Ruff Draft Inc. Dog Rescue NFP

10/09/2026

BE THEIR MVP. FOSTER.

We have back-to-back transports scheduled for TODAY 10/9 and MONDAY 10/12, with another one right around the corner on October 22—and we’re looking for foster families to join our team!

Our expected Draft Picks include Corgi and Cavapoo puppies, along with adult Wire Terrier mixes, a Lab mix, Mini Poodles, Mini Schnauzers, and possibly more!

We’re easy to work with, believe in great communication, and provide ALL supplies and medical care—you just provide a safe place to land and a little love!

Ready to be someone’s home-field advantage? Apply to foster today! 🏡🐶

DISCLAIMER: The adorable Cavapoo pictured is a stock photo! We won’t have photos of our actual incoming puppies until they’re safely in our care. And as much as we genuinely enjoy chatting with the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the Village of Homewood, we promise this particular situation doesn’t require a phone call to either. It’s just a stock photo, folks.

09/22/2026

09/18/2026

HELP US GET OUR OUTDOOR RUNS BACK UP AND RUNNING!

In case you missed our last post… We moved into a building!!! We are calling it “The Dugout” and things are coming together! We are so close to the finish line and with your help we can get one step closer! Our next project is getting the outdoor runs reinstalled!

Here’s the thing…we tried to do this in our own but we know when to throw in the towel and recruit a professional. The runs were installed and amazing at one point, but they were taken down. We have gotten a good portion of them back up but the biggest struggle we are facing is stretching the chain link back between the posts.

We reached out to a couple different companies and at this point we need to raise $700 to have a professional fence company get them safely back up and ready for our dogs. Every donation gets us a little closer to giving our pups the outdoor space they deserve.

🏈 Goal: $700
🔗 Donate here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/help-is-get-our-outdoor-runs-back-up-and-running

Help us get the runs back up and running! 🐾

DOGS FIRST. ALWAYS.

Oh and we promise to post more of our amazing dogs and puppies soon!

The Dugout is coming together, and we have one more project we could really use our community’s help tackling.We need to raise $700 to have a professional…

09/15/2026

⚾️ RUFF DRAFT IS GETTING A HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE! ⚾️

Every great team needs a home field—and Ruff Draft is officially stepping up to the plate for a trial run at our new location!

We know our building has a long history. It has come a long way from its days as a veterinary office, and we are grateful for the opportunity to make it our home during this trial period.

The process of opening here has thrown us a few curveballs. We also recognize that members of this community—OUR community—have valid ideas, questions, and concerns about the building and the well-being of the dogs in our care.

Our response will always be the same:

DOGS FIRST. ALWAYS.

We are incredibly grateful for everyone who has helped us reach this point, including the Illinois Department of Agriculture; the Village of Homewood’s Building Department, Fire Department, and Economic & Community Development Department; and the property manager who stepped in and offered us this space precisely when our dogs needed it most.

This has been a detailed process involving paint, spackle, deep cleaning, signage compliance, multiple agencies completing inspections, countless behind-the-scenes improvements and even graffiti removal! After reviewing the reports made before our tenancy and then evaluating the property firsthand alongside the appropriate professionals, we were pleased to find that the building’s condition was not nearly as extensive as some earlier descriptions had suggested. The primary concerns were a needed HVAC repair and a small roof leak, both of which were addressed through the proper channels. We have approached every task with a smile, knowing each improvement brings us closer to giving our dogs the safe, comfortable home base they deserve.

We never wanted to rush this process. We wanted to do it right.

With that same mindset, we have decided to begin this next chapter on a trial basis—a preseason, if you will. This will allow us to make sure the location works logistically and can be sustained financially before committing to it as Ruff Draft’s permanent home.

Once we know this move is sustainable for the long term, we will proudly make that announcement. In the meantime, our board, staff, volunteers, and dogs are ready to take the field. We cannot wait to invite our community inside to become part of the mission.

