Animal Rescue Stories

He choose us.

13 years ago moved into our new home; approximately 1 1/2 years later, a mixed breed beagle type showed up on our property. He had a bullet graze on his side. I fed him and gave him water. Wouldn't let us touch him but he stayed and I made him a bed outside. For the next 2 years he lived outside on the porch never letting us touch him. Finally got 3 kittens, and he saw them in the house. Slowly he started to let us touch him and finally become an inside couch potato. It's been eleven years now. He sleeps on a bed in our room and is my husband's best friend. Long journey .

Mary A n Hoesch
MURPHY, NC

Rascal's mom found her a home with us

Rascal was 6-8 weeks old when she arrived in August 2015 at our back door with her mom and a littermate. After years of rescuing community cats, I knew what to do. Out went the food and water for Mom and some kitten milk and gruel for the little ones. After about a week, I was able to catch Mom and have her spayed. Her kittens scattered when I caught her, but they were very glad to return when she came back outdoors to them. Eventually, after weeks of feeding them all, I was able to stroke the forehead of one kitten, our soon-to-be housemate.
As it got colder into the fall, I put out beds with warmers for them all, but Mom and one kitten stopped coming around. I looked for them in the neighborhood but they seem to have gone to ground. But Rascal kept coming so I kept feeding her and freshening her bedding. We got all the way to Thanksgiving but she still wouldn't let me do more than touch her forehead with two fingers.
One night in early Dec we had a cold snap and I couldn't sleep thinking about Rascal out there in the cold. So I went downstairs and warmed up some milk. I put the dish of milk just inside my back door, near the woodpile where Rascal was sheltering, and waited. She crept out, put her front paws up on the door sill to reach the warm milk, and I scooped her into the house. She startled but then happily settled down to drinking her milk in the warm room.
From that day to this, she's been our joy. I really regret not being able to rescue the other two, but Rascal seemed like she was choosing to stay with us when they chose another path. To this day, whenever Rascal gets scared (like by the house alarm she occasionally sets off!) stroking her forehead with two fingers calms her right down.

Sharon Ann Holt
TRENTON, NJ

She was dumped!

My husband, John, turned the corner into our subdivision and there she was with a totally bewildered look on her face. A neighbor was calling Animal Control, and said two men in a white truck dumped her. John came in the house crying and we immediately went and put her in our truck. She proved to be a welcome addition to our rescue family and easily won our love.

Susan Slagle
ARDMORE, AL

Roxy's Story

Roxy was at a nearby cat rescue (in an elderly lady's home). She had a stroke and all kitties needed to be rehomed. Roxy was the last one. We had just lost our tiny 1.5 lb little girl after 1.5 years in our life. She had a deformed paw and was tossed away by her mama. We gave her a good home and were heartbroken when she passed. So... we decided to take in Roxy... we had no idea she was almost feral. She lived under a bed in our upstairs for several months, then moved to the main floor and lived under our couch for several more months. She would allow me to barely reach her to pet her, so we kept trying. Eventually she moved back upstairs and into our bedroom and lived under our bed. One morning about 5:00 am she jumped up on our bed and allowed us to 'just' reach her and pet her. She eventually got closer and let us pet her, but we were unable to pick her up, so just were happy with what she allowed us to do. We got her a bed and eventually she claimed it as her own, but we could not walk up to her and pet her. We lived with her on her own terms. Over the last few years she became deaf. I was then able to pick her up, and I started bringing her down to the family room. At first she would run back upstairs but eventually she started coming down on her own, and eventually she made the family room and the main floor her home. She has blossomed in these last 3 years, even coming up on my lap and allowing me to pick her up and pet her. She was worth the wait and we enjoyed what she gave us. Today we had to make the very sad decision to put her down. She lived 21 years, with the last three being the best gift to us. She will soon be a member of our kitty memorial next to our fireplace. :0) We love and miss you Roxy.

Carol Roddy
BEAVER DAM, WI

Bandit Ran For His Life

One lazy afternoon, my little dog Patsy and I were chilling on our back yard patio when we were surprised by a visitor. A small dog appeared and started playing with Patsy. I knew he did not belong to a neighbor so I investigated to find his owner. After posting his picture online, I discovered that his owner was a sailor who lived in a houseboat on a creek about 2 miles down the road, so I returned him. A few days later, I was shocked when the little dog returned. I couldn't believe he had found us again. This time, when I took the dog back to his owner, I talked with him and learned that he was about 7 years old and I became aware that the dog was not being properly cared for. I offered to take the dog to the vet for a checkup and to pay for his shots, which I did. I offered to buy the dog but the owner declined. The owner assured me that he would do a better job of taking care of the dog. Several days later, the pitiful dog reappeared in my back yard, wet and muddy from the rain and shivering from the cold. When he saw me, he ran and jumped into my arms and we both cried. This time, the owner came to my house to pick him up and I had to let him go. But thankfully the next day, the owner brought him back to me, along with his bed and blanket, and told me I could keep him. It was one of the happiest days of my life. So, I named him Bandit because by choosing Patsy and me for his forever family, he had stolen my heart.

Mary Taylor
ORIENTAL, NC

From pitiful to a major piece of our hearts.

