Hey Freak!

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Kodi came to me by way of a grocery store, back in November of 1994. I was taking a break at work (the Gap!), standing in line at International Foods in Logan Square. A woman came into the store pushing a stroller, with a very tiny puppy toddling after her. The cashier told her she couldn't have her dog in the store and she exclaimed "it's not mine, it's been following me and won't go away!"

The manager yelled "You still can't have a dog in here! Kick him out!" But the little pup completely ignored this request. He was scooped up by another customer who declared him to be a Doberman Pinscher. I scoffed "I know what a Doberman looks like and that's no Dobe!"

The customer handed the pup off to the manager, who began tossing him in the air, making nonsensical puppy-talk. I walked over to them and told him not to shake him up like that. The manager said "Here." and handed him to me. He told a stock-boy to get me a box. He handed me an egg crate and said "Now you have a dog."

Huh? I walked back to work with a box of crackers, a puppy in an egg crate, a big goofy grin on my face and a speech in my head to convince my mom this was a great idea. That little 5.4 lb ball of fluff turned into a brilliantly smart border collie/pit bull mix who fetched a stick like nobody's business. He had my back like a proper herder when I went for a run. He circled my sister and I, barking incessantly whenever we tried to leave (we were members of his "flock", of course). He was about the happiest being I've ever known. I was lucky to have been in that store that day, and Kodi was lucky we were able to convince my mom to keep him.

And now onto the pitch...unfortunately, many more dogs and cats are left abandoned on the street. Maybe they aren't lucky enough to be adorably round 2 month old puppies or maybe they never wandered into a store where there's a sucker for a sweet face willing to take them in. That's why organizations like PAWS need our help. If I could take every dog I saw home with me I would, and I know many people who feel the same way, but it's just not possible. So I'm asking you for a pledge, any amount you might be willing to give, to support PAWS' work in keeping animals off the streets.

I'm accepting pledges at my paypal account until 10/3:



Here is some information about the organization: PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving) is Chicago's largest no-kill humane organization. Our work is focused on alleviating our city's tragic pet overpopulation problem--nearly 29,000 dogs and cats were euthanized in Chicago last year. PAWS envisions a no-kill Chicago--a city in which pets are not destroyed just because they are homeless. Managing pet overpopulation by killing is a way of the past.

Collecting, holding, destroying and disposing of unwanted pets is costly and not the work of a humane organization. Private animal welfare resources should go solely to saving lives, prevention and education. Find out more about PAWS Chicago and how you can help PAWS continue this very important work for our voiceless friends.

If you're still reading at this point, I sincerely thank you for your time. If you choose to pledge just a couple dollars, I would be extremely grateful! Mike didn't know Kodi well, but Ko' recognized in him a dog lover for sure.
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