English Setter, Setter

Click here to view more of baby JD from Camp Lucky Pets.

Click here to view DEMPSEY'S BLOG

Dempsey is a sweet, fun loving puppy of about 3 ½ months of age. Dempsey had quite the obstacles to overcome in his young life. He contracted parvo at the shelter that he and his Setter mommy found themselves at, after being picked up as strays. He did just barely survive the parvo and got pneumonia immediately afterwards. Weakened from the fight to stay alive, this poor boy got demodectic mange (Demodex) on top of everything else; and he’s being treated for this now and getting better every day. Demodex is non-contagious and is quite common in puppies, and usually does not return in later life, once it clears up. Parvo also usually has no impact on future health and we therefore hope that Dempsey can soon enjoy life without any further health problems.

Dempsey is very outgoing in nature and one of those puppies that knows no strangers. He walked into his current foster home like he had always been there. He was not shy or afraid, just a happy boy that immediately tried to make friends with all the dogs and all the neighbors walking by. Dempsey is already doing very well on housebreaking, has not had an accident at our house so far, and goes and does his business promptly when let outside. When let out at 11PM at night for a last potty break he sleeps through the night in his crate without interruption.

Dempsey would enjoy a home with another playful dog, as he would love to do some play-wrestling and would also be a loving companion for a kid. He’s not very mouthy anymore and enjoys Kids Company and would love the interaction. Dempsey sits nicely for his treats, is working on “down” and we are starting on leash-walking training as well this week.

Dempsey is doing nicely occupying himself with a rawhide bone and exploring the yard, but seems to enjoy people’s company especially. He’s already following us around like a little shadow and climbs on our laps every chance he gets. If you are looking for an independent dog, this one is not for you---Dempsey definitely LOVES attention. Though he’s an active puppy, he can also be nice and quiet inside, hanging out on the couch with you.

He’s already played with a pheasant wing as well and froze and pointed, though he usually doesn’t raise his paw while pointing so far. So he might actually have a good amount of hunting potential in him when properly trained. Most of all he wants to be loved though, which will always be top priority for this boy.

We do not believe in pediatric spays and neuters and due to the IL Dept of Ag regulations, the pups will need to stay within 50 miles of Chicago so that they can be spayed or neutered at 6 months of age. The $375 adoption donation will cover 3 Parvo/Distemper vaccinations, rabies, fecals, multiple dewormings, and microchip. We also provide an adoption packet and an english slip lead with every adoption. We also require an additional $100 deposit that will be refunded after the adopter fulfills the spay or neuter requirement when the pups are 6 months old so that they can use their own vet. We also test and retest for other intestinal parasites including Coccidia and Ghiardia besides the standard vetting in house fecal. These tests usually run $40 each and we test and restest to make sure the puppies are squeaky clean! Puppy adoption donations usually barely cover their vetting expenses but we want to make sure they are happy and healthy prior to adoption.

Due to the fact that these dogs have come from shelters or abuse or neglect situations, and unless we have tested these dogs on upland birds and feel they are confident and ready to work as a hunter with families where they will be trained with kindness and patience, we will only adopt to pet homes.

All adoptions include vaccinations, deworming, microchips, spaying or neutering, collar, leash and an information adoption packet. Most dogs are also tested for Lyme Disease, Ehrlichia and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever via a $100 blood test. On average- nearly 83% of our incoming dogs and puppies from the Midwest are testing positive to one, two or all three tick borne illnesses. If caught early- these diseases are highly treatable. Infected Dog and Deer Ticks are all over the Midwest and United States and these diseases often go missed yet are epidemic. Left untreated- dogs may suffer horrible painful joints, brain damage, chronic allergies, and if the disease progresses- death.

All IBR dogs are crate trained, housebroken, socialized with other dogs and loved on by their human foster parents. Adoption fees are used to cover vetting expenses and special need dogs' vetting care. Our adoption guidelines also require non-smoking homes and safe fenced in yards.

If you are interested in adopting this pet through our rescue organization, please fill out an online adoption application.

7 Ways You Can Save A Life

Help offset the high cost of our vetting bills via the Petfinder.com Sponsor-A-Pet link. Illinois Birddog Rescue has always prided itself in not turning away any sick and injured dogs; animals that most shelters would have euthanized. We have saved many dogs with heartworm, tick borne illnesses, broken legs, missing legs, blind dogs, a new deaf puppy, dogs suffering from Parvo and especially senior dogs that may need expensive health care to help them get ready for adoption. In February of 2006, in one weekend, we brought in 20+ dogs from the Boat Mountain Tragedy, and that depleted our emergency funds.

Your donation will not go unnoticed. In addition to helping save lives, when you donate your name will be added to the Illinois Birddog Rescue Donations and Rescue Sponsor List.

Shop for custom calendars, mugs and T-shirts at our Café Press fundraising website and choose merchandise featuring Pointers, Setters, Hunting Dogs or Friendly Mutts. All of our calendar stars are rescued dogs that would have been euthanized in shelters across the Mid-West had IBR not stepped in to save them. Your support does make a difference!!

Become an IBR foster home and help give a rescued dog or puppy a second chance at a new happy life. The work and dedication of the current IBR foster families can be seen by clicking HERE! You are not just fostering a dog, you are joining a birddog family! If you would like to become a foster home and join our enthusiastic group of birddog lovers, please fill out an online foster home application.

Shop and search the Internet using iGive.com and iSearch.iGive.com - Two great ways to help us raise funds while using the Web. It's free and there is no limit or hidden fees. Give them a try here:

Special Offer: Order the 2009 Entertainment Book through iGive.com and get $10 off plus free shipping. For every copy purchased, a special donation of $2.40 will be sent to IBR. This is a great way to give back while saving hundreds on shopping and entertainment, whether at home or on vacation. Simply register or log in to iGive.com and search keywords Entertainment Books. Enter your zip code or select “view all books” for a complete list of editions. Order a copy today!

Up to 26% of every purchase through iGive.com is donated to Illinois Birddog Rescue. Membership is free and over 700 online stores are registered through the site, including eBay, JCPenney, Land’s End , Drs. Foster & Smith, PETCO and Petsmart.

iSearch.iGive.com is a fun and easy way to raise money while searching the internet. The donation is $0.01 per qualified search (no limits) and if you are logged in as an iGive.com member (membership to use iSearch is free and optional) you can keep track of your individual contributions through searching and shopping. $0.01 per search may not seem like much, but with our combined efforts it can add up very quickly and make a difference for our rescued dogs. iSearch.iGive.com is powered by Yahoo! search engine. Start searching the web and download the iSearchiGive toolbar to earn every time you search by clicking here:

Shop Helping Udders, a fun place for cool and unique dog stuff not found in stores. Select “Illinois Birddog Rescue, Inc” during the checkout process and 10-50% of every purchase you make will go to support our rescue. Click here to visit the home of the original Udder Tug and to find that unique gift you’ve been looking for:

Monetary donations can also be mailed directly to IBR, PO BOX 364, Wood Dale, IL 60191.

Illinois Birddog Rescue, Inc is a 501c3 not-for-profit charity licensed by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.