Animal Rescue Stories

Life After The Track

My name is Bohemian Agile aka "Aggie". As a greyhound, I was born to run. I spent the first few years of my life racing. That is all I knew. When I turned three, I started to slow down and was soon retired from the track. Fortunately for me, I was put up for adoption and quickly found my forever home. Now I take lots of walks, run in the yard when I want to, eat yummy treats and get more love than I ever imagined. Who says retirement is boring? I love my new life and wouldn't trade it for the world!

Leslie
Vero Beach, FL

Double Blessings with Ivan and Tina

We rescued Ivan in 2002 through Pets, Inc. in W. Columbia, SC. In 2003 we found his companion, Tina and it was love at first sight for all of us. I remember driving back to Pets, Inc. just to look and Tina was home with us that very evening. We are a complete family now and two beautiful creatures will never have to suffer another day of abuse and neglect - never. We have truly been blessed.

Mary Alice Judy
Chapin, SC

Poe and Bella are the loves of my life!

I went into the local chain pet store with my friend and there he was. He was 1 ÃÂ½, and he had been in the shelter since he was a small helpless kitten found wondering in a busy parking lot. He was the most adorable cat I had ever seen with his beautiful thick grey and white fur. Despite my instant fondness for him, I left without him. Two weeks later we went back into the store and he was still there. I walked over to him and he instantly perked up and placed his front paws on the glass. I knew I was in love, and I was the one who was supposed to give him the love he deserved. I went home and I couldn't sleep that night. The next morning as soon as I woke up, I raced to the pet store and brought Edgar Allan Poe home. Six months later she came into my life. My mom found her, teeny and frail, outside her cabin on the lake. She decided to bring her home, and it , too, was love at first sight. She was so small she fit in my hand, and she was so scared. I immediately took her into my arms, and she has rarely left them since. Belle Morte is the most affectionate cat. She's my snuggle baby. Her and Poe are the best of friends. They're two fat jolly, jolly cats.

Megan B
Benton, LA

Rescued pals

The dog (Brady) was at a pound and due to be put to sleep the next day. I made the 300 mile round trip and brought him to his forever home. Brady is a total hoot at 2 years old he's still mostly puppy and keeps the other pets young. The cat (Rosebud) was an 8 week old stray that had been hit by a car that my wife found on the way to work one morning. She put the kitten in the car and brought her home. The Vet said she was skinned up but nothing was broken and 14 years later the wife has moved on but I still have my cat. Life is good.......

thomas
Augusta, KS

Tank

Tank was one of 6 (3 male, 3 female) 10 week old Boxer/Great Dane puppies dropped off at our local SPCA. He was the last one of the litter available for adoption. We immediately fell head over heals in love for the goofy little guy with the pointy head and pokey-outey bottom lip. He has grown into a handsome, smart and (still) goofy young fella that gives us a never-ending supply of kisses and laughs.

Dana C
Carmichael, CA

Kitten found in a drain pipe

While walking around my building at work, I noticed a feral cat and her kitten living in a drain pipe. Every day for a week I walked by and I saw them. One day, I noticed that the mother was gone. This tiny little kitten was by all by himself in the drain pipe. I was quite worried after two days because the mother never came back. I tried to approach the kitten several times, but he kept running back into the drain pipe. I told my twin sister about the kitten and she tried to approach him without success. As my sister left for the day, she noticed the kitten climbing slowly up the hill towards some bushes. The next morning, I looked every where for the little guy to no avail. When my sister arrived, she had an idea where he was and found him! He was 2-3 weeks old, emaciated with his eyes glued shut from an eye infection. It appeared the mother didn't have enough milk and abandoned him. My sister quickly handed him off to me in a borrowed lunch pail and I took him to the vet just in time. Mind you, I have three cats already (all rescues) and I was very reluctant to adopt another one...but it was meant to be. With plenty of bottle feedings, eye irrigations, antibiotics and love, the little guy bounced back.
Now, Mr Peepers is a beautiful part Maine Coon 2 year old boy weighing in at 20 lbs. He is a wonderful addition to my furry family!

Dawn H
Scottsdale, AZ

Amazing love

My daughter, Becca is 11 years old and for her birthday last year she requested mostly money b/c she said she had something special she wanted to do with it. Like most moms of children this age I thought oh she wants new toys or CDs or something of that nature. She surprised me one Saturday morning by asking to go to the local Veterinarian's office that was having an adoption that day. I took her just to see what they had and to my surprise they had a little Japanese Chin that had recently been rescued from a puppy mill in MO. Becca wanted to use her birthday money to adopt this baby. I was teary eyed as we filled out the adoption papers and took this frail, skinny and scared to death dog home with us. Over the next few weeks we saw a lifeless skinny dog turn to a happy and so loveable baby girl! She quickly became the love of our lives and filled our lives with so much joy and love. We couldn't wait to go home at night just to play with her. She seemed to touch everyone's lives that she came into contact with and quickly became the neighborhood play dog with all the kids. Everyone that met her loved her. The long and short of this story is this...don't be afraid to adopt a animal from the shelter b/c no one seems to want them...they may just be waiting on you to come along for their happily ever after.

Lannette Easton
Jonesboro, AR

Born to be Mild

Kinky is living, loving proof that feral kittens can and do make wonderful companion animals. With a little patience we watched her blossom physically and emotionally. Now when she isn't chasing her favorite little blue ball she is rarely out of our arms.

Clare and Steve
Atlanta, GA

Shirley Joanne's Arrival

I was driving to work one day and witnessed what I thought were several boys tossing a ball around. They threw the "ball" into the street. I thought I can't believe those boys tried to make that car wreck when suddenly the "ball" stood up! I put my car in park jumped out in the middle of a four lane road ran 8 car lengths and scooped up the little black kitten. She turned out to be 3 weeks old and full of mud and thorns. But Shirley Joanne is thriving today and living a happy healthy life in my home.

Jenny Thacker
Cincinnati, OH

Just Too Young

We had lost our 2 kitties 6 and 10 months earlier - and had vowed no more. Saturday 9/9/95 was grey and cold as we started to leave for a matinee movie, when I heard a very small cry. I look around and found a tiny black and white kitten under the outside water tap. My hubby said to leave it as the feral mommy likely was just moving her litter. While we were at the movies it rained, so when we got home I checked on the kitten. He was still there, floating lifeless in a puddle. I went in to get something to reach him with and went back figuring he at least deserved to be properly buried. The cold water followed by the jolt of moving him revived him. Our plan was to feed him through the weekend then Monday to carry him to the animal shelter. Monday afternoon they took one look at him and stated he was "just too young" and started to arrange getting him to the vet to be PTS. After 2 Â½ days of hard work to keep him alive -- I left and carried him to my vet. I found out he likely was 5 days old on Saturday when I found him and was told how to care for him. Our plan became to find him a home when he was old enough to wean. That was 13 Â½ years ago, Dracula (looks like a pale white cat in a black hooded cape) now lives with us and several rescued feline sisters and brothers (former ferals and throw-a-ways) and has seen a larger number of other former ferals and throw-a-ways rescued and fostered and placed into loving homes. But it all happened because someone felt he was "just too young".

Rhonda Carter
Kinston, NC