Rescue is a team sport, and we would not be here without all of you.

On behalf of The Board and the entire Ruff Draft team, we would officially like to welcome you to…

⚾️🐾 THE DUGOUT 🐾⚾️

A new home field with the same promise:

DOGS FIRST. ALWAYS.

2207 W 183rd St
Homewood, IL 60430

09/11/2026

🧬🌵 THE RESULTS ARE IN — ARIZONA LITTER DNA REVEAL! 🌵🧬

Remember our Arizona litter?! Phoenix, Glendale, Chandler, Prescott, Gilbert, Sedona, Yuma, Tucson, Tempe and Scottsdale came to us as tiny little “pit mixes”… and as they started growing, we kept looking at them thinking, okay… but WHAT are you guys?! We seriously thought there was some lab in there and ALOT of people who met them did too!

Well, the DNA results are officially back, and apparently the answer is a little bit of everything!

🧬 34% American Staffordshire Terrier
🧬 23% American Pit Bull Terrier
🧬 14% Australian Cattle Dog
🧬 8% Basset Hound 👀😂
🧬 3% Boxer
🧬 + 9 other breeds at 3% or less!

So yes, the pittie was definitely pittie-ing. 😂 But BASSET HOUND?! That one was not on our bingo card.

Fourteen breeds packed into one adorable Arizona-sized package. 🌵🐾

No matter what their DNA says, they’re still the same goofy, social, lovable pups we’ve gotten to know — now we just have a few more answers about what went into making them so ridiculously cute.

Dogs first. Always. 💚❤️

08/30/2026

Ok but these faces?!?!

🐾 INTRODUCINGGGG… The “Wait… How Many?!” Litter 🐾

We got a call about four puppies from two unwanted litters who needed somewhere safe to go.

Four puppies? Finally—a manageable number! 😂 We said yes, hopped in the car, and headed out to get them.

Except when we arrived, there were not four.

There were SIXTEEN.

Yep. 16 puppies. We still have absolutely no idea where the number four came from. 😂

These little ones are small mixed-breed puppies, most likely some combination of Chihuahua and Jack Russell Terrier—but when it comes to an accidental litter with unknown parents, your guess is about as good as ours! What we do know is that these puppies were unwanted and at risk of a terrible fate until a concerned neighbor found out about them and made the call that changed everything.

We stepped up and welcomed 9 of the 16 puppies into Ruff Draft, and the remaining 7 are safe, warm, and cared for while they wait for us. ❤️

And this is where our community comes in.

Every one of these nine puppies who finds a forever family opens up space for us to go back and welcome another baby from the remaining seven. So when you adopt one of these puppies, you’re not just changing one life—you’re helping us make room to save the next one, too.

One adoption. Two dogs helped. 🐾❤️

Now we just need 16 families ready to help turn one very unexpected rescue call into 16 happily-ever-afters.

Come see them TODAY 8/30 at PetSmart Mokena

08/19/2026

🩵 Player Spotlight: The Arizona Litter 🩵… FROM ALABAMA. 🐾

Nope, they’ve never been to Arizona. 😂 They just needed names, and apparently we were feeling a little Southwest that day.

Meet Phoenix, Glendale, Chandler, Prescott, Gilbert, Sedona, Yuma & Tucson — eight babies who made their way to us from Alabama when they were just 8 weeks old.

🏈 THE BOYS: Phoenix • Glendale • Chandler • Prescott • Gilbert
🎀 THE GIRLS: Sedona • Yuma • Tucson

Most of the crew has beautiful tan, brown and rusty-colored coats, while a few clearly decided they needed to stand out from their siblings.

When these babies arrived, they were labeled as Pit mixes, and that's what we've continued to call them. We try really hard not to slap a more "adoptable" breed label on a dog just because it sounds better.

But now that they're getting older and filling out...

👀 We have to admit—they're looking surprisingly Lab-ish.

