Ike The Expressway Pit Bull Settles In To New Home - WBBM 780 - Chicago's #1 source for local news, traffic and weather

Ike the expressway pit bull settles in to new home

Steve Miller Reporting
CHICAGO (WBBM) -- There's an update this morning on Ike the pit bull - who spent two days running along the Eisenhower Expressway a month and a half ago.

Five hundred emails. At least 200 phone calls. All from people interested in adopting Ike. That's what Steve Zorn of Precious Pets Almost Home says he received.

A couple of weeks ago, Ike found a permanent home in the suburbs. With empty nesters.

Zorn says he wants to keep the family anonymous - mostly to protect Ike.

"He's an easy target. If somebody was to go to the new owner's home... he's a dog that would be desirable for people who would be maybe less than desirable."

Zorn says Ike and his celebrity lucky-dog status drew so much interest.

"Ike directly found homes for about another seven or eight animals, just in the time that I had Ike. Other people that were interested in him and then they ended up adopting another dog from me. We also had some cats that got adopted because of Ike."

Zorn says Ike's time on the Eisenhower left him a little worse for the wear.

"He was, when he was out there one morning, he did get whacked by a car pretty good, which I know that didn't get out too much."

Zorn says Ike is better now. And runs and plays.

"Over Memorial Day weekend, he went to his new house. And it was a little bit of a trial run."

And...

"And he did absolutely marvelously. And he has a new brother that's a cat."


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Kangol and I want to wish this big sweet baby the best of luck at his new home! He is a special pup and he contributed to the adoption of a bunch of other homeless animals. Thanks Ike!

Xoxo

Good luck!

Woman gets probation for abusing pit bull puppy/Child attacked

Woman gets probation for abusing pit bull puppy

Associated Press

11:18 AM CDT, June 9, 2010

BELLEVILLE, Ill.

A southwestern Illinois woman avoided jail time and got a year of probation after admitting she mistreated a pit bull puppy found emaciated in a trash can, an electrical cord embedded in his neck.

Tracia Johnson of Cahokia was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to one count of animal cruelty. Other misdemeanor counts were dropped.

Prosecutors had pushed for Johnson to spend 60 days in jail.

Authorities say the abuse surfaced in October 2009 when a trash collector found the then-9-month-old pit bull in a trash can. Besides the electrical cord in his neck, the dog's body was bruised and burned, and he was 20 pounds underweight.

The dog, named Tommy, survived and made an appearance with animal-welfare advocates outside the courthouse Wednesday.

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“A southwestern Illinois woman avoided jail time and got a year of probation after admitting she mistreated a pit bull puppy found emaciated in a trash can, an electrical cord embedded in his neck.”

This woman is sick and it sickens me she only received a year of probation. The penalties for such abuse must be tougher! If we made sickos like this serve some jail time it might make a difference. Probation isn’t even a slap on the wrist. She will probably do something like this again… Why wouldn’t she?

I wish this little guy, Tommy, the best and I am glad he has recovered. I hope he has found a good home permanently!

Child, 5, Recovering After Pit-Bull Attack

Posted: 10:21 pm EDT June 8, 2010Updated: 2:32 pm EDT June 9, 2010

PITTSBURGH -- A 5-year-old girl has undergone facial surgery after being bitten by a pit bull in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood.

Police and animal control officers are investigating the attack that happened Tuesday night.

Kallie Schaffer's grandfather, Steve Schaffer, said the girl needed 600 micro-stitches to reconstruct her lip.

"She is getting plastic surgery. They are going to repair her bottom lip," Schaffer said.

Schaffer said they were visiting the roommate of the dog's owner when the attack happened. He said he let the dog back into the house as they were getting ready to leave and it lunged at the girl.

He said he doesn't know when the girl will be released from the hospital.

"I am dumbfounded. It is my granddaughter. I feel terrible. I feel terrible, like it’s all my fault," Schaffer said.

The dog owner was not home when the attack happened.

Animal Control officials said they plan on issuing citations to the dog's owner.

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This was a preventable attack as well. I never trust anyone else with my dog… I know how to handle Kangol and not to put him in situations that would make him feel uncomfortable. The roommate should have waited until the family left before he let the dog back in. I don’t know that dog’s history, but from reading this story, I feel that the roommate should be cited.