There were bargains to be had in Chicago Ridge at the recent Fur-Fall-Palooza. For one thing, Chihuahua kisses were available for only 5 cents.

The friendly puppies, Toffee and Butterscotch, were just two of the many dogs showcased at Animal Welfare League’s third annual celebration of pets, out interacting with the hope that people would adopt them, or at least decide to donate food or money to help with their upkeep.

“They’re little babies,” Bri Kowalczyk, a kennel attendant at the shelter, told one adoring couple who asked about the 3-month-old Chihuahuas.

The event offered lots of pet-centered family fun and included games for kids, a raffle, crafts and vendors, a bake sale and a rummage sale. There was also a costume contest, doggie fashion show of AWL canines up-for-adoption and a “pet reader,” who used tarot cards to purportedly help people understand their pets. Visitors could bring their own dogs and cats to the event, too.

The fashion show was a big hit, showing off adoptable dogs in Halloween costumes. Shelter handlers gave the shy dogs pep talks and affection as they traversed the stage, as well as a helping hand to a few with physical challenges.

Pam Ralson, who lives in Midlothian, brought her rat terrier rescue, Rocky, with her as she strolled around the event. She’s a client of the shelter’s clinic, where she brings dogs for vaccines.

“I do like to drop (dog) food off from time to time,” said Ralson, who was also accompanied by her sister and her kids. “I thought, let’s have a nice little fund outing because they have a lot of stuff for the kids.”

Many others brought pet items to donate as well, including some of the vendors who gave their proceeds to the shelter. Sales from Animal Welfare League booths also went directly to the care for animals there.

“Unfortunately, there’s such an overpopulation of pets right now, there are more animals than homes,” said Chris Higens, president of AWL. “We get a number of special needs pets.

“We do our best to rehabilitate them and put a lot of resources into the ones who need it,” she said.

Bri Kowaczyk, a kennel attendant at Animal Welfare League, accepts donations for “kisses” from Chihuahua puppies Butterscotch, left, and Toffee during the Fur-Fall-Palooza event Sunday in Chicago Ridge. (Janice Neumann/Daily Southtown)

Higens praised the shelter’s veterinarian, Dr. Leo Paul, for being a big help in healing those pets.

“The animals he pulls through … a lot of people don’t want,” she said.

Because the shelter is “open-admission,” unlike some smaller and no-kill ones, they are often bursting at the seams with animals.

“We don’t get to pick and choose which animals come to us,” Higens said. “A lot of people compare it to Chicago Animal Care and Control because of all the animals we have.”

To help alleviate that large population, Higens said the annual festival helps spread the word that “shelter animals are a good option.”

Maryann Nedorost, who lives in Oak Lawn, who was manning her booth of knick-knacks and home items, has been volunteering at AWL for years and adopted her west highland terrier, Oliver, and shih tzu, Sushi from the shelter. She used to help out with shelter laundry and in the kitchen before the COVID-19 pandemic and plans to donate the proceeds from her sales there.

“They’re not funded by anybody else and everything donated goes directly to the animals,” Nedorost said. “Nobody is getting rich off of this. They’re just trying to feed and adopt out as many animals as possible.”

A dog fashion show was among the highlights of the Animal Welfare League’s Fur-Fall-Palooza event Sunday in Chicago Ridge. (Janice Neumann/Daily Southtown)

At the Pawsitive Spirit booth, Kathy Bright, who also offers pet loss grief support, talked to a couple holding their dog about what might be driving the pet’s insecurity.

“She still needs reassurance,” Bright told the couple.

Many AWL employees and volunteers were at the event, some with their own pets, like Denise Colello, surgical supervisor at the shelter clinic.

Colello was there to answer questions about vaccines and heartworm, and brought her own dog adopted from AWL, eight-year-old Champ.

“He came from Dolton torn up by other dogs,” she said. “We brought him into surgery, sutured him back up and found he had lupus and high anxiety.”

So Colello had him certified as a support dog, who accompanies her to work every day.

“He’s never away from my side,” Colello said.

Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/13/fur-fall-palooza-animal-welfare-league/