Animal Rescue Stories

Saved from a cruel end by mere hours!

'Shilo' and 'Walter' are litter-mates (both males) that were snatched from the 'redline' (euthanasia list) at a shelter down south (CA), with mere hours to spare! As 'older' dogs (both are 7 years) in a terribly overcrowded shelter, they were about to be put down, despite being very sweet and loveable guys. Thanks to NorSled Sled Dog Rescue, we were able to give them that last minute 'save' and they now have their 'forever home' with us (in Northern California). How sad to think they are merely two among many thousands of similar great dogs facing an identical tragic end, due to irresponsible people, negligent owners, overcrowded shelters, and a lack of respect for animal lives. NorSled (serving Northern California) has many such great Siberians looking for homes with responsible, socially mature dog people who understand the breed and are prepared to take good care of them. Check them out by GOOGLING "NorSled" and help save their furry, fluffy, doggie buddies!

"The more I get to know my dogs, the less I like people", and "If dogs don't go to Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where THEY go....". [Both quotes attributed to American author Samuel Clemens (otherwise known as 'Mark Twain').]

Kalikiano
Sacramento & Kaunakakai, CA

A forever home.

This tiny kitten was found in a neighbor's garage. He had been there for three days. He was full of fleas and starving. My two older male cats, Blaize and Mowgli both took to him very differently. Blaize licked him and nurtured him, Mowgli still hisses at him. The 4 week old little "Ozzy" gained strength and is growing up to be a healthy and very boistrous eight month old who is not intimidated by anything. He is still scared of sudden noises and darts away. Sometimes, he even runs backwards. Ozzy has found his forever home and is very happy.

Sharon
North Aurora, IL

Princess CoCo the Basset Hound

My Bassett of 12 years old passed in Aug. 07. I was devistated. I said I no longer wanted another dog. In January, just for the heck of it, I went on line to Basset Rescue of FL. In searching, I came across CoCo. Those eyes were mesmerizing. When I inquired about her, she was still available and 1 week later she was home. It turns out she had a rough couple of months with traveling from CA to FL. and into a home that couldn't take care of her. They sent her to a kill shelter in Miami. The shelter called FL Rescue and they picked her up. She was out of sorts for a few months and depressed. The rescue checked her and she was in good health. Having Coco has brightened up my life again. She is the sweetest dog. Within the week of being in her new home, she was playing with toys, running around the house and doing silly things. She was finally comfortable and she knew this was her home forever.
Joan D.

Joan duFosse
Port St. Lucie, FL

Gracie

My son decided to adopt an animial - cat or dog - it didn't really matter. He had moved from Indiana to Mississippi and couldn't take his own cat (who now has a loving home with me). He went to the shelter and adopted a 2 year old pit bull named Gracie. Gracie had a special challenge - she was totally deaf. He loved her anyway and adopted her immediately. When he took her to the vet for her check-up he discovered that she was also partially blind. Gracie has become a very loved and special part of his home and loves to dress-up in T-shirts and go for long walks. He has since adopted a cat Macey who set herself up as Gracie's protector and friend.

Mary Corey
Kokomo, IN

Bulldog Rescue, Southern Style

My 11 year old Chow Mix, Ashley, had just been put down after unsuccessful surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from her jaw. I cried myself to sleep for 2 weeks. My son, then 17, had always wanted a bulldog and asked me to consider a puppy. I searched on Petfinder and found a 3-month old female American Bulldog mix cutie in the Scottsdale, Alabama shelter. I, however, was in Johnson City, Tennessee....many miles away! I contacted the shelter and made arrangements for adoption but had to wait a week till she could be spayed. The shelter workers were very excited about Halo coming to Tennessee to a new home and kept me informed of her health and happiness while I waited to get her. Fortunately for us, my baby brother lived in Chattanooga, about an hour away from the shelter in Alabama. Andrew went down and picked this sweetie up and brought her in to us the next weekend. We named her Halo. I fell in love with her monster paws, floppy jaws, sweet amber eyes and soft pink belly. She is a "frisbee queen" who will chase and bring back a frisbee as many times as you will throw it. She loves a good ragbone tug-of-war, belly rub and fresh raw beef bones. She will be 6 this September. She is absolutely wonderful, well-minded, VERY loving and energetic, a super watchdog and LOVES people and other dogs. She has been a blessing and best friend for years now. She has been an awesome addition to our family and will be loved and cherished for many years to come!

