Animal Rescue Stories

Lucy - Our Gift

Lucy had been abandoned at a local neighborhood park. We noticed her when we walked our dog but thought she was just a kitty on the prowl. She waited there for days for them to return. I am certain she was scared and confused when she made her way a few blocks to my house. She was skinny and very shy. I put food and water out for her every day. It took quite a while for her to trust humans again. The day my mother died, Lucy showed up and let me pick her up as if to comfort me. She had never let me touch her before. My mother's name was Lucille and I named her Lucy for my late mother. I believe at that moment we saved each other. I can't imagine life without her. Those horrible people who left her to fend for herself don't realize the gift they lost and I happily received.

Deanne
Greensburg, PA

Can't Imagine Life Without Our Border Collie Rescues

We have two Border Collie mixes. Goofy (tri-color) just came up to the farm one day when my husband was cutting wood. He was shy at first, but as soon as my husband petted him he was all over him! He chases birds in the sky, airplanes anything moving and has been with us for 5 years now. He is very sweet and smart. Peanut (black) was going to be put to sleep at the county animal control the day I brought him home. He tried to jump over the counter to go with me and immediately sat on my feet when he came to me. I get a lump in my throat now if I even think about him being put down. He is super smart and sweet and so spoiled. He sleeps with us and sometimes comes to work with me. I paid $65 to get him out of the shelter. Then he had to have a $300 leg surgery, but he's ok now. I would not take a million dollars for him or any amount of money - he was worth every penny. He has been with us a little over a year. They both make me smile daily and love me as much as I love them. They have made all of my family much happier, we are just crazy about them. We have 3 cats that were all rescues also that we love and spoil, Buddy, Tom and Lucy. It is like they know we saved them and love us even more for it.

Anita Epperson
Shelbyville, TN

Prison Cat trades Cell for the cushy life....

Jorgi came via Washington Feline Society, he was a former "Prison Cat", who with 500 other cats and kittens, needed new homes. We "met" at his Foster Home, and Jorgi immediatly stepped into the cat carrier.He's been my "inmate" for 8 yrs now, and is quite the character !

Cathie Manley-McKenzie
Sterling, VA

Kota Bear

I was living in a basement apartment where the window was at ground level. I had been feeding the raccoons and I saw this huge animal outside the window and thought it was another raccoon. Since it was a horrible night in February with rain and snow, I opened the window, and the raccoon meowed at me! He came in the house and never left. The vet said he was the largest tabby he had ever seen. He even monitored the kittens I was surprised with after a rescue I did with the Feline Friends. Sadly, I only had this gentle giant for 6 years but I will remember him forever.

pam
bellevue, NE

Stripy's Story

This is a sad story with a very happy ending!

For many years we have been caring for feral and stray cats in our neighborhood. We trap, neuter/spay, and vaccinate all our kitties then provide them with ongoing care - a regular food supply, shelter, and medical monitoring.

On the afternoon of March 23, 2009, we found one of our feral cats, bleeding and seriously injured. He looked so bad -we didn't even think he'd survive.

Being feral, "Stripy" was nervous around people. It took us 3 days before we were able to trap him and get him to a veterinarian. When we did, we were horrified to learn that someone had shot Stripy with a rifle! X-rays showed the bullet destroyed part of his tongue, leaving him unable to eat or drink. The vet placed a feeding tube into Stripy's stomach to keep him alive until his injuries healed and he was able to begin eating and drinking again.

Stripy was in hospital for 9 days. The cost of his medical care was over $1000. We had reported this incident to the police and the local press took up the story. We were amazed and touched, when people came forward with offers of help for Stripy! Thanks to generous donations, his medical bills were all paid for, and a number of families asked about adopting him!

Stripy recovered from his injuries and is doing very well. Four weeks after he was shot, we were able to place him with his forever family! He has adjusted wonderfully to life as an indoor kitty and we are so pleased to see him happy and healthy, in a safe and loving home!

Stripy has a website where you can follow his progress and even watch a video documenting his story!

