Shih Tzu Rescue, Adoption and Education Safehouse (S.T.R.A.E.S.)
Click
Our Pet List
for a list of our adoptable pets.
Can't adopt, but want to help?
Click here for information on helping.
Interested in Adopting?
Click here for our adoption procedures.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
If you are interested in volunteering at any of the following events please phone (708-645-0730) or email us and we will get back to you.
Get ready for the Excitement! The Crowds! The 20th Anniversary of the Chicagoland Family Pet Expo! will take place March 16, 17 & 18, 2012; Show Hours: Friday, 1pm to 9pm; Saturday, 9am to 6pm; Sunday, 10am to 5pm; at the Arlington Park Racecourse, Arlington Heights, IL. S.T.R.A.E.S. has reserved adjoining booths (numbers 562 & 563, 2nd floor) and we are going to need a lot of volunteer help for this exciting three day event. The Chicagoland Family Pet Expo is the midwest's largest pet expo with over 300 booths of pet products, services, animal rescues . . . PLUS . . . entertainment and many pets to see and touch. It is a wonderful opportunity to reach thousands of Shih Tzu lovers and potential Shih Tzu lovers, make them aware of our shelter and our loving homeless pets, show off our wonderful dogs (volunteers can bring their dogs or just bring photos), and talk endless Shih Tzu! Our beautiful handmade FurBaby Blankies and popular FurBaby Scrunchy Collars will be available for purchase. We will have a raffle drawing at the close of the Show for a gift basket filled with doggy and people delights. To make the raffle a success we are in need of prize donations. If you are visiting the Expo, we hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to stop by our booth and share your Shih Tzu stories and pictures (pets are not permitted without a special pass). Everyone is invited to join in the fun. Help us earn $$$$'s... print and use our S.T.R.A.E.S. discount coupon . . . print additional coupons and hand them out to EVERYONE you see, ask retailers, vets, groomers, businesses to place them on check-out counters and insert them in bags (retail stores, pizza delivery, church gatherings, gas stations, convenience stores - anywhere people stop). For every discount coupon turned in with our name on it, $1 of the admission fee will be donated to S.T.R.A.E.S. Please contact us if you are interested in becoming a volunteer, would like to donate an item for the raffle basket or could use additional S.T.R.A.E.S. discount coupons.
WANTED (Help Please!) Want to help us with a Great Fundraiser? From now until April 28th, we are partnering with Carson Pirie Scott Stores and the Bon-Ton family of stores (BON-TON, Bergner's, Boston Store, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's, Younkers) through the sale of Community Days $5 coupon booklets, good toward store merchandise (online and instore) during the special Two Day Community Days Sale on Friday & Saturday, April 27 & 28. 100% of the $5 coupon booklet price is ours to keep! With 100% of booklet sales benefiting S.T.R.A.E.S., you can feel good going shopping and great about giving back! Community Days is a unique opportunity for S.T.R.A.E.S. to raise money. Our volunteers raised a record $2,600 for S.T.R.A.E.S. through coupon book sales in 2011, let's see if we can beat that record!! It's a fun, rewarding event for all involved, at no cost to us. What are you waiting for? Learn more and sign up:
Volunteer to sell $5 Community Day Coupon Booklets at the Charlestown Mall (St. Charles, IL), Carson Pirie Scott Store, upper level entrance. We need volunteers and, optionally, friendly dogs for minimum 2 hour shifts:
Saturday, March 24; noon to 2pm and/or 2pm to 4pm
Saturday, March 31; noon to 2pm and/or 2pm to 4pm
Saturday, April 14; noon to 2pm and/or 2pm to 4pm
Saturday, April 21; noon to 2pm and/or 2pm to 4pm
Sell our $5 Community Days Coupon Booklets yourself at work, school and church events. Sell them to friends, neighbors and family members. They donate $5 to S.T.R.A.E.S. and receive $10 off a purchase of $10 or more ($10 off coupon can be used for 5 separate transactions - - - that's an immediate $50 savings!!) plus other amazing offers and savings coupons good toward great merchandise at all Carson Pirie Scott and other Bon-Ton family stores during the special Two Day Community Days Sale on Friday & Saturday, April 27 & 28. . . . that's what friends are for!!
