Bellwood Stray Crew

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Bellwood Stray Crew

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We are a 501c3 Non-Profit Animal Welfare Organization dedicated to helping stray animals near Bellwood, IL and surrounding areas.
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We are also a resource for law enforcement on cruelty and neglect cases pertaining to the Humane Care for Animals Act.

10/28/2026

SOMEONE COME GET THIS HANDSOME BABE. 😂

Seriously, how the hell is Buckeye still sitting in our kennels?!

This big brindle baby is seriously one of the sweetest dogs. He's always happy, loves everyone, loves other dogs, and just wants someone to love on his big dumb ass. He's got this giant goofy smile and walks around like he doesn't have a single fu***ng bill to pay.

And apparently he's got game, too.

Because Dandelion has officially decided Buckeye is her piece of ass. 😂

Yep. Our little Dandy has herself a boyfreeeennnddd.

And the funniest part is that Buckeye is a complete gentleman about it. He doesn't bother her, doesn't push her, and literally waits for HER to initiate everything. Sounds like a bad bumble date for a hoe but here we are.

Personally, I'm more of a make-your-intentions-known-and-see-what-happens kinda person, but to each their own. 🤣

We're just hoping this doesn't turn into an episode of Maury because we already have enough court cases around here. We do NOT need a paternity test added to the list.

But in all seriousness, this big idiot has done more for Dandelion's confidence than I think he will ever understand. This is a dog who was terrified of damn near everything, and now she's running around playing with her boyfriend. And Buckeye is just happy as s**t to be included.

We fu***ng love this dog.

And we really, REALLY want someone to give him a chance. He's such a good boy and would make some family so damn happy. He deserves a couch, a family, and someone to tell him how handsome he is 47 times a day.

He's fully vaccinated, dog-friendly, and still has his balls, but those are on the eviction list. 😂

RESCUES, PLEASE DON'T PASS UP BUCKEYE.

📧 [email protected]

We want him out of here before Dandelion starts asking where this relationship is going. We are NOT paying for a wedding, and we sure as s**t aren't paying child support. 😂

10/22/2026

LARRY IS OUT ❤️

Finally, some good news around here.

4 Stray Paws Ltd officially pulled Larry, and he'll be seeing their vet from here on out.

We're not going to sugarcoat it. Larry's prognosis still sucks. We're hoping this isn't cancer, but we know damn well it could be.

The thought of this sweet guy spending whatever time he has left sitting in an animal control kennel was not on the bIngo card! 🙌🏽

He gets good food, a soft bed, belly rubs, and someone to love the s**t out of him. Whether that's two weeks or two months, we'll take that win.

Deana, thank you for taking him in for a few days and keeping his ass out of the kennel while we scrambled to figure things out.

And Hailey and 4 Stray Paws, thank you for stepping up when the outlook isn't exactly sunshine and rainbows. You didn't have to say yes, but you did!

Please follow 4 Stray Paws for updates on Larry from here on out.

Thank you to everyone inquiring about him! He would love for his non-sick friends left at Bellwood PD to get out too 👏🏽😘

10/21/2026

We have some pretty incredible people in our corner.

We want to give a HUGE thank you to Marcia Kilpatrick and everyone at Lucky Dog Agility Club for choosing our Ajax as the recipient of their 50/50 raffle!

Seriously, you guys. 🥹

Some days we look around at all the people who continue to rally for the dogs (and cats), and we wonder how in the world we got so lucky.

Animal welfare is a steaming pile of hot garbage and isn't easy. It's messy, exhausting, emotional, and some days it feels like we're just trying to keep our heads above water. And then awesome people do something that makes you stop and be grateful to be part of it.

And it means EVERYTHING.

Ajax has no idea how many people are rooting for him, but we do. And we promise you, we don't take a single bit of it for granted.

Marcia, Lucky Dog Agility Club, and everyone who bought a raffle ticket, thank you for loving our boy and believing in what we do.

