Animal Rescue Stories

Darling Dolly

I became the proud owner of a dog in late January of 09. I found her through petfinders.com, she was with the Almost Home Dog Rescue organization. I saw her picture and fell in love. When I met her for the first time, she seemed so big compared to the Border Terriers that I had as my previous pet but not too big for me or my home and yard. Because there was another interested party, I was so anxious about whether or not I'd actully get Dolly but in the end the foster Mom picked me basically because my home fit Dolly's needs the best. Dolly has become my sidekick and has integrated into our family as if she was meant to be here! I love her so much. She's a sweetheart with enough spunk to protect me and to have a great time with too! This is my first experience with a rescue dog and I am so happy with how things turned out that I will never get a dog from any other source. What a wonderful way to acquire a loving pet and save one from the many horrific things that can happen to a dog who was living on the streets!
Her name, Dolly, was given to her by someone from the SPCA but it fit her so well, we decided to keep it. Hello Dolly!
A Happy Pet Owner
Lisa

Lisa
Eagleville, PA

Whalen, the Westie

My story is about a 4 month old Westie named Whalen. He was born in a puppy mill and was purchased by a man who abandoned him. The local Westie rescue chapter was notified and the puppy was turned over to them. I had just turned in my application to adopt a puppy and, as fate would have it, Whalen and I were matched up. He is a healthy 2 year old now who just graduated from "basic training". His brother, Piper, was adopted by another family. Piper was very ill in the beginning but is doing very well today. We participate in the local Westie Walk fund raiser twice a year and the two boys get to see and play with each other.

Jae
Grand Prairie, TX

Poppy, the True Story of a Baby Bird Rescued at the AIrport

On a beautiful spring morning, a baby bird looks for his mother, ready for a yummy, buggy breakfast. He anxiously hops up and down, opening and closing his beak. He tumbles out of the warm nest onto the roof of a jetbridge at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. He then falls through a crack and down to the cold hard floor, ten feet below.
Lisa, a flight attendant, comes along to work her flight. She is shocked to find a tiny baby bird, his eyes not even open, begging for food. After a ramp worker tells her to just 'throw that thing in the trash,' Lisa scoops up the pitiful baby and takes it with her on her work schedule. The Captain and the rest of the crew name him 'Poppy,' because of his hopping and popping up and down.
Poppy, the bird, flies all across the United States for three day and 'earns his wings,' ironically, without even a single adult feather.
Because Poppy is a starling, the rehab center rejects him, so Lisa takes him home with her. Poppy learns to talk, whistle and sing at just 4 months old and astounds everyone with his birdie intelligence.
Poppy is now almost 5 years old (this May 21) and has become a Super Star-ling! He has his own website, poppythebird.com where you can watch him whistle 'Dixie' and 'Mozart' and even leave him a 'tweet' or email. If you would like to read more about Poppy's complete story, it is available on Amazon.com as a Kindle / Iphone Book. Poppy also has a children's picture book, 'How Poppy Gets His Wings,' which is awaiting publishing.

Lisa Fiori Dragonetti
Tampa, FL

Puppy watching over sick old dog

Tanner blessed our household a year ago at two months of age. He and Nikki, 13 years old, became fast friends. Nikki feels badly quite often from old dog maladies. Tanner senses when she doesn't feel well and stays close by her side.

Apache
Longmont, CO

Chance's Survival

hey all...

im not sure if you read about my life or not , but if you did you will see i didn't start out real good... My first owner was abusive and left me and my friends to die, hes now in jail, a nice Deputy found me before it was too late and took me to Levy County Animal Shelter. Since they are a kill shelter it still didn't look too good but that changed. Tara from Safe Society came , looked me right in the eyes and said Chance im taking you and i promise i will find you a good home .

and she did , well it found me...my Mom, saw my story on the Petfinders web Site.. and cried , she said i got to her heart, She already had two dogs , "The Beagles" and 6 cats but called Levy County and they told her about Safe... my Mom and Tara talked and my Mom wanted me convincing Safe i was gonna be spoiled like "The Beagles" (and boy are they). Tara brought me to Lyns house, I met "The Beagles" Savanaha, and Nisha, Savanaha loves to play where Nisha, just does her own thing. I then saw the cats all 6 of them .Wow.. they all look alike.. but they too are very spoiled, My first couple of days i was nervous, but Mom,kept telling me it would be ok,, and kept giving me hugs, and kisses, Mom,never gets upset, at me. When "The Beagles" and i go out at night and do our thing, We all get puppy cookies, , Mom puts mine on the bar so Savanaha does't get them cause shes a thief . I love my new home, THANK YOU Safe for my family..... Life couldn't be better...

