Animal Rescue Stories

Our One Eye Throwaway German Shepherd.

We adopted a one-eyed German Shepherd that was left in the California desert to die. A wonderful man, who waited until she was ready to come to him, rescued her and gave her to Suzanna to foster until she found another wonderful gal, Lulu, in our state of Washington. Suzanna graciously brought her up to Lulu in Washington and she found her way to our home. We were looking for a nice German Shepherd who liked cats to be a companion to our other adopted German Shepherd, who also came from California. Our girl Sweet Pea is just the best possible companion to Wulf Gar, who is 11 years old. They love each other so much, they do everything together. We don't know why someone would ditch these beautiful dogs in the desert to die. We cannot thank Suzanna and Lulu enough for the effort that was made to rescue our KIDS. Thank You so much for the love we have gotten from both of them.

Michele Coviello
LYNNWOOD, WA

Our girl Maddy

In the 40 years my husband and I have been together, we've always had shelter dogs and loved each and every one of them.
We were down to just one dog and he was definitely my husband's. I told him I wanted a dog. He said we'd go to the shelter the coming weekend. Then he had to work. He said we'll definitely go the following weekend no matter what. So, I went to work that Monday, and my office manager had a dog that she never wanted, but her adult kids thought she needed one. All I ever heard was Maddy can't get on the couch, Maddy can't get on the bed, Maddy couldn't do anything. She then told me that she was taking Maddy back to the shelter 'cuz her asthma was back and it was caused by the dog (that she didn't want). So I said why don't you bring her over after work and let us look at her. We'll keep her over night and let your know in the morning if we want to keep her. She brought Maddy over with her bed, toys, food and paperwork!!! When I looked at Maddy my thought was this isn't the kind of dog I wanted, not that I had a clue what I wanted. But, we didn't want her going back to the shelter. We had our sweet girl for 14 wonderful years. The night we got her I left her bed in the living room with her on it and went to bed. When I got up during the night she was laying on the floor next to my side of the bed. I knew then that this was my girl. Being part Afghan, she was very aloof and not a snuggle kind of dog, but she loved us and we loved her. I retired a year after we got her so she went everywhere with me, and I loved taking her.
I've loved all our dogs but this one was special. Every time I looked at her my heart filled with love.
We lost Maddy a year ago and I still cry while writing about her. I've never felt such emptiness since she's been gone. It's taken me this long to get past the big hurt and really want to look for another dog. So we are starting to look now. We've never gone this long without a dog.
I was given a necklace that is a heart with doggie paws on it and it holds her ashes. I think of her every time I touch it. She made our lives whole, and I miss her every minute of every day.

Sandy Olsson
HOOD RIVER, OR

Ophelia

My Noah had died in April 2011. On July 1/2011 I talked my husband into going to the local shelter. She was screaming at us from inside the cage. Case closed!!

Janet
EAST BOSTON, MA

Chance that became Rags

I lost my husband in May of 2016. I was lost, and for a year I felt I needed a fur baby, so to Petfinder I went looking at all these beautiful little faces that needed a home. I was looking for a little dog, but fate had another idea, because up popped the face of a medium size dog named Chance. I read his bio and found I had the perfect place for him. He was in a no-kill shelter 70 miles from me; I decided to drive up to meet him. I arrived to meet him; a lady said would you like to walk him? Knowing what I had read about him, I felt uncomfortable at first; he would not make eye contact during the walk. I completed the application, still not sure. I cried the 70 miles back, feeling so sorry for him. That was Thursday, and I drove he 70 miles back Saturday morning and brought him home. Fast-forward and his named changed to Rags, it fits him better. The vet told me last week she was amazed how good he was doing; the love and good food changed him. Oh, I also rescued a cat the same day I brought him home, they are best friends.

Faye
CLEBURNE, TX

The Greatest Gift

My daughter and son in-law moved into my home with their two cats which they rescued from the local animal shelter just before they moved in. One of their cats was named Mittens.

My husband lived with me at the time and, for some reason, Mittens felt the need to protect me from him at all cost. She would go with me everywhere (in every part of the house), and would not leave my side when I was home. She would spend all night (every night) watching over me as I slept, and she made me feel very safe when she did this. My husband turned out to be a very bad man. As it turned out Mittens had known that all along. She would growl at him whenever he was near me. She put herself between my husband and me so she could protect me. She did not care if she was putting herself in harm's way to protect me. She just did it.

Finally I convinced my husband it was best for him to move out and found him a place to live. I offered to move him out of my house and into an apartment and he agreed. I finally moved my husband out of my house. Now it is Mittens and me. Mittens is very relieved. I can see it on her face.

Mittens still does everything with me and still and never leaves my side. She loves me so very much, and I love her just as much. My daughter saw the love between Mittens and me and the joy and happiness we bring to each other. In fact my daughter claims Mittens "stalks" me and we have a good laugh about it. Since my daughter saw all the love between Mittens and me, she did the ultimate thing and gave me Mittens.

Mittens is truly a remarkable cat and I consider her the greatest gift I have ever been given.

Patti
SPRINGFIELD, MO

Our rescued four legged kids.

