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Animal Rescue Stories

Read heartfelt stories of rescue, and share your rescued animal stories with others.

A Second Home

A Second Home

Willow had been adopted as a kitten from the Humane Society and had a happy life until her mom had to go into a rehabilitation facility for an extended period. The mom’s daughter brought Willow to the vet who had cared for her for nine years to be put to sleep. “Why?” said the front desk person. “Because I don’t want her,” said the daughter. My vet has a window full of kittens for adoption, and they decided to take a risk with a 9 year old cat. She had been there for a few weeks when I came in and mentioned that I was thinking of adopting another cat. “Wait right there,” they said. So Willow and I went to the socializing room and spent some time together. She wasn’t very interested in me, but I wanted an older cat, and I agreed to take her. I took her home “on trial” – I think I was on trial, not Willow. The outcome of this story is all good. Willow is now 14, loving, playful, my companion and my husband’s companion, though maybe not her tabby sister’s friend. And her original mom finally came home from rehab, was thrilled to learn that Willow had a home, and adopted two more cats of her own. Older cats are the best!

MaryJane Boland
NEW YORK, NY
Mallen and Varg

Mallen and Varg

I found Mallen and Varg going to the supermarket. It was a cold morning (31st of January in 2012). They were "packed" in a plastic bag with their three sisters, and put at the entrance of the supermarket with a board reading " adopt us please".They were so young their ears were still closed. I called the local shelter people who sent me to hell (I know, they are crazy sometimes), so I took them home. 5 babies to take care of was a big challenge. I didn't launder that much for my own babies :-D We bottle fed them with my kids every 4 hours, the 3 girls were adopted and we kept Varg and Mallen who joined our happy family of dogs and cats. And here they are, 8 years later. They love each other so much it's moving. They have one "sister" dog (Sookie) and a big "brother (Alcide) and 4 "brothers" cats and a "sister" cat. My kids left home to live in New York where the were born (we live in Corsica, France), and I must say that all those furry "kids" make me smile every day and bring so much love and joy in my home that I don't know how I'd do without them.

Martine Garzon
APPIETTO, France
How we got the baby

How we got the baby

I was minding my own business on the evening of July 13th, 2017 when the doorbell rang. I went to the door and there were two boys, about 11 or 12.

"Is this your cat?" one of them asked.

I looked down and, on a dirty emoji pillow, was a tiny, furry baby kitten.

I pushed open the screen door, scooped the kitten up in both hands and said: "No, but I'll take it."

I'm glad I did because my wife had just had open heart surgery a few months earlier. She was so happy to have a little, living thing to take care of.

It was rather touch and go for a few days since the kitten was only 4 days old, but now she's a happy, little, 7 pound cat.

We named her Opal for the little girl in the book I had just finished reading a few hours before.

I suspect that a feral mother cat had given birth and, because Opal was the runt, had put her out of her litter. Since I haven't seen the cat I suspect was her mother for nearly 3 years now I think she might've been the only survivor of any of them.

Leah McGrew
AUSTIN, TX
Hannah and Baby Precious

Hannah and Baby Precious

I was looking into getting another cat for my family. I happened to come across a non-profit/non-kill shelter. Here my son picked out Baby Precious, a tri-pod. Her older sister Hannah was also there. They came from an animal hoarder situation. When Hannah arrived she weighed less than 1lb at 8 yrs of age. She was suffering from hyperthyroidism, almost hairless, and in need of recovery and love.
I took Baby Precious home first due to Hannah chasing other cats around. Yet, I could not stop thinking of her. Less than a month later I went back and took her into my home. My son she loves furrever. He is now in the Army, but she still sleeps in his bed. He is the one who she always loves the most. They were and are "two pees in a pod".
I was told, prior to your children leaving home...find something YOU love. I did... I ended up with 8 cats total (some long-term fosters due to daily IV's, meds, etc.) Plus I volunteer weekly at the animal castle where they came from.
Hannah is now 11 yrs old and 7 lbs; Baby P. is 8. They are the "younger bunch" but full of love, compassion, and empathy. It has been a long road for all of the cats in my home... But here is their furrever palace... filled with love, joy, playing, and anything they or I can think. They make my home complete...and my heart.

