Animal Rescue Stories

Clearance Rack Special

So I've always wanted a Black Labrador Retriever. I've had many Lab "mixes" along the way because I won't "shop", I'll only "adopt". Having recently lost one of my "mixes" to cancer, I was longing to replace her. On my daily visit to Craig's list (I know, never get a pet off CL) I ran across an ad in the free section. It was quite lengthy with several pictures. I got the feeling they were truly trying to find a good home for this puppy. He had suffered a broken leg, been to several doctors and not gotten a good prognosis. Money wise, the breeder didn't want to spend money on a pup they couldn't sell. Free to good home. I answered the ad, explaining I lived on 20 acres, had 4 other dogs and a great Veterinarian. I got an invitation to come meet "Ty". Both of his parents were on site and they seemed like nice dogs. Very family friendly. The breeder showed me all the medical records and I met Ty, who was living in a pen for recovery. The leg was pretty pitiful. He was pretty laid back for a Lab puppy but I thought it was due to the lack of activity. I went home to discuss it with my husband as a special needs puppy was not going to be inexpensive. I got the old "Whatever you decide is fine with me". Green light! I got him a few days later and took him and the play pen home. We visited my vet for consultation and she put him in a splint as it was taken off too soon. We talked to a surgeon and he told us what he would do. Dropped Ty off for surgery and later that morning the Dr. called. After seeing new xrays he thought we might do more harm than good right now. Restrict the activity for a few weeks and if he starts using the leg, so be it. If not, we can take it off. Well, fast forward and there is no stopping this dog. Loves to run, chase deer and jump in the air! Oh, he'll have arthritis eventually but he's been on a supplement since we got him to help with that. And he hogs the bed. Oh well. Got my Labrador Retriever!

Kriston Glushko
ROCKMART, GA

She's my Valentine!

When Una entered my life, we were both hurting. I had just lost my 10 year beautiful lab to a sudden heart issue, and she had been traumatized by someone putting a rubber band so tight around her ear flap that it was partially amputated and badly infected. Our lives intersected in the vet's office that was trying save my lab and was caring for Una. I guess we were intended to be together and help each other heal our broken hearts because after I lost Abe, I was drawn to Una and adopted her a few weeks later. On February 14, 2007, Una officially became mine and I became hers. She is still with me today.

Valerie Spadt
SILVERLAKE, WA

Sisters from different mothers

It took us nearly a year to make the decision after we had to let our beautiful Yellow Lab mix, L.B. cross the rainbow bridge. Our two grandsons had been asking us for a cat for a long while and we finally decided it was time. I searched online at first, because I had lost my best pal, Ginger, an incredibly people-intelligent Tortie some years earlier and hoped I might find another. I did find a year-old one that was the spitting image of Ginger. But he boys wanted a kiiten. So we went to the Simi Valley shelter to look for one. There, we found an adorable brown tabby. It took a while for the girls, Shadow (the kitten) and Scout to acclimate to us and each other. But they grew so close in that first few months that you would think they were sisters. They have been with us for four-plus years now and our furniture is getting lovingly threadbare. But we wouldn't have it any other way.

