried to bribe her with. Hence how she got her name, Bolognia

Exhausted and getting some much needed Zzzzz at Ron's house

Getting along with Ron's pack right away

The Division 25 Foster Cats

The Division Street Foster Cats are doing great. Cicero's snaptest results came back neg/neg so he will be admitted to a no kill shelter. He has a full exam set up for this week to get a fecal test, etc done and then will be admitted thereafter. We like to make sure our cats get the best care. His foster Meowmie just adores him. He continuously seeks out affection and wants to be loved constantly and he comes when you call him.

Cicero

Cicero finally enjoying what a warm bed inside is like

 The Royal Kids are also thriving in their foster home.  Playing and causing a ruckus just like kittens do. We are so so so happy we were able to get them before they turned feral. They start their first round of vetting this Wednesday. When they turn the young age of 2months old they will be admitted to a no kill and go up for adoption.

The Royal Kids

Kittens being kittens

Atticus

Tiberius

Marilla

Day 2 On The Division 25 Colony Project

We went back to the Division Street (AC) site last night to try to trap at least 11 more cats from this location. Unfortunately, we had many circumstances up against us and we were only able to catch one, which is still a success in our eyes.

The first circumstance was due to the high temperature weather; the cats were more interested in hiding/lounging in a cool spot then eating food and being trapped. The second circumstance was due to a older man who feeds some of the cats in that alley. Some of them stay in his yard and others tend to go in there to feed. We spoke with this individual when we went out to assess the site and were able to get him on board allowing us to trap all the cats in his yard. Some of the cats are only 3 months old. However, when we went back tonight he had changed his mind. We tried to speak with him and he didn't want anything to do with it. He proclaimed that he wanted the kittens to be able to continue to "love" aka have sex. Because if we were to s/n them they would end up with no family left. As he was saying this, I watched a 3month old kitten get "raped" by an adult male. 

Unfortunately, this situation reminded me of the hoarding situation I worked on exactly almost a year ago with another Crazy cat man and it brought back very bad memories. However, we will not give up on this alley. We will get all of the cats done here. He does not own these cats and therefore, we will trap them, just not in his yard. In the meantime, here is Prince, who was so filled with testosterone that he smelled so bad. No worries, once he gets snipped snipped today in about 2 weeks he will smell purrrty. Please say hello to Prince. 

Prince was the most feral cat that we have trapped of his colony. He was FILLED with Testosterone!!

 

The Division 25 Colony Trapping Project Begins

We started on the Division Street project this evening. We were able to trap 5 adult cats (3 males & 2 females) and 3 kittens. All of them will be going to the clinic tomorrow to get their TNR services (spay/neuter, wound treatment, dewormed, vaccines, revolution, and microchipped). One of the adult males is friendly, so we will have him snaptested for FIV/FElv. If he comes out negative for FELv we will try to find foster for him and admit him to a no kill shelter to be put up for adoption. We will also be putting the 3 kittens into foster care and will start them on their first round of medical exams and treatments. After all of the cats have recovered from their surgeries, they will be released back to their location to where they were trapped. Please say hello to Athena, Julius, Anthony, Cleopatra, Cicero, and the Royal kids.

All cats trapped and ready for transport to go in for their TNR vetting services the next morning.

We trapped all of Momma Cleopatra's babies. Meet Atticus (Salt/Pepper Coat), Marilla (Brown Tabby), & Tiberius (Grey)

Juliusa

Anthony

Athena

Cicero

The Dvision 25 Project- WTRF Needs Your Help!

WTRF received a request via our website through our TNR assistance form regarding a mom and kitten that needed help. The Founder and Secretary quickly went out to the location assess the situation and clearly realized this was much more to the eye. While assessing the location and the whole vicinity, we immediately saw this was not just a mom and kitten, but a HUGE colony of cats with 13+ adults and kittens. We noticed that two of the adults need medical attention, one has an upper respiratory infection and another one has what appears to be bite wounds or burns on it's back. WTRF has set up a plan and will be working on this project this week.