Katrina
Johnson City, TN

Love at first sight

I first saw Mr. Wendell in a small pet boutique when purchasing treats for my chihuahua (Miss Pepper) while in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Mr. Wendell's foster mom, Michelle, told me that he and a few other dogs were found in an abandonded warehouse in NC and were going to be put down unless she could make the drive up to rescue them. After 6 months of Michelle nursing Mr. Wendell back to health he was ready for adoption.
We adopted Mr. Wendell in July, 2007 and have been loving him every since. He is such a joy to have! He loves to go on long walks with Miss Pepper; play "chase me" in the backyard; cuddling up under a blanket and most of all he loves to watch TV and hang with his dad.
Mr. Wendell has been a wonderful addition and we're so happy to have him.

Christine, Ed and Miss Pepper
Bothell, WA

Fergie

My husband (boyfriend at the time) & I adopted Fergie (originally named Angel) from the Flower Mound Humane Society in Feb. 2008. I found her on the website & got in touch with her foster mom. She brought Fergie over who was incredibly scared of people in general but specifically men. I held her the whole time she was visiting & she shook & never moved. She wouldn't even look at Zack. Apparently, she was rescued from a "dog collector" who had over 40 dogs in one house with no people contact. She was pregnant at the time w/ her 2nd litter! She was only 2 years old. After she had the litter she was spayed. I was pretty nervous adopting her since she was so scared of men. Especially since I was leaving the following week for a trip to London & she would be with my husband! I think he was nervous too. Even though she was so skiddish & nervous for a while, we instantly fell in love with her & now over a year later, she is the best thing that has ever happened to us. We are obsessed with her, talk about her all the time & snuggle with her every chance we get. Adopting a rescued dog is a very amazing experience and If we ever decide to add to our family, we will be rescuing. Fergie has taken over my position as princess of the house. She has a bed that she shares with us & 2 other beds in the house also. She loves her walks & laying out in the sun. But I think most of all, she loves getting ALL the attention from us & we love it right back! She is our life!

Jen Eaton
Denton, TX

My Savannah Banana

Yesterday my fiance Russ was driving down the road out by the indian reservation and he noticed a yellow blur on the side of the road. Well he stopped the truck(pissing off some drivers) and did a reverse to the yellow blur. Well it turned out this yellow blur was a yellow lab puppy about 4 months old. She was just sitting there all sad and forlorn. Russ walked over to her and she went into his arms eagerly. She sat on his lap on the ride home just happy to have someone stop and show her some love. I was decorating our new house when he walked in with this fur ball in his arms and of course instantly I fell in love. The poor girl is a starved little fur ball. Her hind quarters are nothing but bone and she can hardly stand on them. She was so dirty, that we put her in the tub and gave her a nice warm bath. My dog Roland was a little jealous and still if unsure of her. After her bath we wrapper her up in a blanket and my kitten Boots curled up on top of her as if to keep her warm. She is a cute little angel. My fiance is taking her to the vet today as she has a bloody eye and is weezing. I hope everything goes well as I love her and cant stand to lose her.

Ashley
Chubbuck, ID

Bruno finds a home

Bruno was found running loose with 2 other puppies near our town. Our rescue picked up all three and the 2 were adopted out right away. Bruno had severe worms that affected his bowel movements and his rectum would come way out and had to be put back in which he took in stride, they even stitched it twice to no avail, finally when his life was threatened by necrosis setting in a very kind vet did a surgery she had never tried before and it worked!!! Bruno was saved and my husband and I (who had just put down our oldest sheperd of 15 yrs) adopted Bruno (at 8 months)and he is living happily with his big brother, German Sheperd, Samson and two cats, Aries and Stinkers and 7 horses and 3 cats at our barn.

Eddi Almlie
Tracy, MN

Thrown from a car window as a baby but now with a loving home.

She was only 6 weeks old when she was found laying in the middle of the travel lane of a busy road on a cold day in December. Cars were passing over her as she lay huddled waiting for someone to help her. A passing motorist notified the local animal rescue who then rushed to save her. Luckily she only had a minor injury to her face (along with her worms and fleas).

I saw her two weeks before Christmas at the Fallston Animal Rescue when I went to buy birdseed and fell in love. Now she is a happy, energetic, loving 8 month old kitty. My daughter named her Casey, but I call her Casey Kitty. She loves running, jumping and climbing on anything she can. She can leap over 4 feet in the air after her toys to catch them. Luckily for the birds she is an inside kitty so they are safe.

Her beginning may not have been good, but her ending will be storybook.

Adopt from a local shelter.

Christina
Fallston, MD