About Gerald

Gerald was a very good boy who made his way to Chicago, Illinois, in 2022 after making some new friends at Shelby Humane in Shelby, Alabama.

For Gerald, being a “very good boy” included only one nearly successful escape attempt during his journey north—a feat memorable enough to earn a place in the stories told by his new friends at PAWS Chicago. A spicy nugget, for sure.

When Gerald arrived in Chicago, he weighed 11 pounds and 9 ounces. At 8 years old, he had been diagnosed with heartworm disease, a bladder infection, and severe dental disease. His arrival introduced him to an entire team of heroic veterinary professionals and compassionate volunteers who were determined to help him recover, heal, and enjoy the long, healthy life he deserved.

Part of that journey included a very brave and kind couple from Oak Park, Illinois, who opened their home to Gerald for short-term respite fostering while he recovered from surgery related to severe heartworm disease. As he healed, waited to become strong enough for dental treatment, and slowly gained the confidence to express his opinions about nearly everything, they surrounded him with love while supporting his ongoing recovery.

Gerald returned to PAWS Chicago, where he continued his recovery and awaited a new foster placement to support him through the remainder of his medical treatment. Heartworm treatment requires carefully scheduled medication and recovery periods spaced over several months, meaning Gerald could not yet be officially adopted. Instead, he remained in PAWS Chicago’s “Help Me Heal” foster-to-adopt program.

Back at PAWS, Gerald’s official medical instructions were simple: stay calm.

Anyone who came to know Gerald will understand that this was a challenging assignment.

I never learned exactly how long he waited there before our paths crossed, but we first met on a beautiful Saturday morning—July 2, 2022.

As I walked past the glass-front kennel that served as his temporary home, I saw him emerge from a bundle of blankets and trot toward the door with curious eyes. He looked back at me as if deciding whether I was worth investigating further.

A few volunteers and I gathered in a large meeting room, and that’s where I finally met the one and only Gerald.

After taking a moment to pause and mark some signage, Gerald began making his rounds, accepting treats and evaluating the humans in attendance. Before long, paperwork was signed, introductions were complete, and I became the foster mom of the sweetest spicy nugget I had ever met.

Gerald gave me his first kiss on the ride home.

Then another.

And another.

By the time we arrived, I had received at least thirty.

Once home, he curled up against my arm on the couch as though he had always belonged there. From that day forward, he became my shadow.

Although Gerald was still recovering, keeping him calm was often a taller order than anyone would expect from a sick dog. Nevertheless, after two months and ten days, he completed heartworm treatment and reached full medical clearance for adoption. This included being healthy enough to safely undergo sedation for his neuter and a full dental procedure, during which his remaining teeth were removed.

On September 11, 2022, Gerald’s adoption became official—the first available date for finalization—a reminder that moments of joy can still arrive even on days forever marked by tragedy.