This is the Mom. You can see 1 of her 3 kittens in the background.

Here is a closer look of Mom and one of her kittens.

A huge project like this is going to cost us a lot financially and we need really need your help with this. If you would please donate even just $5.oo through our paypal marking it "Division 25 FUND" we would really appreciate it. We want to do right by this colony and stop the endless cycle of the breeding. We are pretty sure there are also some pregnant females here. So far we have seen 3 kittens at this location who are at that age where if we don't get them they will be feral.

We would also like to ask, if someone would please be willing to foster the kittens for us we would appreciate it. We want to give them a chance at life, they will not make it out on the street at their age. Please email us at info@whiskersandtailsfoundation.org and put in the subject AC project, if you would be willing to foster the kittens for us. This is truly an emergency project and anything that you can do to help us help them would be much appreciated. We will continue to post pictures and updates along the way. Thank you.

Another Day In Court

Whenever I leave court for the Leon Teague/Driver case, I am emotionally tapped out. Once again, I left there feeling despair, angry, and bitter. I just don't know how people like this exist. Yet again, I came face to face with the reality of what many animals go through every day. It's too much to handle.
Today, I sat in court and had not only Leon, but his mother and sister directly sitting behind me. To put into words, the barrage of emotions within myself, cannot be done. I listened and heard many things that came out of their mouths that seem so unbelievable to me and yet made it so real that not one of them have any remorse for what was done. Today was just a day in the park for them. I decided that I wouldn't disclose that information here, but I assure you the apple did not fall far from the tree. You can definitely see where he got his wonderful qualities from that make him such a promising person. Horrible.

What I will share is that, I over heard him telling his mother that he is going to choose to Cop out, but he is afraid to plea because of his juvenile probation. When his case was finally called, the judge asked him where his lawyer was (if you remember, the judge told him at the last hearing he had 2 weeks to get a lawyer which is why we were in court today). Leon replied that he was was mistaken and thought the judge told him to bring his parents not a lawyer. The judge was clearly mad and knew this was yet again another tactic and scolded him telling him it wasn't a Mike and Mary, it was a Mary and John, clearly letting him know he knew he was lying. Leon again said he couldn't afford a lawyer, his mom said she didn't have a job and couldn't afford one. The judge then stated that clearly someone is supporting him if he doesn't have a job, and has a roof over his head, clothes on his back, and food in his stomach. The judge said he wanted to take a moment to speak with his mother. Leon and his family don't want to spend the money to hire a lawyer and want to use the Public Defender. The judge yet again denied that motion stating you can use the 1000.00 bail bond towards a lawyer of hire. She nor he wasn't happy about this. So yet we will have another hearing. This time no excuses will be accepted.

When court was over, clearly Leon realized who I was. It was evident in the smile on his face when he walked passed me when I was speaking with the arresting officer Mark, who I am in constant contact with. When I was leaving the court building, he and his family were off to the side and I walked straight passed them to get into my Lyft all the while, thinking how badly I needed a shower from the filth of what is this reality.

I want to take a moment to talk to you about TNR/TNA groups/people. I don't think people realize to the extent of what we do and how much we give. Nor do we get the appreciation we deserve. We are out on the streets late at night, rescuing cats who need medical care, going into alleys that are desolate and areas we probably shouldn't be. We are the ones who are paying for all the vetting and putting in the time. I want you to look at that furry little lovable cat that you adore and love so much that you adopted from the shelter. Where do you think that cat came from? Who do you think rescued him? We did. All of the friendly cats we admit to shelters, we paid for all the vetting and we don't see any of the adoption fees that are given from you to take him/her home and become a part of your family. We are just grateful that we are able to get them off the street and admitted into a no kill. Most people only donate to brick and mortar shelters, I ask that next time you think about donating, you donate to a TNR group like ours or any for that matter. We also really need your help. I didn't just walk away once I trapped Driver. I spent hours, days, and nights continuing to fight and be a voice every step of the way. I attend every court case and will continue to do so know matter what the cost of that is. And I can tell you, that it's not just with Driver, it's with all the cats we come into contact with. This is our life, our life is spent making every bit of their lives better, because they deserve that. So if you can help with that by making a donation, fostering, or doing transport then do it. It's for the better cause. Leave the myth that you have to be a brick and mortar rescue to make a difference behind and recognize the groups who are doing a catastic job and making a difference out in the field behind the scenes. Again, when you hug or cuddle your cat(s) truly think about where did they come from, because I can assure you they didn't just walk up to that brick and mortar shelter on their own.

