Animal Rescue Stories

Freud Ray from Brazil

Freud Ray Crouch passes way last year in May 16.

My dearest friend was a beautiful Schnauzer, salt&pepper and gave me12 years with happiness .
When I'm sick he stay near me all the time and care me and protect me. Freud is a "gentleman", is possible to say! He had a big sense of dignity, something difficult find in some human beans.ÃÂÃÂ¦A great sense of humor too! Oh! Freud is a dog with human brain!
He lives with me since his 45 days and us both born in Brazil. We come to America when I married here.
We come for live in the country.ÃÂÃÂFreud expend this last 7 years with so good life, so many freedom! No leash, no cars, many trees!!He likes to run around the trees, chasing squirrels.
He is my great friend, my partner in my insomnia nights. I miss him everyday, don't have a day I don't think how to be good if he is near, if he is with me again.
When I need put my Freud for sleep some friend send to me a card with "Rainbow Bridge" and I wish very hard to be truth what I read in this card.
Freud Ray comes from a champions family, his mother ( Anna dos Remansos) is silver and his daddy is salt&pepper like him. What more is possible tell about my Freud in my broken English?? How to explain the pain and solitud...?
I don't have words. Only tears and smiles when I remember funny situations, we are evolved!
No, I don't have really words for explain all the goodness he gives to me!
One day I want stay with him again.
Now I'm a volunteer in one good shelter for dogs and cats here in Norman, Oklahoma.
I miss my friend.
Esther

Esther Crouch
Norman, OK

Henry Brown's Tale

A tiny tabby kitten walked into our lives following a traumatic event that left him with a terribly injured tail and several notches on his ear. The animal rescue staff treated his injuries and placed him with a foster family for recovery. We just couldn't forget his sweet face and kind disposition, so we adopted him. Henry Brown may not have a tail, but he more than makes up for it with the joy he brings to our family.

Carol Cox
West Lafayette, IN

Conway Adopted Me

Conway came into my life at a Holiday Inn. He was outside by the door to the front desk where I checked in, where else but in a town named Conway? I roared up on my loud motorcycle. He never flinched a muscle. He was such a pretty Labrador, big ol' yellow thing with gold eyes and a pink nose. He patiently waited for me as I checked in. The motel staff said he had been there for a long time as a stray. Although he was pretty, I did not intend to adopt him. Little did I know, he was going to adopt me? I rode to my room on that noisy bike that did not bother him one bit.
After unloading, I sat down to a coffee and opened the curtains. As the curtains parted, that huge yellow puppy was staring at me through the window. I invited him in and he took me up on the offer. His job was done. That was the moment that he officially adopted me. Conway got a bath and fell asleep in the tub. What a mellow fellow he was! Little did I know. Another motel customer asked me if I knew anything about Labrador puppies. He said they were awful until they were three years old. I did not have any experience in that arena and doubted this character could be naughty. A friend hauled him home for me in her car. Our lives have never been the same since.
He graduated into adulthood as the world's naughtiest puppy that turned into the world's most wonderful dog. After eleven years of laughter and unconditional love, our beloved Conway just lost his battle with cancer. We will never forget how his perfect love changed the lives of everyone he touched.

Jane Goodwin
Malvern, AR

My Macedonian-American

My husband teaches at the American University in Bulgaria and in July 1997 I went over to explore Bulgaria and some of the neighboring areas. While visiting Macedonia, I found this pathetic, starving, ringworm infested puppy sleeping under a parked car. My husband & I adopted her and began the process of bringing her to the US . Twelve years later, she's happily entrenched in her SC home -- along with a canine sister & 7 feline siblings. She's perfected English and is my American Girl.

Leisha Eastergard
Columbia, SC

SIR TIVOLI - The Cat that changed my life...

Zen, so zen... so dedicated, I still don't know if I loved him more than he loved me, we loved being together, looking into eachother eyes, being sure at heart that the love we shared was something good, conforting and would last a lifetime.
I still feel him sleeping stubbornly on top of my tummy, still feel his breath on my ears, my neck, my face, still hear him calling, still want to sit down on the floor caressing and talking to him so he would eat...

He was a loving cat, hated vets, no wonder, he had been through a lot but he was saved and founf by a beautiful friend that did not turn her head neither closed her eyes to his suffering, alone, hopeless in the streets... he was cared and loved by many friends until he came home... Thank you all!

