Animal Rescue Stories

Roo and Tippy Toes

Roo (upper left) and Tippy Toes were rescues from our local shelter. Tippy Toes came into the shelter after I had been volunteering there for a while. I brought my family up to see the cats and Tippy kept reaching out and grabbing my husband's pant leg. After we got home, we decided that we wanted to adopt Tippy Toes but that we wanted another cat so that when we were not at home, Tippy would have company. At that time, Roo was just a kitten but she won Tippy over no problem so we brought them home and have loved them ever since. Tippy is now 5 years old and Roo is four and they are both happy and healthy and enrich our lives every single day. Tippy Toes sleeps on top of me every night.

Deborah Kirkland
Brockville, Canada

Big Ole' Lug

Guinness was 10 pounds of sick puppy when I rescued him 9 years ago. His health issues have taken their toll on him, but he is the sweetest, kindest big ole' lug in the world! His back legs don't work well, and his arthritis has progressed rapidly over the past year, but he still gets up and romps outside when he can.

Patricia Keeney
Memphis, TN

Tiffany rescues me ...

Tiffany, along with her brother Sparkles were found living alone on the streets of Etobicoke in the snowy days following Christmas of 1995; they were 2 months old then. After being rescued, their bodies partially shaven (to clean their coats) and fostered by a local vet, they sat there for weeks with nobody wanting to adopt them. I was looking for one companion for Q since we had recently lost Samantha, but when I saw how scared they were, I could not separate them and we(Q and I) immediately opened our home to them. Since then, Tiffany has been my saviour. She helped me through the passing of her brother Sparkles, our beloved Q and now supports my expansion from a place of shared joy! She cuddles right up to me at night purring non-stop and patiently relaxes on the couch while I work from home. We are a team. Girls rule here in Etobicoke!!

Thank you Tiffany for choosing to stick around through these painful years and continue to bring joy into our lives!!!

Daniela Torres
Etobicoke, Canada

From Italy to Cornwall with Love

The number of displaced and feral dogs in the South of Italy is high! For a year and a half Cara was living on the streets, became pregnant and and then gave birth. It is unknown what happened to her pups. She became pregnant again but thanks to English teacher DIANE SELVANAYAGAM (left) she was rescued, spayed, vaccinated and placed into a kennel compound where she remained for the next 9 months. After many failed attempts of finding her a secure and safe home in Italy it was decided that she would come here to be with us in Cornwall UK - it took from Feb 15th., to November 2008 to arrange her passport and raise funds for her travel. After two days of travel by car, train, bus and plane she arrived and immediately made herself right at home, it was as if she had been here all her life. Definitely meant to be and we are so proud to have been able to give her the home that she so deserves!
This is her story: http://www.cornwallsvoiceforanimals.org/CaraComeHome.html

Mary Alice Pollard, Cornwalls Voice for Animals
Gerrans, United Kingdom

Brothers and buddies

Two years ago I volunteered at a rescue centre, working with cats because I'm a 'dog person', didn't want to add to the family! These brothers, tiny, thin, clinging together, had been found in a ditch in winter. I lifted them out to clean their crate and still they held on to one other, a furry ball with four big eyes. Someone said they'd be easier to place separately - so - they came home with me.
Their names are Bodhi and Cheetah, from the word 'bodhichitta' - which means 'awakened heart'. Still close, healthy, happy and my best friends.

DHM
Burlington, Canada

My Mimi

Mimi was rescued off the post-Katrina streets of New Orleans by ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans) and Best Friends Animal Society approximately four months after the hurricane. It was probably during those first chaotic months that she contracted both Feline AIDS and Feline Leukemia. When I volunteered with Best Friends in January 2006, I met Mimi and immediately fell in love. I knew I had to adopt her and give her the best life possible even though the prognosis for FeLV cats is grim, with a 2-3 year life expectancy. Having this wonderful cat in my life was the greatest gift ever! Mimi loved to snuggle and be held. She was affectionate, funny and playful. She fought her illnesses bravely. Mimi took a large piece of my heart with her when she passed away in April 2008 due to a bladder tumor as a result of the Feline Leukemia. I have eleven other cats whom I love dearly, but Mimi will remain the ultimate love of my life.

Anonymous
Dallas, TX

Love Conquers All

Hailey came to us as a breeding female, who was tossed after her second owner decided there wasn't enough money to be made in the breeding game. Three litters in eighteen months had left her scrawny, with teats hanging down-to-there. Her coat was blown- nothing to hint of the beautiful redhead she is today!

Still, the story was all there, in her eyes. She wanted nothing more than a quiet place to rest. For me, it truly was love at first sight.

At first, she would hide every time we got in the car, burying her face in the seat. Forget getting her in a crate! With with time and lots of reinforcement, she began to follow the lead of our resident male, Sam. She learned that the car represented good things: Walks in the woods, or trips to the lake for a dip.

Today she lives for a swim and or a ride in the car. At age 10, she's served as hostess to many a rescued Golden. She touched our hearts and lives, making every moment we have with her truly golden!

Lesa
Charlotte, NC

Yoda, the King of Egypt

My husband is employed in Giza, Egypt. While visiting him there recently, we found a stray kitten in a block of flats. He managed to get up to the third floor but was not able to come down again. He was dirty and very hungry. We decided to adopt him and bring him home. Yoda recently joined me in South Africa where he is now very happy at his forever home. It's amazing how rescued animals know when they get a second chance to a happy life. He is such a cutie pie!

JoeZani
Cape Town, South Africa

Kitty

Kitty wandered into my office building one day. He walked straight through the lobby, into my office and up on my chair! I took him home that afternoon. We found out later he was FIV+; someone likely dumped him when they got the news. Definitely their loss! He's been a healthy, talkative, wonderful addition to our family. When our dog, Denver, was recuperating from a recent surgery, he even checked up on her several times a day. We can't imagine what life was like before that fateful spring day.

Sara Howe
Springfield, IL

Vicy

13 years ago, my father rescued our wire-haired Jack Russell, Vicy (pronounced V.C.) from a shelter. We were told that she'd been abused the first two years of her life by the men in her former household, so she really wasn't too keen on other males. However, for some reason she took my dad instantly, and they were inseparable until his passing 5 years ago, at which time my sister, our husbands, and I took her into our care. We've watched her already-huge personality grow even more: from her love for pickles (yes, pickles), to her affinity for barking at random strangers, or the fact that she sports a pink mohawk (red food coloring + white fur), she's become a key member of the family. She splits time at both of our houses, which is how she's become known as our "timeshare dog." Now, at the ripe old age of 15, while she may have lost a step or two(she's a Jack, so that basically brought her down to a normal speed), she is bringing the same joy into our lives that she'd brought to my father for so long. While we miss my dad immensely, he could not have left us with a better memento to remember him by.

Candice
New York, NY