Animal Rescue Stories

Her 9th Life

When we looked out our front window in Nov of 2007, we noticed our large tabby, sitting and staring at a tiny gray furball which we thought was a baby squirrel. The furball was not moving, but it had captivated both our cat's and our attention. Upon further investigation, we saw it to be a tiny kitten. When we picked it up, we felt nothing but fur and bones. It appeared to be barely clinging to life, but we set up a home for her in our bathroom. Except to eat and drink, Mokey didn't move much for two weeks; we had been fearful of taking her on the long drive to the Vet until she gained some strength, though we seriously doubted that she would live through the nights. Each morning, there she was, immobile but still eating. I held her and cuddled with her for hours during her ordeal and finally, we realized that his little lady was going to make it and we hauled her to the Vet. She had every imaginable malady, but she just kept on cuddling and eating and plugging along. Today, she loves to be cuddled and rubs noses whenever we pick her up. She acts like a playful kitten, and thoroughly enjoys her feline and canine siblings. Her ninth life is a charm!!!

Mimi Sabo
Bayville, NJ

Shelter dogs are the best

We found Snickers at the Clark County "no-kill" animal shelter. She was just 3 months old when she was taken there because she lost her way home. She had kennel cough very badly and she was scared to death. We knew we just had to have her when she went potty on my shoe, but we already had 2 dogs and 2 cats and to have a third would be a house full. After realizing there is always room for another set of paws we went back to the shelter and adopted Snickers. She is one of the most loving dogs we have ever seen, she lives to play frisbee, eat cookies and snuggle on the couch with her dog sisters. We love her so much and are very glad that she is a part of our family, what a GREAT shelter find.

Nadine, Tom, & Samantha
Fairchild, WI

My baby girl

I rescued this dog from the pound when she was a year old. She had been brought in because her owners said "she runs away" turns out she was pregnant and had 9 puppies while she was at the pound. When we got her she was only 45 pounds! In the picture of her she wieghed about 80 and as you can tell is NOT over weight! It took me about two years to break her of some bad habbits that she had to have picked up from being abused. For example my brother would play with air soft guns with his friends and if she saw one she would run away with her tail between her legs and hide. The first time she did this I was so upset that she knew what a gun was! Then to make things worse she was affrad of black men. Any time a black man would come around she would be shaking in fear. After many times of these guys comming over though and spending time on the floor with thier hands out and holding a treat for her she slpwly learned that they where not all bad. No animal should ever feel this way and not trust humans the way that she did not at first but I am very glad to say that she now loves pretty much all people and is a great member of my family

Angela
baltic, CT

A True "Dakota Rose"

"Dakota Rose" was the name we gave her when we picked her up but for fifteen years she has been Kody. She has been a wonderful addition to our family. She came to us from North Shore Animal League (http://www.nsalamerica.org/). We had taken the trip there from New Jersey when it was decided that we wanted to add a shelter dog to our family instead of buying one from a shop. We felt that it was more important to us to share our home and lives with a dog that really needed it. We fell in love with her the moment we saw her. There was no "let's go home and think about it" with her. There were a number of dogs in the shelter but Kody was the one for us. I hope that everyone will think about adopting a rescued pet long before they think of purchasing one. There is so much more love there and a very good feeling knowing that you have opened your heart and home to a dog in need.

Doug Schmidt
Spring City, PA

Our Special Dump Treasure

My husband and I were taking used computer parts to our local dump and as we were leaving, we saw what I thought was a fawn in the distance coming toward our truck on the road. Out comes this thin and gangly precious dog with the biggest ears I have ever seen! She was wagging her tail though she was not in great health and planted kisses on us from our first meeting. We took her home and after getting her medical attention we discovered she had whip worms and hearworms. We got her the treatment she needed and now she is our sweet and loving darling Ruby.

Vicky
Jacksonville, FL

Special Needs

I found Little Miss Boots with her Mum and Sister behind an old shed. It took me three days to coax them out, when I took them to the local SPCA they said they could find homes for the Mum and the other girl but Boots was special needs because she is blind in 1 eye and only has 20% sight in the other eye. They said they would have to put her to sleep because no-one would want to adopt her.

With that I took her back home and she became part of the family with my 3 other cats. Jackson my big ginger Tom immediatly bcame her "Big Brother" and now 3 years later they are still inseperable. As for her sight impairment it hasn't made any difference and Little Miss Boots chases they others daily :D

Carole Diane Jenkins
Waitakere City, New Zealand

For The Love Of Vel... the continued saving of Vel

November 2004 I took him home from CACC (a "kill" shelter). He was an emaciated, balding, vomiting, ear infected, un-neutered, kennel coughed mess (estimated at 10yrs old and deemed "virtually unadoptable"). He had matts inches deep on little legs that were yellowed, stained, filthy. His face nearly completely concealed by dirty mounds of hair. So thin that bones were sticking out on his back. We believe he was a puppy mill stud, spending neglected years caged.