Will DNA eventually tell us they're 17 different breeds and exactly 3% Lab? Entirely possible. 😂 Rescue genetics love to keep us humble.

So for now, Pit mix / mixed breed is our best guess. What we can tell you with confidence is that this crew is outgoing, social, happy and ready to find their forever teams.

They've been growing up in rescue long enough. It's time for these Arizona babies to get drafted. 🏈❤️

📍 Alabama born. Illinois fostered. Arizona themed. Forever home TBD.

Dogs first. Always.

08/18/2026

🩵 Player Spotlight: Luna 🩵

Luna is the kind of girl who’s ready to leave her stray days behind and settle into the safe, loved life she always deserved.

Meet Luna, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois/Husky mix with a whole lot of heart and a fresh start ahead of her.

Luna’s story started with a neighbor noticing her wandering loose and posting about her on Facebook. That’s when someone commented that this wasn’t the first time she had been found out as a stray. It turned out her original owner had left, and the person caring for her wasn’t able to keep her secure, so Luna kept getting out.

Eventually, Luna’s original owner showed up and surrendered her to the family who had found her. They wanted to help, but with two senior dogs of their own, they weren’t in a position to keep her long term—so Luna made her way to us.

Through all the instability, Luna has stayed a total love bug with people. She’s great with kids and absolutely loves attention.

When it comes to canine teammates, Luna is dog selective. She may do well with the right dog, but introductions matter. Any potential forever home with resident dogs will be required to complete a meet-and-greet with all dogs currently drafted to the team, and an adoption trial will also be required to make sure everyone is truly comfortable together.

One more scouting note: Luna is not recommended for homes with birds or squirrel companions. Her Husky/Malinois instincts are very much aware that those exist. 😂

Luna is ready to trade wandering for belonging and find the forever team that fits her best.

🐾 2 years old
🐾 Belgian Malinois/Husky mix
🐾 Great with kids
🐾 Dog selective
🐾 Resident-dog meet & greet required
🐾 Adoption trial required
🐾 Professional love bug
🐾 No birds or squirrel roommates, please

Breed is our best guess based on physical traits and observed features and is never guaranteed.

08/16/2026

🩵 Player Spotlight: Wendy 🩵

156 days.

That’s how long Wendy has been in rescue waiting for someone to draft her onto their forever team.

Wendy’s story began when she was found on March 14 as one of 24 dogs living in an abandoned shop in Houston. She arrived at Ruff Draft on April 15 shy, uncertain, and overwhelmed by a world that was completely new to her.

But over the last 156 days, we’ve gotten to know the wonderfully weird, sweet and hilarious girl hiding underneath that uncertainty.

💦 Wendy LOVES water. Give this girl a kiddie pool and she’ll jump in, dunk herself completely underwater, roll around and live her absolute best life.

🫧 She recently discovered bubbles and has decided her new personal mission is catching every single one with her mouth.

🏅 She’s also quite the crate engineer. Wendy figured out that if she launches herself from one end of her crate to the other, she can actually scoot it across the floor until she reaches whatever has caught her attention. 😂 We HIGHLY recommend a sturdy crate without wheels for this girl!

With frequent potty breaks, Wendy keeps her crate clean.

She’s still a little shy when meeting someone new, but she warms up quickly and does wonderfully with kids of all ages, adults, and dogs of all sizes.

And yes… she’s a Husky. She absolutely has opinions and will make sure you hear them when she’s displeased. Thankfully, she’s otherwise a pretty easygoing pup.

Wendy has spent 156 days learning that people can be kind, pools are amazing, bubbles are meant to be eaten, and apparently crates can double as transportation.

Now she needs to learn one more thing:

What it feels like to finally go home.

After 156 days, we think it’s Wendy’s turn to hear…

“Congratulations, Wendy. You’ve been drafted onto your forever team.” 🩵🐾

Ready to meet Wendy? Visit RuffDraftInc.org to apply.

Dogs First. Always.