Animal Rescue Stories

Buddy the wonder dog

When we were living on a farm in MO, a dog showed up one day; scraggly, flea and tick ridden, rash-covered, half-starved. He came right up to me, tail wagging, sat down and gave me a paw. I was smitten.
He was about a year old at the time, extremely friendly and wanted love and affection more than food. His coat was so rough that I couldn't imagine how anyone would want to pet him. And he was afraid of everything; loud noises, wind in trees, going in the car, you name it.
We've had Buddy now for almost 5 years. He's friendly, happy, healthy, with a silky, shiny coat. Riding in the car is his favorite thing to do. He's the ambassador of our neighborhood, greeting everyone, letting all the children pet and walk him, comforting anyone who might be sad or in need of a friend. When anyone gets a new puppy, Buddy wants to play and teach it all kinds of doggy games. We can't imagine life without this wonderful dog. I encourage everyone to adopt a rescue dog.

Naomi Greenfield
Sunrise, FL

BOO! Magoo

It was Halloween and a co-worker called to say a stray kitten she could see from her window wasn't acting right. I was able to catch him because his eyes were crusted shut from infection. He was about 5 weeks old and weighed 15oz. The rescue group I called was out of space and asked if we could foster him for a couple of days. One eye had ruptured and was removed, luckily the hole in the other cornea healed and he has some vision in that eye. Of course we kept Boo Magoo and became volunteers for Rocky Mt Alley Cat Alliance.

Patricia S. Thompson
Northglenn, CO

"Faith"

Two years ago this skinny Rott showed up at my husband's (Rob) work, where Rob and fellow employees were sneaking food outside to her. After a few days they were told that they would have to call the local dog pound to come and get her. When Rob returned to work the next morning he couldn't believe what he saw, she had blood coming from two large holes in her back, big enough to put a small fist in. She must have been running from something and caught the bottom of the chain link fence; she had also bitten her tongue on both sides. He immediately had her taken to our vet clinic where she spent the next 6 weeks healing. While there she under went eye surgery and she also tested positive for heartworms. My daughter came up with her name Faith; she said faith brought her to Rob to save her life. She now is healthy and part of our large family (and very protective over Rob). She has five other sisters and two brothers; six are strays and one we got 10 years ago from our local animal shelter.
The Apt's

Tina Apt
Box Springs, GA

Rosey the CHAB

While i was in Tennessee taking care of my aging mother, I would take my German Shepherd (Danny) and my Chocolate lab (Dusty) to the TN River to swim. One day while we were out there Dusty kept running down along the river and kept trying to get me to follow her. Well she wouldn't give up so I went down around the other side of the trees and there was a litter of drowned puppies. There were 7 of them and 2 were still breathing. They barely fit in my hand they were so tiny. I grabbed them up and took them over 40 miles to a vet who kept them a couple days to try and keep them alive. The vet spent a lot of time to keep them alive. She also thought that since they had so many ticks imbedded in their skin that it would be almost impossible for them to live long from diseases they might have picked up from those ticks. I spent the next couple of days getting each one of those ticks out of her skin and ears. That was in 2001 and I still have her today and she is such a sweet and loving girl. She has been a big help with my older dog and helping him to find things and is his ears and eyes for him now that he is aging. She had a rough beginning, but she is a blessing to me and my other rescues. Rosey loves to take long walks out in the country and believe it or not, loves to swim with me! She loves all the cats and makes sure they are all ok first thing when she goes out in the mornings!

Shari Rose
Anna, OH

Baron

Meet Baron, our 7 year old GSD. We got Baron from the "Save a Shepherd Rescue Alliance" in Philadelphia. Baron was, at the time, 4 months old, and had already been in 3 homes plus the Humane Society. Never abused, but shuffled off like a piece of clothing...

This was one big boy! At 4 months, he already weighed in at 45 lbs. On the 5 hour ride home, Baron laid in the back of our Trailblazer, played with his toys, and never made a peep. Unbelievably well-behaved!

Baron assimilated well into our home of 2 other dogs, and 3 cats. He was, and still is, a very playful dog. Baron loves toys...he has about a 1/2 dozen of them, and they all have names. There's Mickey (named for his buddy at the foster home), Santa News, Mighty Dog, and many more (and he, of course, knows them all by name and will go find upon request!).

