Famous Fido Rescue

About

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About Us

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About Famous Fido Rescue and

Adoption Alliance

 

OUR FOUNDING: Gloria Lissner is the Founder and Executive Director of Famous Fido Rescue and Adoption Alliance and the Famous Fido Advocacy, Wellness and Learning Center. Forty-eight years ago, at age 18, she started a grooming shop and handled many dogs and cats, and even then, performed rescues of animals she learned of through the grooming shop. She also noticed the food available to guardians to buy for dogs was not high grade, just canned “goop” and dry kibble. In 1980, she opened the first dog bakery and cookie company on Devon near Clark in Chicago. Dogs came from everywhere to eat special dinners and have birthday parties with their human and canine friends. The Famous Fido Doggie Deli was featured worldwide – England, France, Belgium, Japan; featured in many magazines and on TV. Gloria opened a wholesale dog treat factory and sold to companies like Petco and Bloomingdales, and to smaller retail stores. Eventually, she relocated the factory to the Andersonville neighborhood, with an attached retail store and grooming shop. Then, because many dogs were being dropped off at the grooming shop and just left behind, she began a small rescue area in the store. She saw some of everything – dogs and cats put in boxes and dropped off at the front door or thrown over the fence. Abuse, neglect, people just not wanting to bother. She was rescuing animals before there was such a thing as rescue groups. In 2010, she founded a 501c3 non-Profit, Famous Fido Rescue & Adoption Alliance. The more she saw, the more committed she became to animal advocacy.

Soon, Famous Fido became a Partner with Homeward Bound of Chicago Animal Care and Control and pulled lost and owner surrendered animals to place them up for adoption to a loving home. As of January 4, 2016, Famous Fido expanded into a 9,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art-facility at 3124 W. Irving Park Road, called the Famous Fido Wellness and Learning Center. On average, they house 100 animals awaiting adopters. The dog and cat sanctuaries have many rooms designed for the animals’ comfort. Each room is furnished with cozy sofas, chairs, lots of toys, luxurious cat trees, a dog run area to keep dogs fit and active and a backyard for play. The rooms also provide an opportunity for the animals to socialize with one another. Animals are given the highest quality foods for optimal nutrition. The very best vet care is provided, and they never euthanize until end stage terminal illness with pain. There is a Learning Center with various programs for the community, including the SPEAK program for writing, art and music programs to promote animal welfare, and workshops to educate for proper care and training. There is also a Rescue Store, a high-end resale shop of new items, gently used items, and creations by crafters and artists. 100% of the proceeds go towards overhead expenses, such as vetting and caring for animals. No volunteer, including Gloria, as Executive Director, takes a salary. All donations go 100% into the Rescue and the No Kill Advocacy Center.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1072″ img_size=”full”][vc_single_image image=”218″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”40px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css=”.vc_custom_1537285040636{background-image: url(http://original.famousfidorescue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/about-bg-1.png?id=222) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}” el_class=”about-mid para parali”][vc_column][vc_tta_accordion shape=”square” spacing=”10″ gap=”10″ c_icon=”chevron” c_position=”right” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section title=”MISSION FORMATION:” tab_id=”1532616996699-41a50454-4964″][vc_column_text]Gloria began to realize that the way people thought about cats and dogs was misguided; that the language used about them is often misleading and damaging. A cornerstone of this troubling way of thought is that animals are defined as property with no solid rights as sentient beings to prevent abuse and exploitation. They can simply be killed at will by their “owners”. Gloria no longer uses the word “owner”, instead replaces it with “guardian” to promote the realization that humans should be protective and respectful of the animals they have as companions. And indeed, they should be thought of as companion animals and not “pets”, which has a connotation of exploitation and devalues the individualistic being that each dog or cat is. Most importantly, the animals should have the right to a full life for as long as they have health. Once there is a terminal or non-treatable illness with pain, a decision can be made to euthanize. But, the word euthanasia means “the act of putting to death painlessly an animal suffering from an incurable, especially painful, disease or condition.” Yet, in the shelter system, the putting to death of animals is performed every day for unnecessary reasons such as behavioral problems or limited cage space. Gloria wants to make sure that the public calls each type of death what it is: euthanasia is a death of mercy for terminal illness and pain, all other acts of putting to death are To Kill. A case in point is that animals are often killed at a shelter because of a behavioral problem, which may have come from extreme fear or abuse. In this case, the animal just needs rehabilitation and quiet time. Instead, it is treated as if it is a health issue and the term “euthanasia” is used to justifying its killing. The need to change language, and thereby change ways of thought, is at the foundation of the Mission of Famous Fido.

