Animal Rescue Stories

And, Peyton makes 3

While visiting some friends in Indiana, they showed us 4 stray kittens living in their barn. One hopped into my lap and didn't leave -- even when her momma came to bring the babies back to the barn. She was the cutest thing ever and pick us to be her family! We took the baby, Peyton, to the vet the next morning to get her checked out. Weighing in at only 14 oz, she got a clean bill of health and the "okay" from the doctor to stay with us. It took some time for our other 2 cat children to accept her but now we are all one big happy family. Peyton is now 6 months old and has learned all the family routines.

John and Laconya
Marietta, GA

Rocky - not just a dog, a MIRACLE!

It all started early one morning when I was in school as my dad was at the animal shelter. I got home from school just as my dad opened our front door, and a very BIG and FURRY thing came up to me. I got startled because I never saw such a big dog. My mom even pointed out that she though it was a bear! But it wasn't, it was Rocky! Since he was born, he was separated from his brothers. Early on in Rocky's life, he was used as a guard dog to guard an old building. He has come home with us containing ticks, fleas, and scratches and an ear infection. Till this day, he's getting better and has absolutely no fleas, scratches or ticks, but we're still working on that ear infection though. But I knew - my family knew, that despite losing a pet who was more than just a "pet" we could share new joy and love with the next best thing, Rocky, and we all love him so much. German Shepherds are always going to be used as guard dogs, but to us way beyond and before that - he's considered a family member more, whom we adore.

Brigitte
Hallandale, FL

Its always sunny in Philadelphia

It was a chilly day in January 2008 when my wife and I, decided to pass through one of the local shelters to look for a dog. Well my wife went begrudgingly due to my insistence on wanting a dog. The second we walked into the PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society) in Center City Philadelphia we fell in love with Lady the Beagle. She was so timid when we approached to pet and play, but loosened up immediately and took a special liking to my wife (she went to sit on my wife's lap several times during playtime). We left the shelter and began to walk to the car to discuss how the adoption of a dog would change our lives. After about a block, we turned around and adopted Lady. We had no supplies, so off to the pet store we went. I'll never forget how we came about choosing a bed for her - because i had no idea how else to do it, I grabbed one off the shelf and had her sit in it. Not even thirty seconds later, she was lying snuggled against the side. What a feeling we had at that moment knowing that we were going to make a homeless dog comfortable. She quickly annointed our house as her furever home having free reign of all rooms with open doors, which weren't many, but after several weeks everyone was on schedule. I like to think of Lady as a Human's best friend, not just Man's - she brings a smile to everyone who passes us on our walks, It's nice coming home to my wife, but there's something about coming home to a howling beagle with a wagging tail! And my wife agrees!!!

Vince
Philadelphia, PA

Cat Mom to the Rescue

I had a stray cat that had been coming around for about a month that I was feeding. When I went out to feed him one evening, he was nowhere around. I went down to the end of my yard and called for him (which he took to the name Ears right away), thinking he might be in the pasture hunting mice. I could hear him answer me, but it sounded further away. As I kept calling him, he would answer, but wasn't getting any closer. I grabbed a flashlight and decided to check the woods along the creek down the road. I had no idea what to expect. I kept calling Ears and he was answering so I could go in the direction where he was. At one time when I called, he didn't answer so I said "You have to answer me or I can't find you", to which he then meowed. I finally found him with his front right paw stuck in a muskrat trap in the creek. When I figured out how to open the trap, I then scruffed him and put him down the front of my hoodsweater to keep him warm, since it was chilly and he was wet. I also took the trap so no other animals would get caught. Luckily, he didn't lose his paw. It must ache him occasionally because he holds it up when standing. Needless to say, we had him neutered and got his shots and he now lives in the house with my other 3 cats. It seems like he is so humbled because of the rescue , that he is very loveable and always vying for attention. This all happened on November 6, 2004. He will soon be 6 years old.

Robin Wallace
Manheim, PA

Artemis & Cinders

Meet Artemis (tiger) & Cinders (black)! We adopted Artemis 2 1/2 years ago, and we adopted Cinders exactly 3 weeks ago today! I am amazed at how fast they bonded. She came to us with hair missing, tail missing and ear infections, but she is turning into a beautiful, fun and very naughty kitty! I love watching them chase each other up and down the stairs and stalk each around corners. I especially love having both of them sleep with me! They make us giggle so much everyday!

