Excerpts from dnainfo.com:
One of Chicago’s most famous dogs, Freckles, is on the mend after West Loop neighbors — and strangers — came to his rescue earlier this year.
After tearing his left ACL during a squirrel chase this summer, Freckles the firehouse dog needed surgery.
Often called the “ambassador of the West Loop,” Freckles is loved by many, but doesn’t have an official owner. He lives at Engine 103’s firehouse in the West Loop and neighbors Karen Pollack and Michelle Langlois, who live across the street from the firehouse, help care for him.
To raise funds for his surgery, Pollack and Langlois launched a GoFundMe campaign. Within days, neighbors had raised nearly $4,000 to help the 12-year-old Dalmatian-Pitbull mix.
Veterinarians Joanna Krol and Jason Long at the Animal Care Center of Chicago in the West Loop performed Freckles’ surgery to repair the injury. Soon after, vets at Veterinary Specialty Center in Buffalo Grove offered to provide rehab services to Freckles free of charge, Pollack said.
Freckles is completing underwater treadmill and laser therapy to treat pain and inflammation, confirmed Dr. Lindsay Seilheimer, a vet at the suburban center.
A West Loop celebrity, Freckles has posed for pictures with the cast of “Chicago Fire” and earned many fans over the years. He also has his own website, a Twitter handle and Facebook fan page.
Pollack said Pouch, the resident firehouse dog on “Chicago Fire,” was even modeled after Freckles.
thanks Dan
