Story of My Pet: Tales of Animal Rescue, Fostering & Adoption

From Rink to Rescue: How the Chicago Wolves Score Big for Rescue Dogs

• Julie Marty-Pearson, Jason Shaver • Season 4 • Episode 5

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Are you ready for a heartwarming tale that combines the thrill of hockey with the joy of pet adoption? In this episode, Julie sits down with Jason Shaver, the play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Wolves Hockey Team, to discuss their incredible Adopt-A-Dog Program.

A Unique Blend of Sports and Animal Welfare

Jason shares how the Chicago Wolves have been championing dog adoption for decades, resulting in 1,885 dogs finding forever homes so far. We explore their partnership with local rescues and their strategy for hosting their Adopt-A-Dog Program at games. Their trusted rescue partners are Border Tails Rescue in Northbrook, Illinois and Wright-Way Rescue in Morton Grove, Illinois.

Key Takeaways:

  • Learn about the Chicago Wolves' successful dog adoption program
  • Understand how sports teams can make a difference in animal welfare
  • Gain insights into the adoption process at these unique events
  • Discover the impact of giving shelter dogs a second chance

This episode is a must-listen for animal lovers, hockey fans, and anyone interested in innovative approaches to pet adoption. You'll come away inspired by how a professional sports team is making a real difference in the lives of dogs and their new families.

Learn more about their rescue partners, Border Tails Rescue visit their Website and Follow on Instagram, and Wright-Way Rescue visit their Website and Follow on Instagram.

Jason Shaver has served as the voice of the Wolves since being named the team’s play-by-play announcer in August 2008. Shaver has been a huge advocate in the community, adopting many dogs over the years from the Wolves' Adopt-A-Dog program.

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SPEAKER_00:

Hello, my friends and fellow animal lovers. Welcome to a new episode of the Story of My Pet Podcast. I am your host, Julie Marty Pearson, as always, and I am happy to welcome a new guest to the podcast today. Jason, welcome to the story of my pet.

SPEAKER_01:

Julie, good to be talking to you, and we all love our pets.

SPEAKER_00:

So Jason is the first person related to a professional sports team to be on the podcast. I always love a good first. Jason is the play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Wolves hockey team. And I was reached out to by the team because a big part of what they do in their community is promote dog adoption. And they host adoption events at some of their games, which I love.

SPEAKER_01:

That's an initiative that Don Levin, our owner, started many years ago, and it's been a huge success and kind of one of the staples, not only winning on the ice, but the amount of dogs that we've adopted throughout the seasons.

SPEAKER_00:

I love that because we can have events, but that doesn't mean there's always adoption. So it's always great to hear about successful events that are ongoing, especially.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. There's so many people that are attending a hockey game and they didn't realize there was going to be dogs there, and they end up going home with a little bit of dog food and a whole lot of love and rest.

SPEAKER_00:

Before we get into all of that and your role with the team, as well as what they're doing to help a dog in the Chicago area, let's let everybody listening learn a little bit more about you. So have you always had pets? Did you grow up with animals in your family?

SPEAKER_01:

Not a lot of pets. I was an only child. We had a cat that when I was real young that adopted us for a short period of time. It was an outdoor cat for the most part and ended up that we lived in a pretty rural area. And I think the cat moved on to other things. So we had that for a short period of time, and then in junior high, we did have a cat.

SPEAKER_00:

So when did you as an adult adopt your first pet or maybe get your first real connection with an animal?

SPEAKER_01:

I had the cat growing up, and that survived through college and then passed away once I was well out of the house. And then I did not have a pet until I met my now wife who had her own. I always joke that she kind of had a petting zoo. She had a couple cats, she had a couple dogs, her roommate had a dog, and then when we first started dating, in order to not seem like she had a lot of pets, she hid a rabbit that she also had as a pet that, you know, six months into dating was introduced.

SPEAKER_00:

You're like, hey, wait, I don't remember that one.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So I found a spouse and then found a lot of animals.

SPEAKER_00:

Love that. Always love it when, you know, a couple or a family brings pets together for others. I would say I'm very lucky to have a husband who loves the animals. I can go off and travel and do things, and he's always here holding down the fur family fort for us.