Peace, Love, and Meows.

When you have to sit next to an animal abuser

We just wanted to share an update on Driver. He is doing amazingly purrfect. His hair has almost completely grown back and he has the tiniest scar left from his burns which will soon disappear. Everything that we purrayed and hoped for has come true. After I rescued Driver, it has been a battle of ups and downs. Thankfully the ups have been more than the latter. I attend all of Driver's court cases, because saving him was just the beginning, following it through will be the end. When I attended the last court case on May 4th, It was a crazy roller coaster. Court was supposed to start at 9:00am and there were 3 of us waiting in the seats. Never a day in my life if you would have asked me, would I think I would ever find myself sitting next to Leon Teague, the boy who brutally and purposely harmed Driver, the cat I rescued, I would tell you no. But yet, here I was side by side with him. I can't tell you all the things that went on with my body and through my head. I wanted to scream and yell at him, and then I wanted to ask him why, again roller coaster. I was more in shock than anything. Could this be happening? Could this be my reality? It was.

Leon had been out of jail for about two weeks without my knowledge. His parents scraped up the money to bond him out. It was said in court that Leon's Public Defender initially tried to plea that Leon had mental issues and that he was not in the right mental state, the good ole' insanity defense. They were hoping the court would approve this, because then the court case would have been thrown out. Thankfully they denied that motion.

Leon's parents were bonded him out and because of this the judge will no longer allow Leon to use a Public Defender so he has two options 1. Hire a lawyer or 2. Represent himself. The next court date will be May, 19th. The judge is allowing Leon two weeks to find a lawyer or he has to represent him. The next court date, we are speculating that they will get together to see if a deal can be made. They are shooting for mandatory jail time. This case is hot, and though Leon is trying to get no jail time, the likelihood of that happening is next to none. So he will need to make a decision how much jail time can he barter. We can only hope that justice will prevail and the voice of all the abused animals will finally be heard. I will be there once again to be their voice. Don't ever forget. Always remember. #Betheirvoice

Update on Driver / Leon Teague Court Case

I just got back from Leon Teague's court case for Driver. I have to say, it was very emotional. It was as if all of this just happened yesterday. The whole time I sat there, I shaked. When I saw Leon, he was so close to me, I could reach out and touch him. I sat there and thought about every animal who has suffered at the hand of someone. I thought about Driver's screams of pain from his wounds when I went to go pick him up from CACC and then in order to calm myself down, I thought about his happy ending. 
 

Leon has been out of jail for about two weeks now. His parents scrapped up the money to bond him out. it was said in court that Leon's Public Defender initially tried to say in the past that he had mental issues and that he was not in the right mental state. They were hoping the court would approve this because then the court case would have been thrown out. They denied that motion.

Now that Leon's parents were able to bond him out, the judge will no longer allow Leon to use a Public Defender so he has two options 1. Hire a lawyer or 2. Represent himself. The next court date will be May, 19th. The judge is allowing Leon two weeks to find a lawyer to represent him. The next court date, we are speculating that they will get together to see if a deal can be made. They are shooting for mandatory jail time. This case is hot, and though Leon is trying to get no jail time, the likelihood of that happening is next to none. So he will need to make a decision how much jail time can he barter.
I will give another update after the next court case.