Give the Gift of a Second Chance
As the season of holiday giving approaches, our hearts are filled with gratitude for the warmth and compassion you show to animals in need.
At Heartland, every day brings animals in crisis through our doors—sick, scared, and in desperate need of medical care. We never know who will arrive next, but we do know one thing: their survival depends on us being ready to act, no matter the cost.
It’s been a challenging year of sickness, survival, and second chances. Many dogs and cats arrive at Heartland with no vaccines, no medical history, and weakened immunity from the stress of overcrowded shelters. Throughout the summer and fall, we faced resistant respiratory viruses, panleukopenia, and more.
We can often provide treatment for ill dogs and cats at Heartland—thanks to our isolation space, the tireless work of our medical staff, and the dedication of our foster care team. While we do our best on-site, we are not a 24-hour hospital. When animals need oxygen, IV antibiotics, nutritional support, or even blood transfusions, the only option is costly emergency hospitalization.
Expensive medical bills have stretched Heartland’s resources thin this year, but we refuse to let money decide who gets to live.
This holiday season, your donation is the greatest gift you can give—it’s oxygen for a struggling dog, life-saving medicine for a kitten with panleuk, and hope for the next life hanging in the balance. It ensures that our doors, and the doors of our emergency clinic partners, are always open for those who need it most.
Please, help us keep saying yes and give the gift of a second chance this holiday season.
With deepest gratitude,
The Heartland Team
Stories of Survival
Yam/October 2025
Four-week-old Yam, his six siblings, and his mama made their way to us from rural Arkansas in October. We noticed that Yam wasn’t as active as his littermates and wasn’t eating or nursing as much as he should. We kept a close eye on him over the next couple of days. His bloodwork revealed he was severely anemic. Yam required an immediate blood transfusion, so we rushed him to Veterinary Specialty Center. They have been taking great care of little Yam, and he’s getting stronger and is clearly feeling better already! Like most of our costliest medical cases, we weren’t expecting this. Yam’s life was in the balance, and we will always do what we need to do for our dogs and cats. Yam is still hospitalized, though we hope he is discharged soon. So far the total for his care is over $4,000.
Tenny Jr.
Tenny Jr. is an 8-year-old beagle who was surrendered to Chicago Animal Care and Control in August. He arrived at Heartland like so many other poor pups in his situation: In a state of shock and too depressed to move or eat. In addition, despite spending only two days at CACC, Tenny caught a viral upper respiratory infection. Whereas an owned pet can fight off a cold pretty easily, shelter dogs like Tenny often struggle to get healthy again. The stress of having their lives turned upside down compromises their immune systems, and the dogs we take from partner shelters like CACC are often lacking a vaccine history that would help protect them from infectious diseases. Over the following few days, Tenny Jr.’s slight cough erupted into full-blown pneumonia. We decided to hospitalize Tenny at VEG – Buffalo Grove for IV antibiotics and 24-hour monitoring.
Around this same time, we met a prospective adopter named Mitch. Mitch is 95 years young and has had dogs all of his life. And what a life he’s had! Mitch would regularly visit us at the shelter. He always brought us fantastic cheesecakes and asked when we might have a senior dog that would be a good fit for him. When Tenny was discharged from VEG and met Mitch, it was love at first sight! Mitch took Tenny home as a foster to adopt while we continued to monitor his health. Tenny also had chronic ear infections, and one of his ears had a painful mass. Once Tenny was healthy enough, we performed a surgery to remove and biopsy the mass in his ear and apply ear medication deeper into his ear canal. Mitch was by Tenny’s side through it all. When our vet cleared Tenny for adoption, Mitch was eager to make it official. Thanks to your donations, Tenny Jr. received the quality medical care he so desperately needed, and Mitch now has a happy, healthy pup to dote on. The best is yet to come for these two!
Queen ClementineAudrey
Two weeks ago, Audrey was bouncing around playgroup, her goofy self. Hours later, she could barely lift her head, trembling and vomiting bile. Pneumonia had struck. Our team tried everything—IV fluids, antibiotics, even rotisserie chicken from Jewel—but Audrey continued to decline, losing 4 pounds and dropping to 88% blood oxygen. We rushed her to VEG Buffalo Grove, where she spent two days on oxygen with a nasogastric tube. Audrey came back to us a brand-new dog, full of spunk again. Her recovery was a miracle—but one with a steep price tag.
Priscilla
Transferred from Chicago Animal Care and Control, Priscilla came to us after her former guardian surrendered her. Most transfers arrive with treatable respiratory infections—but this summer, a particularly aggressive strain swept through, and many, like Priscilla, developed severe pneumonia. Her struggle was heartbreaking: two extended ER stays, weeks on supplemental oxygen, and days without an appetite. Yet through every setback, her tail never stopped wagging. After more than a month of intensive care, Priscilla healed—and found a loving adopter who promised her long walks, cozy beds, and a life full of love.
Phish
Phish is a scrappy alley kitten rescued after his family disappeared. Found dragging a twisted leg, infested with fleas, and battling infection, Phish needed urgent care. After treating parasites, repairing a hernia, neutering him, and amputating his leg, we held our breath—would this tiny kitten pull through? Remarkably, Phish learned to sprint on three legs within days. Now adopted into a caring home with a senior cat brother, he’s thriving—full of mischief and joy.
Earl
Earl is a sweet southern gentleman who’s been through a lot. and is now thriving. He came to us from Kentucky in July, arriving underweight and without any vaccine history. After a tough battle with pneumonia that landed him in the ICU twice, Earl bounced back stronger than ever and hasn’t stopped spreading joy.
Jimmy
Transferred from Chicago Animal Care and Control, Jimmy was showing signs of an upper respiratory infection that quickly escalated to panleukopenia. After spending time at the hospital and receiving syringe feeding and round-the-clock care, Jimmy has turned a corner. He’s getting stronger every day and will soon be ready for adoption.
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