SPEAKER_01:

It absolutely is. We both travel for work, so it's uh passing the baton sometimes.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that makes sense. Your role as the announcer uh for the Chicago Wolves. Do you travel with the team? How does that work?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, we do travel. I'm the broadcaster, so we broadcast all the home and away games. So last year I was in Near Neck of the Woods in Bakersfield. Tomorrow we're leaving for Des Moines, Iowa to open up our season against the Iowa wild, and we get to go to some nice places like San Diego and Tom Springs.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm sure for you and Chicago, those are nice little vacations during the hockey season.

SPEAKER_01:

And then we go to places like Winnipeg, Canada in the middle of winter where it's not beautiful out.

SPEAKER_00:

That's funny. When I think of hockey, I think of a winter sport, but obviously it's played all over because it's inside. And so that makes sense that your role kind of moves with the team and you get to kind of go along with the journey every season.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and it's fun to see different communities and you know try out different restaurants that are staples that we play every year, and then there's some kind of a rotation of new cities or cities that we haven't been to in several years. So it's always nice to go back. I think even like last year, it was the first time we were in Bakersfield in five years. So it's kind of fun to see what's changed and what's the same.

SPEAKER_00:

So, how long have you been with the team?

SPEAKER_01:

This is my 18th season. I was with the team in Houston, Texas, prior to that, and a couple other stints as I was working my way through the minor league hockey system before getting to Chicago.

SPEAKER_00:

Wow, that's amazing. I love that. I always love when you can tell people really love what they do and they've been doing it for a long time. So you've been through a lot of evolutions of the team for sure.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and then our pets have gotten to live in a wide variety of cities because when you're first beginning this business, you tend to move around a lot for better opportunities.

SPEAKER_00:

So, at what point during your career with the Chicago Wolves has the dog adoption events always been happening? What's been your role with that part of the organization?

SPEAKER_01:

It was something that was already in place by the time that I got to the organization. This is the 32nd season for the Chicago Wolves. And boy, I probably should know this. Yeah, I might get a little slap on the wrist for I I don't know what season it began, but it definitely was well entrenched before I got there 18 years ago. In fact, they've adopted 1,885 dogs throughout the seasons heading into this year. I think we will probably surpass 2,000 dogs by year's end, which is pretty incredible.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that deserves a moment of congratulations. That's huge because you know, you can have adoption events. That doesn't mean animals get adopted and that they're successful. I'm sure over those 18 years you've been with them, you've seen some changes with respect to the events. I think there's even more of a need for adoption events and education in our country and different locations now. And it sounds like really what um the team is doing is really making an impact in your local community.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and there's several people like myself that uh either work for the team or are longtime fans that have, you know, when a dog passes, you replace them with another adopted dog. So there's several of us that are on our third and fourth adoption. So it's kind of neat to see. And then, you know. As you know, being an animal lover, it's just so important to try and take some of those dogs that haven't had the easiest life so far and provide a little bit more stability for them. And that's the most rewarding thing is just seeing the evolution of a dog that you have for the first three days, three weeks, then three months, and how much their personality changes and as they become more and more comfortable with the new environment.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. And I so appreciate you mentioned the 333 rule that some people probably have heard of. We talk about it with rescues and shelters that, you know, just like you, if you were pulled from your home and put somewhere new the next day and have no way of communicating or why it's happening, it would be hard. If that happened to us as people, we would be upset and anxious and all these things. And it's important for people to realize that any animal, dog or cat or otherwise, needs time to adjust. No matter how wonderful the family is and where they get to live now, they've been through something that ended them up in a shelter or a rescue. And so you have to give them that time to get to know you and get comfortable and get to know your schedule, and then they become a part of the family.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. You're not quite sure what you're getting until the three-month time, and then you're oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. I could I agree. And I volunteered and worked in my own local shelters, and the dogs you see in a kennel in a shelter in a loud, overcrowded kennel, versus when we would take them out to an adoption event in our community and they'd get to walk around and play. And it was just sometimes night and day from what you saw one to the other. And I so it sounds like a lot of what you guys are doing with your adoption events at the games, the dogs get to come to the games and people get to see them in this different environment versus seeing them inside a shelter or a rescue.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's we work this season with two separate rescues that we'll each bring out, you know, a couple, a dozen to maybe two dozen dogs to have available. And it's just good. Obviously, some dogs need to be separated because they're single family homes. And then, you know, those who already have a pet, they can see the interaction with the other dogs at the game, too, that are they seems to be very socially adjusted. So bringing a dog home unannounced to the other pets that are already in the facility. And I think the shelters and rescues do such a good job now, too, because the last thing you want is a revolving door of dogs coming back to you. Hey, identifying, you know, these are the characteristics of this dog. This dog's good with small children, this one maybe not so much, or it's going to be good with cats, or it has lived in the past. You know, and some of those details are hard to get depending on where those dogs were picked up and brought into the shelter or rescue.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that is so important. We don't always know where the dog or cat has come from, what their history is, but it is great to have offsite events like this where they can bring their current dog and see how they react to each other initially, because there's a lot of that you don't know until they're in the situation. And we don't always know the backstory or what they've been through. And I think sometimes people are stereotypes about certain breeds, but not every dog is exactly the same. They all have their quirks and their personality, and that's why we love them. But it's so great to have somewhere like the games that they get to come and meet different dogs and get to know them a little bit before they adopt them.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, absolutely. And that I mean, you want success stories, right? So that's the most important thing is as much as possible to let you know what you're getting yourself into with this pet. And a lot of the pets, uh as you know, working and volunteering in shelters yourself, that they're under nourished. All three of the dogs that we have adopted have had significant weight gain over time, too. So that's also important, is just to get them healthy.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. So tell us about your current dogs. It sounds like you've adopted them from either one of the events or organizations. What are they like right now in your family?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so we've got two. We've got Gary. We adopted him over 10 seasons ago now, and we were told that he was two-ish when we got him, so that puts him 12, 13. He was a pit mix, and unfortunately for him, he was most likely a bait dog, but he has been just the most loving, wonderful dog that we've ever uh had. He's getting a little longer in the tooth right now, so he's having a little bit of health issues. And my wife just today said, I think he's the best dog we've ever had. You know, you can't always judge a book by its cover, and you know, our rescues have always been either pit bulls or shepherds, just because we don't have any kids, we live by ourselves. So just giving those dogs that sometimes are not as highly desirable as the little dogs or labs or retrievers that are very easy to adopt. So we've kind of taken it on. And I can tell you, all three dogs that we uh have adopted have been, you know, very social and very good, loving dogs. Some have taken a little bit longer to adjust than others, but that's the good thing about dogs. They're pack animals at the end of the day, enough time together. Then our other dog is we replaced our first adopted dog when she passed about six months later, and his name was John Wayne when we adopted him. So there's no way that we are changing the name John Wayne. So my wife was quick to get a John Wayne, the Duke, collar for him, and he's got a lot of energy, which was fine when Gary, our other dog was a little older, but now we're trying to do a little bit more walks and jogs with him just to because Gary's slowing down and John still has some energy he'd like to expel every day. But he is the most loving dog that we've had. He loves giving kisses and wants to be sleeping with someone. He's got to have a body part touching someone in bed. They're both great pups.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh, I love that. And I love what you said about the breeds. You know, I've met many a pity, and they are the sweetest, most lovable, loyal animals. They get such a bad rap and they have such a hard time getting adopted when people see them. I mean, we have a huge proportion of pit bulls, German shepherds, and huskies in our shelters and rescues. So it makes sense, and it's great that you guys have a family and an environment where you can adopt them and give them a second chance. And it sounds like they've had wonderful lives, and that you guys really adjust your schedule and what their needs are because you know, just like anything, as we get older, we slow down, but the younger animals still need that energy put out, and the older animals don't want it taken out on them.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. I'm glad that the wrestling matches are over because it got a little loud at times. They were not afraid to speak their mind, but in a very loving way, but loud.