Purchase $5 Community Days Coupon Booklets from our volunteers at any of our events between now and Saturday, April 28th. A list of special events can be found below or visit us at the Petsmart Store, 2153 75th St., Darien, during our adoption events on the 1st and 2nd Saturdays of March and April. Your $5 donation gets you a special coupon booklet filled with great saving coupons and exclusive bonus offers valued at more than $200 good toward great merchandise at all Carson Pirie Scott and other Bon-Ton family stores during the special Two Day Community Days Sale on Friday & Saturday, April 27 & 28.
If you have questions you can contact the Safehouse at 708-645-0730. If you would like to sell booklets or purchase booklets, please contact Tami, our Community Days Coordinator, at 847-963-9924. We appreciate your support.
Need some help in dealing with pet training and behavior issues? View free online positive training advice:
VISIT WITH US:
The Safehouse is NOT open to the public.
Potential adopters must visit with the pet(s) of their choice at one of our PETsMART events before we will process their application.
You can pick up an adoption application and visit with some of our adoptable dogs at the PETsMART store in Darien, IL (2153 75th St.) on the first and second Saturdays of every month. The dogs are
available for viewing at the PETsMART store between 10:30am & 2:00pm. The dogs are not adoptable from the store and we accept multiple applications for our dogs. The application process is multi-step and
can take a couple of weeks. We do not take all the dogs to PETsMART and dogs are not adoptable from the store. If there is a specific dog or dogs you are interested in, please phone the Safehouse (708-645
-0730) after 11am on the Friday prior to your planned PETsMART visit. A list of the dogs scheduled to attend the event will be available at that time.
Who We Are
Shih Tzu Rescue, Adoption & Education Safehouse (S.T.R.A.E.S.) is an all volunteer, not for profit, no-kill, licensed shelter, established in 1999 to provide sanctuary, loving care and an adoption program
for abandoned and relinquished Shih Tzu. Our mission also includes two special programs. (1) Adoptable dogs with injuries and medical ailments that are costly to treat and who would otherwise be scheduled
to die are given the extra-ordinary medical care and lengthy rehabilitation they need to live happy complete lives. (2) Neglected and abused dogs with behavior issues ranging from aggression to fear that
have the potential to become loving family members are enrolled in a remedial program with a professional trainer/behaviorist so they too can be successfully placed in “forever homes.” All dogs are kept in
a cageless, home-like environment with access to over two fenced-in acres where they can run free. Our Shih Tzu are spayed/neutered prior to adoption, current on annual inoculations and heartworm
preventative and have an AVID microchip implant. Complete veterinarian wellness checks are done on all incoming pets and any necessary special tests, medical and/or surgical procedures are provided.
Regularly scheduled grooming, parasite checks and treatment are also included as a part of our routine care. All dogs are temperament and personality tested so adopters can be matched with a dog that will
best suit their expectations and lifestyle. Follow-up assistance is provided to help the Shih Tzu and new caregiver through the transition period. We provide breed specific and general educational
materials for Shih Tzu owners, or potential owners, as well as consultation and training services. We will work with Shih Tzu owners considering giving up their pets, offering alternatives and education in
an effort to help keep the Shih Tzu in it's current home.
For a list of available dogs click on the words "OUR PET LIST" above. A full description of any dog can be displayed by clicking on the name of that specific dog. Adoption
applications are NOT available online. If you are interested in adopting one of our homeless pets, you can pick up an adoption application and visit with some of our adoptable dogs at one of our
PETsMART adoption events (see "VISIT WITH US" above).
