Animal Rescue Stories

My Buddy Mikey!!

Mikey showed up at my door one cold January evening in 1997. I let him in, fed him, and then he curled up on the couch and slept next to me all evening. I could tell he was grateful and content.The next morning I let him outside when I left for work, wasn't sure how he'd behave with my other two cats. That evening he showed up again and I let him in, he got a little bossy with the other two cats, but soon learned he had a place with his newfound family and settled down. I never let him go again.He has been by my side ever since, literally, because he loves to snuggle. He even hugs me when I pick him up. I can't believe how much joy he brings me.

Karen
Crestwood, IL

A Family Affair

Three years ago a mottled gray and orange stray female cat showed up at our door looking for food. We called her Ashes for her coloring. Although sweet, Ashes was wary and wiley of being caught even with a trap. Months later she had three kittens under our shed. We took them in at five weeks old and named them Ferdinand, Columbus & Isabella. Shortly thereafter, Ashes had two kittens that she brought to us to feed when they were seven weeks old. We again took them in. At the time I mentioned to my husband that Ashes did not look well but she resisted any attempt to catch her. Aug. 8, '08 Ashes had four kittens in the woods across from our house. A month later she was pacing back and forth between our front windows and our shed. Over and over again she did this until we went to look under the shed. Sure enough, there were the kittens. Somehow knowing we would care for her babies, Ashes looked first at them, then at us, meowed once and walked into the woods never to be seen again. My husband and I are convinced Ashes knew she was dying and wanted us to take in her babies. Now we have her nine babies plus the daddy. All are fixed, vaccinated and indoors! Six are named in her honor: Smokey, Flame, Sooty, Torch, Embers & Cinders. Dad is named Chief. We feel bad we couldn't catch Ashes but, we are very grateful for her beautiful babies who bring us so much joy and love.

Liz Hoeflick
Cuddebackville, NY

One Happy Chow Hound

When I worked at an animal shelter, I decided to walk this lonely chow mix on my lunch break. He had a sweet nature, but was afraid of everything. And, he was sick with kennel cough. I took "Bubba" home and fostered him for 3 weeks. I had never seen such a bad case of kennel cough. When it was time to take him back to the shelter, I just couldn't. I worried he wouldn't get adopted because he had already been at the shelter for several weeks. After 5 years of living with us, our beautiful Chow hound (cookie monster) loves people and is very happy. We named him Leo because of his beautiful mane. Leo taught us about recovery from abuse and neglect, forgiveness, and how he loves us unconditionally. I am so grateful I took Leo for that walk. He is one of my teachers in life.

Karin
Tucson, AZ

My Chip

I rescued Chip from a shelter a retired policeman was running in Southgate. He had been abandoned when his owners moved out of their apartment and left him behind with no food or water. Now he is my loving, gentle boy who nuzzles my face and sleeps in my lap. He has my heart and a forever home!

Nancy Zelenak
Rogers City, MI

Buffy the Wonder Cat

Buffy was about 5 months old when he was brought into the shelter where I volunteered. He had been found dragging himself across a yard by his front feet. He could only drag his back legs either having been struck by a car or, worse, being kicked by someone. An MRI disclosed a crushed vertibrea and a damaged spinal cord. It was unlikely that he would ever walk again.

Despite his injury, Buffy was infectiuosly good natured. All of the volnteers loved him. He would drag himself to the door of his room to greet visitors and would love to be held and petted. I fell in love and adopted him despite having five other special needs cats. I began to research small carts which could support his back end while I also began some special exercises to strengthen his back legs. Miraculously, he began to respond to the exercises. One day he stood up on his own. Weeks later, he began to take some steps and, after almost a year, he was able to hesitantly walk around my house!

Now, almost 5 years after he came home, Buffy is able to jump up on chairs and he loves to run, although he still has a difficult time controlling his back legs. He continues to be a happy, loving cat and a wonderful addition to our special needs cat family!

Joan Francis
Guilford, CT

Sam I Am

My name is Sam formerly Carlos the name the rescue gave me. My mommy rescued me from the Boston Terrier Rescue in TN. I had been rescued and sent to the rescue where I had plenty of friends, but being a mix (Boston and Beagle) everyone else wanted the other dogs who looked more like the standard full breed Boston. My Mommy saw my picture on the website and fell in love with me immediately.

