Animal Rescue Stories

Our sweet Maisy

We found Maisy 8 years ago by using Petfinder.com and we are so glad we did. Our Maisy is a huge part of our family she belongs with us. Her personality matches ours perfectily. I had lost my cat a few years before having Maisy and was afraid of getting close to another animal. But when I saw Maisy and read her story how her and her two sisters where found on the side of a road up on Maine and turned into the shelter I got her from I was sold when I saw the pictures. I gave up being afraid and know I would love again. I love my Maisy just as I would a baby girl. My son now 13 and my husband also love her very much. As a awesome Uncle use to tell me ,"I had it made" I know say that to my son and Maisy. Thank god for non kill shelters and the people who give their time to them . It was PAWS up in Calas Me. that I got Maisy at a 8 hour drive from we live but so worth the trip!!!

Michelle Melvin
South Berwick, ME

Pound Puppy

We got Maeve from the local pound about 5 years ago. She was the cutest little thing and so well behaved when we came to visit. During the week we had to wait we visited every day and took her for walks outside. She had been found on the side of a back road with a sister & brother. The man that adopted them said they were the smartests pups he's ever had. Our Maeve is no different. She knows what is being said and it goes way beyond "out" and "sit". She was given a container to lick clean & took it into the other room. When she came back looking for more she left the container behind. My mother said "You're not leaving that in there, are you?" Maeve turned around, picked up the container & brought it back.
The pound told us if she had stayed a week later they would have had to put her down. They felt she was too agressive because she would try to jump over the dividers and bark at the other dogs. But after bringing her home, i know she was just playing. She loves other dogs and people and will lower herself to be the same height as the little ones.
Maeve was a little under weight when she came home. Now she's a sold 80 pounds. I'm so glad we got her in time. She is the smartest, most beautiful, caring dog i've ever known.

Jen
Glendale, NY

Young Max

It was about a year after my first Max had died when I went to the pound and saw this Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix, also named Max. I figured it was meant to be and it was! Max is my little love and I can't imagine my life without him. He sleeps curled up next to me and helps to keep me warm on a cold night.

Jennifer Greene
New York, NY

Rescuing Kimba

Kimba was brought to our home at the age of 2 weeks by a neighbor who found her outside her house. Kimba was dehydrated and malnourished but instantly responded to an eye dropper of bottled water. She had scrapes and sores on her tiny feet.

My husband and I both doubted that she would make it through the night, but while Jim held her I ran to the pet store to get kitten formula, nipples and bottles. We fed her every two hours 24/7 and she loved the formula. The next morning we took her to the vet for an exam. She weighed 2 ounces.

Because we had to travel that week she joined us in a tiny little pet carrier on the airplane.She has her own frequent flyer miles and she was a big hit with all the airline personnel!

She was mentored by Brindle, a male stray that we adopted about 6 months before Kimba arrived. Brindle taught Kimba the ropes from a feline perspective and protected her from the other cats. Eight months later Kimba is feisty and thriving and has been accepted by her big brother and sister cats.

Kimba is our greatest success story in the numerous cats we have rescued.

Carol Docker
Cape Coral, FL

Mama Bear

During a very cold Colorado December, a young beautiful black cat kept showing up around our house. I assumed she had a home until one day she showed up covered in snow, appearing very cold and hungry. We took her in despite the protests of our other cats and as the weather improved we let her go in hopes she would go back "home". It became apparent that someone had abandoned her and so our home became her home. We soon found out that she wasn't spayed and a few months later she had 4 kittens. We kept one, my Mom and Dad took 2 and we adopted the 4th to a loving home. Of course Mama Bear has since been spayed. Mama Bear's instincts lead her to us. She is now healthy, happy and very loved.

Nicole
Aurora, CO

Shelby, Queen of Dogs

Like all our other dogs Shelby, a Gordon Setter, was a giveaway, free to a good home. There was the huge Bouvier whose owner was moving from the Rockies to Boston and we lived in the woods. Then the Keyshound/Cyote mix that belonged to my alergic sisters new husband and a handsome Shepard that came with a cabin we moved into, along with 3 cats and an African goose that we found on the highway. All beloved and remembered forever.
Shelby came to us as a 2 year old because she was too much for the owner to handle. Yes, she punctured a water bed, ate new car upholstery and chewed through a wood door. She could run and wrestle for hours without a break.But our first look at her, in those eyes, and we knew this was a once in a lifetime dog. At 4 years she started calming down a tiny bit, now at 7 she's still wild and happy and brings us joy every day. This is the sweetest most loving dog I've ever met, to both people and other animals.
Sorry about the spelling.

Nancy Baker
Warwick, RI

Rescue Story

When we rescued Buck he was only 10 months old and had already been passed from two other homes. Someone had abused and neglected him. For years he was head-shy and would cower at loud voices. He is now almost 14 years old, his coat shines, his face and head know only hugs and kisses. He has always been the sweetest, most loyal friend a family could have. We love him so much and are grateful to be his family.

Lois & Michael
Pasadena, MD

A little pup in a big dog!

My husband and I had talked about adopting a dog and began the search to find the "one" to join our family. While looking at so many dogs who needed homes, we came upon the add for Ollie, a two year old mutt. It was the week of Thanksgiving and he was being housed in a pound in Ohio who was set to put him down two days before Thanksgiving. My husband & I could not let this "little big" guy down and we started the adoption process immediately. Since we live in Illinois, he was transferred through a shelter to IL and after a day of medical treatment he was ours. My husband brought him home and he was underweight, so incredibly scared, didn't like or know how to walk on a leash, was terrified of stairs and of people rushing him or coming to him from above. After much love, patience and companionship this guy turned around. We took him to training classes, which he absolutely adored and excelled in. He even earned high scoring duo with my husband at his exam. Soon he will be going back to training for the next level and agility training which he loved when he was given the chance to explore. He's a wonderful guy and has come along away from where he once was. We had a little baby join our family and he has been her mother hen of sorts and I know they will be best buddies for life. She loves her doggie and he loves her. Ollie just needed a chance, a family with some patience and a willing to work with him to conquer his obstacles... he's our goofball and lovable guy who brings much joy to our lives.

Jennifer
Chicago, IL

An unexpected angel

Tobi is a 12 year old lab mix that we adopted almost 2 years ago. He was a day away from being euthanized because his previous owners were in the middle of a nasty divorce and neither party could or wanted to keep him. I stumbled upon a desparate plea for a new home for him on a pet blog in a local newspaper and immediately felt a tug on my heart. We picked him up the same night from a long-faced 12 year old boy who was forced to be the mediator and give away his only pet while his parents were self-indulged in their own anger and bitterness toward each other. We first thought that we were the angels sent to save his life, but it turns out that Tobi has actually tought us more about being an angel than we ever knew. His sweet disposition, love and devotion has been a God-send and we will cherish our time with him forever.

The Nace-Jones Family
Red Lion, PA

A True Gift

We found Ramsey wandering along the river road, unfed and obviously abandoned. We stopped and put him in the car, fed him, took him to the animal hospital, cleaned him up and had him checked and treated so that we could take him home with us to live with our other three rescue pets. He is now a happy healthy waggy-tailed dog with a family who will always adore him.

sarah brancato
loveland, OH