Animal Rescue Stories

One day: one lost, one found.

On September 1, 2016 cancer claimed my beautiful 11 year old White Doberman, Raleigh. He'd been my last remaining large dog and it was the first time ever this house had nothing but little oldies running around. Returning home from that sad event, I sat down at the computer to compose his eulogy and, being in rescue for many years, check the urgent dogs needing immediate attention. A friend, aware of what had happened earlier in the day and who knew of my love for Great Danes (I'd had Danes since childhood) sent me a photo of an abandoned Dane left tied to a pole in Miami, filthy, injured, very sick and emaciated at 70 pounds. No one knew how long he'd been out there or from where he'd come but instantly I understood the message Raleigh was sending, not to spend time only mourning his loss but to move forward and save another in his beloved memory. Two and a half years later, Emmett is a proud, 150 pound, healthy, magnificent boy with his miserable past a long distant memory. Loving and social, he draws a crowd wherever we go as he teaches people the many reasons to rescue and adopt.

Cathy Karr
FORT MYERS, FL

Cancer

My neighbor was diagnosed with cancer. Around that time her dog stopped going in her house. She was trying to do everything she could to keep him comfortable and safe but she was running out of supplies and with cold weather coming she knew she couldn't keep him warm enough. I talked to her and told her I would take her dog because he was a great dog and willing to come inside my house. I am still able to take him to see her all the time and we go for walks together. This dog has made us almost like a large family.

Ashley
HIGHLAND, IN

Sweet Sadie Lou

Sadie was my 60th birthday gift. She was a rescue from a high kill shelter, and we instantly fell in love with her. [This sweet pup had been separated from her mom at age 4 weeks]. While we had planned to get a rescue beagle, the fates had another plan, as we soon learned that Sadie is quite the mutt. She has the webbed feet of a Lab, a Dobie face & butt, beagle color on her chest & toes, Shepherd from the crown of her head to her shoulders and the frame of a whippet!

Life with training and raising a pup was typical until early August, when she tripped me up while walking. I felt like I pulled a muscle in my side, but, after two weeks, the pain did not subside. I contacted my doctor, who ordered an ultrasound revealed I had a 4" tumor on my ovary, which would most likely have gone undetected even longer if not for my Sadie.I had more tests, underwent surgery and am now undergoing chemo for 18 weeks. Sadie has been very devoted to me: I rest, she rests, and she has learned to be gentle when she approaches me. There have been lots of puppy cuddles on the couch and petting her while I read has been very calming. During the day, when my spouse works, Sadie might ask once to go out, but on weekends, when there are two of us, she seems to go out every couple of ours!

When its bedtime (10 PM-ish), she barks to tell us it's time, and snuggles down between us, making sure she at least has one part of her body in contact with each of us...and her big sister dog, our 6 yo Lab She watches out the window during the day, keeping guard over me perched on a pillow. She is attentive to passersby without barking,loves the complex maintenance people, plays with her sibling dog and cats, and loves a romp in the local dog park; she's still uncertain about how she feels about the ocean!

I don't know what I would have done if Sadie had not "helped" find the tumor or played such an important role along the road to recovery. She has shown herself to be loving, fun and a true emotional support animal...and this coming from someone who was always a cat lover!

Karen Levy
GLENMONT, NY

Leap of Faith

The cat "cage" at our local shelter was crowded. Some were sleeping, some playing but one was looking for a forever home. He walked up to me, looked me in the eye and jumped up on my shoulder, purring and warm. In his native tongue he said that he was coming home with us (my spouse and I) - he jumped to my husbands shoulder and repeated the same appeal. Needless to say, our hearts melted, we fell in love and Larry The Cat - a.k.a. LTC now lives with us and has for 9 years. Faith told him that we were his and, we are.

Joanne Sherek
BIWABIK, MN

Two Hearts, one to large

My story does have a happy ending for me in ways that will carry me through. I got my fur baby Rocky from my Mom as he was the only boy and he would come to me. A bit strange, but some animals are like that. I had him to myself for two years and he had an enlarged heart. I knew he was in pain, but I gave him his medicine like I was told by the vet. He never showed the pain, just the Love that he had. He would play with me for hours! I can't do much as I am disabled, but he didn't care, he Loved me and I Loved him very much! One day he would not take his medicine and I knew it was time. I took him to the vet and they said that they could prolong his life by 6 months or put him to sleep. I wanted to keep him so very badly here, but I knew that it would only hurt him more, I had him put to sleep. My only request was that I be the last person on this earth that he saw when he passed away. They did as I asked.
A year to the day he passed and I hoped he was doing ok, I missed him so much! I heard a high pitched bark that only he made and no other dog was around and it made me smile and laugh. I knew he was watching me and that he was just fine and very happy with all of the other fur babies.