He was Fiv+ and had renal insuficiency (don't know the word in english or can't remember just now). Although he was eating the proper food and medication this last problem aggravated and he started to go down, we tried so many things together... but the kidneys and liver just did not respond...

He is gone somewhere beautiful for he deserved all that's beautuiful in this world. And he is still with me and has been a lesson of how much kindness there is in animals, how strong they are fighting disease and with such dignity and tons of love still to share.

LOVE YOU FOREVER TIVOLI!

Sara

Sara Parente
Lisbon, Portugal

Mischief (8/1993 - 3/2009)

I found Mischief when he was so small he fit into the palm of my hand. Someone had tried to drown he and his siblings in the lake but they got out and made it to shore. He was the only one brave enough to check me out. With his wet spikey hair and huge attitude, I picked him up and we drove home. He cleaned himself up and immediately went to sleep. He so lived up to his name Mischief and was a great joy to me for over 15 years. His favorite pass time was to watch people work...with an expression of "I can do that - just give me some tools". Always in the thick of the action he delighted my mother in her last year.

His best friend, when I wasn't home, was my German Shepherd Misha who still feels the loss of her companion and friend. Mischief is buried in my back yard with a bird bath and feeder close by. I am sure he appreciates that. He is much missed.

Anne
Clemson, SC

A Love Connection

We adopted Bubah as a kitten in 2005 from the SPCA in Largo, FL. Bubah has always been a little bully and runs or hisses from anyone feline or human except for my husband and myself.
This year we decided that maybe he needed a friend. We did our research with the help of the SPCA and they recommended a female cat. That's when we found Dixie, she was surrendered to the SPCA because her owner died and an elderly neighbor gave her up for adoption.
We adopted her in April, 2009. She is 1 1/2 years old and only weighed 6.5 pounds and was infested with fleas.

The SPCA cleared up her flea problem, had her spayed and we took her home. It was a tough couple of weeks...Bubah wanted nothing to do with her and she was scared of him.

One month later..."A love connection" was made as you can see in this photo. They do everything together and bring such joy to my husband and myself. They are so entertaining and it's nice that they both ended up in a loving home and have each other. A very happy ending!

PS: Dixie's last veterinarian's visit weighed her in at 9.3 pounds. She has grown both physically and emotionally and has transformed Bubah from a bully to a loving caring cat.

Terry Triol
Saint Petersburg, FL

My first Border Collie

I have always wanted a border collie and looked at many shelters in the area and could not find one. Decided to check rescue and found two groups specializing in BCs. Blue Ridge Border Collie Rescue had this wonderful male. The whole family, mother and five pups, had been turned into a shelter. One of the foster mom's had the dog I was looking for. Kiley is the sweetest, smartest, most playful dog you could ask for. He is training in agility and has his Companion Dog title with AKC. This is the beginning of a great career.

gabrielle golec
laurel, MD

She's A Sweety

Shortly after putting our 14yr old Chow to rest, we found ourselves looking for her in the usual places. We couldn't take it anymore, so we started looking on PetFinder for a rescue dog. We looked at many from all areas of the country, but none seemed to fit. We were in Miami and decided to look at two there. A soon as we came into the Miami Rescue Center, I wanted to find a dog called Gracie. She looked from the pictures that she deserved everything I could give her. When she came over to us, she stayed there and never left our side. So we had to take her (you know). Gracie's whole life had been chained to a patio or 8 months in a shelter. As we are truckers, we take her everywhere we go. She has been the most wonderful friend we have with us. She is known as "Gracie, America's Traveler". Thank you so much to all the "no kill" shelters for allowing us to enjoy this absolutely wonderful companion.
We were so taken by Gracie's appreciation and kindness that our son decided to adopt a fantastic girl named Sage from the Naples Humane Society. Sage was slated for destruction when the humane society grabbed her. She was less than 1 yr old. My son lived with us while he was getting adjusted to the area. Well when he moved Sage had a difficult time adjusting. Sage had spend so much time with Gracie, that she didn't want to leave her. We told our son that if he wanted we would take Sage also. Long story short, we have them both and they are the greatest girls. Better than most children. Look for us on the road! Thanks

Doug & Denise
Austin, TX

Jasmine & Narnia

These are my two girls, Jasmine and Narnia. I also have Penny, another girl. Gabrielle is my most recent adoption- he ran out in front of my car! He was homeless and by the grace of God we found each other. I could never live without animals, they always bring a smile to your face :)

Julie
Hanover, PA