Animal Rescue Stories

Baby Trash Panda's

We were at the park next to where we live when we realized that a raccoon had three babies in the dumpster onsite. They were so young they hadn't even opened their eyes. We left them alone not wanting to scare the mother into leaving them, but that night it began to rain.

I placed a tarp over the dumpster, and the next day, we came back to check. The mother was still not to be found. Sadly one of the babies had died, so I decided to start calling around. After a whole day of calls and waiting, I got in touch with a wonderful woman in near Clermont who cared for young animals. Knowing the mother most likely was not returning, my son went with me back to the park.

He climbed in the dumpster and scooped the two up and we placed them in a box full of towels. We drove 30 minutes to go meet up with the nice lady who was shocked at how young they were. Another day and they both would have perished. She promised to get them home, cleaned and fed.

My Son was sad about the third one not making it. I comforted him by saying that his actions prevented one death from being three.

We hope the two little trash pandas are doing well in their new home.

David Carpenter
WINTER GARDEN, FL

Izzy My Boy

I have four feral cats that I have trapped, fixed and they now live in my cat house that was built just for them. A couple of years ago, I rescued a kitten who quickly became my shadow. I couldn't bring him in because of my dogs, but he learned after I trapped and released. I kept him in my upstairs apartment while he recovered from his neutering and shots. I would take him out on the balcony. After he started feeling better he would climb out on the roof and eventually climbed down a tree that was there and on to the cat house. I would call him and he would climb the tree and come right back!

He has been doing this for two winters. He recently taught another kitty how to do this. I'm trying to make friends with her (I think she's a female). So here we go again. Izzy will stay with me as long as he wants and kitty I'm hoping to find a wonderful home for.

linjos912@yahoo.com
WILLIAMSBURG, PA

Shotgun Shela

Shela was in the back of the cage at the Sherman St Humane Society location. When I saw her, I said, "Shela, would you like to come home with me?" They called her "Little Girl" but I had already decided her name was to be Shela. She jumped up and came forward to the cage door and put her muzzle thru the wire and said, Get me OUTTA HERE! PLEASE! (Of course, not in so many words, but that's how I interpreted her yips, whines, and entreaties) I signed for her right away, and it was lucky I did. She'd *just* been brought in and had to go through all the "procedures" before she could be adopted.

Two weeks later, they called to say "Little Dog" was ready. I jumped into Beulah and headed down to get her. There were SIX other folks there who'd signed for her, as well - after I had - ALL hoping! WHEW! They have a procedure where they have you and yer chosen dog come into a "meeting" yard together to see if all goes well. Shela was brought into the yard and the attraction was instant. Better still, when I opened Beulah's passenger side door for her "She" jumped right in, crossed over to the driver's side, sat down, and placed her front paws on the steering wheel, turned and looked at me with a smile on her face that said "oK, I'm ready, get in and let's go! She wasn't exactly happy when I had to tell her she wasn't going to get to drive Beulah. But, she crossed back over to the passenger seat, where my previous dog's safety harness was folded, sat down, and lifted her front paws one by one to be belted in just as if she'd done it a hundred times before. She does this every time she gets in since that day! But now I have to lift her in. She can't make the jump herself anymore at 15-years-old, but that's okay. She ain't heavy - she's my ANGEL!

Thomas Weller
EL CAJON, CA

Mongo - who makes us laugh each day

We lost our 13 year old rescue Rebecca and waited a year before going to Little Shelter on Long Island to find Mongo. He was 1-1/2 years old, originally from Kentucky and had been adopted by a family with three kids but given up again. I assumed it was because he jumped like he was on a pogo stick and probably knocked the little ones down. There could be no other reason to give him up since he's the sweetest, most well-behaved, (except for the jumping) funny dog we have known.

He just turned 11 and has moved with us to Pennsylvania and pretty much stays in the bigger yard that has no fence - very different from his other home - checking out all the new smells. He's made a friend with his neighbor Rogue, but still hasn't seemed to be able to like the cats yet.

He's as playful as a puppy and wants to share his toys with everyone who walks through the door, yet loves trying out his five different beds in all places of the house. He does something every single day to make us laugh, whether it's throwing his toys in the air, putting them back in his toy box or "talking" to us with his various guttural grunts and sounds. We couldn't love him any more than we do and he is part of our family.

Karen Mandart
LANSDALE, PA

the unwanted kitty bengle

Bengle came to me from a resident who had him with a broken leg. He was her daughters kitty. I asked if I could take him to a vet for help, at my expense, and her husband said no. The next morning after he left, she called me and I took him to the vet. He was in obvious pain and needed pain injection. She declined and I told her I would turn them in for animal abuse. She agreed under surrender terms which I got in writing. He was rehabbed here with me and my dog who kept watch over him. They became close friends and slept together. He was a wonderful kitty and lived his life with love and affection.

elizabeth sorensen
COOL, CA

Meant To Be

I had been looking for a rescue after we had to send our Baylee to the Rainbow Bridge. I was having coffee with a friend, and she asked me how the search was going. I said it had been unsuccessful. A woman at the table next to us overheard our conversation and told me about a wonderful rescue a couple of hours away. When I got home, I immediately checked their website, and their “Rescue of the Day” was a black Lab/ pit mix named Reacher. When I read his story, it broke my heart, and I knew I had to have him.

He had been chained out in the cold for two years, was covered with scars from being beaten, and had been starved almost to death. (The vet who cared for him when he was taken from his owner named him Reacher after the Jack Reacher character in Lee Child’s books, a true survivor.) I filled out the adoption form and we went to get him. The shelter told me he was a “terrified shell of a dog” when he arrived there, but he sat close to me all the way home, and gave me lots of kisses.