Our first and oldest cat, Skylar, was adopted from our local no kill shelter The Animal League of Green Valley. My daughter and I were volunteers and "Rascal" was the only kitten there. We couldn't stand her being so lonely so, we packed her up and took her home. Purrseus came to us a few years later. He was a neighborhood lost kitten. He was chipped and we were able to contact his owners. They didn't seem so interested or excited about him being found so, I told them he was welcome to stay. He fit into our household immediately. Our dogs adored him and Skylar was indifferent, as Princess cats tend to be. Our daughter found, Bowen, running amok in our neighborhood. Again, our 2 old pups welcomed her and the cats were aloof but curious. We put signs up in every major intersection and on the community Facebook page, petfinder, vet clinics, and at TALGV. No response. She became our 3rd dog. Within 6 months, we lost our sweet Sundance and Rumour. If we hadn't opened our front door to Purrseus and Bowen, I don't want to speculate what their outcomes would have been. All of them have enriched our lives beyond measure. I truly believe Bowen was sent to prepare me for the loss of our old girls. They went over the Rainbow Bridge within weeks of each other. Bowen was with me nonstop and let me cry into her neck. She is a blessing beyond measure. I will always be a rescue Mom and, I suspect, my daughter will be a life long rescuer, too.

Raynbeaux
SAHUARITA, AZ

A Rocky Start

I found my little guy on Craigslist offered up for free. I'd been looking for a dachshund after falling in love with my daughter's. Couldn't believe anyone would offer one up for free but I was excited. Drove about 50 miles to see him &, although when starting out I wasn't sure I was going to take him, when I asked about what his routine was I was horrified & knew right away he was mine. His former owner lived in a tiny studio & kept him crated around 20 hrs per day. When I asked him about being house trained he said "no, he just goes in his crate", which was tiny BTW. I asked if he used potty pads in the crate & he said "no, he just chews them up". Really!?! So he sits in his crate for 20 hrs per day with his poop & pee? Um, yeah. I'm taking him. What's his name? "Ciroque" Sounds cute, right? No, it's actually a brand of flavored vodka put out by rapper Snoop Dog, which I found out from my daughter. OK, his name is now Rocky.

When we got home I laid down on the couch with him & he snuggled into my body as if he'd never been able to before. Pretty soon I felt a warmth seeping into my side & realized he had peed in his sleep. Because of his former situation he didn't even know when he had to go! I live in a redwood forest with a fair amount of wildlife around so he never goes outside alone. The first few times I took him out he was terrified by the squawking of blue jays & crows, but eventually adjusted. It took some keen observation to learn his cues & a ton of patience, but we managed to get through potty training. At first, I put his crate in the living room with pads in it & the doors open as sort of a doggie litter box & it helped with the transition to "going" outside. Oh, he still has "accidents," & is not at all fond of going out when the temps drop into the 20's/30's, but for the most part he's gotten quite good at it.

Now Rocky is the light of my life. I love him dearly & cannot imagine life without him. When I come home from being out, he rushes to me jumping & yipping until I can pick him up to snuggle & get kisses. He is definitely a "one person dog," & even though he's not vicious towards anyone, he really only wants to be held & loved on by his "mom".

I am extremely lucky to have found him. We've all heard horror stories of dogs being offered for free on Craigslist ending up as "bait dogs" & worse, so I shudder to think what his fate could have been had I not seen that ad.

My life has been infinitely better with Rocky in it. I wish everyone who has the means, time & love to give would adopt a "rescue" animal. Dog, cat, rabbit, even a pig, they all can make wonderful companions & they all deserve loving homes.

Shelli Gordon
BOULDER CREEK, CA

My Precious

My Precious entered my life as a stray that was living under my neighbor's home. She was only about 2 -3 months old... and I was going to try to find her a "home" if I could catch her. I had given my neighbor food for her. One typical rainy afternoon in the summer in Florida, the intense thunder and lightning caused me to think about her all day when I was taking my elderly Mom to a medical appointment. All I could do was think about her, and I vowed to take her in when I got home and take her to the vet the next day for placement in a home. The rest is history. She came out to me and let me pick her up - no one else could - kissed my cheek, and she bonded instantly with me. I was looked upon with such love that I had to keep her. Since then she encouraged my Mom when she was slowly dying and helped her want to live; my Mom lived for 2 more years. She has also helped me in some very challenging health problems and losses, and health issues I continue to have, as well as when my Mom died. She knows what I am feeling before I do, and smothers me with kisses and hugs and headbutts, and purrs. She "rescued" me and my Mom; she is my love and gift from heaven.

