Author Archives: amaybanks

I can see why this gorgeous black German Shepherd is named Dahlia, as she is stunning; although let’s hope this girl’s life does not end in the same tragic way as her namesake! Dahlia is a 3-year-old who – along with 305-plus other animals – were confiscated/surrendered to the Illinois Department of Agriculture. TAPS agreedContinue reading “Doggie Date Day: Dahlia”

Archimedes (a/k/a Archie) is a 3-year-old, super cute Labrador/Retriever mix who is bubbling over with a mixture of sweet and fun! There is no background information on him as he was picked up as a stray – so the age is a guess – but he certainly acts younger than a 3-year-old. Since he actsContinue reading “Doggie Date Day Series: Archie”

RUFUS HAS BEEN ADOPTED By Linda Elward Rufus is a 2-½ year old, 46-pound male, hound mix who arrived at TAPS in June of this year from a shelter in Texas. In his kennel he is very barky and zooms in circles to try to get your attention – he still has lots of puppyContinue reading “Doggie Date Day Series: Rufus”

Tootsie Roll is a 2-½ year old, male, chocolate Labrador/Retriever mix who at first blush appears to be a little overweight; but upon second glance I believe he simply has a small head for his body. Tootsie Roll came from a home with multi-pets so being at the shelter does not seem to stress himContinue reading “Doggie Date Day Series: Tootsie Roll”

By Holly Crotty, TAPS Executive Director As the Director of TAPS, people often assume I have a house full of animals.  The first question most people ask me is, “how do you keep from taking them all home?”.  I am an animal lover, and some days it’s hard, but I am realistic about what IContinue reading “A Letter from our Director on Adopting Puppies versus Older Dogs”

Do you love coffee? Do you love TAPS and supporting the work we do? Then you’ll love our new partnership with Grounds and Hounds Coffee. TAPS recently joined their Grounds Crew initiative to pair coffee and dog lovers alike! How does it work? Through the partnership, TAPS receives a special discount code that will giveContinue reading “Now Partnering with Grounds & Hounds Coffee!”

There are numerous reasons to consider adopting a senior dog from a shelter. They don’t require nearly the amount of exercise as a young puppy and are perfectly content snuggling on the couch with their owners, binge watching the latest season of your favorite Netflix show. Many are beyond the “terrible-two’s” of pet ownership whereContinue reading “Senior Sunday”

By Linda Elward Lois Lane is a 5-½ year old, 44-pound, female, low-rider pit bull mix, who like many dogs that entered the shelter system, has no background information; although Lois was picked up as a stray (in Metropolis, hence her name) with another dog so we believe she is dog friendly. Lois came toContinue reading “Lois Lane’s Pool Party!”

While it’s still a little warm outside, fall is definitely in the air. The leaves on the trees are just so subtly starting to change color, the nights are cooler, and there is a crisp air to my morning walks with Daphne. This led me to think about one of the standards in fall recipesContinue reading “Top 3 Dog Treat Recipes with Pumpkin”

By: Linda Elward This weekend was aimed at those who needed the most decompression and although I have written about these two before, it is important to understand the need for long-term residents to decompress. The first dog to come home with me this weekend was Diesel and there is so much written about thisContinue reading “Decompression (aka “Spa”) Weekend”