Animal Rescue Stories

Life in a pet taxi

I was remember the first time I saw Bitsy so clearly to this day. I was outside my home when my neighbors got home, they got a tiny pet taxi out of their truck, all I could see was a white snout and big brown eyes. But that was the last time I ever saw her, I never saw her outside or going for a ride in the car, until I started doing housework for my neighbors for extra money.

Everyday I'd go in their house, the same pet taxi would be sitting in a corner with the same big brown eyes, so one day I asked "does she ever get out?" And I was met with a shocking response "no, because she will poop on the floor" mind you, they didn't have puppy pads or anything down, so I walked over and stuck my finger in to pet the cute white snout and I was shocked to see her standing on 3 or 4 inches of her own feces with a shredded grocery bag used as her only escape from standing in feces.

I tried my best to get her, even offering money but the answer was always no. That was the last time I was in that house. I couldn't stand it, until, about a month later, my neighbors moved out.

Every night was down in the single digits when I started hearing barking and whining from inside the house. I finally had enough one night and went down there. The door was opened and the house abandoned.As I pushed the door open more, I was in complete shock when I saw the same pet taxi and the same white snout and brown eyes. They had left her with no intent of coming back and had left no food or water.

As soon as I saw those brown eyes, I yanked open the taxi door and she ran out right into my arms, shaking like a leaf with matted hair, smelling terribly of urine and feces. I tried to give them another chance to save her by calling them, but they just said "we don't want her she's too nasty", so I took her.

She was extremely timid and so skinny I could feel her hip bones and ribs. It took about a week before she'd let me get too close, but everything changed after her first bath. She fell asleep under the water pouring down on her, she let me cut the matts out and flea her and clean her ears. She had been using a large dog kennel as her safe spot, but that night, she slept beside me in bed.

And that's how it's been everyday for 3 months since. She's definitely my shadow; every step I take, she's on my heels. When i take a shower, I fold up a towel and she lays there until I'm done. She loves going outside and car rides, and she loves wearing little outfits. Her favorite thing to do is lay in my lap with her head on my chest just looking into my eyes. Her behavior and her looks remind me of my long lost best friend Sissy of 15 years, which I see as a gift from Sissy for a best friend and an angel.

Miranda Brown
MONTICELLO, KY

Bottle baby rescues

I had a half pit bull, half English Cocker spaniel that I got at 20 days old because momma ran out of milk for her 11 large pups. I went to choose one, when a friend told me the owners were giving them away as they couldn't keep up with the feedings anymore.

I had pretty much chosen a pure white female when I felt tugging on my shoe laces. I looked down and there was a tri-color male yanking on them. The thing was, I was 20 or so feet from the litter area and they weren't walking yet, they were doing the 'swim walk', and he'd come all that way. They say to take the dog that comes to you, so I did.

Then the husband brought home a 4 day old kitten (this was 4 years later) that he had found with no momma and among his dead litter mates. He got sick with infections, but we got him better and Finnigan lived to be 5 years old before his infections got the better of him.

Brandy, the dog , lived to almost 15 in 2008, but cancer took both him, and his daddy (my husband) 11 years apart.

Debbie Allen
MACOMB, MI

My baby Westie

I rescued you at 9 months old. You were not trained, so it was hard. But after one month, my life would be filled with a love I had not felt since losing another baby in 1998.

For 14 years you were my constant companion, the love of my life, my reason for having a great day, every day. You stayed for me much longer than your body wanted. You tried, but everything was shutting down.

You still followed me into the bathroom on your last day. But your eyes told me you just couldn’t do it anymore. I lost you on 1/29/22 and I still grieve and cry. Hope you are chasing squirrels in heaven and God is throwing you squeaky balls. I will love you forever, my sweet baby Poozee.

Liz Hill
HURST, TX

Despite a Cancer Diagnosis, Oreo Finds True Love

In January 2022, Mid-Atlantic GSP Rescue contacted me to ask if I could foster a GSP-mix from a local animal shelter. As a long-time volunteer, I agreed to help and brought the confused pooch home to meet the rest of my dog family. Surprising everyone in the household, the black and white hound and GSP mix quickly demonstrated his vocal chords...over and over and over.

I had noticed he had a few large masses on his body, one on his chest and the other on his elbow. The rescue group generously agreed to pay for surgery and a biopsy; alas, the elbow mass was a soft-tissue sarcoma. So, Oreo is a keeper... a very loud but sweet and handsome addition to our family.

Next steps: looking at options, especially at targeted (or electro-) chemotherapy, which is localized to the elbow area and requires only two infusions. Regardless, Oreo is home now. We love the big, noisy, adorable boy.

Karen Pratzner-McDuffie
MANASSAS, VA

Dog with awful foot injury now healed stuck in boarding and can't find a home.

