Going the Extra Miles for Moe ... and ADOPT

Snoozing on the floor, Moe appears serene and relaxed. Soon enough, the mixed-breed's eyelids slowly creep open, revealing that he is not sleeping on the job. He is definitely watching over his family.

The Ruppert family of LaGrange Park adopted Moe in June. Before his adoption, Moe spent time in a shelter in Kentucky, had a terrible case of heartworm and was about to be euthanized. That was when he was rescued and taken to Animals Deserving of Proper Treatment (ADOPT), a no-kill shelter in Naperville.

Once at ADOPT, Moe received heartworm treatment and the care he needed to recover. All he lacked was a home, which the Rupperts soon provided.

"He is the textbook perfect dog," said Natalie Ruppert, 34, a mother of two girls.

As the adoption cliché goes: "Who adopted whom?" The family was so grateful to have Moe, Natalie Ruppert wanted to give back to ADOPT.

"I asked,  'What can I do to help?' But I work and freelance, and I'm training for the marathon," she said.

That's when she realized she could raise money for the shelter though her run on Oct. 10 in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Her goal is to raise at least $1,000 for the shelter.

"I felt like, for what we paid for Moe, we didn't give back as much as ADOPT gave us," she said.

The family's first venture into pet adoption wasn't so smooth.

Natalie, her husband Dean and their two girls Ella, 6, and Sadie, 4, moved to LaGrange Park a year ago. After the move, the family considered getting a dog. The family thought about fostering, but eventually found a shepherd-mix to adopt. After taking the dog home, the family realized this dog was not the right fit for them. After consulting with a dog trainer, the Rupperts knew they couldn't keep the dog.

Natalie said she felt terrible about the situation. But the family still believed having a dog was the right decision. Natalie didn't want to buy a dog at a pet store when she knew so many good dogs were in shelters waiting for a home.

As the family considered its next steps toward adoption, Ruppert contacted a former college roommate who works with ADOPT. That friend connected Ruppert with Laura Vivas, an adoption counselor. 

The search was on to find the right pup, but this time the search would take several months and lots of meetings with dogs.

The family would trek from LaGrange Park to Naperville to meet with the shelter's dogs, but none made the cut until Moe.

"Laura called and said, 'We have the best dog,' " Natalie Ruppert said.

At first, in the meeting room, Moe was tentative with the family. Once he was outside with the kids, it was clear a match had been made.

Matching a family with a dog is probably the most important part of bringing a dog into a family, said Vivas, 41, of Aurora.

"We take our time getting to know the dog and the people," said Vivas, who is a dog adoption counselor and an ADOPT board member. "Part of our mission is to place animals in a home for the rest of their lives."

The shelter wants to make sure people leave with the best pet that fits their lifestyle and family situation. With the Rupperts, finding a dog with a temperament that would be compatible with both children was the challenge, Vivas said.

The Rupperts knew exactly what they needed in a dog. Many families may have certain characteristics in mind but should keep an open mind and choose a pet based on what will fit with the family, Vivas said.

As Moe runs and plays in the Rupperts' yard, the girls have fun playing with him. Sadie said her favorite thing about Moe is that he helps clean up food messes and doesn't mind licking greasy hands. Moe's not a big fan of dog treats, but he doesn't mind a little bit of hot dog now and then.

Natalie Ruppert praises ADOPT for taking the time to make sure the matches it makes are good for the animal and the family. With her family complete, the very busy mom is dividing her time between her family, work, freelancing and marathon training. Her next goal is completing the marathon and donating the proceeds she raises to ADOPT.

This will be her first time running a marathon. She has completed half-marathons and is confident she can finish the upcoming marathon, though her time may not be the fastest. Her goal is to finish.

She would have run in the marathon anyway, but Moe is the inspiration she will take along for 26.1 miles.

"They (the girls) adore him. He is perfect, too, because they can climb on him and he doesn't care," she said. "He has really completed our family."

To donate and help Natalie Ruppert raise $1,000 for ADOPT in Naperville click here.