Animal Rescue Stories

Yukon, from Fear to Family

After our beloved Rusty passed away, we allowed her sister Nikki, our 10 year old Siberian Husky, to pick out a new buddy. We "interviewed" numerous middle aged Huskies but she chose a 6 month old! He wanted to play and she wanted to play, so we adopted him. I don't know if she remembered her time at the rescue center or just what, but she seemed to know he needed her.

Once we got him home, it seemed that all the poor puppy could do was cower in the corner or hide in one of the dog houses. He panicked when touched in certain places, leading us to believe that he had been abused.

Yukon was afraid to get in the car, afraid of the leash, afraid of strangers and even of my husband. We spent long hours sitting on the deck allowing him to tower over us. I gave him lots of positive attention and treats when he cooperated. Nikki showed him the ropes and over time he developed trust in me and even learned some behavioral tricks like sit, come, shake hands, lie down, go to bed, etc! Of course treats helped the process along. Eventually Yukon learned to trust my husband and now loves going for walks and car rides. He learned to "heal" by watching Nikki on a leash with me. We made trips to the vet's office and pet stores, allowing him to see that not everyone is mean.

The biggest test came when we took Yukon and Nikki to a neighborhood festival. We walked the streets, sat listening to a band, and allowed people to pet our "kids". Yukon is now 2 and my pride must have been evident whenever anyone showed an interest in him and I told them his story.

Karen Birch
Escondido, CA

Vicious Turned Loving

Gremlin was a small vicious kitten that was trapped and taken from the wooded area he was living in. I first met him when I went to my friends house and saw him inside the condo he was being kept in. I was told that he and his two sisters were very mean and could not be handled.
I asked to take care of him and try to turn his frown into a smile. I was later contacted to take him when she thought it was best to separate him from his sisters. He came to me in a small cage that he had to be kept in do to his temper tantrums and so he could see how the other cats in my house interacted with me. I tried to handle him wearing gloves and he bit through the glove. I then realized that he was very stubborn and forcing him to like me was not going to work. With the help of a few online tips I started to hand feed him chicken and bacon. He soon realized I wasn't so bad and he let me pet his little head. He thought to himself, gee that feels really good and I should let her do that more. As I was cooking the chicken I would pick him up and hand him a piece of chicken that I had let cool.
After several times of allowing me to pick him up he started purring and I knew I had him.
He is now a very sweet, comical, loving kitten. Gremlin is currently learning to sit with the use of chicken.
His sisters found good loving homes.

Lisa Gemmel
Hamilton, NJ

My Keely Girl

My first girl Toiya was lost to kidney disease after sharing my life for a wonderful 11 and a half years. We grew up together, turned 14 in the same year and at 24 years of age I had to say goodbye to my best friend. Walking with no dog made no sense, not being able to feel a soft head resting by my knee or a reassuring paw on my knee was gut wrenching - I knew I needed to find another friend to share my life with. Keely was in the pound for 1 month before I met her, a gorgeous tan kelpie cross given away at 6 months for being 'too active.' I visited her every weekend for 3 weeks, the 2nd weekend she stole my heart by placing her paw in my hand very gently, the 3rd weekend I came to take her home, where she has been ever since. She turns 3 in December, same date as my mother's birthday, has a little 1 and a half yr old Husky whose her best friend to mother and play with, loves swimming in the dam, chasing tennis balls and sleeping stretched across the back seat after our many outings to the beach and farm. She is simply the best.

Leonore Carter
Sydney, Australia

Callie picks a mom

A couple of years after the death of my beloved Clover I felt it was finally time to head to the local shelter and adopt a new cat. I was leary as I had just got my entire house repainted, carpeted and bought new furniture...and new pets can be unpredictable. Well, off to the shelter I went. When I first walked into the cat room this little calico kept running around my feet. The worker said she was a "special needs" kitty so I kept looking. No other cat seemed to "take" to me but the little calico wouldn't leave me alone. So I picked her up and immediately the worker said "she doesn't like to be held". Hmm, she curled up in my arms just fine. So I said to the worker "let's talk special needs". She said the kitty needed special food that can only be purchased at the vet since regular food crystalized her urine. My response was "that's all"? I can handle buying bags of dry food at the vet's office. So I decided to take the little calico home with me. I named her Callie (original huh?). But it fits her. She spent the first 2 weeks under my bed until she realized it would be more comfortable sleeping on the bed instead. Since then we have become insepartable. She sleeps with me and sits on my shoulder when I'm at the computer or watching TV. I am so glad she picked me!

Timarie Maske
Joliet, IL

Feline Friend

Button's mother was a feral cat who showed up one winter near our home looking very sad and hungry. He has been a friend of ours since he was a little kitten. We took Button in and he has easily adjusted to life as a domestic cat. He enjoys being the center of attention. We love Button!

Brittany Whyte
Edgewater, MD

Mr. Nibs

This gorgeous cat almost didn't survive! A friend of mine heard kittens crying and crawled under his porch. He sadly found two dead kittens and a tiny black one. He took the kitten and showed his mother. She was shocked because his frail body was crawling with fleas. The vet didn't seem too hopeful that the dehydrated, flea-ridden kitten would make it but he gave it his best shot. When the kitten recovered, my friend's mother gave him to me (she is allergic to cats). Seven years have passed and Mr. Nibs is a muscular, thirteen pound cat. He is very affectionate and loves to play with my pet rabbits. Mr. Nibs will turn anything into a toy (a plastic cap, the curtains and much to my chagrin, toilet paper). He has brought a lot of happiness to my life and everyone he comes in contact with. He has even stolen the hearts of many self-professed "dog lovers."

