Animal Rescue Stories

DIXIE HOPPER

My husband worked as a police officer and received a phone call from a woman who's neighbor was punching a dog in the face. Brad brought her home and to say the least she was wild. She would run down the road for about a half mile--thank goodness we live in the country; and would bark most of the night. She tore up everything left out and would pee on the floor as soon as she came in from outside. Everyone said to just take her to the pound, but of course, we did not. After about a month, she began to settle down and really trust us. Her nickname is Hopper--because everywhere she goes, she bounces. She loves to play in the pasture and the pond. Her favorite place is the "box" which is our term for McDonald's--where she gets a plain chicken sandwich when it's her turn to go to town. She now has 5 dog siblings, 9 cat siblings and a horse. There is not a day that passes that she doesn't smile at us. Every animal deserves a chance to show love and be loved.

Michelle McGee
Killen, AL

Beezel's first Christmas

Beezel's history is one of abuse. Some people don't know how to properly care for ferrets and the ferrets suffer for it. Beezel is one of many.

Beezel was kept in a terrilby small cage (hamster size) and fed and watered only when his owners thought about it. Beezel would bite because he was starving, frustrated from not being able to be physically active, and from being cramped in the tiny cage so the people didn't want to stick their hands in to refill food and water. Biting resulted in physical abuse.

A friend in CO heard about Beezel and that he was going to be euthanized if a home couldn't be found. She knows I work with difficult ferret cases and asked if I would take him. I said yes and Beezel's journey began. He stayed with my friend for a month before his move to Kansas.

It's been almost a year now and Beezel gets nippy when he is stressed or upset, but that's because he's had a cruel and damaging past. Beezel's cage is large with 2 full levels and 2 ledges, filled with clean comfy hammocks and bedding, toys, several dishes of fresh food and water, a large litter box, and his 2 favorite ferret friends.

Beezel doesn't get along with some of the other ferrets, so I've divided the house for separate out-of cage areas to keep everyone safe and allow them plenty of time and room to exercise and play. Beezel sometimes plays but not as much as the other ferrets his age. I hope that one day Beezel's cruel past will be gone from his memory and be replaced with gentle loving memories of how his life is now.

Troy Lynn Eckart
Wamego, KS

She had me at meow

I found Jezebel at a Montgomery Co., TX shelter. I had gone there to look at a Russian Blue that I'd seen online, as a playmate for my older kitty.
Jezebel was there too and was so STARVED for attention, she was meowing loudly from her cage. She would also try to grab everyone that walked near her cage which ended up leaving bloody scratches on most people, including me. Everyone backed away thinking she was mean. But I knew better. So, she came home with me. She has been the sweetest, most loving cat I've ever met. There is no person or cat that she doesn't like. When I'm at my computer, her 13 lb "rotundness" jumps up and sits on my lap. If I don't stop and pay attention right away, she'll "fall over" and lean against me. Then, she'll peer up at me with those giant gold eyes and meow. Melts my heart everytime. She had me at meow.

Bett Sundermeyer
Houston, TX

2 Beauties!

This wonderfully trained female on the left was found and brought into the shelter. She was fostered by a great mom in Santa Fe before being brought to Albuquerque for an adoption event. I couldn't resist those eyes and her gentle sweetness. She is the best behaved dog ever and loves more than imagineable. She was my first dog and pitt because before her I believed all those stereotypical rumors about pitts. Not anymore. It all depends on how they are treated not the breed. I am glad to have her in my family forever.

Charity
Albuquerque, NM

Barney

Fourteen years ago today, I picked up Barney sight-unseen at a train station. He was a sad, bedraggled little boy who had lost his family because of allergies. He took a train and a subway to get to his new home and was totally out of his element.

Today he is the Emperor of New York. Because of Barn we walk to the nearby park every morning with neither rain, nor sleet, nor hail stopping us. Both his late sister Monk and his current sister Rock love the boy. Next week he will be fifteen and he only gets better.....

Leslie Davidson
New York, NY

Home Sweet Home - Eli

This guy and his 7 brothers and sisters were dropped off at the shelter at 3 weeks old. He was 3 lbs. when I got him and he was so small I carried him home in the car in my softball glove (I was clearly unprepared to pick up my first puppy). I bottle fed him for 3 more weeks and he was sick with bacteria and very clingy. He is now 17 months old and weighs in at 65 lbs. He is a joy and loves to play, happily rolling around on his bed with his soccer ball tug toy. I can only hope his brothers and sisters are just as happy, as they were all adopted out the first day. Keep adopting - keep training!

Charity
Albuquerque, NM

A Tail of Triumph

She was about a year old; a rescue from a breeding facility. Best we could tell, she had spent most of her life in a very cramped space. She hadn't an inkling of cleanliness. When she tried to run in the backyard with the other dogs, she fell...three times...and then gave up. She had no muscle tone. Lifting her was like lifting a limp dish rag because she couldn't hold up any of her body parts except for her head. Her right front elbow stuck out severely, probably from lying in the same position for long periods of time. Most of all, she had a tremendous fear of all things human...and didn't even want to be in the same room with a crate (which the other dogs enjoyed as their own private bedrooms).

The first thing I did was replace the crates with wooden "condos" that had soft beds inside - but no gates!

I gave her the space she craved and let her observe me from a distance. I greeted the other dogs, played with them, rubbed their tummys, and let her observe from her hiding place in the corner. When I gave them treats, I rolled one to her, which she always attacked with vigor.

I will never forget the day that I was playing with the dogs and an unfamiliar paw gingerly touched my leg. When I turned to face her, she quickly backed away. I rolled her a treat. She got closer.

Today, Kayla is never more than a couple of feet away from me. She is the rescue that became my cherished friend, and my forever companion. I can't imagine life without her, and I'm so glad that she came into my life.

Melissa Geno
Brentwood, TN

Chester

We have rescued SEVERAL animals and thought we couldn't handle any more. Someone called me at work and asked "are you the dog rescue family, Rose gave me your number?" Well, we went to see this dog and help find a home for him. Well needless to say, he found a home-- he loves all the other animals at the house and enjoys running through the pasture. He has put on some weight and no longer cowers down when you call him--he had been abused before finding his way to us. He greets everyone with a lick and loves his favorite treat of grape slushies.

Michelle McGee
Killen, AL

Maximus

I found Max on my way to work one day, running across a busy street, almost getting hit twice. He was starvingly thin, stinky, practically bald and had open wounds all over his body from an extremely bad case of mange. I fell in love with him the moment I saw him and knew he was meant to find me so I could take care of him and give him the forever home he so deserved.
It took some time, but he gained some weight, recovered from the mange and even grew back all his hair!
I've had Max for almost one year now and I couldn't have asked for a sweeter dog. He is a fabulous companion for my other rescue dog, Maddie and the best snuggler on the planet! I enjoy his company and fall in love with him more and more every day.
This picture was taken right before the St. Patrick's Day Parade in 2009. Max walked in it and was a huge hit, even making the local paper. He even kept the hat on the majority of the walk!

Liz
Davenport, IA

Buddy!

This sweet little puppy showed up one day and was terrified of people, but LOVED our dogs. So we decided to keep him. We took him to the vet and they said he was less than 6 months old. He follows our dogs where ever they go so we named him Buddy. I assume he was abused because after 3 weeks he still runs from us but he is making steady progress each day. He will take food from our hand if we are slow in approaching him. He has found a home where he will never have to be scared again.

Krista
Kernersville, NC