CACC hadn't bothered bathing him and didn't attempt to neuter him. He looked such a mess (and smelled worse) I hate to admit it ..first impulse on seeing him was to just get myself out of there- But instead I sat crosslegged on the floor a few feet from him. His legs were unsteady as he wobbled towards me trying to climb onto my lap, but didn't make it. He started shaking, hunching, then surprised me with diarrhea all over my sock. He looked so scared. ashamed. Poor sad sweet guy couldn't control his own little ill body. I ended up going home without the sock on my foot, but with him in my arms.

I live on fixed disability income (chronic vertigo) and though perhaps I had no right to take on the expense, He needed help & I companionship (disability keeps me home bound 90% of the time). For four years I have given him all the love, and the best care I could afford and even managed (with selfless help of amazing human angel donations on myspace) to give him what I could not afford.

I can't begin to verbalize the love I feel for this beautiful little soul. He changed my life.. renewed my faith.. and gives hundreds of reasons to smile daily.

PLEASE LOOK AT VEL'S PAGE - www.myspace.com/fortheloveofvel

Vel
New York, NY

4 little pomeranians inspire tinydogsrule.com

Unknown to me at the time, I was driving hundreds of miles to buy a mill puppy. He was rail thin and suffering from obvious respiratory problems. Of course, I could not leave him to go back to where he came from, so I brought him home, praying he would not die. With much medical treatment and care, his story (unlike so many) has a happy ending.

Living with these smart, sensitive and loyal little dogs, I can't help but see them in every homeless pet, every shelter dog and every puppy mill report.

And that is how four pomeranians inspired a heartfelt quest to spred the word about the animalrescuesite, the plight of fur angels trapped in puppy mills, the importance of pet adoptions, supporting animal welfare issues and just all around doing whatever we can in the hopes of making a difference.

Each and every single one of us can help make a difference by doing just one thing today to serve a dog in need.

Click the link on this site. Donate your time. Donate a few dollars. Drop off old blankets, bowls, leashes or dog food at your local rescue. Place a bumper sticker on your car, wear a T-shirt, spay/neuter your pet, foster if you can, adopt and save a life!

Thank YOU for caring! www.tinydogsrule.com

~*~*~* Every fur smile is worth saving ~*~*~*

Vikki Chavez
Albuquerque, NM

Ellie

Ellie was found at a local shelter. We think she had been a breeder dog that lived her life in a cage. She had been at the shelter for a few months and people would take her home, but return her. She had previously broken her jaw, so she could not chew properly. She had reoccurring bouts of bowel problems, and no body wanted an elderly (maybe 9 years old) ill dog. My parents thought they could manage her problems, and had her spayed, and her teeth cleaned.

A few months after they adopted Ellie my mother found out that she had breast cancer. Ellie was a comfort and constant companion for Mom, and good friend for dad during this trying time. Her favourite outing was when dad took her out to the top of the hill for her to do her business, running next to the golf cart all the way up, (actually faster) and then jumping on to ride back!

My mother recovered completely, only to have Ellie have breast lumps appear. She very patiently let mom wrap her with a castor oil pack every day, and she lived much longer with mom's loving care and specially prepared gourmet mashed meals. They had almost 3 wonderful loving and joyful years together before Ellie succumbed to systemic cancer. She was a gift to them and they to her!

Patti Slentz
Winnipeg, Canada

What a difference a dog makes!

How can something on four legs that poops, pees, eats and chases balls turn a dyed-in-the-wool -- or should I say fur?-- cat person into a much more active and outgoing, not to mention, besotted dog-lover? He came into my world impulsively when I saw his (alleged) Aussie Shep-Corgi mug online. On death row at a California high kill shelter where he languished for a year, saved regularly by caring staff members who had taken him home when his "number came up," Smiley was suddenly mine (and my three cats' -- much to their chagrin) and my quiet and, admittedly now, sedentary life suddenly shifted gears. I became a daily dog walker, averaging 35-45 minutes (sometimes longer) every day.

Inspired by his natural predilection for pirouetting like a So You Think You Can Dance contestant, Tango was renamed. Like Norm at Cheers! the other dogwalkers call out his name now at our local off-leash park. And I ended up joining the rescue group (www.dogbless.ca) and assist in bringing in more needy dogs from shelters where often the crass treatment of beautiful, healthy and loving animals is heartbreaking. Tango and I have now organized two walking teams and fundraised over $2500 for the Victoria SPCA's Paws for a Cause. What's next for this dauntless duo? Now that he's a calmer and slightly better trained Aussie Shep/ Papillon/(and some days it seems) Coyote, our next project involves making doggy tourist videos around Victoria. Watch for us on Youtube! Coz wither my doggy goest, there goest I! Rain, snow, sleet and ... well, you get the idea!

Judy
Victoria, Canada