My wife and I have rescued Huskies for companions, for 35 years. Our packs have been as small as two, and as large as four. About 15 years ago, I went to rescue another "red" Husky, to help rebuild our pack that had become us a lone male/Budley. I drove 2 1/2 hours in a blizzard to the Gladwin Mi. shelter to pick up our new girl. After picking her up and getting her to the vet, she was 15lbs under-weight, had intestinal parasites, kennel cough, and when they x-rayed her before spaying....they found she was full of birdshot, from head to tail. "Sonya" has turned out to be the healthiest Husky we've had, and is slowly losing her sight and hearing. As usual, she's taking it in stride. No doubt, she the happiest and most energetic dog we've ever had....and get this. She's currently 19 years old! Our Huskies have long lives, but she's a wonder-dog. This is a 4 week-old pic. We LOVE our Huskies.

Michael Ricketts
NEW BALTIMORE, MI

Karma will get you.

When we moved to our new home we brought with us a 9 year old rescue named Sasha. Unfortunately about six years later she passed away. My husband said, "No more dogs; it's too painful when you lose them." Well, 6 months after the day she died, a big old hound dog came running through my back yard. Behind her was a small pup with big paws following her. The big dog stopped looked at us and looked at her, then picked up speed and left. The little dog was hungry and thirsty, so my husband fed her gave her water and secured her till he could find out where she belonged or find her a home. Night came and he put her on the porch; later on we heard a terrifying moan so my husband checked on her. He turned on the light and she was okay, he turned off the light and she started to moan. So he left it on for her; she was good. After a few weeks, he announced might as well keep her, as he had named her. Karma grew to 95 lbs. She always tried sit on my husband's lap. She loved the cat; when he laid on her bed, she slept on the floor. She was still terrified of the dark, so she had to have a night light. She learned to open the dog gate so she could check on us at night. She had a sense of humor and made us laugh. Sadly, she developed cancer and we had to put her down. My husband and I miss our girl.

Trisha Tompkins
RIMROCK, AZ

Snow for Christmas

One November afternoon I was stuck in bumper to bumper traffic heading home after work. Just ahead in the center divider I noticed was appeared to be a white plastic bag. As I got closer, I could see it was actually an Umbrella Cockatoo! I hopped out of the car, talking quietly to the parrot while leaning down with my hand out and asked it to "step up."
Traffic was just starting to move, luckily, he did step up and I jumped back into the car. He sat calmly in the passenger seat. He was very dirty and looked exhausted. I gave him food and water as soon as we got home. I already had several pet birds so I was prepared. He ate and ate. I could tell he was very thin, no telling how long he had been lost outside. I had an empty cage and he settled in. I named him Crystal not realizing he was actually a she. He loved his first bath in the kitchen sink. Crystal was a darling, very sweet and cuddly - and quiet! I placed found ads in papers with no results. A trip to the vet for a checkup and scan for a microchip, no chip. I told the vet how I had come to find her.
December 23 - a phone call from the vet's office. They had clients come in with a new puppy. During the visit for shots, they mentioned they had lost a cockatoo in early November and couldnt live without a pet. Put one and one together and there was a chance it was the same parrot. The doctor asked if Crystal had an all-white nail on her left foot, she did. A scar under her right wing, she did. I told him to give the clients my phone number. As we talked, I began to feel that was their Snowy so I invited them to come see. I walked over to her cage and said "Hi Snowy." She immediately responded with "Hi Snowy, hi girl, how you" - the first words she had said while with me, and word-for-word exactly what they said she said all the time.

They asked if they could come the next day even though it would be Christmas Eve. I replied, "of course." When their car pulled into my driveway, Crystal shrieked. When I opened the front door, she flew off her cage and straight to them. There was no doubt now that she was their beloved Snowy. There were lots of tears and hugs. I knew she belonged to them but I was also very sad to see her go. A snowy Christmas I will never forget.

sue
YUCAIPA, CA

Just when I started to give up

After our longtime dog died suddenly. We were devastated but decided that we would not get another dog for a while. But, during the first part of COVID19, I began to get bored and lonely. I started looking on Petfinder, local shelters and even signed up with rescueme.org. Every time I found one I liked, it was "pending adoption", too far away or didn't like men, kids or cats, etc. I finally decided to just let it go for a while. Then what do you know...….I got an Urgent email with !!!!RESCUE ME!!!! and when I opened it, it was the cutest 7 lb. chihuahua that was located only 2 hrs. from me. I passed the application and phone test and we were off to get him. He was supposed to be 5 years old with no health problems, but ended up being at least 10 years old with a heart murmur, advanced dental disease, cataracts, and arthritis. After a little vet work he is good and the MOST loveable dog ever. He may not have that many years left (who really knows), but I want to make sure the ones he does have are TERRIFIC!!

Elizabeth
HICKORY, KY

Hachi, he rescued us!

After our Italian Greyhound passed, our rescue dog, Brooklyn, was very depressed.
We decided to get her a pal. My Granddaughter had a friend who had a puppy from Puerto Rico she couldn't keep. Her aunt rescues them in Puerto Rico and brings them to the U.S. after rehabilitating them. Hachi is perfect fit for Brooklyn and we love them both!!

Shirley Ouellette
WARREN, RI