10/11/2026
💔🐾 WHEN THE HEART NEEDS A BREAK 🐾💔
I just wanted to share that I need to take a few days for myself. ❤️
When we’re asked to help find a baby, we become invested in that dog and their family. We spend so much time guiding families, sharing the right tools, encouraging them to keep going, and helping them navigate one of the scariest experiences of their lives.
But not every story has a happy ending, and sometimes the hard days catch up with us.
Sometimes, we learn a dog has passed away, and we do everything we can to bring them home to their family and give them the dignity and closure they deserve.
There’s another side to this work, too. Sometimes, we help get a dog who’s been dumped off the streets and into safety, hoping they’ll finally have a chance at a better life. We advocate for them and look for resources, but sometimes the trauma they’ve endured has left them with behavioral challenges that cannot be safely or humanely managed, and humane euthanasia becomes necessary.
We remind ourselves that we helped get them out of danger and gave them a chance they might never have had otherwise. They deserved that chance, and trying to help them was never a mistake. Unfortunately, we can’t always change the outcome.
It’s been a rough few weeks, and four sweet babies have especially weighed on my mind: Maple, Baby Girl, Chester, and Bubba, the dumped puppy we hoped could have a second chance at life. Each of their stories is different, but they’ve all been reminders of how difficult this work can be.
💔 SWEET MAPLE
A post reported that a red Husky had been seen deceased along the railroad tracks near Lombard and I-205. My first thought was that a family might still be searching for their dog, desperately hoping for answers.
With the help of an amazing human, I was able to bring this sweet girl home to her mom.
That girl was Maple. 💔
While we desperately wish the outcome had been different, at least her mom no longer had to keep searching or wonder what happened to her girl.
One of the hardest parts of this work is telling a family their beloved dog has passed away. You can’t take away their pain, but you can do your best to bring their baby home and help them find closure.
💔 SWEET BABY GIRL
A post reported that a dog had passed away on Burnside near 113th Place. I went there and found her lying alongside the sidewalk.
As I gently loaded her, I talked to her, telling her how loved she was and how beautiful she was.
The next day, another post appeared, and I immediately recognized her.
Her name was Baby Girl.
Hearing her mom scream and cry over the phone was heartbreaking. I’m thankful we could bring Baby Girl home, give her mom answers, and end the uncertainty of not knowing where she was. Her family deserved that closure. 💔
💔 SWEET CHESTER
And then yesterday, we learned that sweet Chester wasn’t coming home to Joanna and her family the way we’d all hoped.
Hearing how deeply Chester was loved and how much he meant to his family makes this loss especially difficult. We wanted so badly to bring him home alive, and knowing his family is now facing life without their sweet boy is heartbreaking.
I’m so sorry, Joanna. We wish the ending could have been different. 💔🐾
💔 SWEET BUBBA
And then there’s Bubba, the dumped puppy we hoped could have a different future.
Sometimes, we pour everything we have into getting a dog off the streets and finding the resources they need for a fresh start. We want so badly for them to experience the kindness and love they’ve missed.
But despite our efforts, sometimes the trauma they’ve endured leaves challenges that cannot be safely or humanely managed. Those are incredibly difficult outcomes to accept, especially when all you wanted was to give them a chance.
Bubba is another reminder that even when we do everything we can, we can’t always change the ending.
❤️ MY OWN SWEET BOYS, BODHI & BEAR
These recent losses have also brought back memories of my own sweet boys, Bodhi and Bear, who have passed. I still miss them like crazy. 💔🐾
I think that’s part of why this work can be so difficult. I know the bond we share with our dogs, and when I hear a family grieving, I understand that pain on a very personal level.
Please know that we have SO many more happy endings than heartbreaking ones! ❤️🐾
The reunions, the happy tears, and seeing families get their dogs back are what make this work so rewarding. Watching a dog get a second chance at life reminds us why we keep doing what we do.
But we also carry the weight of the cases that don’t end the way we hoped.
We spend so much time encouraging families to keep going and reminding them they’re not alone. Sometimes, we need to give ourselves that same grace.
So, I’m going to take a few days to breathe, regroup, and take care of myself.
I appreciate your understanding and a little grace while I take this time. ❤️
I’m grateful for every dog we’ve helped and every family we’ve been able to support. Right now, I just need a short break before jumping back in.
With love,
Kimber ❤️🐾