Over the years, Gloria has unfortunately learned that many people who want to adopt animals are not suitable or are not prepared for the accompanying responsibility. There may be an unstable home environment with little sense of responsibility or commitment to the animals living in the home. Famous Fido has developed an intensive adoption process consisting of interviews, counseling and education, and a home check to ensure that the animals will be safe and secure. They have had a high success rate of animals being adopted into forever, loving homes. They have now developed a model program for adoption called the CARE Program.

Every day Famous Fido receives numerous calls from guardians who want to consult about their unwanted dog or cat or about a lost animal they found roaming the neighborhood. An animal wants to be in a loving home without a lot of changes in their life. Whenever possible, Famous Fido educates and provides resources so that a guardian who may be facing problems can keep the animal, or they will coordinate a re-homing solution. The model program for this is called Project GUARD.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”CURRENT NO-KILL CONDITIONS:” tab_id=”1532617161298-0ab7e4d1-54c4″][vc_column_text]The New Way of Thinking – the compassionate and ethical way of thinking – is to realize that companion animals are never to be killed unless there is terminal illness with pain.  Animals have a right to live their full lifespan and want to live with pleasure and love in their lives.  We, as a community, must protect the animals from people who would abuse, exploit, senselessly breed, and kill.  We must convey this ethic through social censure, as well as animal advocacy legislation and enforcement of laws.

Too many animals continue to be placed on the euthanasia lists in open-door shelters, even when they are young, healthy and highly adoptable. For those who are seniors, have special needs, non-terminal illnesses, or who have trauma-induced behavioral issues, there is little effort made by any open door shelter to treat the symptoms or find adopters. We must seriously consider significant reform of the shelter system so that the no-kill policy is taken seriously and transparently displayed to the public. Famous Fido has drawn up suggested guidelines for compassionate care legislation, written fully elsewhere on our website, summarized here:

    • Spaying/neutering must be performed as a matter of course for all adoptions, and low-cost clinics should be available to all. Puppy mills and backyard breeding must be socially censored, banned and corresponding laws enforced;
    • Micro-chipping and registering of the microchip should be legally required;
  1. Encouraging adoption over buying of animals, with adoption procedures including thorough with interviews, counseling and home checks;
  2. Owner surrender to shelters should never be casually done. A companion animal should be considered a member of the family; not to be thrown aside. Citizens should be responsible & accountable when adopting or even when finding an animal and not think a shelter will solve all the problems;
  3. Shelters should implement counseling of guardians and retention programs that will prevent animals from ever re-entering the shelter;
  4. Stricter laws against violence to animals must be legislated and enforced. Children must also be educated about treatment and empathy when in contact with animals;
  5. A life plan for companion animals should be made by families in case of death or disability of a guardian;
  6. Shelters must have policy change that will prevent any harm to an animal in its possession, whether from abuse, preventable disease outbreak, or killing for behavioral issues or lack of cage space.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”FAMOUS FIDO EXPANSION:” tab_id=”1532617156864-6d4af4a1-2f93″][vc_column_text]Since January of 2016, Famous Fido has managed to maintain and sustain in our space on West Irving Park Road.  However, the rental fee portion of our overhead is overwhelming, as we are also  responsible for all maintenance, repairs and improvements of the building, as well of the majority of the property taxes. We hope to be able alleviate that burden. To do this, we ask anyone with the means and with the whole-hearted understanding of our important mission, to consider purchasing our building and donating it back to our organization. We would continue to pay for the maintenance, repairs, improvements, and taxes.  This would of course come with the naming opportunity of the building to memorialize your own significant commitment to animal rights. We could then make plans to expand into the 1,000 SF in the building now held by the owner for his own needs.  We would like to use that square footage to build 9 more living spaces  and expand our present dog and cat living space areas.  We would also build a dog park and event space on the rooftop.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”THOUGHTS: I once read:” tab_id=”1532617152407-5feb150c-ace9″][vc_column_text]Gloria has stated: “There needs to be a New Way of Thinking about animals and their rights as individuals.  They should not be considered property and they should be acknowledged as sentient beings with rights to a full, healthy and safe life.  Puppy mills and backyard breeding must cease and be outlawed so that the flow into shelters is severely curtailed and then true shelter reform can be enacted.  I don’t consider myself a hero by any means, but I am self-educated to be a behaviorist, handler, communicator, and “whisperer” for dogs and cats. I try to provide a voice for all animals needing to be saved from the injustices in this world. Now I am advocating that passion for animals by doing everything humanly possible to make Chicago a No-Kill city. I hope that many will join me. Everyone must be educated and get involved. Without a united front this will not happen, not in my lifetime anyway.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”about-two”][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text el_class=”about-three”]