Erika Wilson
LUSBY, MD
Truman

Truman

After my Cady and Cody passed on, I was looking to get another cat, had two since they passed but they both turned out to be Feral so I surrendered them back to the person that I got them from. I did not think there would be another cat for me so I sort of gave up until Truman came along. His owner had died and the family was looking for a special home for Truman, so I took him in and so happy that I did. He is the sweetest most loving fur baby and I love him so much.

Diane Holley
WEST ORANGE, NJ
Mean cat

Mean cat

After my recent cat passed away (RIP), I didn’t want another cat for awhile. Well, 1 month later , I didn’t like not having a cat not greeting me @ the door. That’s the best medicine for a rough day. As always, humane society of course. I used to volunteer there. I walked in stated “ I want the cat that’s been here the longest. I seen one cat in the play room, I asked “ why is that cat by itself?” I was told she didn’t get along w/other cats. No one wanted her because of that. Well, taking care & spaying/neutering strays for over 30 yrs, I said, "She’s mine now." They didn’t have enough people to show otherwise. She’d been there all of 2 years, lonely. I named her Socksee; she was the best cat, she loved to snuggle, play, sleep w/me, best traveled cat by car or plane, she loved it. I taught her how to be w/other cats, yes, it took awhile, but she prevailed. She was a mama’s girl 100%. I miss her dearly, but she’s having fun at the R.Bridge waiting for me. It’s been over a year, so Monday I’m going to take home my oldest stray I’ve been taking care of for 7 years. Moral of this story, don’t believe everything people tell you! She was a lover! It just took a bit; once she was out of there, all she did was please me.

Pamela Hovanec
SEBRING, FL
Bailey finds a home

Bailey finds a home

We don't have any background on Bailey, just that she was around two years old when we met her on Christmas Eve, 2018. She was a frightened, timid Jack Russel terrier, and seemed very submissive. Once we got home, she barreled around the house looking for a place to hide, ended up in the back portion of the catio, and refused to come out. My husband Tim was determined that Bailey would become part of the family, and went to get her out so we could feed her dinner. In her fear and terror, she bit. And bit. And bit some more. Tim worked with her to help her feel comfortable, and now we have a terrier who loves and defends her home and family. The sharp barks of excitement when her Daddy comes home and the deeper barks of defense are wonderful to hear from a once terrified girl who hid under things, and now sits proudly in the front window, looking for something to comment on.

Mary Gadberry
CLOVIS, CA
Pushed out of a car in Indianapolis

Pushed out of a car in Indianapolis

Man gets Malamute. Then man gets girlfriend. Man marries girlfriend. Wife realizes how much fur the Malamute sheds. Wife says she is taking dog to rescue. Man says OK. Wife takes dog but instead pushes dog out of car in Indianapolis. Dog runs wild for two weeks and is finally picked up. Dog is transferred to Northern Lights Sled Dog Rescue. Dog is chipped and NLSDR calls man. Man says to keep dog. NLSDR thought dog was old since she had trouble walking. Since she had very long fur and ran wild for two weeks her fur became very tangled. When she moved the fur pulled at her skin, especially in her hind leg area. Fixed fur and realized she was only 4-5 years old! We were the lucky ones who adopted her! She trained my boys by woo hooing which meant, "Pet ME now". She crossed the rainbow bridge 8 months ago. We had 9 wonderful years with her!

Suzanne
FT MITCHELL, KY
The Cat No-one Wanted

The Cat No-one Wanted

Two summers ago, my beloved cat Sparkler was dying. I didn’t want Willow to be an only cat (and I guess I didn’t want to have only one cat). As an older person myself, I wanted an older cat – so I went to Animal Care Centers of New York, not a fancy shelter but basically “the pound.” The staff was lovely, the volunteers were enthusiastic, the cats and dogs seemed well cared for, but there were only a few older cats. Keelye-Ann, a tabby whom they thought was 9 years old, did NOT want me. She hid in the back of her cage. When the volunteer took us to a little room, she jumped off my lap and hid behind a tree. She had been there a while. While all the other cats were selling themselves, she was hiding. That’s the perfect cat for me, the one no one else wants.