Burton Weinstein
SIMI VALLEY, CA

Mater the Therapy Dog

In April of 2012 my husband and I decided to foster a 3 year old basset hound named Mater that had come from a shelter in Missouri. He was heartworm positive, emaciated, and had worn his front teeth down to nubs trying to chew his way out of the barn stall he had been kept in. Having recently just suffered my second miscarriage this was unknowingly just what I needed to help get me out of my dark hole of depression. I was devoted to taking him to vet appointments, putting some meat on his bones, introducing him to green grass and people. It took several months to get Mater well and by that time we had all fallen in love and decided to adopt him. Mater had something about him that just drew people in, he could make anyone smile! Seeing how much love that he had to give and knowing what he had done to help me I wanted to find a way to be able to share his love with others. I learned of a local program that was training pets to become therapy dogs so I took Mater down for an evaluation and he passed with flying colors. We signed up for the training and he flew through both courses like a pro. Within three months he had passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen test and we had started mentored visits. Two months after that he officially became Mater the therapy dog. He was always so excited to put his vest on and go to work! Each visit we made to a nursing home, a library or a school he knew just what to do. He would lay his head in an elderly person's lap and it was like their dementia faded away. They would smile and talk about a dog they had when they were younger, and recall stories of their youth. Children that struggled to read were excited to read with Mater, and he happily laid his head beside them while they read for an hour! People started emailing me wondering when Mater the Therapy Dog was coming to visit! They were always asking if he had a page they could follow so I decided to start a Facebook page for Mater. I would write about his adventures as if he were the one that got on the "puter." Within a month he had over 300 followers. People were always saying to me "thank you for bringing Mater to visit, you have no idea how happy he makes me!" All the while my family was so thankful that Mater had given me purpose again, given me a reason to get out of the house and made me smile each day. I too was so thankful for this sweet long eared pup that had saved me. I was determined to do everything I could to help the therapy dog program that we were volunteering with grow and flourish so he could continue to share his special love with others. I worked hard to raise money for the organization and to add new visits, and new members. In 2017 I was named vice president of the organization and assistant trainer. At that time we had a little more than 20 members. Mater and I continued to make many visits throughout our community and I continued to draw in new members so that they could share the love of their pups as well. In 2018 I was named president and head trainer of the organization. We now have over 60 members and our calendar is always full of events, usually booked six months in advance. Each time we attend an event and I see how much Mater and the rest of our therapy dogs make a difference in the lives of others I am humbled, because I know none of this would have been possible without Mater. He has a fan club that follows him to libraries and community events, and I'm still in awe of it all. Mater is older now, and a little slower but he's still excited for each and every visit. I look back to the dark dismal place I was 7 years ago and I could not be more thankful for this sweet dog that gave me purpose. I think of all the lives Mater has touched over the years, the difference he has made in our community, and in my life as well and I am so very grateful that we decided to foster/rescue him. When people tell me that Mater is so lucky that we saved him, I always say no, Mater is the one who saved me.

Angie Hall
MOLINE, IL

Who rescued who?!

We have always had cats, and then added dogs to our family. After saying goodbye to one of our furbabies there was a hole in my heart that said I needed to adopt again. I saw Leilani's picture on a rescue website and she had lots of love to give, but also needed some training and love with tons of exercise due to her high octane energy levels! We still have to walk/play/entertain her constantly, but she is such a great part of our home; we just love her to pieces. The picture is of her and one of our smaller rescues - Kiki Tiger sharing the "dog" bed.

Karen Sharkey
ROCKLEDGE, FL

My Skinny Mama

It was September 2018 and I was volunteering at our local Humane Society. Hurricane Florence was heading our way and the shelter was trying to get all the animals into foster care in case the storm hit us. I called my husband and asked if we could "foster" this very skinny charcoal calico who was oh-so-sweet. She had just arrived at the shelter and had given birth to six kittens who had nursed on her too long. The kittens were now in foster care, but she was up for adoption. He reluctantly agreed to foster her for "four days only". Well, you all know the ending to that story. Once at our home, she strolled out of the carrier, took a tour of our home and settled in. She slept between us that night and has done so ever since. She's my beautiful Katie Ann. Katie was her name in the shelter and Ann was the middle name I gave her in memory of my Mom who had passed away in April. She is our little love bug who stole our hearts immediately!

Rosemary Longueira
SAVANNAH, GA

My Hazel(nut)

In 2013-2014 I lost BOTH my fur babies in a 6- month period, both due to severe illnesses. I also lost my husband & his fur baby as a result of marital difficulties, so basically within 6 months I lost my entire family I had established; I vowed to never have to experience that much loss or pain again. In 2016, I desperately wanted another companion to help ease my loneliness & depression but was hesitant, as I know how much it can cost when fur babies get sick, & I'm financially limited due to disability & inability to work. At a church function with my father in March 2016, a friend mentioned that a feral cat she had been caring for just gave birth to a litter; then she mentioned the word "Calico!!!" I was hooked, as my 1 former baby was a Calico.. my friend sent me photos of the 2 kittens available & I chose my Hazel. Ironically, she has traits of BOTH my former babies (plus her own ;) & not realizing it til later, her name is also the middle name of my niece who unfortunately didn't survive through pregnancy. Needless to say, my Hazel is a blessing & despite HER recently discovered illness, I feel she was sent to me from Heaven by my niece & former fur babies to watch over me & provide the companionship & love I desire so much. I am sooo grateful for her!!!

