Animal Rescue Stories

Read heartfelt stories of rescue, and share your rescued animal stories with others.

Brooklyn ~ Our Three Legged Angel

Brooklyn ~ Our Three Legged Angel

Brooklyn was hit by a car in August 2008. The SPCA received an emergency call in the middle of the night and promptly rescued her. They had to amputate her leg but she doesn't seem to notice. She stayed in the shelter for 6 months, then she touched our hearts. We now have 2 yorkies, a Great Dane and our beautiful Brooklyn. We are so grateful to all the volunters to kept the faith that she would find a forever home.

Leigh Ann
Safety Harbor, FL

Lost and Alone

Lost and Alone

A lady in the next county over found this cutie walking down a country highway and took her home. Since she had several pets already she wanted to give the kitty a good home. My mom picked up Rosina and brought her home to give to me for my birthday. Today, Rosina runs the house with her step brother Figaro, and the orange highlights in her fur have become much brighter as she gets older.

Preston Hill
Racine, WI

Left behind for me

Left behind for me

Just a month ago, I was leaving from work with my dog name 10( he is a rescue as well) to go get him a new collar and see how he would do again in the pet store, for some reason I turned right when I left the office, there was what I thought a dead pup, So naturally ME, I pulled back into the office to pick him up so I could bury him in our special resting place at home, and when I got ther the most beautiful green eyes looked at me with saddness and pain. I struggled to get him in the car and took him to the emergency clinic. We were unsure what the outcome was going to be as he had neurological damage and could not walk. With this Linbar- my new little fellows name, had mange, and was in poor health. He was moved to my Vet and stay for approximately a week, Amazingly, he started to walk - mostly GIMP around and fall, but these were sign of great success. I think with me visiting twice a day, Linbar just knew that someone loved him and cared for his wellbeing.

Today Linbar is into EVERYTHING, he is still gimpy and has a few issues, but my other 10 dogs tolerate him and he has become best friends with 10. But Most of all, I am thrilled that Jesus put him in my path because he knew that I would be Linbar AHA moment for Life.

christina ward
Nashville, TN

Angel...more than just a cat

Angel...more than just a cat

My neighbors were being evicted in 2004 and had two 4 month old kittens. They were simply going to abandon them here, and add to the already large feral/stray cat population. I told them I'd keep the kittens until they found a new place to live. Well, I never heard from them again. I am disabled, and Angel has added so very much to my welfare that she is not only named Angel, but is an angel. I also have her brother, Lord Byron, but don't have a picture of both of them together.

Christine Dahlgren
Netcong, NJ

How Porch Cat healed two lives

How Porch Cat healed two lives

After having to euthanize our 16 yr. old "baby", Paddy Paws, we were so distraught, that we thought we couldn't bear another "pet". Some time later, we changed our minds. Our schedules not being conducive for a pooch, we decided on another cat. Happy as larks with our decision, we both went to the door to get the morning paper and feel the fresh air ~~~ there was "Porch Cat" ! ! ! Skinny, and perhaps 6 moths old. Looking up with his big green eyes, and talking to us. That was almost 3 years ago. The happiness he has brought us is ten fold. He was our gift from Paws, and we will never forget it. We were meant to be, ~~~ he's a dog~cat ! ! Our puzzle is complete. His cousins' name is Mac, a story for later, found by Michaels daughter along side of the road about one year before. Now our family has a Mac AND a PC ! ! : )

Jane Price
Chesapeake, VA

Rescuing Sophie was a great thing for us

Rescuing Sophie was a great thing for us

My son had been asking me repeatedly if we could get a dog but I wasn't ready to make such a big commitment. We even visited the Humane Society several times to get qualified and to think about the kind of dog we might want to get. Six months later, I ran out of excuses. We visited the Humane Society again and after meeting several dogs who were much more interested in sniffing around than in us, they brought in Sophie, a Boxer mix. She came right up to my son and wanted to be friends. She was everything I was looking for; short-haired, not too big, not a puppy and friendly. She is a beautiful brindle color with a white patch on her chest. We both had a lot to learn as she is nervous around people outside but after getting great training, she continues to be the loyal, loving pet who lives for our evening walks. She loves to snuggle and knows which toys are hers and leaves our things alone. She has befriended people who never liked dogs before. We got her for my son, but she quickly became my constant companion as well! I never thought I would become a "dog" person, but she has taught me so much about the value of animal friends.

Caryn Zadik
Weston, FL

Tango

Tango

Tango came to be my best friend after he won my heart in September 2006. I went looking for a dog at the local animal shelter and came upon this scared puppy in the back of the cage. He peed himself when I got to meet him because he was so nervous. I knew this was the dog I wanted.

It's been 2.5 years and Tango is my everything. We cuddle. Share food (carefully because of his food allergies). Run together -- well, he pulls me on my roller blades. We are the best of friends. He brings so much happiness to my life everyday from his tail chasing, to his version of army crawling, to just lying with me at the end of the day. I couldn't imagine any other companion!!

Christina
Henderson, NV

Distemper Survivor

Distemper Survivor

This is our little man Finn McCool, a giant in his own right! He was 1 of 3 surviving pups from a litter of 6 that developed Distemper while we were fostering the mother & puppies. We took him to 2 different vets who told us to "put him down" as there would be no way he would make it, but we knew it wasn't yet his time and until then, we would do whatever we could to help him survive. Well after searching and finding a homeopathic medicine for the seizures he had developed from the distemper, they stopped within 12 hrs. of the first dose but he started to develop serious muscle spasms that went from 1 front leg throughout his entire body - so bad that he could no longer walk at all and did not stop shaking until he was in full REM sleep. It's been 2 years and he now barely twitches at all, can run full speed and can catch a ball in the air! Something I'm sure those vets would have never thought possible...but we kept thinking positively and we have the smartest, most loving samoyed/shephard mix that we could have hoped for!!

Scott Cox
Lake Forest, CA

Little Hero

Little Hero

We adopted Shelby, a beagle-dachsund mix, from a rescue organization in 2003. She was always an interesting dog, making every day an adventure. Despite the trouble she gave us when she was a puppy, Shelby is our little hero.

I am a diabetic; one night my blood sugar dropped too low and I began to go into a diabetic coma. Shelby woke my husband up and alerted him to the fact that I was ill. After being treated by paramedics, I was fine. The next day my husband told me that Shelby had barked and pawed at him to wake him up and wouldn't let him go back to sleep. Without Shelby's help, I'm not sure I would be here today. I will always be grateful to my little hero, Shelby.

Donna
Mesquite, TX

Flash the Alarm Clock

Flash the Alarm Clock

I went to a shelter to look for a specific kind of cat, but I ended up being adopted myself by Flash. I was standing in front of the cages with my back towards them holding another cat when I was tapped on the shoulder. I turned around and there he was, he had beautiful green eyes and the woman at the shelter said "I think YOU were just adopted." I took him out and held him and he put his paw up to my face as to say "I want to go home with you." That's all I needed, so I took him home, 7 years later he is my best friend and my alarm clock. A few months after I adopted him I was awoken one morning by a paw on my shoulder and a very loud "MA MA", he still does it to this day. He also welcomes me home the same way...with a loud "MA MA". He also has a "natural" milk moustache!

Madelyn Diaz
Hershey, PA