Farrah Zori
Lowell, MA

MaLassie the Collie

Once upon a time I was looking for a Collie for my fost/adopt children and spread the word in Southern California. Many of the show dogs had health problems, and I wanted one like I found in a shelter, years ago, a farm Collie, who was good with children. One day I went to a pet store. The owner said he did not get many requests for Collies. I tried Collie Rescue, but no luck. Six months later, the pet store owner called me saying he had a Collie, ordered by a family, but they decided they did not want her. I exclaimed, "I will take her!" However, he said, "Wait. She is large now. I can't sell her. She is on her way out of here. No one wants her." I rushed to the store. She was no longer a baby, long, big feet. The show dog folks told me I would have nothing but health problems with her. She did have Kennel Cough. She had no undercoat, very little hair -- not the normal fur ball. A year later I tracked down her baby brother. An elderly couple in the Midwest bred Collies as a hobby. Last year she met her mother. She was already named Lassie; we called her MaLassie. She had been there so long, she was afraid to go out of the store. What a wild horsie! At 6 months, she brought in all the sheep and the strays. MaLassie will be seven in June. In a way, I rescued her, because she was on her way to the pound when I got her. A problem child as sweet as she can be; talks a lot! Grabbed a lot when I got her; she had been in a cage so long. She transformed my life.

C. Weismantel
Southern, CA

My Rescue Story

I have been a part of the New Jersey Schnauzer Rescue, doing transports and fostering after adopting my first rescue, Peanut in 1999. A few years ago, I was asked to go to Pennsylvania to get a dog that could not be cared for. Her owner was elderly and went into a nursing home. Missy was a young salt and pepper Schnauzer so full of energy. I brought her home and she knew exactly how to warm her way into our hearts. She never left! I adopted her within the month. Missy somehow knew that this was her forever home! She loved her new family. She plays out in the yard with her sister Chloe(the silver bullet) and bullies her older rescued brother Shermie(17 years old). Chloe was the only one not knowing what it was like to be given up. We got her as a puppy. Missy loves to go for walks with her family and loves riding in the car and along with my other dogs, know,this is the best family they have ever owned. I am truly amazed how dogs can transfer their love so quickly to a new family. Even though I do not foster any longer due to lack of room, I still do volunteer work along with my daughter at The Animal Orphanage in Voorhees, New Jersey, where they have all breeds of dogs in the shelter. I love working with the dogs!

Ann Braddock
Voorhees, NJ

Joy of Joys

That's what I feel every single time I look at my dog, Pepper. She is simply the cutest, sweetest, fluffiest, scruffiest thing I have ever seen. The joy she brings my fiance and myself is immeasurable. We can't believe how lucky we are.

Pepper is an amazing animal. She's very easy and low maintenance. She is kind, gentle and snuggly but she is not overly needy and can amuse herself for hours, just chewing on a bone. She's very smart but doesn't try to manipulate us or get into trouble. Her personality is so rich and complex and we are endlessly amused by her antics. She loves walks and playful scampering around the park or beach, but she doesn't tear apart the house if we can't squeeze a proper walk in on a freezing or rainy day. She goes with the flow and accepts what is. She is a little Buddha.

Her favorite snoozing spot, one of the cushions on our sofa, has now been reshaped to fit her perfectly. She has owners who lavish her with love, affection, wonderful walks, delicious, healthy meals and all of her grooming and medical needs. I can't get over that this little angle once lived on the streets, severely underweight and ridden with every parasite known to dog. Then she was in a shelter cage for months on end and only after we adopted her did we realize she must have been extremely itchy that entire time since she had been fed food that it turns out, she has an allergy to!

I think she must know how bad she had it and how lucky she is now because she is truly the perfect little companion.

Lara
Highland Park, IL

Two Love Buns

Harriet (right) was an ill-conceived Easter present to a young girl. Harriet's siblings were taken from their outdoor hutch and strangled by two neighbor boys. The mother gave Harriet to a friend of mine who then gave her to me. I had Harriet spayed to prevent bad behavior and ovarian cancer. George (left) was purchased for an Easter party to be placed in a basket as a centerpiece! The woman who did it was quite pleased with the idea! After the party, he lived in a guinea pig cage he couldn't even stand up in for about 7 years. He was given to me by the same person who gave me Harriet. He was thin and his fur was very matted but he was the sweetest boy you've ever met. After his grooming, he was so proud. George and Harriet were inseparable. He passed away on March 24, 2007. He lived the last year of his life with Harriet and I in a wonderful 32 square foot pen in my house. He touched my heart and taught me what it was to forgive and live in the moment. He brought so much happiness to my life and to Harriet's. The moral is to realize that rabbits are not Easter presents. They are animals that are often abused because of how inexpensive they are to purchase. They can even be won as prizes at fairs! They are not a good pet for irresponsible people and if they are in pairs, they must be spayed or neutered.