Last year, Baron hurt himself running in the snow. After 3 surgeries and 5 months in a cast, his back leg was finally fused and ready for him to walk on. Unfortunately, in those 5 months, his hind end had atrophied to the point of virtual uselessness. So, it was on to Physical Therapy, and a weight loss program (Baron is now 120 lbs., due to some time on prednisone for another condition). He is still recovering with PT, and doing very well, although the hip dysplasia will always give him trouble.

Baron has been a wonderful addition to our family, and continues to be incredibly playful and loving, even with all he has been through. All of our pets have come from a rescue situation, and they bring us such joy, I cannot imagine life without them.

Deborah Ilic
Fairport, NY

Tucker T, my lifesaver

I had been mourning the loss of my Tuxedo cat for two years. I had been looking for another one for awhile, but to no avail. My mother called me one night and asked me if I was still loooking for a tuxedo cat. "Of course!" I replied. She said that one just walked up into their carport just and seemed to want some love. I went to their house and there was this beautiful black and white cat who came up and rubbed up against me. I was in love from that point on. It took awhile to get him used to being an inside cat....and he still goes out from time to time for a walk...but, now, he is our source or entertainment. He rolls around with the dog, wrestles with our other cat and he even comes when he's called. My husband says he's part dog. This is Tucker T...the TUCKMAN!

Kelly
Harrisburg, NC

Barney

Barney was a skinny stray cat with an embedded collar who hopped the fence into my backyard to raid the bird feeder last fall. It took weeks of setting out food before I could get close enough to quickly snip the collar off and then weeks more before I could grab him to put him in my basement before the snows were too deep. He had a medical setback during his neutering surgery, but is a healthy, playful and loving gentleman now. I have three other cats who are not happy about our guest, so we are looking for a wonderful forever home for this sweet boy. I'm so glad that Barney has a second chance for a new life!

S. Torrey
Erie, PA

Roscoe and Zoey

Both of our dogs are rescue dogs. Roscoe came from the Sadie Mae Foundation in Bolton, CT where he was rescued from death at the pound at six months old. He has been with us for over two years now, and I have watched him go from a bag of bones and fur to one of the smartest dogs I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. My life would definitely not be the same without him. Zoey came from Bandit's Place in East Hartland, CT. She came to us after a long journey that involved being dropped at a pound in Tennessee and having seven puppies. Despite many set backs in housetraining and behavior, she has now been with us for over two months and we cannot imagine her not being there, either. Rescue dogs are the best dogs and my two are living proof!!!

Marla
Enfield, CT

Mr. Iggy

On January 5, 2009 I adopted a Pomeranian from The Albany Humane Society and we had not been aquainted 20 minutes before he ran away from me. I prayed to God that he come back but he didn't and until this day I have not heard or seen any sign of him. On January 8, 2009 I saw a dog on the Today in Georgia that looked exactly like the dog I had adopted on the 5th and I mean he looked just like my dog. They were the same color except for the one I lost was acutally darker in color but they were the same breed, sex and age and that moment I knew that it must have been ment for me to have a Pomeranian. The same morning I began calling the Lee County Animal Shelter where this dog was. I begged her not to let anybody get him but she told me that she couldn't hold him because if somebody came in with the adoption fee then she had to let him go. I started praying to God for that dog. On January 9, 2009 I called to the shelter to see if the dog was still there and he was so I told her I was on my way. My life changed that very day because the Lord had answered my prayer. I named him Iggy and he and I have been close every since that day. I truly love my Iggy, he is just like a child to me and he is very smart. I'm so glad that I saved his life and he has made a difference in mine. I thank God for my companion.

Teresa
Pelham, GA

Little Girl finds a home...

In the wooded area across the street from our home, I noticed an animal hiding in the brush. As I went closer with food dish in hand, a scrawny, nearly hairless cat ran to me with that loud, desperate "Meow" that signals a cat in extreme need. She was near starving, very dirty, and had lost most of the hair on her hindquarters and along her spine. She wore a ragged plastic flea collar but no ID. After feeding her regularly for a few days, we managed to get her to our local vet who diagnosed flea allergy, mosquito nose and extreme earmites. Medication took care of all her conditions and twice a day feedings gave her back her beautiful coat and a healthy weight -- 12 lbs at last visit! No matter what we had to do to her -- give her pills, clean and medicate her ears and nose, Little Girl has never once scratched or tried to bite us. She had already been spayed when she found us. She is the sweetest cat, and makes me wonder how she came to be in such bad straits. Her story has a happy ending since she is one of our family, which includes 3 more previously homeless cats, but there are many more abandoned animals out there, literally dying for a helping hand. Please do your part!

AJ Smith
Key Largo, FL