During the COVID-19 pandemic, two women who have been best friends since college used the lockdown to launch their dream: opening a rescue for senior dogs a reality.
More than four years later, Citizen Canine is still going strong. The La Grange Park-based nonprofit is dedicated to giving older dogs a happy and loving life during their final years. Since 2020, Karina Reyes of La Grange Park and Miriam Gardner-Ryan of Indianapolis, the women behind the operation, have adopted out more than 100 senior dogs.
Although it is based in the western suburbs, Citizen Canines’ rescue efforts extend across the Chicagoland area and throughout the Midwest.
So far, the oldest dog they have rescued was a 20-year-old named Rudy.
“We thought it would be very hard to find someone to foster him, but an incredible woman came along and took him in,” Reyes said.
The woman fostered Rudy for two years and then adopted him. He lived until the age of 23. In general, Citizen Canine considers a dog to be a senior once they are seven years old.
Even though the organization does not have a physical location, they are technically based out of Reyes’ home in La Grange Park.
“We do all the business out of here and my garage is the space where we store supplies,” Reyes said.
As a foster-based rescue organization, Citizen Canine depends on foster families to keep their operation running. After being rescued, the senior dogs are taken to Naperville Animal Hospital for medical care and a physical. After that, the dogs head directly to a foster home where they live while waiting to be adopted. To care for the dogs, foster families are given a monthly stipend.
“We cover all of our fosters’ expenses,” Reyes said. “Our foster folks don’t have to pay for anything.”
Eight families throughout the Chicagoland area now serve as fosters for Citizen Canine. Reyes said all the families are pretty local, since Naperville Animal Hospital is where the dogs need to be taken for medical appointments. This is because Citizen Canine has a partnership with the hospital that allows them to get the dogs care for a lower fee.
“I cannot say enough good things about Naperville Animal Hospital,” Reyes said.
According to Reyes, most of the senior dogs that end up at Citizen Canine are surrendered by owners who are no longer able to care for them. Others come from animal control facilities and humane societies.
“One of the nice things that we’ve been able to do through just growing is develop a network of other rescue organizations that we work with,” Reyes said.
One unique aspect of Citizen Canine is that they do not separate a pair of bonded dogs when they are surrendered together.
“We’re committed to keeping them together,” Reyes said.
In terms of funding, Reyes said 99% comes from donations and occasionally they get a small grant.
“There are so many dogs in need and our ability to reach and help dogs is entirely dependent on donations,” she said.
Cindy Brunger, a La Grange Park resident who has volunteered with Citizen Canine since it was first established, said she has always had a soft spot for older dogs. During her time as a volunteer, Brunger has fostered five dogs.
“The very first one I got, Finn, looked so awful when we got her,” Brunger said. “She was just barely hanging on but man, did that girl clean up well. She was the cutest little thing and eventually got adopted. As far as I know, she’s still living happily with a woman out in Oakbrook.”
Brunger said other aspects of serving as a volunteer include taking dogs to the vet and doing home visits with potential foster families.
Another La Grange Park resident, Chris Joyce, started volunteering with Citizen Canine last fall after retiring from her job as a teacher.
Joyce’s first task after joining Citizen Canine was driving a 10-year-old Chihuahua named Brownie to his new home in Milwaukee.
In addition to transporting dogs, she also sends out a spreadsheet to all the volunteers each week that lists what needs to get done.
“Then everybody signs up for what they can do,” she said.
Joyce said Citizen Canine helps both senior dogs and the people who have to surrender them.
“A lot of times they have had the dog for many years. They have loved this dog and just cannot take care of it anymore, for whatever reason,” she said. “So, for them to know that the dog is going into a wonderful foster and will be well cared for is great. This whole thing is so positive and wonderful.”
Donations can be made via: Paypal, Venmo (CitizenCanineRescue-Reyes), Zelle at 312-919-6038, or by check to 502 Dover Ave, La Grange Park, IL 60526. For more information, visit https://www.citizencaninerescue.org/