Meet Abby Smith of Felines & Canines in Edgewater

Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Smith.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
After September 11th, my life had to have meaning. I joined the then Felines Inc. 15 years ago as an animal lover and adoptions counselor and quickly realized there was an opportunity to make the sanctuary an adoption center. After becoming one of the premier cat adoption facilities in Chicago and pioneering an FIV+ Cat integration program, I realized there was a lot more we could do out of our space if we remodeled. In 2012, we became Felines & Canines and renovated our 2-story house into a 6,000 sq. foot cat and dog facility. We paid cash for the $1,000,000 rebuild and remain a debt-free organization! We do almost 1,000 adoptions per year and our dogs stay an average of 3 days and our new cats stay an average of 15 days! We are now embarking on a project in northern Alabama that will enable us to save 3,000 animals per year!

Has it been a smooth road?
Fundraising is always a struggle, but our supporters are amazing and share our progressive attitude towards animals in need. There were also people who were upset when we added dogs to our mission, but in spite of a few naysayers, our dog program has soared and is continuously growing, and our cat program is stronger than ever.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Felines & Canines story. Tell us more about the business.
We are the shelter in Chicago best known for our customer service. The saying of “It’s easier to adopt a baby than shelter animal” is said often and we go above and beyond to take care of our animals and adopters both. People always tell us that we are the shelter that’s not sad and that we are incredibly clean and don’t smell like there are animals here. I am also a “Personal Shopper” for clients looking for a specific dog. We have placed a lot of animals to be emotional support pups and it’s incredibly gratifying to get updates from the families! We are also known for our ‘Booya” Adoption photos!

I am most proud of our FIV cat program. It is because of our findings that shelters across the country have stopped euthanizing them and now see them as healthy and adoptable animals.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Hopefully, with spay/neuter clinics and education, we will see a significant change in companion animals being euthanized.

We have developed a concept of Rescue Centers that could help revolutionize the way the animal welfare world operates. We are building the Felines & Canines Rescue Center in Alabama that will take animals from traditional shelters, have them stay at the center and receive vetting and emotional support and prepare them for transport to the Midwest where there are adoptive families waiting for them. This will have a tremendous impact on the animals that are sitting in shelters at risk of euthanasia. Hopefully, this program will be replicated throughout the country and save thousands of lives per year.

Contact Info:

• Address: Felines & Canines
  6379 N. Paulina St.
  Chicago, IL 60660
• Website: www.FelinesCanines.org
• Phone: 773-465-4132
• Email: Abby@Felinescanines.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FelinesAndCanines/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/felines-and-canines-chicago

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