Michelle Nelson
La Crosse, WI

Panther - my Prince

Panther is a 4 year old Oriental Shorthair mix and he joined his now "siblings" and I one day when I was on a walk, with one of them. I did NOT need or want 4 cats - I thought, BUT by the time I located his owner and the owner gave him to me I was grateful beyond words! Panther is the lovingest, sweetest, dearest baby boy in the WORLD! He is also our greatest protector and sits on his ladder by the hour keeping other kitties away from us.

Heidi Helene Christensen
Modesto, CA

Sparkles (later named Tanner) the lost Siamese kitten

One summer afternoon my nephew, Kyle, called to say that a kitten had been found on school property in a storage shed. There was no mamma cat around or other kittens. The coach said the kitten had to be taken out as he was closing the shed up, and the kitten would die. Kyle took the kitten, and called me. He wanted to take it out to a farm that he worked at part time. But the kitten was only a couple weeks old, and I knew it wouldn't survive. Kyle's family already had 2 cats, and he couldn't take it. So I brought the kitten home, fed it from a bottle and took it to the vet. It had an infection in it's eyes, and was undernourished. The vet said it looked like a pure bred Siamese. Several days later, my daughter-in-law (JoDee) and my grand-daughter (Kayla) came over to see the "baby". They fell in love with it. They took it home, and Kayla named it "Sparkles".They soon realized "it" was a boy, and she changed his name to "Tanner" after a school friend. Tanner thrived, and grew into a big, beautiful (and mischievous) cat. He has a loving and happy home! Tanner was a lucky kitten!

Peggy Overmeyer
Williamsville, IL

Isobel and Lexi

I found Isobel (sitting) at a local shelter three years ago, a feral kitten that took weeks of love and patience to tame. Her "blankie" is a cotton rug on the stair landing from which she has a view of the living room. It was there where she first allowed us to touch her...head, paws, tummy. She is now sweet, loving...and addicted to tummy rubs! but still very shy.
Shortly thereafter I fell in love with "sister" Lexi's sweet sad face on Petfinder and drove 600 miles to rescue her. "Sweet/sad" my foot! Talk about a con artist!
That first night we smuggled her into our hotel room and fixed up a cosy bed for her...where she lasted all of ten seconds before she clawed her way up the side of OUR bed and spent the night snuggled between us. By the time we got her home the next day the tiny emaciated, injured/patched-up kitten had established her position as alpha cat. She is now three and has matured into a bossy, busy, nosy little tyrant...always in trouble for something, but so funny and loving it's impossible to get mad at her.

Priscilla
Evergreen, CO

Black and White Cat That Bit me

The torrential downpour that ended an 8 year drought in Clermont County, OH bore many gifts. One was a 4 week old, drowned kitten on the walkway from the parking lot to my office. She was not happy. Someone had left a small piece of meat for her but it was bigger than her mouth and strength. I picked up the piece and broke it and the very hungry kitten mistakenly thought my finger was food. So, we visited the vet to discover that 3 weeks of watching was the humane way to know if she was rabid. She lived with me for 10 years, loved only me and was my 3-dog night. I miss you Pookie.

welda

Welda
Cincinnati, OH

My Molly

So far my family as rescued 4 basset hounds. We love each one to death! One in particular stole my heart. Her name was Molly. We adopted her when she was 4 years old. She was found as a stray in newark nj. She was malnurished and had visible sings of abuse. The worst sign was a wire cut that was wrapped around her jaw. She was very scared and very shy when I first me her.
It was love at first sight with her. Like most adoptions it was going to take days before we could bring her home. So I went to the shelter every day to walk her and play with her, she became so comfortable with me. The volunteers at the shelter said she would do nothing but cry when I left until I would come back the next day. Finally one day when I went up to visit her, they said I could take her home that day! She was so excited and scared at the same time. Ever since that first day I met her she was attached to me, she loved my whole family but I was her mommy. We gave her the best life we could, she was one spoiled pork chop of a basset lol. She was with us for 4-5 years. We finally had to put her down because she had cancer. She had a tumor the size of a softball on her hip. There was nothing we could do for her. That was the most traumatic day of my life, to this day I still think of her daily and miss her so much. I have always loved animals, but never knew that one could steal your heart the way that Molly stole mine.

Andrea Skahill
Bath, PA