Elizabeth always knew she wanted to adopt a rescue dog, so when the time was right, she started searching on Petfinder.  Right away, she saw a picture of a spunky hound dog mix, read a bio, and said to herself, “That’s the dog I want!” Elizabeth is an art lover, and a fan of Picasso, so she felt P.Casso (Casso for short) would be the perfect name!

Casso had been found wandering the streets in St. Louis, and rescued by the Illinois Birddog Rescue.  When Elizabeth first met him, he was staying in a foster home. The spunky dog was 1 ½ years old, and had irreparable nerve damage to his left hind leg. He was probably hit by a vehicle – most likely a truck, because he was skittish around trucks for quite awhile. Although the leg will never completely, heal, Casso is still the fastest dog in the park. He just picks up his hind leg and runs on all three!

When Elizabeth took Casso for x-rays for his hind leg, it was discovered he also had buckshot scattered throughout his body. It was permanently embedded in his elbow, paw, and close to his heart. Unfortunately, this scenario is not uncommon in hunting dogs. The vet recommended leaving the pellets in place, because they had developed a significant amount of scar tissue and some were precariously close to vital organs.

However, about a year ago Casso suddenly developed lameness in his left front leg. The lameness was caused by the rifle pellet in his elbow joint that was lodged between the two bones and was crushed between when he would extend his leg fully. He had surgery to remove the pellet, which was the size of a pencil eraser.

Even though Casso had a rough start in life, he is making up for lost time. He lives a life of luxury – languishing on the couch for hours, and basking in the sun any chance he can get. He loves attention, and is happiest when someone – anyone, for that matter – is petting him.

Casso’s one idiosyncrasy is his absolute hatred of water. While he will patiently endure a bath, he will also walk gingerly around any and all puddles. He is curious and creative, too – much like his namesake, Pablo Picasso.

Elizabeth is incredibly grateful for having Casso in her life, and wanted to find a way to give back. So she joined Canine Therapy Corps a network of volunteers and their therapy dogs based in Chicago that offers rehabilitative therapy to those with physical and emotional challenges.

Casso took the Canine Therapy Corps (CTC) test, and became a certified Therapy Dog. Today, he and Elizabeth volunteer at Haymarket Center. They work with chemically dependent men and women in rehabilitation, some of whom are in residence as an alternative to serving jail time.

During this 8-week program the participants work on obedience and agility with the dogs. At the end of the session is a graduation, where each participant demonstrates their newly-acquired skills. During the course of the program, they also work on anger management, and develop communications skills, self-awareness, and self-esteem.

About three years later, Elizabeth adopted D. Vinci (named after another famous painter!) Vinci is an English setter, and Elizabeth recalls the first time she saw her. “This little dog was just over a year old and had already had a litter of pups. She was a very timid girl. I fell in love with her immediately,” Elizabeth says. However, it didn’t’ take long until “she began to blossom into the sweet dog she is today. “

Unlike her brother, Vinci tends to race straight through water, bushes, over other dogs and sometimes fences. She is indestructible and seems to be invincible, Elizabeth says. True to her breed, she is a maniac for birds. “Vinci will sit on the back porch for hours on end watching the pigeons in the neighbor’s yard. Absolutely everything stops for her when she has a bird in her sites.”

While this trait made passing the CTC test challenging, Elizabeth says it has proven to be an asset when working with clients at Haymarket Center. “Thankfully that level of attention has translated to her work as a therapy dog. She so easily and readily focuses on whomever she is working with in the program. While Casso tends to take his time responding to certain commands, people often comment on how quick Vinci is to obey.”

Casso and Vinci have also started working with Safe Humane Chicago, a unique program that aims to create safer, more humane neigborhoods by promoting treating animals in a compassionate, caring way. As official “Ambassador Dogs,” official ambassadors, P.Casso and D. Vinci (along with Elizabeth, of course) visit schools to teach children about responsible pet ownership, how to approach an animal safely (including how to avoid a bite), the importance of spay/ neuter programs, and why dog fighting and animal abuse are wrong.

Elizabeth is enthusiastic when she talks about her rescued companions, who occupy a very special place in her heart. “The happy truth is the level of resilience many rescue dogs display, I can speak only for the two that I have adopted, but it is rare that we see evidence of their past mistreatment. If and when we do it is usually a sudden fearfulness due to a loud noise, a raised hand or leg or simply a person holding something that may look harmful to a dog,” she says. “I’m so proud of how they have given back. Their ability to love and be loved is boundless and they have changed my life and the lives of many others in countless ways.”

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