Rescue Dog's New Family Aims To Give Back To Those Who Loved Him First

NEW LENOX, IL — The new family of a longtime rescue dog who spent nearly his entire life waiting for them is seeking to give back to the people who loved him all along.

New Lenox family Carie, Mark, Amanda and Ashley Widstrand welcomed Ryker—the plump bull terrier mix with a big grin—into their home and his forever one just two days before Christmas. He'd spend nearly 1,400 days prior with rescue Cache Creek, and while it pains Widstrand to think he waited so long for a family, she knows he had one there, too.

"As many know, Ryker is an extraordinary dog and a local legend. He is sweet, playful, a gentle giant, and his eyes speak to everyone's hearts," Widstrand wrote in a GoFundMe they've started for the rescue. "... The real hero of this story is Cache Creek. Not only did they never give up on Ryker's future, but they also loved him with all their hearts. They, indeed, were Ryker's first family."

Ryker's story is not uncommon—a stray found as a puppy at just 7 months old. He first arrived at Cache Creek Rescue—housed at Alsip Home and Nursery, 20601 S. La Grange Road in Frankfort—on April 9, 2020. The rescue took him in, with hopes of quickly finding him a home. But as time passed and Ryker outgrew the puppydom that so easily appeals to many potential adopters, things got complicated.

While at Cache Creek, Ryker stole the hearts of many with his sweet kisses and loving manner, the Widstrands wrote. His constant presence and calm demeanor made him a staff favorite. Otherwise, Ryker took time warming up to people and quite frankly, he seemed to be quite comfy right where he was; he was content and felt safe with his rescue family, albeit (and hopefully) a temporary one.

"Even after 3.7 years in their shelter, Cache Creek continued hoping he would one day find his forever home," the Widstrand family wrote.

There were some failed attempts at adoption, where the fit just wasn't quite right. But the staff kept trying. Though they loved their chonky boy, they knew someone else outside those rescue walls could love him just as much. They were careful and picky about who would take Ryker home, but ultimately, he did the choosing.

"He’s never gone up to strangers like he did with them," said Cache Creek Manager Missy Ryerson.

She joked Widstrand's teen daughters Ashley and Amanda might have done the trick for Ryker.

"He’s a ladies’ man," she joked, noting that so many of the volunteers over his years there have been young women. "He likes the young girls."

The significance of Ryker's demeanor after years in what so many dogs would see as a stressful environment isn't lost on Widstrand, and she knows the people at Cache Creek had everything to do with it.

She's hoping his celebrity status can come full circle to the people who loved him first.

"As Ryker's forever family, we could not ask for more from the wonderful staff at Cache Creek," the family said.

As their boy continues to settle in to their home and soak up all the comfort of permanence, the Widstrands want to give back to the people who kept him loved and happy the majority of his life thus far. They've started a GoFundMe to help chip away at the shelter's expenses and medical bills

"Cache Creek can't keep hope for all of their residents without support from the surrounding communities," the family wrote. "They recently saved the lives of several more dogs and now have over $9,000 in medical bills. As a thank you to Cache Creek, Ryker and his new family would love to help ease the financial stress for this compassionate shelter and bring hope to other animals in need and their future families."