Animal Rescue Stories

I was "rescued"

I had recently lost Ginger (also a rescue), my beloved cocker, to leukemia at only age 4 & 1/2 but just knew I could give another dog a good home. After lots of crying, I found Lacey on Petfinder.com in early May. Lacey came from Shorewood Cocker Rescue (a great place) in southern Wisconsin which fosters all of their dogs. Their volunteers truly love the breed and do an amazing job including calling your references and vet. They even require a home visit before you can adopt from them to be sure their foster dogs will have a perfect "furever" home. I can not thank them enough for matching us up and bringing her into my life! I am waiting for a heart transplant (please keep your fingers crossed for me) and having a dog brings me so much joy. Lacey is chocolate, has caramel colored "eyebrows" with a white blaze and gray feet; I had never seen a cocker with her coloring before. Lacey is 3, a bundle of pure love, is house & crate trained, comes when called, and doesn't pull on the leash. She chases tennis balls, brings them back and rolls the ball back to you. Why her owners gave her up I will never be sure (they said they were moving) as she is truly a very special dog. I can not recommend rescue dogs enough; especially in light of the economy forcing so many people to have to surrender their pets. It breaks my heart to hear that so many pets are abandoned but I think that rescue pets is the only responsible way to go. I know that Lacey and I truly "rescued" each other,

Judy M.
Winnetka, IL

Lamb came home

Lamb was one of 8 kittens left to starve in a garage. I found great homes for 7 of them and since no one claimed her, she claimed me. Funny how I thought I was the one helping her- when she helped me. My rescued male cat adopted her as his baby, and even my grouchy rescues fell in love!

Jennifer Munn
Inverness, FL

Five Abandoned Puppies

Two of my friends and I were traveling down to visit with one friend's mother. On the trip down she was telling us about this kill shelter by her moms house and that it had a like a "mail box" door that you could leave your unwanted dogs in and how dirty this shelter was. I said I have to see this for my self so we stopped out the shelter was closed for the weekend but we got out and looked around. on the side of the building is a gated area. I looked in and to my amazement someone had left 5 little black puppies whose little eyes were still blue from opening and had no teeth yet! I could not leave them for certain death so we took all five with us, I bottle fed them and got them healthy again and I have re-homed all but one who has always been the one that stayed close to me, so I'm having a hard time re-homing her and I'm working on the husband to keep her. I don't know how a person could just leave defenseless babies like that, but these puppies will have a long and happy life now in their new homes.

Amber
Mechanicsburg, OH

Lucky Lucy

Lucy was found in the mountains of Wellington on a cold November evening. Suffering from mange and starvation the local vets gave her little chance. But lots of love and attention got her through the worst. She is now the centre of my world and she knows it! She's an inspiration to everyone that meets her and we're never shy to tell her amazing story. Every neglected dog should get a second chance in life.

Nicolette
Wellington, South Africa

Lil'Lady Luna

I adopted Luna from a shelter in the town where I live. I went in to see another cat, who wouldn't give me the time of day, so instead I sat down in the room to see what the other cats would do. Luna jumped up into my lap and made herself comfortable. As I had never had a cat before (only dogs growing up) I was unsure and definitely wasn't ready to commit. When I came back two days later, the performance repeated itself. When I sat down, she jumped into my lap and started to purr. I came back a third time, to make sure my roommate had a say in the animal I brought home, and again she jumped into my lap and laid down. We took her into a private room to get to know her better and found she was as playful as she was loving. I had been doubting whether I should actually go through with it, but when they came in to ask me about paperwork I didn't even think. I said "Yes," filled out the sheet, and never looked back. Luna's been with me for nine months now and she's the best thing that ever happened to me. She senses when I'm upset and comes and settles into my lap to purr like she did at the shelter. In the mornings when I wake up, she's always right there, purring and rubbing against my face and showing me how happy she is I'm awake again. I don't know what I would do without her. I'm a happier person because I have my Lil'Lady. I'm glad she adopted me, and I had sense enough to sign the papers to confirm it.

L. Linde
DeKalb, IL

Princess Bella

Bella came to me in 2007 from the Finding Fido shelter in Phoenix, AZ. I was walking with a friend through a park during a dog adoption day and there she was. She immediately captured my heart. Once I held Bella, it was all over! I had to take her home. Princess Bella, her full name, has turned out to be the sweetest thing and I often wonder how anyone could give her up. She is 9 years young now and is in a loving and happy home with two kitties and a fish. She is finally where she belongs.

Ardy Hoffmann
Phoenix, AZ

Reno, our "Frasier's" Eddie-look alike

We adopted our beloved Reno, a Jack Russell mix, now about two-years old, from an organization called Boxers & Buddies. His story told was that he, along with four other puppies, were found in a foreclosed home inside a bathroom all covered in their own waste in Los Banos, California. After we adopted Reno in June of 2008, he had a few vet visits for some sickness due to neglect, but he has blossomed into a beautiful, bright, warm and loving pet for my husband and me. He graduated from puppy school as a valedictorian (of two dogs in the class). He only had two "accidents" in the house and was well potty-trained thereafter--it took no time at all. We couldn't ask for more from our beloved rescued pet. We can't say he's lucky that he was rescued; it's more like we're so lucky to have him in our lives.

If you think the dog, Eddie, from sitcom "Frasier" is cute and smart, you should see our Reno.

Marissa
Reno, NV

A boy named Boo

Boo, a wirehaired dachshund, was rescued from an abusive home close to 12 years ago and was adopted by my husband as a gift for me. I named him Boo after the character in To Kill A Mockingbird because he was such a shy and reclusive little boy at first. Within a year my husband had passed away. Boo was his final and best gift to me. He is now about 11 1/2 years old and as you can see rules the house and allows me the honor of sleeping in my own bed! He had some health issues and some pretty serious "people" issues when he first came to live with us but he's long since become the little happy guy everyone adores and is my best friend!

F Moore
Gresham, OR

Our Foxie Roxie

Roxie was found abandoned in the Idaho woods. She was so weak the hunters who found her had to carry her to their vehicle. The humane society wouldn't take her. One of the hunter's tied her to a tree in his back yard, she was barking at 4 a.m. and that was how my husband was introduced to Roxie. She was old, we found out later, 18 years old. She had cataracts, was pretty close to deaf and you could count every bone in her body. Her pelvis had been broken at some point in her life and she had no visible toenails in any foot. One week after we took her in she had a sinus infection caused by migrating roots from a broken tooth. Turned out to be 4 broken teeth. Surgery was difficult on her but she did well. She continued to thrive for 14 months until an infection overwhelmed her old and frail immune system. During that time she went to bed every night on a soft bed, with a full tummy knowing the morning would bring more love and more good home cooking. Roxie added a dimension to our lives no other dog has.The choice we made to take in Roxie was easy, we would do it all over again if it meant one more old and abandoned animal had dignity at the end.

Shannon Ewing
Emmett, ID

Auda, my beautiful rescue horse

I rescued Auda from going to slaughter after the embryo transplant farm she was on shut down. Slaughter is a horrible death that no horse should ever have to suffer through, and I'm so thankful I was able to adopt her. It took months of gentling her, but now she loves getting attention from people and going for long rides. She is such a treasure, so sweet and gentle. It breaks my heart knowing the horrible end she almost endured. She has a home with me for the rest of her days. I hope to continue rescuing more horses in need.

Zoe
Sheridan, OR