Animal Rescue Stories

Tippy chooses Us!

Our first glimpse of Tippy was her standing on our neighbors doorsteps, meowing her head off at the door. As soon as she saw us pull up the drive, she ran over and continued her meowing quest for help. Someone had thrown her out in our neighborhood to sink or swim, probably because she was pregnant.

When we decided to adopt her, a couple of weeks after her arrival. I made an appointment with our local vet to examine her and to spay her. I thought I had just fattened her up -- the vet laughed at me. She had three little male orange tabby kittens about a week later. I found good homes for the kittens, which was easy -- because they were males. As soon as the kittens were weened, I took Tippy back to the vet to be spayed. She has been with us as an indoor-outdoor cat for 12 years. We love her!

I do not understand how folks can be so irresponsible. If you have a pet and you do not want them to breed, then please get them spayed or neutered. And if you choose not to, then please be responsible for the mother and her babies, rather than throwing them out to become someone else's problem -- or worse -- to starve.

More than that -- it costs a responsible well cat owner about $120 per year for necessary annual exam, including feline leukemia vaccine and flea, tick and parasite treatments and rabies vaccinations. So commit or say no!

Tammy
Benson, NC

Miss Madison

I met Madison 8 years ago at my local shelter. I was looking for a very specific tabby and she was in foster care. I explained I was looking for a gray and white stripe tabby with a fawn colored belly and they opened the carrier and out she walked. We have had her since she was 8 weeks old, she is one sassy tabby and we are lucky to have her!

cindy
renton, WA

Sadie found a home

Sadie was dumped out near a city dump to fend for her self with the trash and trucks. I brought her home with the intention of finding her a home as I already had a dog. She decided she had found her a new home. That was 12 years ago. She was a really sweety that I really didn't look to hard for a home for her.

Linda
Bonham, TX

Tabitha

Tabitha is the sweetest kitty ever! Last year, I went to the shelter one day after work and as I was walking past the cages I saw this adorable orange and white kitten who just looked miserable. She could hardly open her eyes and her nose was crusty. I was terrified that if they found out they would put her down so I immediately adopted her. I had to bottle feed her for the first week, but once she got over her illness, her personality came through. She loves to be loved (on her terms, of course) and to play with my other rescue cats. I couldn't imagine my life without her!

Melissa
Anaheim, CA

Our Emma Cat

My botfriend found this kitten hangin around the small town where he worked and brought her home,she was tiny and ,dirty and afraid ,she had some frost bite from being out in the bitter cold and eventually lost the tip of her tail.We had already adopted 2 other cats from our local vet but this one sure needed a home too.I took her to the vet and had her checked out and treated and they gave her bath ,that was 5 months ago and she is now a beatiful ,loving, happy,playful cat,.I'm so glad we brought her into our home she is truely a joy.

Amanda LaPointe
Columbus, NE

Fletcher

Hi. I'm Fletcher. When I was about two years old, my owner decided he didn't want me anymore. That wasn't a good day. Luckily, I went to Operation Scarlet, the Chinese Shar-Pei rescue in Lancaster,Pa. I was only there a little while,when a couple came in to meet me and took me home. When I got there,they had two other Shar-Pei, YingLing and Morris. What a time we had. Unfortunately, within a year they both passed over The Rainbow Bridge. Then I was the only dog with two cats. One day my new owners were gone out longer than usual.They came home and they had a puppy- Wrink Lee.I found out he came from Operation Scarlet too.You may have seen his story here also. I know he's cute, but I think I'm the handsome one. We're both enjoying our Forever Home.

Susan and John Mergo
Ashley, PA

Such treats!

After adopting a shepherd-mix, who we named FeeBI, in honor of law enforcement (FBI- but pronounced "Phoebe") from the Liberty, MO, Animal Shelter, I inadvertantly came across a dachshund that had been rescued after being used as a breeder for five years. I couldn't resist her eyes which begged me to take her home. FeeBI and Daphne immediately bonded with each other, and they have made every day of our lives richer.

Vicki
Excelsior Springs, MO

Package Deal: 11 for 1

We found Marley on Petfinder at a small shelter 3 hours from our home. We wanted an adult rescue Aussie to keep our other rescued Aussie company. A couple weeks after we brought her home, to our surprise, we discovered she was about to have puppies. So on the day of her scheduled spay surgery, she had an ultrasound instead. The vet found 10 puppies! With a ton of help from friends and family, we found good homes for all 10. Luckily, we still get to see a couple who stayed in the extended family. Although we'd never choose to have puppies, we're grateful that everything turned out ok.

Erika Leibrecht
Los Alamos, NM

Saving Sophie

Sophie was found hiding behind an air conditioning unit in someones back yard in Vegas. She only weighed 11/2 lbs. She was scared and hungry and couldn't use her back leg. Now she tips the scale at 3 1/2 lbs, and she is the light of our lives. She loves everybody and everything. We are blessed to have her!

Pat Donoho
Kanab, UT

Lola joined the family

Our landlords had tenants who did not want their puppy, no time for her they said. We later found out the little girl was tied up 12-18 hrs a day while they were at work and church. All we knew is that she was a beagle and needed a home. At the time we had our Marissa, 6 yr old Havanese also a rescue, and Annabelle our 13 year old beagle. Now they were going to get a new sister who was 5 months old. I called her Lola without seeing that little face... What ever Lola wants Lola gets. We were moving from the upstairs apartment to the downstairs one, so our landlords kept her with them until the move was completed.
In Nov. 2006 Little Lola officially joined our family and brought not only Joy to Jack and I, but Joy and lots of playtime to her two sisters. With sadness, I say our Beautiful Marissa passed away 12/08 from a bleeding disorder and then our Beautiful Annabbelle, who survived cancer passed away from old age 14 1/2 on 04/09. Our family is now just us 3 and without Lola I don't think we could have survived. We know she misses her sisters as we do. But her spark and the gentle love she gives is such a blessing.

Donna Radisch
Haines City, FL