Animal Rescue Stories

Poe who needed me as much as I needed him.

My husband works in China. He is a principal of an international school. I was there too. For the first time in a very long time I was without a dog or cat. One day I saw this tiny skinny puppy beside the road. He wagged his little tail at me. I told my husband about it. The thought of that puppy wouldn't leave my mind. The next day he was beside our complex's guard house. Then the day after that he was still there. I rushed to our apartment and quickly cooked some chicken and rice. My husband said that maybe I should take the puppy some food. I said that was what I was doing. I gave him the food and some water. He gobbled it up. I asked the guard about the pup and looking concerned, he said please take him. So I did. He was a tiny, scabby, starving, pot bellied, bug eyed mess of a puppy with a gimpy hind leg as though he had been kicked or hit. I bathed him and fed him again and gave him a pillow to sleep on. We wondered if he would still be alive in the morning. He was. I went to the store and got him dog food and some toys. Took him to a vet. They said he was only about a month old. I loved him and fed him. He thrived. The leg is perfect. You would never know anything was ever wrong with it. He can bounce higher than any dog I have ever seen. I brought him back to Canada with me. There is more to the story, believe me.

Ellen Bone
Salmon Arm, Canada

From Abused to Unequivocal Love

I am in a shih tzu rescue. One of my friends, who was the manager of a local animal shelter at the time, texted me a photo of this greasy, shaggy, semi-hairless, but apparently full-bred shih tzu whose left eye was practically laying on his cheek. He had been brought into her shelter by the animal control officer who, based on the tzu's condition, advised my friend to put him down. Instead, she texted me and asked if my rescue could take him. I got approval to go get him, take him to our vet, and eventually foster him. When I went to pick him up, he was a mess. I carried him to my car, holding him at arms-length, and took him straight to our vet. Three days later, I went to pick him up. He had been bathed and his coat was shining; his eye had been removed and the opening expertly stitched so that you really couldn't tell that the eye was missing; and he had been neutered. He was handed to me, and he looked up at me with total trust in his one good eye as I carried him like a baby to my car -- and I knew immediately that I was a goner. He was going nowhere. He was home. I was later told by a doggie skin specialist that the hair on his rear-end would probably never grow back as a result of some kind of trauma -- the same trauma that more than likely cost him his eye. We did comb-overs in that area, and, although he had no undercoat there, his coat looked pretty enough. He lived with me for 12 wonderful years before I finally had to have him put down. Never in my life have I loved a dog as much as I loved him. He was my "soul dog," and I pray that I see him again some day.

Margaret Harpr
ARLINGTON, TX

Who rescued who?

A friend from work found our little guy cold and shivering on a stoop in North Philadelphia. They tried to knock on the door, but the people (who were clearly there) wouldn't answer. He was so scared and so aggressive the only way they were able to pick him up was with a pair of oven mitts. After months of fostering and showing him unconditional love he was ready to go to a forever home, and we were ready to bring him home. The first night he was so scared we were up most of the night with him. Finally in the wee hours my husband sat in his favorite chair, threw a blanket on his lap, and that was it. Charlie jumped up on his lap and slept the rest of the night. To this day, that is his favorite place to be. Daddy is his favorite person and I'm ok with that because he is my favorite person too! We also have another furry baby, a 12 year old rescue. His name is Utley and they have become the best furry siblings. We were a little worried about Utley thinking he wasn't #1 anymore... but they love each other so much. Sometimes when I sit and watch them playing I get a bit teary, so happy that everything lined up perfectly and he is safe with us... forever.

Belinda Harper
FOLSOM, PA

Best Buddies

In 2003 my father decided to adopt a dog from the local shelter. He was a husky mix. My father lived alone after losing my mom to cancer.

In 2006 my father became ill and passed away. I was in charge of my father's affairs. I did not know what to do. My partner, Bob, whom I lived with wanted him to come and live with us. Of course, I agreed.

Bob changed his name to Buddy. And they certainly became that. They were inseparable. Wherever we went, Buddy came along. The dog became Bob's life.

In 2017 Bob became ill and Buddy was 14. Buddy was failing also. I prayed that Buddy would out live Bob, but that was not to be. Losing Buddy was more than Bob could endure. He passed about one month later.

The best buddies are buried together and are taking their daily walks in heaven.

Best buddies for eternity.

Fern Farley
WARWICK, RI

He was going to be put down for being too fearful.

In April of 2019, we sent our beloved 14-year-old Jack Russell mix over the rainbow bridge. My son and I were volunteering on Sunday mornings at our local rescue shelter, and I had already tried to convince my mom and my husband to foster a dog in need, but they said they weren't ready. One Sunday morning in June, my son and I showed up for our volunteer shift. He went to the cattery to take care of the kitties, and I headed out to the backyard to check in with our volunteer supervisor and help with morning turn out with the dogs. As soon as I opened the door, this little sack of skin and bones comes running up to me, tail wagging a mile a minute. He was so happy to meet me! I fell instantly in love, and so did he. Our rescue transporter had just brought him in the afternoon before from a rural high-kill shelter. He was on their euth list for being too fearful. I was incredulous! This friendly, happy guy? We had to kennel him so the rest of the dogs could go outside and then back in for breakfast. Every time he heard my voice, or saw me walk by, he'd wag his tail and let out a plaintive, "Roo-roo!" After all the dogs were fed and had play time, I noticed he hadn't touched his food. My son and I took him into the office where I hand fed him and he played with my son and me. He was just so happy to be with us! The following weekend the shelter was undergoing some repairs and we were asked to bring him into our home just for the weekend. Although my mom and husband were skeptical, within an hour they had decided he was the perfect dog for us. He walked in as though he had lived here his whole life, and he's been a part of our family ever since. He was 14 pounds when we first met him, and now he's a healthy 24 pounds, and everybody's best friend. He is our unicorn dog. I am forever grateful to the rescue transporter who got him out and brought him into our lives.

