My mom found Scamper during the summer of 2007 when he was only a few weeks old. He and his siblings were hanging around a bush by the side of a road. He was the only gray kitten in the litter, and he was also the only one who begged for my mom's attention. So she brought him to our house that we were actually in the process of moving out of at that point. He immediately made himself at home, exploring, sleeping, and getting to know all of us. He was such a cute, scrawny little kitten, and he definitely knew how to play. He also knew how to make himself comfortable. One of the first things I noticed about him was that he liked to stretch out and even lay on his back while he slept, which I had never seen a cat do before. He was obviously very comfortable in his new home and we liked him a lot, so we decided to keep him. Despite our already having a very dominating, territorial female cat who had scared off all other cats who entered her domain, Scamper decided to stay. He didn't get scared off. Not ever. We brought him with us to our new duplex that we moved into, and we've had him ever since. Of our two cats, he is definitely the house cat. The other one stays outside for the most part. Scamper prefers to sleep most of the time, either on my bed, my MOM'S bed, or the couch. But he also loves to play still. He also loves attention, as is evident by his frequent meowing at me to get it. He is definitely not scrawny anymore, he has a pretty good belly on him. But he's definitely not fat. He's just a healthy house cat. Scamper and I have become very good friends since the day my mom brought him to our old duplex. In my humble opinion, he is the greatest cat who ever lived. And he is definitely the greatest furry friend I have ever had :)

It started in 2007 with Mr. Big, a pure bred Rat Terrier who showed up in our yard on the Fourth of July. We searched for months to find his owners but soon came to realize that he was probably unwanted due to some emotion problems. His healing was drastically helped in 2008 by a half Jack half greyhound puppy we named Scully. At 10:PM one night my daughter called me up begging to take a puppy her co-worker was taking to the pound the next morning. She was only 4 months old and a roly-poly ball of energy. Next came Mini in 2011, she was at a rescue and featured on the front page of the local newspaper and yet no one else responded to her little terrier Corgi mix face. She is the sweetest girl I have ever known. When I saw Max also in 2011 on the petfinder site I had to get him even though he was in another state. He was another pure bred Rattie (a Decker) with severe emotional problems. Our newest baby is Hurley, a little bit terrier and a lot of everything else, again a petfinder find in 2012. These five have become our children. I can’t imagine life without any one of them. They have given us so much. It amazes me that these were dogs no one wanted. Each one of them is a piece of my heart.

On April 23rd 2012, our beloved German Shepard girl, Nina died in my arms at 13 1/2 years old. She was my daughters first dog, and our first dog as a family. I was raised with dogs since I was 7. Losing one is never easy, and I think about each and everyone of them. But losing my Nina hit me hardest. So hard, that I was sure I couldn't handle the heart ache, therefore, was not going to have another dog.

My husband and daughter however, had different plans. My daughter couldn't bare the emptiness of the house and suggested that we adopt a dog. I said I wasn't ready. My husband kept leaving info of various dogs from different shelters strategically placed for me to see.

Finally, after my daughters pleading, we took a ride to a no-kill shelter. After looking at several cute dogs, I just wasn't feeling it and much to my daughters dismay, I wanted to leave. The director of the shelter asked me to look at one more dog who was actually born at the shelter 5months prior.

My daughter begged so I said ok. All I remember from that moment on was a bundle of boundless energy running into the room and leaping into my daughters lap. Well as you may have guessed, I fell for him! Since adopting Loki, we also got another German Shepherd, a boy this time, & very different from my Nina. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her, but adopting my little guy Loki has been the best way to heal my once very broken heart.

We had a kitten and older Tom coming to house to eat. Both were scared of people so food was put outside for a few weeks . We trapped the kitten and had her spayed, she is really scared and has 4 of our other rescued cats to get used to. As soon as we can ,we will try to trap the Male and have him neutered . He has extra toes and I hope he will be easier to tame then the female kitten. .

I think the male had a home but the female's Mother must of had kittens after she was dropped off and this is only one survived.

People that drop off cats should be found and charged.

Bandit had a rough start to his short life. He was first owned by a Chinese exchange student who gave him to the owner of a Chinese restaurant when she returned to her own country. The restaurant owner's wife was subsequently in a horrible car accident that left her both mentally and physically impaired. Because the man had so much to attend to, his invalid wife, two small children and two restaurants, he had no time for the little dog. Bandit was put in a small cage and almost forgotten. He stayed in that small cage for about a year. Seldom walked or played with and fed sporatically. When I got him, he was just a small bag of bones. Two weeks later, he now weighs in at 10.9 pounds, has a healthy looking coat and is just a bundle of pure love. He has stollen all our hearts, including that of my older doxey, Nutty. Bandit has finally found his permanant home.

