Thanks to a group of dedicated leaders and volunteers, the South Suburban Humane Society’s former adoption center at 2207 W. 183rd Street in Homewood re-opened its doors with new owners, a new name (Fido’s Landing) and a new mission (finding foster homes for homeless dogs to prepare them for adoption).
On Sunday, May 4, the Fido’s Landing staff was ready to show the visitors that cute and cuddly puppies are an irresistible bundle of love that touches the heartstrings of young and old.
Just the day before, the rescue group was asked to care for a litter of 10 fluffy, black and white, 6-week-old, Dalmatian-Bernese Mountain Dog puppies, who were not the least bit shy about soaking up hugs and pets from the crowd of children who literally sat on the floor to play with the squirmy furballs under the watchful eyes of their parents, who had stopped by to tour the shelter.
Sarah Montgomery, who founded Fido’s Landing along with co-founder Maria Garcia, said she was glad they had the space to take the puppies in and that the need for safe, nurturing care for abandoned and surrendered dogs of all ages is huge. She said people give up their pets for all kinds of reasons, but she also believes that all dogs deserve a chance at safe and loving homes where they can thrive. Going to a foster home before going to a forever home gives the animals a better chance for successful adoption, she said.
Fido’s Landing focuses on dogs who might otherwise slip through the cracks — unwanted litters of puppies and their moms, reactive dogs who don’t make a good first impression, and dogs who have shut down or been abandoned.
Montgomery, who is mom to two small children (which is itself a full-time job) said she and her husband Shawn have been training and rehabbing dogs for the last 16 years. She said that if rescued dogs go to foster homes before being adopted, they have several advantages. In foster care, they can become socialized, housebroken, and leash trained. Those experiences also make them much more attractive to potential adopters.
When Montgomery finally decided that her next step in her career with dogs had to be the acquisition of a brick-and-mortar facility to house Fido’s Landing, she hit a few speed bumps but found the perfect site in Homewood.
“It’s important to say that this city [Homewood] has been nothing but gracious and helpful getting us this place and our licensing,” said Fido’s Landing Operations Manager Daryl Ward of Orland Park, who is also a businessman and professed dog lover.
“We cannot speak highly enough about Homewood. The process was smooth in comparison to other ventures we have tried.”
There is much more to a rescue than placing the animals in a foster home, and it costs money, Ward said. The former Humane Society’s site is still being updated and renovated, which is just one of the group’s major expenses. Besides placing the animals in foster care, there is advertising, fundraising, assembling a corps of volunteers to work at the shelter, and establishing partnerships with local veterinarians and other rescue groups.
Fido’s Landing provides fosters with the equipment, food, and veterinary care the animals need while in their care. But in the end, it is a joint venture, Ward said.
Ward said that now that Fido’s Landing has a physical location, they are open to trying all sorts of community outreach and activities, such as puppy yoga, training dogs as support animals, and events that combine socializing and raising funds for the shelter.
“We are made for the community, and hopefully by the community. That’s really an important thing,” Ward said.
For information on fostering, volunteering, donating, and partnering with Fido’s Landing, go to www.FIDOSLANDING.com or call 708-686-1578.
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