On a Roll! 10 Years of the GusMobile
Aug 12, 2021
In the communities of Englewood, West Englewood and Back of the Yards, residents and their pets didn’t have access to essential medicines, preventive care, or support programs. They also didn’t have access to transportation to the Medical Center. It was a pet-resource desert.
PAWS wanted to help, so we partnered with animal-lovers in these communities to create a solution. As a result, the GusMobile was born.
The GusMobile hit the road in 2011 as a stand-alone, self-contained, state-of-the-art mobile surgical unit. It is equipped with three surgical tables with supporting oxygen and anesthesia machines, an exam table, and self-supported water, heat, air conditioning and refrigeration to ensure a controlled surgical environment.
This year, we celebrate 10 years of the GusMobile (affectionately known as the “Gus Bus”) proactively bringing spay/neuter surgeries to the people and pets who otherwise wouldn’t have access to this medical necessity. In addition to providing free and low-cost spay/neuter surgeries and vaccinations, the GusMobile acts as a partner in the community, providing outreach and humane education.
Stories of people, their pets, and their experiences with the GusMobile are plentiful and powerful. Standing outside the GusMobile, dog-owner Carmella said, “I’m here to get my dog, Isis, spayed. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to afford these services because I’m currently unemployed. If I didn’t hear about the GusMobile, she wouldn’t have been able to get spayed. It’s a blessing.”
Over the last decade, the GusMobile has become part of the fabric of the community. We have seen everything from daily record-breaking numbers of mobile spay/neuters to shocking procedures with happy endings. The GusMobile is ever-present in Chicago’s most underserved areas because “animal welfare should be inclusive and open to people from all communities and socioeconomic backgrounds. A lack of wealth doesn’t mean a lack of love,” said Laurie Maxwell, Director of Community Outreach.
Thank you, Lifeline members. Your regular support keeps the GusMobile’s good work going and going and going.
Take a tour of the PAWS Chicago GusMobile below or reach out to volunteers@pawschicago.org to help out when the GusMobile is on the move!
The GusMobile was donated by the Beck family and named after their lovable dog Gus, who was adopted from PAWS Chicago after being rescued from the Iowa floods in 2008.