We recently had lost our other baby Ralph of 18 years, to old age and it took me some convincing to get my husband to get another baby, as it broke his heart when Ralph passed. But once he saw Sam it was love at first site. Sam is now the joy of our days, he always welcomes us home with something in his mouth. He sleeps with us, and loves to go for rides. Our lifes wouldnt be the same with out him there.

No family is complete without a loving little furry friend to greet you home.

The Kelley Family
Chattanooga, TN.

Bobbie Kelley
Chattanooga, TN

the one who almost wasn't...

My partner & I were just watching t.v. one day, when my partner's mother called out of nowhere. She knew a man who trying to find a home for his 1Â½ year old jack russell/rat terrier mix named JJ. He had recently gotten engaged to a woman who demanded that the man find JJ a good home or have him put to sleep. My partner & I had been thinking about getting a dog, & I was just WAITING to get one, as I'd never had a dog before. We decided that we couldn't let this young dog go to the pound & possibly be put to sleep, so called my partner's mother back & told her that we'd take JJ. Of course we were both anxious to see how he'd react to us. Always fearing the worst, I thought he'd be confused, miss his previous owner, & dislike living with us. We decided to go the very next day & get him. JJ's original owner brought him to my partner's mother's house so that he was ready for us when we got there. As soon as I walked through the door, it was as if he'd known me his whole life. As I squatted down, he almost knocked me over licking my face! We decided to take him home right away so he could settle in. He acted as if he lived here his whole life & instantly just wanted to love us. he knew we saved him. & living with depression/anxiety for almost 10 years, I know that he saved me (which he also knows!) he's almost 3 now. & happier than ever. I'm amazed every day at how incredibly smart he is. I'll never stop telling him how he changed my life & how much he's loved.

mikala
lincoln, NE

Boomer

I met Boomer initially b/c I had agreed to "foster" him. He had been abused, then abandoned, and was emaciated, had flea allergies, a very bad skin problem and would meow incessantly. He had been adopted three times and brought back each time. He was a difficult case and it took a lot of care and effort to make him better.

It was difficult at first. The shelter gave us rotten medicine for a respiratory infection that he didn't have, making him sicker. He had claws, so we had to keep him in the den away from our other cats until we could get him declawed and vaccinated. If you ever left him alone, even for a minute, he would cry (hence the name Boomer - he has a distinct meow and its more like "booming" :) and he would eat every last morsel of food as though he thought there wouldn't be more later.

Its been 3 years now (and a countless number of vet visits) and Boomer and I have a very special bond - I could not live without him. He cries when I go in a room and close the door without him, he follows me all around the house, he loves his blankie and most of all, he loves to give love. I encourage everyone to rescue an older cat, they are the the sweetest, most afffectionate animals and are very thankful to have a home and someone to love.

Jenna Marerra
West Palm Beach, FL

Peace at last

Tyson came to us about seven years ago. Husband went to get him because our neighbors last their dog and a friend of my husband's said a lady that worked for him was giving away a Pitbull and the neighbors said yes at first. When my husband to get him (Tyson) he was nothing but skin and bones --you could count his ribs. The neighbors show him and said no so the hunt was on to find Tyson a home because at the time we had two wonderful Rottweilers and a boxer/pit mix so we really did not have the room for him but in the mean time we found out that at nine months Tyson had never had any shots nor was he on heart worm preventive which is really a must in the state of Florida. I told my husband no one was going to take him without his shots and to see if he had heart worms so off to the vet we went. When we took him to the vets office and ask about a lot of scares on Tyson the vet told from the looks of it the people who had him before were either trying to fighting him or using him as a bait dog-- so that explained why he (Tyson) wanted to rip in the Rattles and the boxer mix, the vet also told my husband that if he had Tyson neutered that it might take some of the aggression out of him and my husband said yes immediately and that is when I knew that Tyson was not going anywhere because it took me eight years to convince him to neuter my male rottie. After working with Tyson for months we have video of him playing with the rotties and boxer/pit mix.

Bonnie
Tampa, FL

My Best Buddy

Buddy is a very friendly stray dog that i feed all the time for quite a few months. Then she was caught by the town municipal after some neighbours lodged complaints about her. I went to get her back, and asked my parents to keep her as a pet. Surprisingly, they said yes. And now Buddy is a very loving and cheeky house pet!

Zoe
kuala lumpur, Malaysia