SPEAKER_00:

One of the things I've done it, I get to be an auntie to both human and fur kids. And I have friends with dogs that I've dog set, and there's always this time, no matter what, that they would just start going berserk and circles and just running around. It was like chaos, and you're like, okay, now what?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And so much for shelter dogs and rescue dogs, a lot of times they have that energy and they're stuck in crates or in kennels and all of this, and they can't get it out. So I'm sure when you guys have adopted, there's maybe a little more energy at first before they get used to the schedule and the new environment.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and I think the one good thing is we've always had one dog when you're bringing a second dog home. So that kind of helps with the lay of the land of ooh, hey, I wouldn't be scratching that door or this house, we don't chew on shoes.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, yeah, it's always good to have the older first sibling to show them the ropes. But I also think hearing about you having dogs at different ages, sometimes those older dogs need a younger dog to keep them young and keep them active, too.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, no, I mean, we went probably six months between having two dogs to one dog, and then you're like, oh man, our dog's really slowing down, and then you bring another dog home, and it's oh, he was maybe either a little depressed or just bored. And he gets second lease in life, like he gets his energy back.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I love seeing how dogs and cats and new family structures get used to each other. I think that's something when people are going to shelters, thinking it about adopting or adding a second dog to their family, those are things to think about. But sometimes it's actually gonna be even better, you know. Once they get used to each other, they can create bonds that you never expected.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, absolutely. They all seem to get along really good. There's definitely a pecking order. The senior dog always seems to be the boss. And in both situations, I think the younger dog could probably take the older dog if it came to that, but they seem to have a respect.

SPEAKER_00:

So I know that the adopt a dog program that the wolves has. Was it one game every month that these adoption events happen? And what does that look like? If someone's listening and they want to come to one of the games that has this event, what does that look like for them?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so once a month, you were absolutely dead on with that on October 18th as our home opener, and that will be the first adopt a dog of the night. And there's some strategy to it. We have adopted dogs once a month on a Saturday night, and it's the games that historically have been high-attended games because you want the most amount of people there as well. And if you're looking on the Wolves website, you can see already what those games will be. But oftentimes there's a lot of people just showing up to the game and didn't realize it was Adopt a Dog Night, and you'd be surprised at the number of people that had no idea that they were going to bring home a dog that night, end up falling in love with one of the dogs in the concourse. So they'll be there, doors open at six o'clock. The game starts at seven, and so you'll have a full hour to look at the dogs that are available. And a lot of them will get adopted uh before the game even starts. And then during the period intermissions, they'll bring dogs onto the ice. And yes, some dogs have used the ice to relieve themselves, which is always a good roar from the crowd when you have a nice audience in attendance, and then you just kind of push through, and then after the game, there'll be those people that are on the fence that are getting those last pets in. Do we want to do it? It happens quite frequently that people will not adopt a dog that night, but they'll go back to that shelter a day later or a week later, and just you know how dogs are, they leave an impression on you. You just can't sleep until you bring that pet home.

SPEAKER_00:

True. I saw that happen myself when I was at you could tell they're like, I don't know, we're thinking about it. We love them. Sometimes we I would be at an event and a couple hours later they'd come back and they're like, we cut something in about it, we got to take it with us now. It's always great when people feel that instant connection or something makes them want to come back. But it sounds like you guys really set these up for the best possible situation, time before the game for people to meet the animals. I I could just like picture in my head the dogs walking out on the ice in the middle of the game. That it sounds like it's also just a lot of fun to get to see the dogs participate in the activities too.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, absolutely. And you know, our two rescues that we're working with this year, Border Tales Rescue and White Right Way Rescue, they're not pushy. So they're not trying to get rid of dogs that night. They ideally, but you know, they want to place as many as they can, but they certainly aren't pushy. So I think that helps. It's not like a hard sell situation.

SPEAKER_00:

And I think what some people don't realize is when there are off-site events, they're coming out of the rescue organization or shelter, it's actually great for the dogs. They get a break from the stressful environment and being kept in the kennel so much of the day that it's just fun for them to get out and interact with people. And it also helps the rescue see how they interact with people, learn a little more about their personality so that even if they're not adopted that night, they have more info to be able to get them into a good home later.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. We did a calendar giveaway last year, too, where all the players were with different uh dogs. So helping them try to get to adopted was fun too. Oh, I saw Ryan Suzuki with this dog, and I want to adopt this dog now. You know, there's there's some other tie-ins that have led to success, maybe not even at a game.

SPEAKER_00:

I love that. So I'm sure there are some. I mean, you've mentioned you've adopted other staff and people in the organization. Maybe some of the players end up being the ones that fall in love with the dogs that are at the game that night.

