Size
(when grown) Med. 26-60 lbs (12-27 kg)
Details
Good with dogs,
House-trained,
Spayed or Neutered,
Shots are up-to-date,
Story
Meet Chase ❤️Chase is a handsome boy who has had a really hard few months.He was abandoned near a gas station in southern Illinois. He was scared, confused, and suddenly left to figure out the world on his own. He wasn't aggressive or shutting people out. In fact, it almost seemed like Chase *wanted* help. He would linger nearby and stay just barely out of arm's reach, as if part of him wanted so badly to trust someone, but fear kept winning. Every time someone tried to catch him, he would panic and bolt away.The employees at the gas station did what they could and made sure he had food, and for months they watched over him from a distance.But life on the streets is incredibly hard on a dog.Somewhere along the way, Chase suffered injuries that broke his femur and pelvis. Injuries that would have left most of us unable to imagine getting through the day. Yet somehow, even while carrying that pain, Chase kept surviving. He still kept going. He still kept putting one paw in front of the other.For three long months he lived that way, healing on his own out there while the world kept moving around him. His injuries eventually healed and left him with a little limp, but don't tell Chase that he's supposed to slow down because he definitely didn't get that memo. 😅Then fate finally stepped in.A volunteer camping in southern Illinois spotted him and after several more weeks of patience, determination, and showing Chase that not every human lets you down, they were finally able to trap him and bring him to safety.We expected a fearful, unsocialized dog after everything he had been through.Instead, Chase completely surprised us.This boy absolutely loves people. He is friendly, affectionate, and so happy to soak up attention. After all the loneliness, all the uncertainty, and all the hurt, he still looked at people and decided we were worth trusting.Dogs are something else.The heartbreaking part is that Chase has now tested positive for heartworms. He will be undergoing treatment and would love a foster-to-adopt home where he can spend his recovery resting somewhere soft and safe while he fights through one more hurdle. His leg is already completely healed on its own, and it caused one leg to be shorter than the other, which is where his lasting limp comes in. He gets around with a little hitch in his giddy-up, but our vet says no need to amputate.After months of sleeping outside, surviving injuries alone, and wondering where his people went... we'd really love for Chase's next chapter to be the one where he finally gets to go home.If you're interested in Chase, please fill out an application at EffinghamCountyHumaneSociety.org