They said I would have to have her spayed. By the time I went to pick her up, she had an upper respiratory infection – so she could go home until she was better and then go back for surgery. On the way home, we went to my vet, who added eye and ear infection and probable parasites to the list. She spent a week in my guest bathroom. She hid behind the toilet. She was hungry all the time and walked in her food dish. Soon, I took her back for surgery and got a call later in the day with the vet laughing: “first of all, when we shaved her to prep for surgery, we found the little tattoo that shelters use when they spay a cat – no surgery. AND this cat is not 9 years old. She is probably 4, no older than 5!”

Kellye-Ann is Kathryn now. She’s not my older cat and, not unexpectedly, she did not bond with Willow. She’s healthy, happy, silly, and she has a dad. I met my husband not long after I adopted Kathryn and she adopted him. She sleeps on his head, watches TV with him, and has definitely found the right home. She’s still afraid of noise, anything from crinkling waxed paper to thunder, and spends the day under the bed, just in case.

Not only is it great to visit Animal Control, but it’s even better to adopt the cat that no one else wants and let her enrich your life!

MaryJane Boland
NEW YORK, NY
REMEMBERING MINDY...

REMEMBERING MINDY...

On Tuesday June 23rd, we made the difficult decision to let our sweet angel Mindy pass over the rainbow bridge. Our brave, beloved little girl fought a short, courageous battle with throat cancer and now it is time for her to rest and be without pain. We spent five wonderful years together and she gave us nothing but continuous unconditional love and devotion.

Before we adopted her, Mindy had spent five and a half years on the hard streets of Phuket, Thailand, even losing one of her back legs, but that did not change her beautiful, sunny and loving disposition. Mindy was the sweetest, most gentle pup you could ever meet. She loved everyone and everyone loved her!!! There was not a single person who did not fall in love with her, even after just meeting her on the street for the first time. She touched the hearts of everyone.

I will never forget her “Mindyness.” She was like a puppy, always curious about everything around her. She would also follow you everywhere, and she would prance up and down with her two front legs as part of her happy dance when we came back home or her food was ready. Here are some more memories:

• fixing her blanket “just right” before bedtime with her teeth & paws
• biting her tail clean every night before settling for bed
• the special tilt her head would do when she ran up to you, so happy to see you
• her never-ending tail wag
• giving you her special doe eyes and her paw when she wanted to get petted
• jumping on the coach when she saw you there and plopping her body on you so you could cuddle (she was a real lap dog)
• nuzzling our older cat when she was sleeping
• such a sun baby…one of Mindy’s favorite things was to lie outside on the deck with the sun right on her

Mindy had such a deep and throaty voice for such a small and delicate pup, even more than her brother, our husky cross, who is 25 pounds heavier. When she got really excited, she would bark while lifting her head up and stomping her cute little feet. Mindy was such a good guard pup, too, always barking to alert us of some strange noise or visitor at the door, or doing her cute little huff and low growl when there were possible “threats”. She would also react almost on cue to join her brother to chase away the cat when there was food to be had.

I will miss how she would run into my arms to hide her little face on my shoulder, or how she was always such a playful puppy - she would take her favorite stuffed animal (a small red and green bear) or antler and chew on it contentedly. I will also miss her mad dash down the backyard steps to try to catch those pesky squirrels, or her Olympic-level running both up and down the stairs of our house to find our younger cat. We always worried that she would trip and fall, but she never did.

Every night, once she saw me after coming down the stairs to keep me company in the rec room, Mindy would sprint over to me with a happy skip!!!

As a tripod, Mindy was also a great ambassador, not just for Soi Dog, but also for all disabled, street or shelter dogs. During walks, people would often stop us to ask about her story. When they saw how gentle, loving and friendly she was, they would see that shelter dogs really can be good companions. She was an inspiration!

Thank you, Soi Dog, for allowing us to meet Mindy! She was truly a gift and a blessing. My gentle, beautiful girl will always be in our hearts and never be forgotten.

Karina Huising
Toronto, Canada