SPEAKER_01:

Yep. Yeah, there's definitely been plenty of players that have adopted dogs and staff members. And, you know, Don, our Levin, our owner, is such an animal lover and has invested so much money with the city of Chicago to help with the spading and neutering and making sure his shops are up to date. He bought a special vehicle that goes around the city to do free vaccinations and that kind of stuff. So it he's not shy of, hey, you know, if you adopt one of these dogs, maybe there's an extra vacation day in there for you, you know?

SPEAKER_00:

Hey, anyway, we get it to happen. That's how we all work together. I love that. I love that you said that too, because not only are you as an organization hosting these events, helping the rescues find home, but you're also giving them access, it sounds like, to, you know, getting vaccines, getting spay neuter, which sometimes is the reason people don't adopt because they can't afford to worry about all of that. But if that's covered by either the rescue or community organizations, that makes a big difference in people being able to say yes to a new animal in their family.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I believe the adoption costs like$65. Uh, speaking from memory of that, but yeah, all the dogs are spated and neutered. At least the last time that I adopted a dog, they had a free clinic to go in there and get a physical like a week later to make sure everything was good. So there's some nice perks when you're adopting through a wolves game, too, that lead to a little peace of mind.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. And I think that is important. I think sometimes people see what's gonna cost all these things or these all these things that are involved in adopting a pet. But a lot of times, like you said, whether it's the wolves team themselves or the rescues are offering these other support services so that you do have that all covered and you get to just enjoy having a new pet. And I always say, you know, who rescued Hugh, who we always get sometimes more from them than they get from us.

SPEAKER_01:

100%.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, every animal's amazing, in my view. But rescue animals are just something different, you know. They know they're being given a second chance, or and we don't know where they're coming from or how they ended up where they are, but when they come into our life, we get to just change their world. I always say that rescue, adopting it doesn't change the world, but it changed the whole world for that one animal that you're saving. And that's what we're all about. So I really love everything that your organization is doing to help animals in this Chicago community. And I really appreciate you coming here and sharing this with our listeners.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, two of my favorite passions, hockey and uh dogs. So it's a good one-two punch for me.

SPEAKER_00:

It's a win-win. Yes. Everyone listening, all this information we've been talking about, the Wolves website, as well as the websites for the two rescue organizations they are working with this season, which is Border Tales Rescue and Right Way Rescue, will all be in the show notes so that you can learn more. You can follow them. Even if you're not in the Chicago area, you can follow these amazing organizations on social media and help share and repost their things to help find more homes for the animals in their care.

SPEAKER_01:

I was just gonna say one of the things, too, some communities suffer natural disasters or whatever. So a lot of the dogs too will come from other areas that the rescues reach out to try and help the underserved areas, you know, during a flood or a fire or something like that. So those dogs sometimes have traveled a long way to get to Illinois. So if you're watching in California, it might be a California dog that actually is going back the other way.

SPEAKER_00:

That is so true. Where I live in California is only a few hours away for where the horrific Palisades fires and the Al Tadita fires were earlier this year. And our county and other areas and other states took on a lot of animals that were displaced from those. So thank you for mentioning that because even if you're in a certain area that isn't overpopulated or doesn't have more of a need, oftentimes we're transporting animals from areas like mine that are so overcrowded. That's what it's about. No matter how it happens or where they get to, it's about getting these animals the loving homes that they deserve.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, certainly.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you so much, Jason, for being here and spending a little time with me and my podcast listeners. I really appreciate everything that you and the Chicago Wolves are doing to help the animals in your community and those that come from other communities. And anyone listening, make sure you go to a game. It sounds like they are super fun. And make sure those games are one of the adopt a dog nights because even if you can't adopt, you can take photos and help share and help find homes for dogs who really need it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. Julie, it was great talking with you. And thank you so much for not only shedding a light on the wolves and what they're doing, but to just uh adoption and pets in general. That's a great topic for a podcast, and I'm glad that you're facilitating that for everyone.

SPEAKER_00:

I appreciate that. It's definitely my passion. And I always say if one animal gets saved by someone listening to this, then I've done what I set out to do. I appreciate you being here. If you haven't done so already, make sure to check out our brand new YouTube channel, Story of My Pet Podcast. Again, hit the subscribe button. Give us some likes and comments on our videos, and that will help the podcast grow on its new home on YouTube. Thank you so much for being here, and much love to you and your pet.

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