We may be the ones wiping p**p paw prints off our clothes 😆, but it's people like you who keep us going.

From the bottom of our very full BSC hearts, THANK YOU. ❤️🐾

10/21/2026

Safe Exit Project | By Bellwood Stray Crew

Well, we finally have some answers on Ajax, our first Safe Exit Project dog.

We took him to the vet yesterday because something wasn't adding up with his allergies. His owner had been telling us Ajax was constantly rubbing his face on EVERYTHING, and despite medications and treatments, nothing was helping.

When Elena finally got a good look at him upon his intake to safety, she suspected entropion.

Sure as s**t, he's got it. In BOTH bottom eyelids. 🤦‍♀️

Basically, his eyelids roll inward, causing the hair to constantly rub against his eyeballs. Can you imagine how fu***ng miserable that must be?

He's scheduled for surgery November 3rd. $450 per eye, $900 not including after care and surgery bundle type things.

Now, kennel life has been less than pleasant. Ajax is extremely anxious, fearful, and reactive. He's decided Elena is his person, and poor Ronnie who is there daily is still on his s**tlist.

Men are a HUGE trigger for him. Sometimes women are too.

And this dog is only TWO YEARS OLD.

We don't know everything that's contributed to his anxiety, but there's clearly a lot to work through.

We're not going to bulls**t anyone. This is going to be a lot of work, especially for his owner when they're reunited.

We're here to educate, provide resources, and help make things better for everyone involved, humans and furry friends the same.

Once his eyes are fixed, we'll reassess and talk with our vet about whether long-term anxiety medication might help.

A lot of people have asked how they can help Ajax. If you'd like to contribute toward his surgery:

💜 Zelle: [email protected]

This is our first Safe Exit Project dog, and we're already learning a lot. Getting a dog somewhere safe is one thing. Helping that dog actually FEEL safe is a whole different ballgame.

We're glad to take you guys along for the trip. Literally.

10/20/2026

💔 Larry update. And this one blows ass.

Larry had his follow-up ultrasound Monday, and it wasn't the news we were hoping for.

His prostate is still severely enlarged, along with the surrounding lymph nodes. The latest ultrasound backs up what the vet at VEG originally suspected.

Prostate cancer.

We don't have a definitive diagnosis, but two vets who know what prostate cancer looks like both believe that's what we're dealing with.

I'd love for them to be wrong. I really fu***ng would.😓

For now, Larry will finish his antibiotics and have another ultrasound in two weeks. If his prostate shrinks, there's hope this could be a bacterial infection. If it doesn't, cancer becomes even more likely.

A biopsy is the only way to know for sure, but the risks aren't worth putting him through right now.

On the phone, I asked, "if it's cancer, how long does he have?", Doc replied "a couple months". 😳 Faaackkkkk.

This dog JUST got here dudes. We don't know his past, but we know he's one of the sweetest damn dogs we've met. This is the boy who slept through his blood draw and hasn't complained once through everything we've put him through.

And now we're possibly looking at the end of his life before we've even had a chance to show him what a good one looks like.

So here's our Hail Mary. 🙏

WE NEED A RESCUE WITH A HOSPICE FOSTER FOR LARRY.

Someone with a couch, a soft bed, and enough love to spoil the s**t out of him for however much time he has left.

For now, he's safe. He's eating, getting his medications, and being loved. We'll repeat the ultrasound in two weeks and hope like hell for better news.

But we're also trying to be realistic.... It's not looking good.

Larry deserves more than spending his remaining time in an animal control kennel.

If you're a rescue with hospice foster availability, PLEASE reach out. Tag rescues. Share this boy.

We don't know how much time Larry has.

But we're going to give the ol' college try to make it count. 💔🐾

10/20/2026

WE ARE GOING TO FU***NG CRY. 😭

And it's all because of a big dumb brindle boy named Buckeye.

