Animal Rescue Stories

How Cisco got his groove back

Cisco (aka The Cisco Kid after the outlaw he once was) had once been someone's cat. That was clear once we'd lured him into the garage with wet food, lowered him into a carrier and brought him to the vet for an exam, which revealed he had been neutered. But he had been in the woods for almost a year, having been lost or abandoned, a silent, frightened stray, hanging around in the neighborhood, eating whenever we left a bowl of food out for the various feral cats that hunted in our woods. He had somehow survived a brutal Connecticut winter. By Spring, he was a daily visitor, sitting in our garden and cautiously watching us. By then, worried about his chances of survival, we decided to try to find him a home. We called out to him from the yard and he began meowing plaintively as if to say "please help me". That was decision day. We had planned to take him to the no-kill shelter in the next town so he could be adopted. But he had decided he wanted a home - ours. The first time he came into the house, he bounded up onto Rob's chest and began "kneading" the way kittens do, then put his head on Rob's shoulder and fell asleep. Rob, who can't sleep on his back, nevertheless didn't move. Now, that's the nightly routine. Rob calls, Cisco comes running, and they bond, Cisco kneading and purring contentedly. Cisco also follows Rob everwhere, and like many Maine Coons, is a one man cat, and a true joy every day of our lives.

Joanna Baymiller
Guilford, CT

Orphan Annie

This beautiful Tortoiseshell was found wandering in the area of Hillsborough, North Carolina. She had given birth and still had a kitten,who had perished,still attached and so was brought into my place of work for emergency medical attention. The caring human who found her could not keep her so I fostered her. After several attempts at finding her a suitable home failed, she came to live with me permanently. Annie has always been very skittish, unpredictable and has always challenged me with her inappropriate elimination, often times driving me to despair. But despair not, my sweet Annie, as you will always have a home here along with your 6 other fellow rescued kitties. I have loved you for 13 years now and I shall continue to love you for years to come. . .no matter what!

Michele Paige
Hollis, ME

What a Joy!

I've been an animal lover from the time I was old enough to walk. Finally, as an adult, I decided to give a dog a good home. Some years back I had rescued a cat that I loved dearly. Smoosh had passed away at the age of 14. This time it was a canine's lucky day! I looked online and rescued Emily. She comes to us with some issues as she was left tied to a fire truck and probably endured abuse in her prior life. Four years later, while she still shows some minor signs of her trauma, she has grown to love us and trust us and enjoys a new lease on life with my husband and I. She's a wonderful, loving and kind animal and we're so glad we were able to give her a second chance. We love her as much as she loves us. My hope is that someday that the laws will be made much more strict when it comes to the care of an animal and that the punishment will fit the crime. Thank you.

Hillary Lindner
Nassau County, NY

Lucky Libby

A year after our old dog died at 17 yrs., I was ready for another dog. Through Petfinder.com, I found four dogs I was interested in, including this adorable mix at a shelter in Ft. Wayne.

I had seen one of the four dogs, who proved to be too large a dog for me to handle. Another of the four had already been adopted when I called about him, and the other couldn't be seen until an adoption fair on the weekend. I had two days to wait, so I drove over two hours to go see the fourth.

Her shelter name was Lucky, but I was the one who was lucky to have found her. I had to fill out the adoption paperwork and wait while an adoption panel decided whether I could have her. While I waited, I took her for a long walk. By the time we got back, it's a good thing they decided I'd be a good doggie parent, because she was already mine in my heart. A lady at the shelter looking through the photo book pointed to Lucky's pic and asked about her. I pointed to the dog at my feet and said, that one's already taken. I took her home that day and renamed her Libby.

We believe she is a Bearded Collie/Corgi mix (what do you think?), and she is the funniest, sweetest pooch! She loves her toys, playing fetch and making us laugh. She's jealous of the cats who have been here for many years, trying to get between them and us whenever we're petting the cats. She has totally won our hearts. I could have looked for a year and never found one as perfect for us as our wonderful Libby.

Bellena Parker
Three Rivers, MI

Special needs animals have so much to offer

Six years ago, I came across an add on PetFinder for an adult Himalayan who had spent her life in a cage at a breeder who had then got rid of her. She had only one eye (probably a birth defect, I was told). A wonderful woman running a non-profit no-kill shelter had rescued her.

I drove a couple of hours to go see her. She was fearful, emaciated and stressed out. I fell in love with her. She has blossomed into the most loving, playful and affectionate cat I have ever known. She does not care if she has an ``handicap" and I don't either! Here she is, giving me a "kiss".

