Animal Rescue Stories

The Boys

The last puppies out of 11 in the litter, we were abandoned at 8 weeks old because we are not pure bred Labs. We lived in a horse stall awhile before a nice lady came along and took us to the country to live with our new owners. They have 300+ acres in Northern California where we are allowed to run, play, chase birds and bark at the cows. We turned a year old this past Christmas and all weigh over 80 lbs. Our names are Hank, Jake and Sam. We are very, very spoiled by our new parents and very thankful for being rescued. :]

Kim Bisceglia
Flournoy, CA

My loves . . .

A friend found Kerry, my male (on the right) under a tarp at 3 weeks, separated from his litter. He was so tiny! The people who found him only like dogs, so I took him. He has been my constant companion ever since, and the love of my life. He loved to go in the car with me, so when I moved to Arizona from Texas, he rode in the front of the moving van. We did fine until I had to find a job. He was very lonely when I went to work, and a few weeks later I found Anya, his new little sister. She is about a year younger than he is, and they are buds forever! I feel so lucky to have them to keep me company. They keep me laughing, warm and happy.

Linda
Phoenix, AZ

Me, Too?

They were going to the pound, but I convinced my housekeeper to bring them by our house first.

They came to us in a box. When opened, one black kitten ran out and yowled and my husband said he wanted her because she was a spitfire. The other hid in the back of the dark box. Then I heard a tiny voice say, "Me, Too?" and louder, "ME TOO!"

I pulled out the tiniest little bundle of black fur I'd ever seen - the runt of the litter. He flipped over on his back in my hands and purred. "Please, Hon, can't I have this one?" I asked.

We took them both and that's the beginning of the most wonderful cat I've ever had.

He has been with me now 12 years and he monitors my every moment. He has guided me through cancer, COPD, AVN, and numerous nasty surgeries.

He wakes me in the morning with a kiss on the lips and a purry "Mum, Mum, Mum." He lays with me when I hurt and walks to the bathroom with me at night. He knows when I am tired and nags me to nap. He knows when I have insomnia and he sits on the pillow by my head and strokes my face with his paw.

He is my guide, my guard, and my soul. I have never been as cared for as I have by this cat. My MeTu.

Kjysten Drew
Ferndale, WA

Sisters!

I kept hearing a kitten cry for hours and then it would stop. At first I thought it was the kitten I recently rescued. It went on for a night and started to get weaker. I finally decided to keep my kitten with me, but then I heard the crying again. It wasn't him. I listened closer to hear where it was coming from. It sounded like it was coming from the right side of my building. So I grabbed my coat and flashlight and followed the cries to a lot next door. Inside the engine of an abandoned car I found these two little girls perched on a little ledge. They were so tiny, cold and hungry. I took them home, nursed them back to health and named them Delaney (on the right) and Chelsea (on the left). I kept Delaney and adopted Chelsea to a veterinarian tech. Chelsea had neurological problems and would need medical care for the rest of her life so adopting her to a veterinarian tech was best for her. Delaney's persistent crying was what saved these little girls. Her will to live and save her sister was amazing. She's now a shy loving little girl who likes to cuddle with me.

Teena
North Hollywood, CA

A Friend For Life!

We got Lady at 6 months old when my daughter, Erin, was 1 and a half. They were best friends until we had to put Lady down at 15 and a half. She lived a long and happy life. She was loyal and loving while always being protective of her human family. We always trusted her judgment over our own and she was never wrong! She loved the small and unfortunate ones, like animals that I rescued and brought home to rehabilitate. One in particular, Freeway, was so timid that Lady would stand and walk over him to make him feel safe. It worked! She loved our cats, and they loved her, and she would often give Erin's hamsters rides on her back!

When I went to the shelter I had a small, low-to-the-ground dog in mind. At 6 months Lady already sat near 18" high! But they had no small dogs and, once in my arms, it was love! Only once did I think of re-homing her, when I didn't know if we'd have a place to live. But thankfully the area I was in told me they'd put her down since she was part pit bull as they had a lot of dog fighting problems. She never failed to reward us for my choosing to keep her! She was a dear love right to the literal end!

We miss her...our big Lady Bug!

(Lady was Pit Bull-Great Dane-Shepherd. Pix was playing dress-up around 1988.)