Jacinda
SENECA FALLS, NY

Who Rescued Who?

My heart was breaking with the loss of my beloved Flipper. He was rescued as a puppy and crossed the Rainbow Bridge at 17 years old. Although I did not name him, I assumed his name came from being lame in one leg. After he died I didn't intend on having another dog, a broken heart is very painful.
My niece rescued a dog so I went online to see his picture. However, I am not very skilled on the computer and clicked on available dogs. There was Miracle Mikey up for adoption from Outlaw Dogs. He has a deformed leg which was the opposite of Flipper's lame one. I contacted the group with my story. They responded a family was coming to the rescue to possibly foster or adopt Miracle Mikey; they would update me. Apparently they informed the people that I was interested in him; they gave me first choice! That was when Miracle Mikey rescued me from a broken heart and came to his furever home.
But Miracle Mikey needed a friend to play with him. The same rescue posted a picture of Timmy for almost 9 months and no one one was adopting him. He had deformed paws. Well he was perfect for us, and so Timmy came to live with us too. The two are great brothers.
Again I kept seeing another picture from Outlaw Dogs rescue of Champ and no one adopting him. This time I volunteered to foster him. That lasted 3 days and ended in him coming into our family.
A furever home is forever! We lived near Los Angeles, Ca. when we became a family. In 2017 I decided to return to Pennsylvania to be near my biological family. We packed the car and made the cross country trip together. We are now in a new home and new town loving each other! FOREVER!

Barbara Ramous
CLARION, PA

Finding Ruby

I had recently lost my dog Sheba and wanted to bring another female into my home. I was looking for a German Shepherd mix. I came across an ad for a female Shepherd mix so I went to see her. She ended up being a Australian Shepherd mix but also ended up coming home with me! Her name was Ruby!

At the time, I had recently lost my husband and she was a great comfort to me. She loved my other dogs RD and Zero and would play with them all the time. As time went by, I started dating again and met my current husband. He had left his glasses on the coffee table in the living room when we went to bed. We got up the next morning and could not find them any where.

Now Ruby was a chewer, but it never crossed our minds that she would have taken his glasses. On a whim, I decided to check her kennel. Sure enough, there were his glasses. But what was amazing is that she didn't chew them up!

We ended getting married and merged our homes. All the dogs got acclimated to the new home and my husband got acclimated to them (he did not have any pets). Ruby loved us all!

As the years went by, we lost RD and then recently Zero. Ruby decided that she only has eyes for my husband! She follows him every where he goes. When we go into the living room to watch tv, she hops up on the sofa and lays next to him. No room for me!!! She finally found her true love and he loves her back. If I try to discipline her, he will whisper to her that it is okay he will take care of her.

Lisa Wimberly
BRYAN, TX

Our Flower, Lily

Four years ago we visited our local shelter to volunteer for dog walking. We hadn't planned on adopting, our fur "baby" at home was getting old and we didn't think another dog would benefit him in his senior years. As we were passing by to decide which dog we should walk this girl was passed off to us to walk because she had been passed over so many times. We fell in love from minute one; she was passive, easy going and had a charming little "smile". The next day we came back to the shelter with our dog to see how he would interact with her. It wasn't love at first sight for him but he didn't not like her either. After a few more visits and monitoring from the professionals we were given the green light to adopt "Greta" and renamed her to Lily, the beautiful flower she is. When we brought her home we noticed she had not only recently had puppies, but had been beaten so bad she had suffered from a broken rib and had a tooth knocked out. Right then and there we decided she would know what it was like to be loved beyond belief and our reward was not only lots of love and affection but a dedication to our older dog as well. She was his buddy, his companion and his little sister. Sadly he passed but she was there with him. Today, Lily is the queen of the house and she picked out her brother from the same shelter a few years ago. Lily has brought us so much joy and we look forward to many more years with her.

Vicki Hills
JACKSON, MI