Buckeye is quite possibly the happiest dog on the planet. Big ass smile, sparkling white teeth, and walking around like rainbows shoot out of his as***le. Not a worry in the world.

When he first came in, we had a feeling he might be exactly what Dandelion needed. A big goofy idiot who somehow knows when another dog needs space, patience, and understanding.

AND HOLY S**T. WE WERE RIGHT.

DANDELION PLAYED WITH HIM.

For the FIRST TIME since coming to us, Dandelion engaged in play with another dog besides her brother Banjo.

YOU GUYS. 😭 Hold my Malört!

We've spent MONTHS working with this girl. Getting her healthy, building confidence, earning trust, and trying to undo things that never should've happened to her.

And underneath all that fear is the sweetest fu***ng dog. A girl who melts into the ground for belly rubs and closes her eyes in pure bliss.

Sometimes we can only get these dogs so far ourselves. And sometimes a big dumb dog with two brain cells comes along and accomplishes something we've been working toward for months.

Buckeye might have the manners of us drunk AF, but this boy is SPECIAL. He's respectful, and has been such a good friend to dogs who need a little extra time.

And now Dandelion is PLAYING. What in the wormhole?!

THIS MEANS SHE HAS A CHANCE.

A chance at rescue, a home. A chance at a life outside these kennel walls.

We didn't work this fu***ng hard to get her here just for her story to end in animal control.

Both are available to rescue.

Buckeye is ridiculously dog friendly, goofy, and happy as hell. Dandelion is sweet, shy, sensitive, and has SO much love to give.

Sometimes the breakthrough you've been waiting months for comes in the form of a big brindle idiot with a s**t-eating grin.

And we couldn't be more grateful for him. ❤️

📩 [email protected]

PLEASE SHARE. These two deserve their shot.

10/17/2026

🚨🚨Immediate Medical Transfer Needed🚨🚨

Larry needs around the clock monitoring since we aren't sure what is going on except that his prostate is very enlarged and he is peeing blood. Unsure if it's cancer or bacterial. He will need further testing and another ultrasound to start.

His vitals are all stable and he's eating and drinking but going to the kennel isn't the best for him. We don't have a volunteer that can take him for the time being and the spot at my house was an emergency last resort.

We desperately need to keep him out of our kennel because there isn't someone around all the time to check on him.

He is incredibly sweet, very much a Velcro dog and doesn't so much but follow you around. He hasn't had any reaction to my two psychopaths but that's through gates.

If you are able to pull him please let us know. All his medical records are ready to go!

Email or message us! [email protected]

10/16/2026

PEACE OUT, BANZAI!

Our little speed demon officially left the building today! 🏎️💨

Banzai was transferred to Catahoula Rescue of New England!

Now, we're not gonna lie. When a rescue out of MAINE reached out about a dog sitting in Bellwood, our first thought was...Are you lost? Can we read? ME is Maine right?

But then we talked to Shannon, the lovely lady who runs the rescue, and found out they have fosters all over the Midwest.

WELL F**K. THAT MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE. 🤣

Banzai is heading to a foster home with YEARS AND YEARS of experience with Catahoulas. Which is exactly what this little crackhead needs. He has PLACES TO BE AND ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHERE THOSE PLACES ARE. 😂

We are beyond happy that he's getting a chance with people who know the breed, understand the crazy, and won't be surprised when this spotted boy starts doing laps around their living room.

HUGE THANK YOU to Shannon and Catahoula Rescue of New England for stepping up for our boy and becoming our newest rescue partner! ❤️

Happy tails, Banzai! We love ya, buddy, but we're officially making you somebody else's tweaker. 🐾🤣

10/16/2026

💔 Meet Larry.

Larry came into animal control sometime after 4 PM today. By the time we arrived for our evening volunteer shift at 6, it was obvious something was wrong.

He was lethargic, had vomit in his kennel, an empty water bowl, limping and blood coming from somewhere. We found cuts and wounds on his legs and underbelly, gums were pale so off to Elmhurst Animal Care Center we went.