Kelly A
OVERLAND PARK, KS

Missy, aka Flora the Turkish Angora

The first week of February 2018, a beautiful white and grey cat, who appeared to be a Turkish Angora at first sight, showed up on my back patio chair. I knew she belonged to the neighbor. She kept coming around to get a bite to eat here and there, and would wander wherever in the Louisiana swamp where I live. One day my other neighbor, which is now my old neighbor, informed me that her neighbors threw out Flora (who is now named Missy) because she and her brother Finn were peeing all over the clothes in the room closets. Well that angered me, and Missy has been here for over a year. My old neighbor's cat passed that basically lived here too. The idiot neighbor that abandoned their cats wrote on Facebook to give condolences to my old neighbors dead cat. My mother chimed in and said your fur baby now lives with me since you don’t want her. And we renamed Flora Missy. She and Oliver The Little Orphan #2 both live here and love each other, always playing and “fighting”! Lol. Missy is outdoor-only and hates being indoors, and Oliver is indoor-outdoor. This is how Missy came to live her best life here too. On the best foods, flea meds, and fixing to be up fully checked up on annual shots! Animals don’t know right or wrong, they rely on us to be their protectors. Such unconditional innocence. We love her! She’s about 5 years old or so. Oliver is 2.

Ace Miller
MAUREPAS, LA

Little orphan oliver #2

After hearing Cat Segota's story from Miami, Florida, about her little Orphan Oliver, I have one that is so similar it's kinda crazy. In November 2019, I was sitting on my deck on the back porch taking in the scenery of the water, since I live in the swamp in Louisiana. Here comes a raggedy looking cat, appearing to be a Maine Coon. The mane on him was so tangled, my mother had to trim it almost off. I said to myself, he looks like a drop-off, or abandoned by a worthless human. I attempted to share him on lost pet websites and on Facebook to no avail, for weeks on end. No one claimed him, so I decided to keep him, get him groomed, and now he lives here in the swamps of Louisiana, living his best life. He's on the best prescription formula food, is current on all shots, and is dewormed. He is truly Oliver, The Cat That Saved Christmas - last year, this year, and every year to come. He is now Oliver, The Little Orphan #2!

Ace Miller
MAUREPAS, LA

Echo of her bark

To make a long story short, we lost our 13 yr old Bassett and 13 yr old pit mix a week apart, I have never felt more alone and devastated without my fur babies, and I knew I had to find another dog soon or I was going to go nutso. Every time I left the house I would drive to a shelter, but although I would love them all none pulled at my heart strings hard enough. One day a good friend and I went on a mission to hit all the shelters in our area I hadn't been to yet, 1st shelter we met Joy, she was so sweet and pretty but I still walked away empty handed, after all the other shelters I was still thinking of Joy though. I went back 2 days later took her outside, she laid her little head on my lap as if to say she wanted me, so that was it! Been 2 years now, and don't know what we would do without her. She has a sister now, a 70 lb GS/lab mix, and they are both very happy and definitely fill our world with happiness! Oh the rename from Joy to Echo, because the day I left her at the shelter, the echo of her bark over all the dogs barking is all I could hear!

Patricia Kiser
SUGAR LAND, TX

Shiloh

July of 2007 we had to say goodbye to our dachshund Nitro who was 15 years old. A month later while out working in my garden, I noticed a stray dog laying under some bushes. When I approached her she took off. This went on for a couple of days. Finally I was able to lure her in with some food. She was very timid and shy and would flinch when you moved. She finally made herself at home on our front porch. We live in the country and obviously someone had dumped her out. I told my husband I wasn’t interested in another dog and that he should take her to the pound. He said let’s keep her for a week. Well, that has been 13 years now. Our vet determined she was about a year old at the time. We named her Shiloh and she has turned out to be the most loving dog. She is never far from her mom. She loves to take long walks. She has been a great joy and I thank god that she came to us.

Becky Seymour
CHILLICOTHE, OH

Our baby

Our Caviler Delorean we adopted from Caviler rescue. He came with issues at 6 months. We went all the way from Fl to MI to get him. He had pins in his knee and was scared of everything. He was the best dog we had; he lived to be 13. Unfortunately he had degenerative disc disease; my husband carried him out and in when needed. We bathed him and totally loved him. He was never scared again. He was with us until he gave us the look that it was time. We miss you our Delorean; see you at the rainbow bridge. ♥️♥️♥️

Betzy
HOSCHTON, GA