Our car was full of dog hair because he was so frightened and she’d like crazy, but he adjusted quickly to our home and all the love and attention we lavished on him. As I take my dogs to the mountain every day to let them run, I had to teach Reacher off leash behavior. It took a few weeks because he LOVED the freedom that he had never experienced, but he learned to come back, just not WHEN. Sometimes he would be MIA for an hour or so but always seemed to know where we were, and he showed up when we got close to the car…often with a huge bone in his mouth. It was his trophy!

He had collapsed cartilage from being chained and suffered grand mal seizures once a month, probably from being hit in the head, but he was the most loving, happy boy after his horrible beginning in life. He loved everyone, and we adored him.

Sadly, we only had seven years with him as he had liver cancer and we had to let him go. But we were so thankful for the years we had and the life we were able to give him. He was truly meant to be ours, as had I not gone to coffee with my friend, and the woman at the table next to us told me about that shelter, I would not have found him.

Kaye Hunt
CASPER, WY

Injured Owl

Years ago when my youngest son was about 7, we were driving down a country road one evening. We saw something on the shoulder of the road, so I pulled over. It was a small owl that was dazed and unable to fly.

I took off my sweatshirt and wrapped it around the little fella, and my son held it in his lap while we drove home. I put it in the garage and made some phone calls to find a rescue center or something similar. Found a guy from a raptor organization that said he would come take a look the next day.

When he showed up, the owl was flying around the garage. He figured the owl probably got hit by a passing box truck or something similar and was just dazed. We managed to recapture it using a towel and cardboard box and released it near the road were we found it. Turned out to be a Saw-Whet Owl.

Mark Curtis
PAPILLION, NE

We built a cat sanctuary for neighborhood feral cats

Around 18 yrs ago, we became aware of many cats living on a property directly across the street from a stop sign on our street. There were no signs of basic needs (food, water, shelter), so we approached the homeowner and she agreed to let us get everyone spayed/neutered and then returned there.

We spent two years on the property caring for everyone. My husband built them a shelter and a neighbor let us plug in the heater when it was cold for $50/month because homeowner would not. The shelter is actually a good sized building which allowed everyone to go in and sleep/be safe/be warm: Jazmine, Baby, George, Callie, Starshine, Sidney, Midnight, Precious, Shadow and Itsy Bitsy Boo.

Going on 16 years ago, three dogs on the loose went to the property and attacked Baby. Eight days and $8000 later, she moved into our home and Cat Haven was built (well..that took some time).

They pretty much started out feral and scared. We only have one remaining in Cat Haven: Precious. She is friendly, sits on our laps, and loves attention. There are three sections to Cat Haven. One has a large building 8x12' with a heater, fan, shelves for beds, blankies, litter boxes, and toys. There is the smaller building which was relocated from the hoarder property they were rescued from. It has a heater, fan, shelves, etc. Both have windows, too.

Cat Haven in the snow looks like the movie The Shining with the snow piling on top of the metal product that is the roof.

You can get from one section to the next via gate or behind a shed. There are planks for them to run on in all three sections and they can look at the neighbors on three sides via the fences.

When we built Cat Haven in a hurry due to what happened to Baby, we never realized that we couldn't move until everyone had left for the Rainbow Bridge. That's okay.

We took in three "visitors/friends" that lived their lives outside as feral cats but then the owner had to move and could not take them with her. One has since returned to the owner and two remain with us: Artie who is 15 and has heart issues and Tortie who is 20 and has a growth of some kind on her face.

We are outside with them daily at least four times per day; we have benches out there to sit on and lounge chair. I read to them. They have electricity, music, lights, and tons of love.

We have loved having them be a part of our family, which has included, throughout the years, 20+ other rescue cats inside.

Jeff and Irene Anderson
KIRKLAND, WA

Who rescued who

I was sitting at home too ill to work, COVID had ravaged my body. I now had long haulers. My once active days were now resting and pacing. My time now was mostly flipping through Facebook.

So many dog rescue sites would pop up. One rescue, Flirting with Fido, showed a beautiful malamute. Being experienced with this breed, I sent a message. All I knew was this beauty was from the Saskatchewan reserves and that he was abused. Without giving it thought, I adopted him. I gave him a new name, Nova.

Nova became my new side kick. He never leaves my side. He does the happy dance every time I fed him. He’s an amazing fly catcher. I’m sure he survived on flies and garbage in his first years of life. He’s a big goof ball who makes me laugh.

He’s my daily companion. We get out for many daily walks, the dog park or drives. My impulsive decision was the best one ever. While I may have rescued him, he has surely rescued me.

maryanneandrew@hotmail.com
Campbell River, Canada

My Rescue Laika

I, as a teenager, felt sorry for the Russian dog Laika that died in space back in the 50s. She was only 4-years-old. I went to our local pound looking to adopt and found a 4-month-old plain brown puppy that no one wanted. Her previous owners had dumped her there because she scratched their child. She was a puppy who had spent a month in the pound and was scheduled for euthanasia the next day. I adopted her and named her Laika in memory of the Russian dog I cried over.

Laika was a funny dog, loved to play keep away with her toys and was my sweet companion. She would whimper if either my husband or I went somewhere and greet us with a happy wagging tail and wet kisses with her tongue when we returned. When she was 4, she developed kidney problems and I had to make the hard decision to have her humanly put to sleep. The vet couldn't save her, so she died at 4-years-old, like the Russian dog Laika did in space.

I was glad I was able to give her four years of being loved and wanted, and I still miss her every day.

Anne Stanley
BOYS RANCH, TX