Parvo was negative, but X-rays showed fluid in his abdomen. Our vet was concerned and sent us straight to VEG in Oak Brook.

Since then, we've learned Larry is also bleeding from his p***s. An ultrasound showed a very enlarged prostate and a bladder full of urine, which has the emergency vet seriously concerned. We're waiting for more answers.

And somehow, through all of this, Larry has been unbelievably good. He's been poked and prodded at least ten times tonight and hasn't reacted once. He actually slept through his blood draw. 😭

Send Larry some love. We'll update when we know more (and when I can charge my phone).

Update: 1:22AM
We have two options,
1. Hospitalize him overnight.
2. Take him home and monitor his urine.

I'm taking him home because the cost difference is around 1K and he is not knocking on heavens door. They are not sure what it is, but it is related to his prostate. Whether it's cancer or an infection - they don't know until a sample from the prostate is taken. For now since WBC is high in the urinalysis, we are treating it as an infection and monitoring until we can get him back to our vet or transferred to a rescue.

If you are a rescue able to take on a fragile medical dog without a dog test, please let us know ASAP.

Total cost today was about $1K, but he's alive!

10/15/2026

💜 MEET AJAX.

OUR FIRST OFFICIAL - THE SAFE EXIT PROJECT | BY BELLWOOD STRAY CREW - DOG

A few weeks ago, we received an email from a young dude desperately trying to get help for his dog, Ajax, a Great Dane/Shar-Pei/Pit Bull mix.

Ajax was suffering from terrible allergies and rubbing his face raw. His owner was trying to get him healthy so he could find a job, get on his feet, and get the hell out of an abusive home. He was donating plasma to pay for Ajax's medication and vet visits.

We got Ajax to our vet, started him on a hydrolyzed protein diet, and began weaning him off prednisone. Although his skin is okay...

Unfortunately, his home life isn't okay.. 😥

This morning, we received a text that broke our hearts and pi**ed us the f**k off.

His owner had been physically assaulted in his own home by family while Ajax watched and desperately tried to get to him to protect him. Ajax was held down and unable to reach his person.

Imagine being hurt in your own home while your dog is desperately trying to save you.

Let's make something very fu***ng clear. Abuse doesn't stop being abuse because it's coming from your parents or someone you're related to. Domestic violence isn't just between romantic partners. Your family does NOT get a free pass to hurt you in any way.

This morning, we started making arrangements to get Ajax somewhere safe so his owner could get himself out.

And tonight, Ajax is safe with us. 💜

He's understandably stressed. We also suspect he has entropion, a painful condition affecting his eyelids that may explain why he's still rubbing his face raw. He'll be seeing our vet again and may need surgery.

This situation, along with another one we recently helped with, is what sparked the idea for our Safe Exit Project. Because how the hell is someone supposed to leave an abusive home when the one thing they love most has nowhere safe to go?

We're not a domestic violence shelter. We're a small group of as***les trying to make a difference with the resources we have.

This program is still VERY much in its infancy. We don't have all the answers, and we're figuring things out as we go. But we know there's a need.

Right now, we're keeping Ajax safe while his owner works on getting himself safe. We're hoping like hell these two get their happy ending together.

And YES, we have Ajax's owner's permission to share his story. It's his story to tell, and we're grateful he's allowing us to share a piece of it.

If you're experiencing abuse, whether it's from a partner, parent, sibling, or anyone else in your home, YOU DESERVE TO BE SAFE.

💜 Illinois Domestic Violence Help Line: 877-863-6338 (24/7)
💜 National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233
Text START to 88788

Nobody should have to choose between their own safety and the animal they love.

Welcome to the Crew, Ajax. You're safe here, buddy. 🐾💜

Address

11914 S. Route 59, Unit 100
Plainfield, IL
60585

Website

http://www.bellwoodstraycrew.org/

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