Animal Rescue Stories

Calvin

I was at a pet fair Bow Wow and Meows held once a year in Santa Clarita where several of the animal shelters bring their animals in the hope they will get adopted. I was there just to purchase a few things from the vendors and i saw Calvin...He was being paraded around with a harness coat (to hide his ribs hanging out) and a hat (to hide the scar tissue damage on his head) but he was the sweetest furbaby. Everyone was stopping to pet him but noone was adopting him. I waited til close to the end hoping he would get adopted as i had 2 dogs already and wasnt looking for a 3rd. Noone adopted him so i took him and what a blessing he has been. Both my 2 Girls passed away less than a year later and Calvin was my rock he kept my sanity and he is so well trained, by whomever owned him before. He has filled out and the scar tissue gives him character, eveyone has to stop and pet him wherever we go. Now i purchase alot of your purple paw rescue items to show a life was saved.

Janice
Santa Clarita, CA

Stray Kitty At Our Door

One evening last November this beautiful kitty came to our glass front door & peered into our house, which is when we took this photo. We gave her some food & were able to pick her up and hold her--she purred & purred. She was wearing a collar with a bell on it, was very sweet, so we knew she was either lost or abandoned. After many days of "visiting" us, we took her to the vet to be scanned; no chip. She'd follow me around the yard as I gardened with her little bell jingling so we named her Bella. We made a bed for her by the front door with a warming mat in it, which she occupied regularly. We placed dozens of bold, color posters all over the neighborhood hoping her family would find her. After several weeks and no responses, we had her spayed & got her shots. The vet guessed she was about 8 months old & previously had a litter. We already have two inside cats and 7 feral cats we have trapped, neutered and returned to their home outside. My brother visited over Christmas and fell in love with her (look at that face--what's not to love?). After a shopping spree at the pet store for toys, carrier, bed, treats, etc., he took her home with him. She now has a wonderful life with Dale and his aging Beagle, Orbit. They dote on each other (all THREE of them). Don't you love happy endings?

Wendy
Elverta, CA

Keisha comes home

In 2004, I was looking for a dog. I'd wanted one for a long time. I went to the shelter and saw a dog that was 26 pounds. This was just right for me, because I thought I'd be moving into an apartment, and some of the complexes only take smaller dogs.

Keisha was a furry black and brown spaniel mix. She was in a cage between two huge dogs, who were barking their heads off, and poor Keisha looked like she could use some relief. The shelter worker let her out, and we had Keisha walk around on a leash for a while. I sat on a bench and the dog walked over to my side. I pet her, and she was so sweet, I knew she'd be good at home.

Five years later, I don't know what I did without her. She is the sweetest dog in the world. I still joke with Mom and Dad that the $55 adoption fee was the best money I ever spent in my life.

Donna Rail
Port Richey, FL

Our Mischievous Stray

My husband found Rory at work a year ago. She was covered in dirt and grease and had ear mites. He brought her home and bathed her in the bathroom sink. She even let him blow her dry! Each day, she crawls in the same sink and bathes herself. Rory is curious and is always getting into mischief. Her best friends are our long-haired Chihuahuas Pepe and Prisca. Together they have exciting adventures and keep us on our toes!

Kathlyn Crabtrey
Conroe, TX

Dixie's Land

We adopted Dixie from the Humane Society in Harrison, AR when she was almost 1-year old. We strongly believe in adopting from shelters and rescue groups, and when we saw Dixie's photo on Petfinder.com we knew she was our girl!

Dixie is 100 pounds, but is convinced she is a lap dog! She is very playful and loving, but also quite stubborn! We don't know exactly what mix of breeds she is, but our only concern is that she have a loving and happy home to call her own.

She is still pretty apprehensive about her harness and leash, and we suspect perhaps some abuse occured by her previous owner. But with lots of time and patience and love, she is slowly warming up to being on them for car rides and walks.

Dixie loves to give kisses and "talk" to us when she has something on her mind! She has very sweet eyes, and she knows how to use them to her advantage!

We love all of our rescued animals and encourage others to seek their new "forever friend" at their local shelter.

Jennifer Tripp
Lowell, AR

Charlie, a great beagle

Charlie is an absolutely great dog. He had those soulful beagle eyes that melted my heart. Seeing him behind the bars of the shelter, so wanting to sniff and run, and play outdoors again, it was impossible for me to leave without him. He is a wonderful companion for me and my other beagle, Lady. My life is richer with my two faithful companions always by my side. They ask for nothing but shelter, some food, a couple of daily runs and in return, they give me all the affection and loyalty one could ever ask for. Shelters are filled with wonderful companions waiting for a friend to come and take them to their new home. In return you will receive unconditional love and a friend for life!

Joanne Gervais
Kingston, Canada

Rusty Rescued - Four Times is the Charm

Rusty is a hybrid (he doesn't like terms such as "mutt" or "mixed breed") and is very energy efficient. Rusty (also known as The Dog of Great Hope) was owned by an elderly couple in Houston, until one of them died and the other went into a nursing home. Then Rusty moved next door with a neighbor, who suffered financial difficulties and lost his house and couldn't keep him. Rusty then was passed to another owner who later took a new job in Justin, Texas, which didn't work out. So owner #3 returned to Houston where he no longer had a house - and Rusty was left behind at the animal shelter.

Fortunately, one of the shelter volunteers decided that "Rusty was too nice to go into the general population," took him home and searched for a new owner on the DFW Pet Placement network. We liked his size and "Benji-look," so we traveled to Justin to be "interviewed" by Rusty. We were found to be acceptable.

When Rusty came to our home, he didn't know how to play. It took a long time before he would chase a ball, but now he runs and brings his ball to us when we come home, or just rolls on his back and growls because he's happy to have a forever home.

Robert Marquardt
Plano, TX

Rescuing Alexis von Houndenberg III

Alexis (which we usually call Alex), is a beautiful Redbone Coonhound that was abandoned by a callous hunter because she is terrified of loud noises. Thin and frightened, we took her to the nearest vet hospital to be checked out. When I asked what type of dog she was, the unfortunate answer was "she's just a hound!"..Horrified at this prejudiced response, when they asked what name to put on her chart, I decided quickly, "Alexis von Houndenberg, III." Alex is so much more than "just a hound"--she has so much personality and is the light of our lives!

ghodgkins@ec.rr.com
Wilmington, NC

Love at First Sight

Two years ago, following the funeral of my friend's husband, we were at her home with some family and friends, when out of nowhere, wandering on this small country road, was a little puppy who was obviously injured. So, I picked her up (all 3.8 lbs of her), and it was love at first sight. I decided to take her home & foster her until her "parents" could be located but that never happened, so Kassidy has been a part of my family, along with her big sister, Shelby, since then. She recovered quickly from her broken foot and has no idea that she once was a "street" dog, nor does she realize that she weighs less than 10 lbs. She loves to "play-fight" with my roommate's Golden Retriever, Keiba. She's a happy, healthy girl who loves to cuddle with me in my recliner. Oh, by the way, did I mention that she loves to bark!

Linda Wilson
Clovis, CA

Dharma Is A House Cat Now~!!

I adopted Dharma from our local Animal Control Shelter about 6 weeks ago. She has been a great addition to my life. She is happy and she is putting on some well deserved pounds. She plays alot~~and is all around a happy & healthy cat. Words cannot express how much I care for her.
I love when she turns her head to give me a kiss~!!

Sheri Myers
Longwood, FL