My husband threatened to move out if I brought a dog home. But morally I could not let Lia with her sad, longing look stay in Rosiori´s hell in Romania. There were five dogs in her "box"; one m2 per dog and a lot of urine and excrements. (I didn´t know she had been rescued to a vet station i Bucharest because of an infected ear and her thin condition.) There was some problems getting her to Sweden, but finally we fetched a very shy dog from the airport and drove her home through the snow storm. She was very scared, wanted to stay in the basement, but I "scratched up the stairs". After that she got braver. And braver. She´s curious. After two monthts we can do everything we want and take here everywhere. She is also helping dogs with behavioral issues, since I´m a dog coach at weekends (and I send the extra money I earn to sterilizations of romanian dogs and cats). And my husband hasn´t moved.

TINA – Tina was born in 2000 and had herpes in her right eye. I worked for a lady who owned a landscaping business and she fostered cats and kittens. In 2001 she fostered Tina a tortie. Tina needed sab in her eye and ½ a lysine twice a day. Tina would lie on my desk and wait for me by the door. Jackie finally told me that she needed to take Tina back on Friday. I thought about Tina and the possibility that nobody would adopt her because of her eye problem. I asked to return Tina to the shelter so I could adopt her. She came home with me and immediately took care of Baby my tortie that was 18 years old and looked like Tina. She was prim and proper and had so much love to give. She loved giving me kisses on the tip of my nose. Tina also came to me and opened her mouth when I hollared "Silly pilly time" so I could give her the pill and put the sab in her eye. Within a month, Baby’s organs began to fail and she died in my arms. Tina went into a depression. Jackie then fostered Simon a light and dark gray tabby who was several months old. When she told me that Simon had to go back to the shelter on Monday, I asked if I could take him home over the weekend. It was love at first sight. Tina came out of her depression and they were inseparable all weekend. I took Simon back to the shelter and adopted him. In 2007 Tina got FIP and passed away on June 6, 2007. My friend who I was living with became highly allergic to cats. A friend that I worked with said her mom was looking for a mate for her cat Frankie. Simon got his forever home. I miss Tinalina so much. Having rescues are the greatest joy in the universe.

I had signed up to rescue a Siberian husky about 10 years ago. I received a call that there was a 2 year old husky in serious need of a home. She had been terribly abused, teeth missing from getting continually beat with a baseball bat. She was scared of anyone that came near her. They said if I didn't get her by that Friday, that she would be euthanized. I went that day to see her. She was in a kennel hiding under the bench seat. I softly called out to her to see if she would come out. She looked very nervous, but still came to the gate to see me. They let me take her out for a walk. She bounced on her hind legs for the first 2 minutes of the walk, she seemed so happy! I took her home that day, and with much love and rehabilitation Meeka has gotten over much of her nervousness. And she's had her "brother" Kodiak helping her for the last 7 years. Meeka turned 13 this year, and we believe she's had the happiest life we could give her. She has definitely brightened our lives with her sweet disposition and funny woos. We adore her! <3

I always had cats. I was so disappointed when I found out I was allergic to them. I went 20 years without one and then I found out I was not allergic to Himalayans. I called every shelter in Maine and finally found one 6 hours away. After they checked my references, they told me I could have this wonderful 1 1/2 year old male named Easter (because he was born on Easter Sunday). He was a god send to my family. My stepdad, Don, was confined to bed most of the day, Easter became his constant companion. I had never seen him laugh more than I did at Easter comical antics.

Ella, a German Shepherd Dog, was a stray in Florida. She was dumped by her owner. A friend of mine who volunteers in a rescue contacted me and asked me if I wanted her. We had to go through many hoops to get her to Maine. But thanks to many angels she made it. She flew in a plane, stayed in several kennels and made a trip in a Winnebago. Now she lives with Easter, now 10 years old and me. Easter never took to any other cats but she and Ella are good friends.

On 1/27/2007 everything conspired to make me late on my way to work. I was job-hunting and considering several that required weekly travel. I turned a few corners around the mostly empty research park, across from half-built apartments and condos neglected by the builders for months, by one of the few landscaped areas with a few palm trees, bushes, and a retaining pond with fresh water. Out of the bushes came a little yellow dog, who practically walked into the car, as if expecting a friend to be inside.

I stopped. The dog had no collar. Most likely, it had been dumped.

It was a little timid, but friendly. I put it in my car. Now what? I would be late to work if I turned around to leave the dog back at home. It was a cool for Miami morning, so I could leave the dog in the car while I made some phone calls to shelters.

When I went back to the car to take her, I saw she was probably pregnant. I put my name on the list to adopt her, even though I didn't think I could keep her. On 1/31 she was available for adoption, but they told me a pregnant dog was not adoptable and that a rescue organization was being sought. Good, by the time her pups were born, I'd know my job situation and could adopt her.

Imagine my shock when on 2/3, I called to find which rescue had claimed her, and instead they told me she had an abortion, was spayed, and this was going to be her last day alive. I went first thing the next day, hoping it was not too late.

Veterinary Care and Human Services (http://www.vc-hs.org/) had tagged her for Monday pickup. Carol met me that Sunday and helped me get Destine (des-teen) on 2/4. Six years later I have taken the traveling job and Destine, but managed with the help of pet-sitters. Destine is smart, sweet, obedient, affectionate, mostly content, a little sad. We both feel blessed that our destiny was to find each other.