Puppies Taken From Lemont Rescue Shelter Returned After Ordeal

LEMONT, IL — What started as an unfortunate ordeal for two puppies from a Lemont animal rescue has ended happily with the female boxers being returned to their rightful owners.

Laila and Holly were returned to the Ruby Whiskers Pet Rescue on Thursday evening after the woman who had previously refused to give the dogs up finally made the decision to give them up after one of the dogs needed medical care, Lisa Steck, the shelter’s foster coordinator, told Patch on Friday.

One of the pups, Holly, required immediate treatment after suffering four fractures to her paw following an accident earlier this week, Steck said. The woman, who had previously signed a foster agreement and had taken the puppies to the Bloomington-Normal area, agreed to surrender the puppies back after a Bloomington veterinarian refused to treat the dog because the Lemont rescue had not given consent for treatment.

Steck said that under Ruby Whiskers' fostering agreement, the shelter pays for vet care, but it must take place at a facility approved by the shelter. Although the woman informed the local shelter about the accident, she refused to give up the puppies before being told that the veterinarian she had sought out to treat the puppies would not do so without permission.

Ruby Whiskers had volunteered to send a volunteer to Bloomington to pick the puppies up, Steck said, but the woman refused to give them up and stopped answering text messages from the shelter. The woman also told officials from the shelter that if they tried to come get the dogs and involved the police, they would not like the outcome.

Steck told Patch on Thursday that she had tracked down the veterinarian in Bloomington and informed them of the situation. Steck said that the local shelter did not ask the veterinarian not to treat the dog but said that vet refused to treat the dog without the facility’s permission.

That’s when the foster pet parent made the decision to have the puppies returned.

“She wanted the dog to see a vet and knew the only way was giving (Holly) back,” Steck told Patch in a text message exchange on Friday. “She did what was right for the dog.”

Holly could, however, face a long recovery due to the injury, Steck said. She won’t require surgery but will likely deal with arthritis moving forward. For now, Holly will need a splint and pain medications, but her owners are happy to have the puppies back.

Steck said Thursday that all the rescue wanted was for the right thing to happen and now the puppies are back where they belong.

“I’m beyond happy,” Steck said Friday. “The pup is getting the treatment she needs.”