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This Rescue Helped A Homeless Man Reunite With His Dog After Her Life-Saving Surgery
A happy dog reunited with her homeless owner after life-saving surgery, standing on a stone pavement at night.
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This Rescue Helped A Homeless Man Reunite With His Dog After Her Life-Saving Surgery

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In a powerful example of what rescue can and should look like, Famous Fido Rescue has successfully reunited a young dog named Frieda with her guardian after coordinating life-saving medical care, temporary housing, and long-term support for the family.

Frieda, just 14 months old, was suffering from a painful prolapsed vagina, an issue that had previously required surgery – which unfortunately failed. Her guardian, who became homeless after refusing to surrender her, could not afford a second procedure. Despite living on the streets, he remained fiercely devoted to her wellbeing.

Rather than treating this situation with the traditional shelter intake and separation model, Famous Fido Rescue saw another way forward. With the help of volunteer Brian, who first met the pair on his walk home, the rescue stepped in, not to separate them, but to support them both.

Donations from the community allowed Frieda to undergo two surgeries, with the second finally successful. While she healed, she was boarded between the rescue and Brian’s home, and her guardian remained involved every day, feeding her, walking her, and tending to her care. During that time, Brian helped craft a resume and job search plan for Frieda’s guardian, who now has both housing and steady work.

“Frieda’s guardian told us this support helped him get back on his feet, and become a better dad to her,” said a representative from Famous Fido Rescue. “That’s the kind of rescue work we believe in. It’s not just about saving animals, it’s about preserving families, however they’re made.”

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Famous Fido Rescue is challenging the way the world sees animal rescue. Rather than defaulting to separation, they are building systems of support, empowering people to keep the animals they love and creating a more compassionate future for both.

To support more families like Frieda’s and help redefine rescue, donations can be made at famousfidorescue.org.

RELATED:

    Frieda with her guardian on the streets

    Frieda’s vaginal prolapse

    Reuinted: Her guardian secured an apartment, and work, and Frieda healed from surgery

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    Gloria Lissner

    Gloria Lissner

    Author, Community member

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    Gloria Lissner is the passionate Founder and Executive Director of Famous Fido Rescue and Adoption Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Chicago. With over five decades of dedication to animal welfare, Gloria has been rescuing homeless dogs and cats since 1975 - long before “rescue” was a household term. Her journey began when, at just 18, she opened a grooming shop and later the renowned Famous Fido Doggie Deli. Witnessing boarded animals abandoned or left behind, Gloria felt compelled to act. By collaborating with Chicago shelters and founding Famous Fido Rescue, she created a place focused on animals deemed “unadoptable” from high‑kill shelters - especially seniors, special‐needs, or trauma‑affected animals. Under Gloria’s leadership, Famous Fido has grown into a state‑of‑the‑art, no‑kill sanctuary with a Learning Center, micro‑chipping and spay/neuter initiatives, and educational programs for adopters and the public. She instituted a comprehensive adoption process, including interviews and home checks, to ensure safe, lasting matches. Gloria believes that Chicago can become a model no‑kill city through united outreach, advocacy, and responsible guardianship. She devotes herself entirely to this mission, drawing on experience, compassion, and a bold vision, to rescue animals deserving of love, respect, and forever homes.

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    Gloria Lissner

    Gloria Lissner

    Author, Community member

    Gloria Lissner is the passionate Founder and Executive Director of Famous Fido Rescue and Adoption Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Chicago. With over five decades of dedication to animal welfare, Gloria has been rescuing homeless dogs and cats since 1975 - long before “rescue” was a household term. Her journey began when, at just 18, she opened a grooming shop and later the renowned Famous Fido Doggie Deli. Witnessing boarded animals abandoned or left behind, Gloria felt compelled to act. By collaborating with Chicago shelters and founding Famous Fido Rescue, she created a place focused on animals deemed “unadoptable” from high‑kill shelters - especially seniors, special‐needs, or trauma‑affected animals. Under Gloria’s leadership, Famous Fido has grown into a state‑of‑the‑art, no‑kill sanctuary with a Learning Center, micro‑chipping and spay/neuter initiatives, and educational programs for adopters and the public. She instituted a comprehensive adoption process, including interviews and home checks, to ensure safe, lasting matches. Gloria believes that Chicago can become a model no‑kill city through united outreach, advocacy, and responsible guardianship. She devotes herself entirely to this mission, drawing on experience, compassion, and a bold vision, to rescue animals deserving of love, respect, and forever homes.

    Gabriela Zagorska

    Gabriela Zagorska

    Moderator, BoredPanda staff

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    My name is Gabriela, and I’m a Community Manager at Bored Panda. In real life, it means that every day, together with my team, I ensure that all the posts submitted by our creative pandas display their work in the best possible way. I'm always on the lookout for new artists who would like to join our community and share their content with a wide audience. In addition to that, I keep my finger on the community pulse and supervise its activity, ensuring that any problems our members experience on our website are promptly resolved.Before joining the Bored Panda team, I worked as a freelancer, offering my creative services to people around the world—starting with graphic design, photography, and finally videos. Now, I pursue these activities only as a hobby, capturing moments with my cats and documenting new places I visit during my travels.

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    Gabriela Zagorska

    Gabriela Zagorska

    Moderator, BoredPanda staff

    My name is Gabriela, and I’m a Community Manager at Bored Panda. In real life, it means that every day, together with my team, I ensure that all the posts submitted by our creative pandas display their work in the best possible way. I'm always on the lookout for new artists who would like to join our community and share their content with a wide audience. In addition to that, I keep my finger on the community pulse and supervise its activity, ensuring that any problems our members experience on our website are promptly resolved.Before joining the Bored Panda team, I worked as a freelancer, offering my creative services to people around the world—starting with graphic design, photography, and finally videos. Now, I pursue these activities only as a hobby, capturing moments with my cats and documenting new places I visit during my travels.

    What do you think ?
    Annabelle
    Community Member
    5 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    All the upvotes, for that precious little face, its human, and the amazing organization. 🥰

    Annabelle
    Community Member
    5 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    All the upvotes, for that precious little face, its human, and the amazing organization. 🥰

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