Chris & Rowena Hover
New Port Richey, FL

She 'graces' our home

In 1991 and 1992, I adopted 2 beautiful kittens from my local ASPCA shelter: Twinkles, a striped tabby, was 7 weeks old, and Bethany, a tuxedo kitty, was 8 weeks old. They were the loves of my life. Bethany went to the Rainbow Bridge after battling cancer on April 3, 2008, and Twinkles followed her on February 24, 2009. I couldn't bear to be without a precious furbaby, so I went back to the same shelter 3 days after losing Twinkles.
Back in the corner against the wall was a gorgeous gray kitty, all by herself. I stooped down and she reached her paw through the cage to play with my purse strap. My heart broke for her and I knew I wanted to bring her home. She was nearly 5 years old, but that was fine with me. I had already planned to adopt an adult cat - they need love too!
I learned that she was surrendered to the shelter on her 4th birthday because she didn't get along well with other animals. I didn't have any other animals, so that confirmed that she was the furbaby for me.
Now she has her own bed (although she sleeps on my queen-sized one!), her favorite toys, her own place on a comfy chair - and lots of love.
She is as playful a kitten, she's very smart, and she makes me smile every day. Because she has graced our home with love and joy, I named her Gracie. She has all the best traits of Twinkles and Bethany combined. I know they are smiling down on us.
Gracie is truly an angel in fur.

Sandy
Bradenton, FL

We Are the Crazy Cat People on the Block

We were adopted by a calico cat, Cali we named her, that would come up outside looking so pitiful that we started feeding her. She got pregnant and brought her kittens around to be fed, which of course we did happily. Unfortunately we live on a busy street and two of the four kittens were killed by cars so we trapped the other two, Cloe and Ollie, and had them neutered and brought them in to join our other three cats: Gabby 14, Bogey 9, and Sassy 2. Then Cali got pregnant again and had three kittens, Aubey, Camile, and Rowdy, which eventually she brought around and yes we brought in. We tried to catch Cali but even after 3 days without food and a big piece of mackerel she would not go in the trap. Well she got pregnant a third time and had three kittens, which I told my wife we were full up at the inn. Well two were hit and the third one, Sissy, even though a seven month old ferrel cat, let me pick her up one morning and bring her in. Well later that week we couldn't find Sissy in the house and looking up under the bed saw where she got into the box springs to hide...so we thought. After seeing a bit of blood on the floor I raised up the mattress and stood up the box springs to see how she hurt herself only to have what I thought was a mouse come out with Sissy. It wasn't a mouse but a baby kitten she just had! Well now we have 10 cats inside including the baby, Hobbs.
Cali has disappeared and I just hope she is okay somewhere. There are no cats outside...they're all inside now.

Geoff Jensen
Gretna, LA

Brady & Hobbes

When we were in college, my husband, Carter, stumbled upon three newborn kittens underneath a bush crying out for help during a rain-storm. Many people just passed them by (this was a busy part of campus), but Carter scooped them up and brought them home. Not knowing if they would survive without their mother, we went back to the area after the rain stopped and looked for their mom. She was nowhere to be found, but we did happen to find two more kittens! We brought them home, dried them off and started bottle feeding all five of them. The next day, we tried to take them to the local humane society - they told us they didn't have the time to take care of five newborn kittens, so we decided to take them back home and care for them ourselves. Summer was approaching (which meant moving back home) and my mom agreed to help foster them for a local no-kill shelter. Together we fostered them until they were old enough to be adopted out. Carter and I decided to adopt one kitten, but it was such a hard decision - we loved them all! We finally decided to adopt Brady - then after a couple weeks, we decided he needed a feline friend. We went back to the shelter and adopted Hobbes - the last kitten to be adopted out! It's funny how things work out...Brady and Hobbes have truly become members of our family. They greet us at the door, sleep next to us at night and sit/sleep on our laps whenever they get the chance. They enjoy sleeping in the sun, chasing shoestrings and laser pointers, pulling toliet paper off the roll and ripping it to shreds, and last but certainly not least, Greenies!!

Bridget
St. Louis, MO

My Precious Tessa

When I saw Tessa on Petfinder.com I immediately knew she was for me. Rescued by Little Doggies Rescue in Ozark, Alabama, Tessa was cared for and cleaned by her foster mom. I submitted my adoption papers and said I would drive from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Ozark, Alabama to get her without hesitation. It was the best and most memorable trip I ever made. We bonded the minute I held her in my arms and that was almost three years ago. She's my most precious baby and pure joy in my life. I thank God every day for her and thank you to all the rescue organizations who save so many other animals.

Lynn Tomaro
Davie, FL

I came from a puppy mill

My name is Babybear, and I was in a puppy mill, my mommy and daddy rescued me from there, and I was being picked on from my other brothers and sisters. Today I have a wonderful life with my mommy and daddy in Springfield, Vermont and I love it very much!

Aimee Ardry
Springfield, VT