Special owners open homes to rescued pets

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Updated: March 14, 2012 8:06AM

The late evening commercial that really disturbs me and tugs at my heart is the one depicting abused and neglected animals. It’s unfathomable to me that anyone could purposely hurt an animal, whether it’s wild or a beloved pet.

The flip side of that are the wonderful people who take in and care for animals that have been abused, neglected or just deemed unlovable by most of society.

My neighbors Carolyn and Peter Remus are two of those kind-hearted, animal-loving people.

The Remuses lost both of their family pets in December within 2½ weeks of each other. Their cat Mittens was 18 years old, and black Lab Frasier was 14.

They were on vacation in Hawaii when Frasier became very ill.

They got word from the kennel, the same one he’s always stayed at, that Frasier would really like to see them.

They knew that meant he didn’t have long to live.

They were able to get on the next flight home. In the meantime, their veterinarian took Frasier first to a special animal hospital in Mokena for care and then back to her clinic once the Remuses got home.

“We had the best people that got us home in time for him,” Carolyn said.

With both their pets gone, they decided to find a dog that really needed a home.

They found Oscar on the Midwest Labrador Retriever Rescue website. Oscar is a beautiful, sleek, 85-pound black Lab. He was found as a stray in Springfield, but he must have had an owner at one time because he already was neutered.

Oscar is deaf and when he was found he had tumors protruding from his ear canals. The tumors were so bad they looked like cauliflowers. He was taken to a shelter and was within days of being put down when MWLRR stepped in. They removed the tumors and Oscar’s ears, and he was sent to a foster home to recuperate.

And that’s when Carolyn and Peter found him.

After the Remuses and their home were checked out by MWLRR, they were able to pick Oscar up in Chicago. During the van ride to Minooka, he looked like he was thinking, “Where am I going now?’” Carolyn said. “I just thought, ‘You are home now.’”

Oscar is a gentle and loving dog. He has some issues with communication, but he’s already learned a few American Sign Language hand signals, which Carolyn is teaching him. He knows “sit,” she said, but gets “stay” and “give me your paw” mixed up sometimes.

He doesn’t quite understand the concept of toys, even though he’s about 6 years old. He picks one out of the toy basket, drops it to the floor, looks at it and then walks away.

He makes a scowling face sometimes that seems to say, “What’s going on?”

But Oscar loves seeing his own reflection. He struts around looking at himself in the bedroom mirrors. He also sits and stares at his reflection in a black marble wall surrounding the fireplace.

“He’s so vain,” Carolyn laughs. “He’s been dubbed Sir Oscar of Minooka.”

Oscar has some hurdles to overcome, but being in a loving home is making all the difference in the world.

For Carolyn, who is now retired from education, it’s a whole new learning experience. “But it will be fun,” she said.

Dogs to ducks

On a related note, Carolyn and other neighbors Sharon May and Jeannie Flannery are thrilled because the remaining domestic duck that was dropped off in the lake behind their homes has finally learned how to fly.

Charming Charlie, as he was named, was one of 10 ducklings left in the lake three years ago. Because they were domestic, they couldn’t fly more than a few feet off the ground and not very far, leaving them vulnerable to coyotes and raccoons.

A local farmer was able to catch and relocate five of the ducks. Carolyn, Sharon and Jeannie tried to keep the remaining ones safe. They built a shelter, fed them and even broke holes in the ice so they could have water during the past three winters.

Four of them have been killed by wild animals. But Charming Charlie managed to survive and just recently has made friends with two wild ducks. While it’s unlikely he will ever fly great distances, he has learned to fly high with his wild buddies, which just may be a lifesaver for him.

“I guess you can teach an old duck new tricks,” Carolyn said.

Reach Kris Stadalsky at
writestuff56@comcast.net.