I found a puppy sitting outside a crack house (literally) where I was looking for a client of mine. He was covered in flies and sand and looked awful. Someone threw the puppy at me when I asked if he belonged to anyone so I took him on the premise of finding him a good home. We went straight to the vet where I found one of his eyes was burned from being chained in the sun and he was extremely malnourished. After months of getting rid of worms, fleas, and the mange, Oliver got a good bill of health. And as for finding him a good home, he's a permanent fixture at my house and I can't imagine home without him.

My friend and I were on our daily six mile walk when this black dog started following us. Since we know everyone in our neighborhood, we didn't know where she came from. We kept telling her to go home. But she kept following us, as if she was home and she was our pal. At the end of the walk, we put the dog into my friend's back yard so the dog wouldn't get hurt. The dog was so skinny, she got through the rails of the fence to come back to us.

Three different families thought they wanted her, but each time they gave her back to me. And each time the dog would leap into my arms. And each time I loved her more and more. Finally, when the third family gave her back to me, I think my lip started quivering. My husband looked at me and the dog and in my arms and said, "Let's name her Maisy and go get her a collar." That was four years and 15 pounds ago and we still take our daily walk together.

Rooty had many sisters and brothers, but the owner couldn't take all of them in. She was about to drop them off at a shelter when I went over to check them out, and I saw a little black fluffball dancing around and trying to climb up my leg. I knew she was meant to be my companion and took her home. I went through a long period of depression, and when Rooty saw me sad, she would climb up on my chest, lick my chin and purr until I felt better. I couldn't imagine my life without my sweet fluffball.

A very neglected, ill and lame small senior dog was dumped on the side of the road, too scared to leave the urine soaked bed she was left in. One neighbor called Animal Control (I have no doubt they would have euthanized her) while another came to my house because they know I love animals. I quickly took the little thing to a 24-hour emergency facility. With great emergency care, surgery, caring hearts, and an amazing adoptive mom who named her "Angel", little Angel now has tons of love and affection for the remaining time that she has. You see, she was unspayed and due to resulting mammary tumors that caused a lung mass, Angel is considered "terminal". Don't be sad, it has already been 10 months and she is doing great. She melts in her adoptive mom's arms and it warms my heart every time I see them, which I try to do often because I've come to love them both. (I would have kept Angel, but my spoiled chihuahua commands a one-pet rule in our household.)

Our little Gypsy Rose was left abandoned at one of our rental properties, so my husband brought her home to live with us and our three other cats. She has the run of our 22 acres of pine trees on a hillside overlooking the valley and city below - she's got a good life now, running and playing with the mule deer that come by the house every day. She's brought lots of love and joy to our lives.

My original owners foolishly gave me up. I lived for months at the Pet Adoption League in Emmett, ID. I was well cared for there, but life in a kennel is not ideal. Then I was adopted by two good people who could not have puppies of their own. Life is now a holiday. In the summer and fall we ride horses, hike, & fish in the Sawtooth Mountains w/numerous dog buddies. In the winter we ski and snow shoe. My roommates and I live indoors where it is warm and comfy, and the food at my house is the best!

I did not adopt Buddy he adopted me. I found him on a rural road near my house. He was way to shy to come to me and he looked awful! I use that road everyday so I knew in my heart he would find me. The day after I said that he showed up in my front yard. I fed him and put vitamins, dewormer and antibiotics in the food. It took another month or so before I could pet him. Once he began to trust me I picked him up and brought him in the house. He would not cross the threshold in to the house on his own. The once skinny, sickly puppy began to look like the handsome dog he is today. I called him "Red" but one day some one called him Buddy for some reason he responded so that became his name from that day on. He looks to be a Mastiff/Chow mix. He is the one of the sweetest dogs I have ever known. I have rescued many dogs. He is one of the finest!

I was living across the street from a Lake Michigan beach at the time. One summer evening, I heard a heartbreaking sound of a dog crying. I went outside and saw a couple trying to comfort a 50-pound mixed-breed dog, about a year old. The couple told me they had been strolling near the beach, and suddenly saw this dog run past them from a busy street toward the "No Diving" wall; he jumped over the wall and into the lake. The young man dived in and saved the dog from being knocked against the rocks (the lake was choppy that night). The couple was unable to take him in because they already had several dogs in a small apartment. He was so pretty, I was sure he belonged to someone, so I offered to take him in "for the night," thinking I would try to find his owner. That was 10 years ago. Happily for me, no previous owner stepped forward. Gaz has become my beloved companion, he has a hilarious sense of humor, and he's very sweet and patient toward the six cats he shares home with. The canine version of "It's a Wonderful Life!"

One sunny summer 2006 morning my husband had been saying he kept seeing a bunny playing outside, since we live in the suburbs I passed it off as a wild cottontail. Later that day I went shopping and when I arrived home I found a young gray bunny (maybe 3 months old)laying by where I park. I walked over to him, picked him up and brought him inside to keep him from getting hurt by any neighborhood dogs. Not knowing anything about rabbits I'm lucky he let me pick him up and that I didn't hurt him.(he was a bit wild) I am still learning and he is still teaching me new things about him daily. After not being able to determine where he may of came from my husband said let's keep him and named him Rufus. We knew nothing about rabbits so I got online and found out rabbits can be litter box trained so I learned all I could. Our local vet is a rabbit person and now Rufus is neutered and has full run of the house. We never imagined how much joy these critters could bring to ones life. Rufus is quiet a character and so much fun. A few months later we took in a little 4 month old female mini rex from a young couple who thought they wanted a rabbit as a pet but decided a rabbit wasn't for them. Her name is Sophie and we've had her for about 2 years now. Neither are ever caged but since I no longer work and am home most of the time it works out well. They rule the house but they are mannerly, they let us teach them what not to do. We do love our bunnies!

It was a stormy night with flooding and thunderstorms in Las Vegas. I was driving a big truck on the highway in the right lane with traffic beside me. Power was out in the city so I could only see directly in front of me with hard rain making it difficult. I suddenly heard two thumps. The person riding with me said "don't look back" because they had looked back and saw it was an animal I had run over. The dog dodged the vehicle beside me trying to cross the highway and ended up under me before I even saw it. I pulled over & we went to see if it was still alive and it was. Luckily it was in shock so it let us wrap a towel around it and I sat in the rain in the back of the truck holding the dog until we got to an emergency clinic. The vet said it was in bad shape, but not because he was run over. He said being run over may have saved him as he was malunurished, deydrated, in very bad shape & must have been on his own for a long time. He didn't have any broken bones or internal injuries,but had a torn ligament in his front arm & a lot of missing skin from road rash. He had to wear a splint & bandages & needed a lot of care. We advertised the found dog & no one claimed it. It cost over $1500.00 to heal him. Since he wasn't ours we could put down for less. I chose to pay and I nursed him to health. It was like having a baby. He was my first pet & ended up being a beautiful, gentle golden retriever I named Buddy.