Lyn Pierce
Citrus Springs, FL

My Bunny

My husband and I had just lost our Rocky, when a girl I work with told me about a kitten that had wandered up into her yard. She was only 2lbs. at 10 weeks old. About 2 lbs underweight. and she was sick. URI, she was at the vet every week for a month. Now happy and healthy, she is the light of our lives. When excited to see you, her tail sticks straight up, it quivers and those back feet get to steppin'. It was the funniest thing we had ever seen. We are so glad we took her.

Sandra Littlefield

Sandra Littlefield
Irmo, SC

A friend for life

DiÃ«go was 9 months old when he came to live with us. Apparently he had become too big for his previous owners so they wanted to sell him. I immediately fell in love with this beautiful Bernese. A few months ago when I believed I had failed my first important final exam at the university I felt miserable. I sat on the kitchen floor crying, and there was DiÃ«go, right by my side. My Bernese mountain dog who usually hates cuddling sat next to me on the floor with his head on my lap and my arms around him for an entire hour. He is there for me when I need it, a better friend than most humans.

Veerle C.
Genk, Belgium

Our Precious Puppy

Six months after losing my 16-year old silky, China, to cancer, I got an urgent call from a friend who knew I needed and was ready to adopt a new companion. While mourning China's death, I had a growing and pressing concern for all the animals needing homes and lots of love to make up for their suffering. Here was a chance to save a valuable life and fill that hole in my heart. Scooter had one more day to live so I sent my new human, Jack, down to the Humane Society to see Scooter and the other inmates. My caller said Scooter was exactly what I needed, and to hurry.
Scooter picked Jack right away. Laying on the floor with his nose pushed through the door, and sad eyes staring at Jack, Scooter wagged his tail and licked Jack's hand. Jack said he seemed to be saying, "Please mister, pick me!" Jack walked on to but couldn't get that beautiful sad-eyed dog out of his mind. Looking back at Scooter's nose poking through the bottom of his cage, Jack turned back. Scooter cried out. Seeing Scooter woofing, wriggling and furiously wagging his tail, Jack fell in love on the spot. When Jack picked me up at work, I could see two heads in the rear window, one with huge furry ears. We've had our wonderful, loving, loveable and talkative character, "Scooter puppy," for 11 of his 12 years, and when we lose our home, Scooter will stay with his human parents, whatever happens. He is our real treasure and we'll guard him with our love as long as he lives. Nothing is as valuable as our loving and faithful companions.

Tali Stern
San Diego, CA

Little Pippi Longstocking in her Christmas Tree

My beloved dad died and I went to his house every day to pick up the mail and check on his house. His house is surrounded by woods in the back and on one side.

As I was checking the mailbox I heard this horribly loud screaming coming from the woods. It was pitiful and so loud you could hear it many houses away. It sounded just like our neighbors' two big parrots so I thought perhaps a bird had gotten loose from somebody.

Walking down the street toward the sound which was getting even louder and louder I still wasn't sure who was making such a noise. As I got closer to the sound, out of the woods jumped the most beautiful little part Siamese/part white domestic cat who couldn't have been more than six weeks old. I couldn't believe such caterwauling could from such a tiny kitten but she was determined to be noticed!

Reaching down to her she jumped right into my arms and into my heart. But we already had 3 cats and at our age didn't want a kitten. I took her home with full intention of taking her to the shelter the next morning assuming she'd be adopted because of her beauty. Ha!

By the next morning we'd already tried 3 different names on her finally settling on Pippi Longstocking because of her long white legs. She is possessed of the sweetest disposition of any cat we've ever been owned by.

Thus far we've had her for two Christmasses and each year she has claimed the Christmas tree for her personal playground, even sleeping in it. She talks quietly now and we've never heard that unbelievably loud scream again.

Sheryl Letzgus McGinnis
Palm Bay, FL

Yoda Bear the Polar Bear

Yoda Bear found me in when I was working at the animal emergency clinic. He was brought in by animal control after someone turned on their truck engine unaware he was inside. They were willing to adopt him out but refused to fix him. Yoda weighed 1.5 pounds and was a filthy, flea covered, feral baby. He had been scaped and his face had several injuries. The doctor did not think he would make it through because he was so tiny. They tried to convince me he should just be put to sleep but I convinced them to let me foster him. I brought the tiny baby home with 2 drain tubes and numerous sutures. I did everything I could to help him recover. He loved to sit in my lap while I was reading. My mom and step dad would hold him and play with him while I was at work to help socialize him. Everyone fell in love with him and I couldn't give him up. Yoda Bear thrived and now he smiles every time I tell him the story of how the best kitty ever came into my life. (my mom named him Yoda because his ears don't stand all the way up because of the tissue he lost in the accident)

Laura Pomeroy
El Paso, TX