Jane & Erin Dean
Los Angeles, CA

My CJ

One day when I was taking my son to Pre-K, these kids walked by carrying this adorable solid white kitten. I asked them if my son could pet their cat and they said that they had just found him on the way to school. I told them that I would take the kitten to a cat sanctuary that I knew of so that he could find his forever home. When I got home, my 3 oldest children saw him and immediately fell in love with him. Their dad was on a business trip so I made the decision that we were going to keep him. When the kids asked what we should name him, I said that he looked like my mom's old cat Cotton, so the kids thought that he should be called Cotton Junior, but I said that that was too long of a name for him so we just settled on the name CJ. When my hubby returned from his trip, he was upset at first but CJ grew on him and now he hangs out with our other 3 cats and our dog.

Krista Dupes
San Antonio, TX

My BlackJack (AKA Jack)

Jack used to belong to the people who lived 2 doors down from us. He used to be an indoor/outdoor cat. When the people went to move, they could not find him, as he didn't come when they called his name. They left him here to fend for himself. The next-door neighbor used to feed him and he used to come over our fence into our backyard to play with our dog. When my husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I told him that I wanted to bring Jack into our family with our other cats and dog. He was neutered so we just got him his shots and he has been my loving lap kitty for 3 years now. Now he is a spoiled indoor-only kitty.

Krista Dupes
San Antonio, TX

A decision well made

I adopted Princess almost 6 years ago from a local animal shelter. She looks like a beagle, but we think that she may be a mix of beagle/jack russell.
My previous dog, Lucky, had died less than a week before I adopted Princess. I missed him very much and was encouraged by friends to start looking for another dog. One of my friends took me to a local shelter during a lunch break. They knew that I was looking for another "beagle". When we saw Princess, we both knew that she would be coming home with one of us.
I felt a bit guilty about adopting so soon after Lucky died so I didn't take Princess home that day. But I also felt guilty about leaving her at the shelter. The next morning I called the shelter and asked if she was still available. Not only was she available but they had started the paper work knowing that I would be back.
Princess' disposition was a perfect match for my household. To this day I can't understand how anyone could have given her up. She is bright and sweet. If I had to rate her on a scale of 1-10. I'd give her a 9. Why? She is extremely neat to the point of occasionally cleaning up after herself in the backyard if I don't get to it first. She even wants to show me where she left her treasures. It's how her hunting instinct manifests itself. This would turn a lot of people off. But I can overlook this fault because of her other positive qualities.
The day that I decided to adopt Princess was a decision well made.

Rita K.
Franklin Square, NY

Gracie Girl

There was a 4 week old kitten abandoned in a shopping basket behind the store my daughter worked at. She called me and I came to see the kitty. My heart fell in love with the kitty immediately. I took her home and she has been my best companion. She follows me everywhere I go. She is now 4 years old and keeps an eye on me and wants to be everywhere I am. She was my saving grace at a rough time in my life. Animals love with no expectations in return, even cats.

Karen
Alta Loma, CA

Dixie Lee Harper

We found Dixie last fall online while we were in search of a puppy for our son's 11th birthday last year. Dixie was soon spotted on the web page for our local animal control website. I fell in love with her that first moment. Ironically the adoption day was on Cameron's birthday September 27 so off we go to the event over in Gastonia. She was very excited to have so many giving her attention. But the minute we walked into the building I told one of the reps there, 'this is our dog'. She smiled and began our paperwork. Dixie was 2 months old at this time. She is a terrier-basset hound mix, although our vet tells us she has a little lab and boxer thrown in. She never ceases to amaze me at how smart she is by doing things that are just so interesting.
However our cat, Bailey, was not too thrilled at her arrival. Over the last 6 1/2 months, they have come around with each other and although there not the best of friends yet, they do have their moments. They do have one thing in common, and that is their color/markings. Who would have ever known that a little over 9 years after rescuing our cat Bailey, we would find her a sibling to match in color. I am so glad we have her and can't imagine life without her now, not ever. She is very protective of me especially. She keeps me company 24/7. Life is not boring in the least here now. Dixie is now almost 7 months old (She was born on or around July 28 2008) according to our vet. I would recommend to anyone that is searching for that perfect pet to please visit their local animal shelter.

Lisa Harper
Belmont, NC