Yogi was saved just about a year ago from a shelter in South Texas. At the time, Yogi had a horrendous injury to his front foot and LabAdore Retrievers Rescue was determined to save his leg.

Well, the foot has finally healed, is pain free and does not slow him down. And even though Yogi has an odd gait and might need to wear a boot to protect his foot, he is ready, willing, and happily able to do anything you'd like to do - hiking, swimming or just playing a game of fetch.

His girlfriend Millie also has a little bit of an odd gait on her hind leg, due to a past injury, but she, too, is able to do everything any other dog can do, pain free. Both of these beauties are about 5 years old, 68 pounds apiece, appear to be house trained, are very loving, responsive and ready to join their forever family.

We can't bear to separate this bonded pair! If you live in the Northeast, have a large fenced yard and plenty of love to give you can find them at labadoreinc.com

Karen for LabAdore Retrievers Rescue
CUMBERLAND, RI

Kyles voice

Kyle was found in the streets of Montgomery, Alabama. He is an 8 week old puppy who was brought into a vet clinic for evaluation. The humane officer who brought Kyle in had no idea what happened. We started treatment on Kyle right away.

Kyle became one of the sweetest puppies. He followed me everywhere and loves Starbucks pup cup. Unfortunately, after two weeks, he took a turn for the worst. I rushed him to Auburn University ER. After his CT scan, we found out he had an infection in his brain (abscess). He is undergoing major surgery tomorrow.

Amber murray
WETUMPKA, AL

Sweetnis

I was missing my soul mate kitty very deeply. A cousin had come to visit. She left to go home, and the cutest little dog took advantage of her keeping the door open a few seconds too long. It walked into my house, sat in the middle of the living room, and looked up at me as if saying, "My damn house what are you going to do about it?"

Well, I found out where her former home was, discovered the couple was splitting up, and there was domestic violence involved. I offered to longterm foster the pup until they sorted their lives. Thankfully they moved off never asking for my little queen back. As she lived here, I came to realized the poor pup had been both neglected and abused in her life. Never again. The pup will live out her life totally spoiled.

I have equally heart touching stories as to how the other three fur brats came into my life, but bottom line is they all have a safe loving home until either they or I leave this realm. Should my exit come before theirs, I have it in my will what happens to them after my death. We are a true pack and take care of each other best we can.

Peachy
GAINESVILLE, GA

Foxy Woxy Moxy Boxy

Fifteen years ago, on a chilly fall night while visiting with family in a nearby town, my husband and I found two tiny little kittens outside. We scooped them up and brought them home, only to quickly realize how sick they were.

The next morning, my husband took them to our vet, who estimated them to be about 4 weeks old. Both were flea- and parasite-infested and he suspected they both had distemper. The prognosis was grim, but we were prepared to do whatever it took to make them healthy. We bottle fed them and cuddled and loved them.

Unfortunately we lost the smaller of the two within two short days, but the other not only got stronger, she thrived. Last September, ironically on the anniversary of the day we found her, we sadly said goodbye to our sweet Foxy. She was loved and pampered for all of her 15 years and my heart is still broken that we lost her. Rip Foxy Woxy Moxy Boxy

Linda
ELMIRA, NY

My Tortoise

I adopted a beautiful cat named Argula from the SPCA about a month and a half ago. I’ve renamed her Tortoise. She has a cube she likes to go in she got from the SPCA; she gets her tail stuck in the side and drags the cube behind her. She also has an intelligent, slightly skittish personality.

Since I adopted her, she has flourished. She went from pulling her hair out in the shelter to being my curious, loving little girl. She loves to play and lay on my lap. Whenever I come home from work and she hears my voice, she starts crying for Mommy.

Tortoise’s favorite things are to play, eat and cuddle with Mommy. Her favorite toy is a bird that chirps when you touch it. Tortoise has a little den under my bed that she drags her toys to and takes little objects she finds interesting, such as pens and cloths pins. The picture is her now

Rachel Earl
SUNBURY, PA

From Feral to Family

Meet Mitten or as we like to call her Mo.

She has made it a long way from a small kitten who was brought into a Midwestern University TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) as a feral community cat. She had a pretty bad upper respiratory infection and eye infections that caused her eyes to be swollen shut. She was too sick to undergo surgery (spay) and then be returned to her community.

One of the vet students (a member of @mwu.scasv) took the initiative to talk with the community member who had trapped the cat and arrange for the kitten to enter the @SOUL.AnimalRescue foster program so it could get the medical attention it needed.

Now after some love from her foster and medicine, she is on the road to recovery. Her eye infections are still being treated. We are also still working on socializing her and helping her to trust humans. She is making strides though and has started to play with us quite a bit, especially now that she is starting to feel better!

Danielle
PHOENIX, AZ