At Animal Medical Center of Chicago, we believe that we have a social responsibility to have a positive impact in our community. Every year, the entire staff gives back to the community by donating several free surgeries to local non-for-profit animal shelters and rescue organizations in the annual “Have-A-Heart” project. These 100% free surgeries have allowed shelters with limited finances the opportunity to rescue pets that otherwise would have been euthanized due to their immediate expensive medical and surgical needs. Past procedures performed included extensive oral surgeries, ovarian hysterectomy, and abdominal mass removals. Past years recipients include Alive Rescue, Chicago Canine Rescue, New Leash on Life, and Red Door Animal Shelter. Please visit their websites to view their adorable, adoptable pets!
As experts in the field of veterinary medicine, we believe education is pivotal in helping to prevent disease and animal abuse. Dr. Donna Solomon and veterinary assistant Debbie Drake work with area shelters and local pet-related businesses to help prepare employees or volunteers for emergency situations through the Red Cross Pet Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training program. Several staff members donate their time volunteering to animal welfare organizations, such as Chicago Canine Rescue, New Leash on Life, PAWS Chicago, Safe Humane Chicago and Tree House Humane Society. Animal Medical Center of Chicago also collects new and gently used items, such as bedding, towels, crates, toys and food, and distributes them at least once monthly to community shelters in need.
We regularly provide a free “Day at the Vet” opportunity to local charities to auction for proceeds. This program provides local youth a chance to familiarize themselves with the veterinary profession by shadowing one of our veterinarians throughout their workday. Recipients are able to observe patient appointments, medical therapies, surgeries and dental procedures. This is a priceless opportunity for any child who is interested in becoming a veterinarian and at the same time generates funds for many charity groups.
The Giving Gift
In early 2014 we learned of Animal Medical Center of Chicago’s very own Dr. Tim England’s New Year’s resolution to make a donation to a different charity, every day for an entire year. So inspired by this amazing idea, we decided that we wanted to do this too, with a simple twist. In 2014, we donated dollars to a worthy charity each week. We tried to make it a mix of both animal and human causes. We posted the name of the organization and a little bit about them on our website blog, called “The Giving Gift”, with the hope that it would inspire our friends and clients to make an in-kind donation, as well.
Here is a summary of the 52 recipients of our weekly donations:
- Week One Donation: Alive Rescue
- Week Two Donation: Rain Dog Rescue
- Week Three Donation: One Tail at a Time
- Week Four Donation: The Night Ministry
- Week Five Donation: Kids In Danger (KID)
- Week Six Donation: Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry
- Week Seven Donation: Safe Humane Chicago
- Week Eight Donation: RTW Veteran Center
- Week Nine Donation: Back on My Feet Chicago
- Week Ten Donation: Community Pet Coalition
- Week Eleven Donation: Stewart Silverman’s Ride
- Week Twelve Donation: Tree House Humane Society
- Week Thirteen Donation: War Dogs Making It Home
- Week Fourteen Donation: American Cancer Society’s DetermiNation Team
- Week Fifteen Donation: The Anti-Cruelty Society
- Week Sixteen Donation: SPARK
- Week Seventeen Donation: ASPCA
- Week Eighteen Donation: Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness
- Week Nineteen Donation: PAWS Chicago
- Week Twenty Donation: LUNGevity Foundation
- Week Twenty-One Donation: Project Onward
- Week Twenty-Two Donation: The Honeycomb Project
- Week Twenty-Three Donation: World Vets
- Week Twenty-Four Donation: WITS
- Week Twenty-Five Donation: Lakeview Pantry
- Week Twenty-Six Donation: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- Week Twenty-Seven Donation: Red Door Animal Shelter
- Week Twenty-Eight Donation: Felines & Canines
- Week Twenty-Nine Donation: Chicago Canine Rescue
- Week Thirty Donation: Chicago Cat Rescue
- Week Thirty-One Donation: Free Geek Chicago
- Week Thirty-Two Donation: HOW
- Week Thirty-Three Donation: Plant Chicago
- Week Thirty-Four Donation: The Greater Chicago Food Depository
- Week Thirty-Five Donation: The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
- Week Thirty-Six Donation: Friends of Animal Care and Control
- Week Thirty-Seven Donation: Open Books
- Week Thirty-Eight Donation: New Leash on Life
- Week Thirty-Nine Donation: National Runaway Safeline
- Week Forty Donation: The Animal Welfare League
- Week Forty-One Donation: MOPS Pug Rescue
- Week Forty-Two Donation: Howard Brown Health Center
- Week Forty-Three Donation: Bundle of Joy
- Week Forty-Four Donation: Best Friends Animal Society
- Week Forty-Five Donation: Polished Pebbles
- Week Forty-Six Donation: Chicago Public Library Foundation
- Week Forty-Seven Donation: Cycle for Survival
- Week Forty-Eight Donation: Purple Purse
- Week Forty-Nine Donation: Bryan and Amanda Bickell Foundation
- Week Fifty Donation: The Puppy Mill Project
- Week Fifty-One Donation: Slow Food Chicago
- Week Fifty-Two Donation: Friendship Pet Food Pantry
