Community Corner

Vet: Bailing Out Muddy Paws Suspect Led to Attacks

Fur Keeps Rescue supporters refute criticism of Barrington Hills shelter.

The operators of Fur Keeps Animal Rescue in Barrington Hills say they have come under attack for posting the $25,000 bond to free Diane Eldrup, who is facing charges of animal cruelty for starving more than 19 dogs to death at Muddy Paws boarding and rescue facility in Deer Park.

Veterinarian Debra Rykoff and her partner, John Breseman, who run Fur Keeps, said they were tired of the attacks and have decided to speak out.

Rykoff said she has had her tires slashed and an investment home in Huntley broken into. Breseman has also received written threats. 

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Rykoff and Breseman believe that an online is another attack by people who are angry that they posted bail for Edrup.

“Her son and my daughter were friends, but we had lost touch with her. We bailed her out and that’s when these things started happening,” Rykoff said.

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Rykoff said she knew Eldrup for about three years, and that Eldrup was always willing to help out as a volunteer at Fur Keeps. She said sometimes volunteers wouldn’t show up, but Eldrup would always be available at the drop of a hat.

“I don’t have a clue what happened her,” Rykoff said. “The person we knew is not the person we bailed out.”

Rykoff performs spays and neuters for many rescue organizations and she did some for Muddy Paws as well, she said.

Rykoff said she had lost touch with Eldrup for about six months.

“She had been keeping nine of our hard-to-adopt dogs, but she stopped veterinary care and stopped returning phone calls, so in November, we went to take them back," Rykoff said. "She seemed odd."

Rykoff said she did not go inside the facility at that time.

“I’m feeling really guilty that I didn’t go in there,” Rykoff said.

The situation at Muddy Paws was discovered in December and Eldrup was charged with felony counts of aggravated cruelty and animal torture.

Rykoff said she provided the bail out of concern for Eldup’s 9-year-old son.

“It was the right thing to do," She said. "You’re innocent until proven guilty. If she did something because she was mentally ill, then she should get help, not be crucified. It’s ridiculous. She is broken, and I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to fix her.”

She said she didn’t realize the consequences when she posted bail for Eldrup, but she does not regret it.

She said she felt it was a good example to her 9-year-old daughter that you help a friend in trouble. Rykoff’s daughter was a friend of Eldrup’s son.

“Are we going to cave in and not bail her our because it’s the hard thing to do?” Rykoff said.

She said she is willing to make hard choices, such as running the rescue.

“Other vets spend money on fancy houses and cars. I spend it on the rescue,” Rykoff said. She said she subsidizes Fur Keeps at about $60,000 to $70,000 per year from her personal income.

Peter Hays, a volunteer foster for Fur Keeps, said she believes attacks on the rescue are unfair.

“When you blaze a trail and do something other people won’t do, you come under criticism,” Hays said.

Fur Keeps regularly takes in dogs that other rescues won’t take, said Mary Ann Wikens, Hays wife.

“She takes in a lot of animals other people won’t take. Other shelters would put them to sleep,” Wilkens said.

Breseman said many of the animals Fur Keeps takes in come from puppy mills and adverse situations. They come to the shelter with a host of health problems.

“A lot of the dogs come in bad shape. People lost their jobs and lost their homes and they’re not taking care of the dogs,” Breseman said.

Rykoff said running the shelter has become more difficult because there are more animals in need of rescue and less people willing to adopt.

Hays attested to Rykoff’s love of animals. He noted that she was one of the first vets to go to New Orleans and care for animals injured during Hurricane Katrina. Supporters of Fur Keeps started a petition to clear the rescue and Rykoff’s reputation, and have also been posting words of support on Fur Keeps Facebook page.

Rykoff said she had always wanted to be a veterinarian.

“I used to save worms on the sidewalk and would paint blood on my rocking horse so I could put a Band-aid on it,” she said.

Breseman said claims that animals at Fur Keeps aren’t being cared for properly are unfounded. He said the dogs eat expensive,  high-quality food, Flint River Ranch. He said the shelter spends $3,000 per month on dry food. The shelter houses about 40 dogs and about 40 cats, he said.

He refuted claims that the dogs are kept in the barn stalls all day. He said they are let out into the indoor arena and volunteers come to walk them outside.

Breseman said the barn stalls are scrubbed with bleach. He said it can be difficult to keep up with cobwebs in the barn.

Rykoff said she wants people to come out to Fur Keeps and see it for themselves, before passing judgment.

“Come out and see if for yourself,” Rykoff said. “What we could use is a lot more money and a lot more staff."


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