Myrtle Pfister
SUMMERFIELD, FL

LOVEBUG

On Sep. 8, 2014 I was looking out the window at our 2nd home in Rockford, IL and saw a black and white kitty on our deck. I had never seen her before but she was so cute, and I took a picture of her. When sitting, and facing away from me she appeared to have a black kitten on her back. The next day I saw a strange bug on the railing of the deck so I went outside and around to take a better look at it. Out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of the kitty and behind her she was followed by two kittens...I soon realized that there were five and not two...and that the 'kitty' was a Mommy! I started leaving a frisbee with water in it behind our deck, and in the evening I would go out and sit in the grass to see if she'd come to me. She did, and would even eat a bit of dry cat food from my hand. She would lay under the deck and nurse her babies right in front of me. As we were only out there on weekends, I started leaving the garage door up about four inches and blockaded it except for roughly a ten inch opening on one end so that they could come in and out. I set up one of our dog's former kennels complete with blanket and furry cat bed, and a nice litter box. The Mom would come to me and would even sleep on my lap in the garage for periods of time. But the kittens wouldn't have anything to do with us; we could only admire them from afar...

Meanwhile I was trying to figure out how to get them adopted. I took the Mom to a local vet to see if she had a chip in her, but she did not. I asked if she could be spayed, but she was still nursing so that wasn't an immediate option. All facilities that I tried in Rockford were either kill shelters or were filled to capacity. Through word of mouth I finally was able to find a wonderful place called Magnificent Mutts (and Magnificent Meows). They said that I could bring the cats into their vet location in Elmhurst, IL. Now to CATCH THEM!!! We decided to wait until evening and I would watch to make sure that they were all in the garage. Our plan was to have my husband close the garage door (from the outside), the door would close and we would have them in a confined space. Well, sadIy it was better in theory, as when we tried it the garage door went 'UP' instead of down, and they all ran outside!!! So I researched online, etc., and finally came up with an alternate plan. We waited till dark, and when they were all in the garage we quietly put a metal dog crate on the outside of the garage in front of our opening. We managed to catch the Mom and two of the kittens. So Monday morning I took them into Elmhurst and left them in the care of the personnel there.

Our neighbors would make sure there was food and water in the garage while we were gone. But I was a bit frantic at that point since I was leaving for a Florida vacation for a few days and there were still three kittens to round up. My husband along with neighbors tried again the following weekend. Two more kittens were caught and my husband took them in to Elmhurst on Monday morning. That left one more kitten...we decided to try a Hav-a-Heart trap set up in the garage. Our diligent neighbors continued to come into the garage to set out food for the kitten. This last one managed to find its way into the trap and we received a call that evening to let us know. I said I'd come out the following morning (about 1.5 hours away), but the next morning they called to say that when they went back over to check, that the kitten was nowhere to be found.
One more night and we got another call. This time the kitten was still in the trap. I made the trek and couldn't believe what I found when I arrived in the garage. Assuming that the kitten had somehow escaped by wiggling through a small space by or above the garage door, our neighbors had secured the openings with whatever they could readily find. There were black plastic bags, a broom, a car wash mit, etc. plugging up any gaps they could find. And...they had duct-taped the Hav-a-Heart trap shut to make sure that the kitten couldn't possibly escape this time. I took this little one to the vet in Elmhurst. Although we aren't certain of the kittens' fate, they were so adorable with beautiful markings (1-black and white like Mom, 2-striped, 2 black/white/grey striping) that we are most hopeful that they found forever homes!!!

The final outcome of this saga was that Magnificent Mutts let me know when I followed up that the Mom (that I had already named LoveBug a couple months before) may have a hard time being adopted since she's around one year old, and most people wanted kittens. I couldn't get her out of my mind and called to ask if I could adopt her. I was approved, of course since I had been 'her Mommy' already for the past three months. My husband, the Accountant, laughs when he tells this story to people because I had to PAY the $75. adoption fee to get LoveBug back when I could have kept her for free. :) I had already paid out around $140. at the Rockford vet for the rabies shot, feline leukemia shot, and others that were needed when I first found her. But I was ok with the extra $75, since I had planned to donate another $100 anyway to help defray the cost of spaying the kittens (before I knew we were keeping her).

Although we weren't certain whether she and our rescue dog, Maggie would get along, our fears were allayed almost immediately. They LOVE each other, and I am SOOOO thankful that she is part of our Home and HEARTS. :)

Harriet L. Fath
MOUNT PROSPECT, IL

Valentine's Day, Every Day

I adopted a dog 12.5 years ago and two cats 5.5 years ago. While I suffer from severe depression, anxiety, and PTSD they show me love every single day and in so many ways. In my darkest days all I have to do is look at them and am reminded of the most important reasons to stick around. It's not a cure for my issues, but they make my life worthwhile; from sleeping with me to walking my pup in extreme temperatures to scooping the kitty litter, I love every moment they're here and nothing will stop that. I call them my freelance therapy pets since they never went through formal training... they simply exist as natural soothers.

Last year was a tough one with losing my senior male cats two months apart, but the four years we had together were incredible and memories of them make me smile.

Every day with my furries is Valentine's Day because they don't think that love is supposed to be celebrated once a year and I feel the same way. I'd buy them chocolates and roses, but as we well know, chocolate is bad for them and the roses would be destroyed by the cats. lol They give me snuggles, love winks, tail wagging, and more each and every day.

My heart was rescued by them through their unique personalities and intuition when I'm having a rough time and even when I'm having a great day. Fur, purrs, and wags saved me, and I thank them every possible moment.

I don't have a photo of them all together, but here's my old lady who started it all in 2007.

Jules Ray
HARRISBURG, PA