Gloria Lissner

Press Release, June 23, 2016

Wellness & Learning Center Opens – Beacon of

Light and Hope to Animals in the Chicago Area[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”225″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”para”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Chicago, IL – Famous Fido Rescue & Adoption Alliance opened a No-Kill Advocacy, Wellness & Learning Center 6 months ago in Chicago’s Northwest side. Since then, calls are flooding in every day,” This week alone, I got 163 calls requesting intake of an animal. People are desperate because they believe they have to give up their dog or cat to a shelter for some reason”, says Gloria Lissner, Executive Director and Founder. “The problem is, the average animal “shelter” is a dangerous place for a dog or cat. It is no solution to a problem with your animal.” Lissner has heard so many stories in her 40 years of working with abandoned and lost animals. The reasons for surrendering an animal start to fall into patterns. Says Lissner: “Maybe it’s a landlord problem or maybe it’s financial. Sometimes a conflict in the family or a behavioral problem with the animal. But no one should have to separate from a family member, whether it has two legs or four. We must find innovative solutions, so there is no reason an animal should be relinquished into a shelter.”

 

A new Intervention Initiative allows Famous Fido counselors to offer a guardian an alternative solution to their personal struggle. One of the recent interventions was for a 4-month-old puppy, named Spike, who escaped from his yard and got hit by a car. He was taken to a vet who quoted $5,000 in surgical fees to repair broken bones. The family could not afford this. “When they called me, they thought they could give the dog to a shelter and he would have the surgery, then be given to a good home. They would no longer have their beloved dog, but he would have a good outcome,” Lissner says. “But the sad and stark truth is that a dog in that situation will be euthanized within hours of relinquishment at many open-door shelters. It has a high expense injury that few shelters could handle.” Lissner asked the family what amount they could afford for the vet care. They had $2,300.00. Lissner contacted veterinary clinics and was able to find a local clinic that would do the surgery for $2,300.00 and threw in a free neutering as well. The puppy had the surgery and is happily recovering at his family home.

“We are doing amazing things at our Center, “ saysLissner, “The shelter system has always been about intake and then just getting the animal placed as quickly as possible. That often leads, in my experience, to the animal being relinquished a second or third time to a shelter. The adopters were not screened properly to find out if they were committed to the animal, vowing to work out any issues that pop up and treating the animal like they would a family member. Just because a person wants to adopt does not mean they are a good fit. Adopters must be interviewed in depth.” The Center also advocates to stop back-yard breeding and puppy mills. To avoid animals being lost and ending up in a shelter because the guardians cannot be found, microchipping is also a focus for the Center. “The large flow of animals going into a shelter, however they get there, must be stopped,” says Lissner.

The Famous Fido Advocacy, Wellness and Learning Center rescues as many as they can , but are at capacity with 60 animals. “Our sanctuary provides maximum comfort and wellness efforts for the animals, and we must ensure good nutrition, socialization and vet care. It is all very expensive and time-consuming. We need many volunteers and much in donations.” says Lissner.

 

 

 

 

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