Lorrie Taylor
CENTRALIA, MO

Everything I didn't know I was looking for.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday my heart was shattered when my beloved five year old rescue was killed. Going into the holidays, there was no way I could see my self enjoying anything.
I decided to look online for my next rescue, not believing I would find him. I did find a dog that looked so much like my fur baby, so I went to the adoption fair.
The pup was adorable, but when I took him out to meet him, he took off for children playing nearby. At our home it's three adults, no kids.
The rescue worker saw my distress, taking the pup to the kids. She came back and asked how I felt about dachshunds. Growing up with one. I had good memories. She then introduced me to "Snappy", so named for his tendency to snap at kids. He was a long haired mini and very skiddish. I took him to a quiet corner to get acquainted. Needless to say, he came home with me that day. We renamed him Rudi. He and I are inseparable. He has healed my broken heart and given me more love and loyalty than I knew existed. My rescue really did save me just as much as I saved him.

Maria Lahey
SPRING, TX

I Was Rescued Right Back !!

My Husband & I Lost Our Pit Mix A Few Years Ago.. Due To Cancer. Our Hearts Were Crushed !! We Went Shopping One Day , & Our Bella Pit Mix Walked Into Our Lives April 3,2016. She Was Just A Few Weeks Old & Severly Infected ....! Our Vet Saved Her Life & Bella Made Our Life Whole. !!! So Much Love, Fun !!!

Darcee Terry
SAN LEANDRO, CA

We Are The One's Rescued By Our Fuzzy Friends

The last coherent conversation I had with my late wife, who passed from this earth in July, 2004, was, "please promise me that you will take care of my babies." Which of course I raised my right hand and swore that I would. For the next 10 years, her Long Haired Chiachia Cowboy, and a little mix rescue from near Baltimore, named Amanda soon became the ones who kept may sanity in check as I had her laid to rest in Arlington National Cementery.

So for another 10 years or so, I totally became a doggie person. Cowboy and Amanda travelled everywhere I went. I have lots of friends, but only two puppies. Of course as time passed and Amanda had cancer and Cowboy had congestive heart issues, they died about a year apart. It wasn't an easy passing for me because these two babies were my last connection to my Brenda Diane. I sat in front of a fire place at our cabin in West Virginia and was so lonely. You never think that not having a dog would create such an empty place in your heart. But there I sat....with no puppy to talk to, cuddle or watch TV with. Then and there I know that I had to get another dog very soon.

On my way from West Virginia, to my retirement place in Florida, I stopped by my cousins in CTN. While internet searching, I found a Brittney Spanial in a small Georgia town, on my way south. Made a couple of calls and set up a visit. Her name is Coco and she is high energy. A hunter and one you have to keep and eye on or she will escape for an hour hunting the woods. So we did well together, but with her aspirations to hunt and run, and at my age walking is my chore. So with my granddaughter, Shelby, we began the search for a partner for Coco. We visited several rescues, but only could find bigger dogs, and Coco was about 16 lbs and a 60 lb puppy was just out of the picture. We had given up, when a sign poop up on the way home, Pasco Co Rescue.

Walked in and a lady in her early 70's came up and introduced herself, said she was a volunteer and I told her I needed a small puppy. To my surprise, she said, "I think we might have just what you're looking for." And she couldn't have been more correct. He is a King Charles Cavalier spaniel at about 10 pounds. Tail never stops. So we had meet and greet with Coco and it was love at first site. The Wild Wicked Woman from Georgia, Miss Coco has found her man.

We have been together for over a year and we have become a great family. Gotta say, its nice to have fuzzy fuzzy puppies in you life. And in June, we are hoping in the RV and going to California, Oh and I named him Cowboy (the Second). Seems I have the name Cowboy on the brain. He fits the bill.

Thomas Clark Taylor
BROOKSVILLE, FL

Levi rescues us!

Our wonderful Zeus had died the year before. He was from Golden Retreiver Rescue of North Texas and was so great. When we went to a meet and greet with the same rescue we decided to adopt an older dog--one that usually doesn't get adopted. But when we walked in our daughter saw Levi. He was 60 lbs and had no fur. The skin on his neck was rubbed off from his collar being too tight for so long. When they rescued Levi his fur had been so matted they had to shave him and when they got to his skin he had a bad skin condition. Not knowing what he had been through, and having children, I tried to talk my daughter in to a different golden but she was set. So, wee took our precious Levi home.

Levi now runs our house, and is the king. He has almost doubled his weight, and has long beautiful deep red fur. Not a day goes by that we aren't so happy that he joined our family! He is part of our rescue family of 7 dogs, a cat, a pig and a horse. Rescues are the best!

Deanna Smith
VAN ALSTYNE, TX

Just In Time

I had an 11-year-old pug, Titus, that I rescued as a puppy. He was my constant companion. We visited nursing homes, went for hikes, and taught a pet first-aid and CPR class together. I went through a divorce, and he was a source of comfort.

He was getting older and slowing down, so I started looking for a pug puppy to add to our family. After patiently waiting for about a year, my coworker asked if I wanted a pug puppy, as he bred his pugs. That's how I acquired Logan.

For two days, Titus and Logan clowned around together. It was an instant friendship. The second night, Titus died in his sleep from a suspected heart attack. I was devastated. I felt like I lost a good friend. Thankfully, I had Logan. He helped fill the void and is now my constant companion. It truly was perfect timing. I still miss my Titus and he will always have a special place in my heart. But, Logan has his own place in my heart, too.

Pam Wheeler
BEL AIR, MD