The Safehouse is NOT open to the public. Potential adopters must visit with the pet(s) of their choice at one of our PETsMART events before we will process their application.
You can pick up an adoption application and visit with some of our adoptable dogs at the PETsMART store in Darien, IL (2153 75th St.) on on the first and second Saturdays of every month. The dogs are
available for viewing at the PETsMART store between 10:30am & 2:00pm. The dogs are not adoptable from the store and we accept multiple applications for our dogs. The application process is multi-step and
can take a couple of weeks. We do not take all the dogs to PETsMART and dogs are not adoptable from the store. If there is a specific dog or dogs you are interested in, please phone the Safehouse (708-645
-0730) after 11am on the Friday prior to your planned PETsMART visit. A list of the dogs scheduled to attend the event will be available at that time.
A Few of Our Requirements
Adopter must be at least 21 years of age and have identification and proof of address.
Adopter must provide the name, phone number and relationship of three local references (only one relative can be listed as a reference).
We do not adopt to homes with children under the age of 6 years (or homes where day care is provided for young children).
Applicants over the age of 65 may not adopt dogs under the age of 3 years.
No more than one dog (under the age of 10 years) and three cats may reside in the Adopter's household and the resident dog must be spayed/neutered.
All members of the adopting household must be interviewed including any resident dog before the final adoption can take place.
Adopters must live in Illinois and in the Chicago or suburban area (area codes 708, 630, 331, 847, 219, 312, 773, 872, 815 and 779).
PETsMART, Pet Supplies Plus and PetCo gift cards are always helpful.
Small dog size soft doggy treats.
Royal Canin: mini Adult 27; mini Aging Care 27; and mini Weight Care 28 dry dog food.
Office supplies such as: postage stamps, hp Officejet Ink Cartridge 88XL, etc.
Cleaning supplies such as: paper towels, disinfecting wipes, disinfecting spray, dish and laundry detergent, etc.
Vinyl pillow covers, queen and king size pillow covers and shams.
We desparately need volunteers to help at our monthly PETsMART store visits: talk to potential adopters, take the dogs out for a potty break, setup and teardown. This is the ONLY way our dogs
can meet the public and find their forever new home. The number of dogs presented at the store depends on the number of volunteers that are there to support us. (See "VISIT WITH US"
above for store location, dates and times.)
Most of all, we are in need of funds to allow us to continue to provide medical care and shelter for our unwanted, abused and abandoned Shih Tzu.
A caring way to memorialize or celebrate a beloved pet or pet lover is through a remembrance donation. Your gift will assist S.T.R.A.E.S. in caring for our special charges. The honoree is sent an
appropriate card informing them of your thoughtful gift. You are sent a heartfelt acknowledgement card as a receipt.
S.T.R.A.E.S. is an all volunteer organization, there is no paid staff and our facilities are donated. 100% of all donations are used to provide care for our shelter dogs. We are an IRS recognized
501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, your donation is tax deductable.
Our dogs love to sleep on Kuranda Dog beds, but we don't have enough for everyone. If you would like to donate a bed and/or a soft fleece bed pad at a special wholesale price so a shelter dog can sleep in
comfort, please Donate Now
Looking for a meaningful and lasting gift for a Pet Lover? Donate a Kuranda dog bed to one of our dogs in the name of a friend or family member. A personalized Gift Card will be mailed to them to inform
them of the wonderful gift you have selected in their honor. Donate Now
Sloppy
Kiss Cards are high quality animated ecards for dog lovers. You get to
select and name the dog that stars in every ecard you send. The Sloppy Kiss
Cards
dog gallery features a Shih Tzu! Join Sloppy Kiss Cards and 25% will go
to Shih Tzu Rescue, Adoption and Education Safehouse, just enter STRAES in
the "charity code" field.
To join click
here.
Buy your pet supplies at any of these online pet stores and they will make a cash donation to our shelter.
