TAF’s Backyard Renovation Project at Animal Welfare League

Surprisingly few people know about the Animal Welfare League’s critically important intake facility on Chicago’s south side – a site that has been serving the local community for over 70 years. This facility, located at 6224 South Wabash, operates in an economically depressed region of the city and provides valuable services that local residents would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.

At the Wabash site, AWL shelters and cares for thousands of homeless and needy animals, offers a low-cost veterinary clinic and hosts a monthly food bank.  Even more significantly, the Wabash facility is one of the few open access shelters in Chicago. This means that it accepts any stray or unwanted pet – over 5000 per year. With that kind of volume, it’s not surprising that the facility needs your urgent help.

The animals are housed in cages and cared for by AWL’s exceptionally dedicated staff, led by Diane Spyrka, the Shelter Manager at the Wabash facility and a fixture at AWL for 37 years.

Currently, the dogs at the intake facility must use inside runs to relieve themselves and stretch out. The facility has no usable outdoor space for the dogs beyond a concrete slab backyard.

The Trio Animal Foundation wants to change that and needs your help. TAF, a non-profit organization that helps pay medical bills for homeless pets, is embarking on a project to build   outdoor dog runs and install turf so the dogs can have quality time outside: both to relieve and enjoy themselves, while they wait transfer to AWL’s Chicago Ridge facility or other   shelter or rescue for adoption into loving homes.

TAF founder and AWL volunteer Sue Naiden said, “Whenever I bring the dogs outside to the backyard, I noticed that their personalities changed, for the better. But mere outdoor space     is not enough – like any dog, they still searched high and low to find a place to go potty. If there was one weed coming out of the crack in the cement, they all wanted to relieve       themselves on that one weed.” The turf will simulate grass and can be easily kept clean with a new hose system, which is part of the renovation plan.

Diane and her staff are thrilled with the plan. “We are very excited about the renovations because we see real personality changes when the dogs get time outside,” She added, “sunshine   does a lot to raise their spirits, which makes the dogs much more adoptable.  Fresh air also helps keep the dogs stimulated and healthy.”

Of course, the renovations come with a cost, about $7000. TAF is collecting donations to pay for the improvements through its website.  Diane explained, “This is a chance for people to enhance a shelter dog’s life. The dogs will benefit directly from the renovations.” Tax deductible donations can be sent by mail (516 North Ogden Ave. Suite 199, Chicago, IL 60642) or on-line from the TAF website. Please earmark your donation for the AWL Backyard Renovation Project. If you’re donating on-line, paypal will ask you to “send comments to seller” on the payment pay. Place your earmark here.

The project includes numerous naming opportunities to honor or memorialize people or pets.

Volunteers will also be needed to help the professional contractor, Russ Job LLC, construct the renovations. Russ Job is donating a significant portion of its labor costs to the project.

If you’d like more information about the Backyard Renovation Project or to discuss naming opportunities, please contact Trio Animal Foundation or send an email to: sue@trioanimafoundation.org.

Click here to view video of an AWL dog in the yard.