Patrick Labelle
Sherbrooke, Canada

My lovely little black bear

My boyfriend and I bought a little farm 3 years ago. We found a black cat with a white spot on the chest and we both felt in love with him. He adopted us but wanted to keep his freedom so he was hunting, looking after his territory and coming back home for love, care and rest. Unfortunately, he disappeared 2 years ago and we still don't know what happened to him but we still miss him. I beleive that someone up there heard our prayers cause Nature gave us his double exactly one year later. Exact same look and just as lovely as our first little male. I call him my little black bear. He lives is the stable and thanks God he is too lazy to go hunting !!! Annie

Annie
Mirabel, Canada

Genny - My Hero

I rescued Genny when she was 15 months old. Because she is diabetic, the early days of our relationship were spent getting her regulated at Tuft's. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to take care of a diabetic dog, but I learned how to give insulin, do a blood glucose curve at home, and keep her on a regular schedule each day. When she had been my foster dog for two months, her vet called, said she was regulated and ready to be adopted. We both knew we belonged together and I adopted her. As a foster, Genny was like velcro - glued to my side and she cried by the front door whenever I was away from home. The night I told her she would be mine forever, Genny picked up a dog bed she had never been near before and carried it all around the house - she knew she was HOME! Genny is now seven years old. She went through obedience training with me when I was learning how to be a dog trainer then came home and taught her sisters (also rescued Bichons) everything she had learned in school. She sometimes goes to work with me in a mental health group home. The residents and staff love being greeted by her wagging tail, friendliness, and acceptance when they wake up or come to work in the morning. Every night she sits by the front door waiting for me to tell her she will be getting on her work clothes (her harness and leash) and going to work with me. Genny enjoys "working" so much we are now a Delta Society Pet Partner therapy team. Genny is the light of my life and a shining example of happiness to all who meet her.

Cathy
Jewett City, CT

Best Friends

We got Athena from a local animal shelter. When we brought her home we found out that she had Parvo. The shelter said that we could bring her back but after a week we already loved her to much. She spent the next week in the hospital with to many IV's and a sad look on her face. When she came home she slowly healed but soon grew to be a very healthy dog. A year later we got Argo from a different shelter. He helps to keep Athena young. They have been best friends ever since!

Staci
Strongsville, OH

She Followed Me Home; May I Keep Her?

I was coming back from a late night class one night, a couple days after the one year anniversary of my 16 year old dog, Mickie, dying, when I spotted this little six month old kitten off in the distance. She was wary of me for all of ten seconds before bounding over to me when I beckoned her. I gave her a little scratch behind her ears and continued on, but she wouldn't have it. She followed me the whole way to the door alternating walking between my legs, bounding into my legs, and just plain rolling over in front of me trying to stop me from walking away from her. She stole my heart immediately.

Riley is now the love of my life. I've been so lost since Mickie died. Although my mom says I saved Riley's life and Riley must have seen something in me that told her I'd give her a home; I really think she saw that I was the one who needed to be rescued and did everything she could to force herself into my life.

Riley is now almost nine months old and happily enjoying a life of spoiled kitty fun. Everyone who meets her falls head over heels in love with her just as I did that night three months ago. And, even more than that, she's made me feel like I have a home again and she will never want for anything for the rest of her life. I miss Mickie terribly, but Riley is helping ease the pain of that loss and giving me a reason to smile again. She truly is heaven sent.

Jessica Dunlap
Antioch, CA

4 Homes in 8 Weeks of Life

Calli was abandoned at about 4 weeks old along a country road in a hard rain storm. A passerby saw her on the side of the road and took her into a nearby business that I frequent. One of the employees took the pup home to a relative who had been thinking about getting a dog. After a few days, they decided they did not want the puppy so back to the employee's home she went. Another family took Calli for about a week but determined that a puppy was too much work and called the employee to say they were taking her to the pound that day. I then got a phone call asking if I knew anyone who would take her so she didn't have to go to the shelter at such a young age. I told them to bring her to me and I would foster her until I could get her listed with a local rescue group.

Well, after just 24 hours, Calli wormed her way into my heart as well as her foster brother's heart -- a 3 year-old lab mix who had also been abandoned at 4 weeks of age. At just 8 weeks of age, Calli is incredibly house broken! She is a smart girl who is trying hard to please everyone and be good so she isn't abandoned again. Calli Girl, you can relax -- you are home for good!

Sharon H.
Little Rock, AR