Hutch   Zeke    Holstein    Joey    Scruffy 

Julius    Mac    Prince    Tank    Peppa    Coco

Nido    Hera    Blackie    Bella    Chispita

Blue    Marmaduke    Margaret    Ozzy    JD

Lala    Lucy    Beanz    Skarlett    Greed

Zarco    Drake    Baby     Max    Queen     Rocky

Neno    Gordo    Gizmo    Stormy    Leo  

Gracie    Simba    Gucci    Kiser    Cookie

Ali    Diamond    Roscoe    Diamond    Prince

Cookie    Snow Jack    Dino     Kingston

Sophie    Sunny    Midnight    Daisy    Blue

Ace    Diezel    Crash    Pancho    Piggy

Spot    Boty    Mamas    Flako    Storm    Negro

Lizzie    Foxy    King    Roger    Trixie    Zo

Cosmo    Max    Cupid    Shadow    Cujo 

Rocky    King     and five with no name

There are no photos of these dogs.

We don’t know what they looked like,  if they played fetch, or had favorite toys.  Did they snuggle up to children, protect their people or guard their homes?   Were they allowed on the couch, did they curl up on the bed, chase squirrels?  

We will never know.  

We believe that under the No Kill model these dogs would still be alive.  Under the right leadership, the shelter would have provided what these families needed to keep their companions alive and with them, or would have adopted them out to new families who wanted them.   The community-based shelter would have sought foster homes for them.

These are the dogs that Chicago ACC classified as “Euthanasia Request” on their daily outcome reports for the month of May.

These are the dogs that Chicago ACC would have us believe were surrendered by their owners in the month of May for the explicit purpose of having them killed.  And these are the dogs that Chicago ACC felt compelled to kill.  Public information, secretly tucked away, revealed only through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.    You cannot falsify a FOIA, it is a crime to do so.

And yet, it seems that in one month, these 85 precious beings were killed because their owners wanted them dead.   It just feels like a lot  and it is difficult for me to comprehend or even accept.

To these faithful companions we say:

Your names remain.  We light a candle to honor your life and the boundless love you gave.  You asked for nothing and gave everything in return.  Help us to be kind and help us to love the way you did: without judgment or conditions.  Fly free.