Flower and Coco

Flower was abandoned at our Vets office and adoped by us 13 years ago. She is now 14 and has a sister that we adopted from the Humane Society 7 years ago. Coco, age 8 now, had been adopted out and returned several times prior to our adoption. They are both awesome, loving pets!


Jane
Louisville, KY

Mister

Mister was in a class all his own. I arrived at the local laundermat around 3pm. He was all-white with black-ears (about 2 mo). The attendant on duty said he had been there when she arrived that morning. Someone must have dumped him off. The location of the Laundromat was on the corner of 2 interchanging blvds, she was afraid to put him out when she closed up. I had been playing with him so she asked if I wanted to take him home. I thought, what am I going to do with a dog?! I live with my Mother-in-law & between us we have 7 cats! But how could I let that poor little puppy be put out and possibly get hit on the streets.

Soooo, I loaded him up and headed home. Ok, what to name him well, what do you call a man when you don't know his name? Mister! And that's what stuck. Mister loved all the cats immediately, even though they did not feel the same. He used the cat door till he was too big & got stuck. He was loved by all who met him. He loved things beginning with the letter "F": Fish, Flies & Fireworks. When he went fishing with us we had to keep him back from the end of the fishing poles because he thought the bait on the end was a fish & he was ready to eat. The 4th of July was his favorite holiday.

Mister lived with us till the end. He got severe arthritis and it hit him hard & fast. We cared for him as we would a child. He passed away at the age of 13 next to our bed. We will never forget him, as he is part of our family forever.

Collette
Hubert, NC

"Babs"

Babette was adopted from the Elizabeth NJ Animal Shelter on May 2009. Her hair was so matted that the groomer had to completely shave her down. She was also severely infected with ticks. Eight months later, her fur has grown in and her tail has been wagging ever since! She is a sweet addition to our family and we can’t image life without her.

Rutocas
Elizabeth, AB, Canada

From Caged to Free!

We rescued Gabe from a local no kill animal shelter in our area one year ago this past January. He was two at the time. His story, like so many other homeless pets, is a sad one. He spent the first two years of his life in a cage and had chewed on the bars so much that his front bottom teeth are almost ground down to the gum line. He lives a life of luxury now!! He is my little Gabe-babe and he's taught me more about love than any human being ever could. I can't imagine my life without him in it. He makes me laugh and smile every day. He's my little bundle of energy and my cuddle-bug! Your mommas love you Gabe!

BSisson
Charleston, WV

Mississippi Puppy Mill Rescues Arrive at the ASPCA

On February 7, while sports fans across the country gathered in front of the tube for the big game, the ASPCA was celebrating a victory of our own. That night, the ASPCA Adoption Center in Manhattan welcomed 34 dogs who were recently rescued from a puppy mill in Holly Springs, MS. The small-breed dogs received VIP treatment courtesy of Pet Airways, an airline that transports pets exclusively.
Three days earlier, members of the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response Team, at the request of the Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office, led the effort to rescue a total of 96 animals from abusive lives in overcrowded conditions at the notorious mill.

“We are glad to have been part of another major, collaborative effort to rescue dogs from such deplorable conditions,” says Gail Buchwald, Senior Vice President, ASPCA Adoptions Center. “We look forward to finding these pups forever homes.”

We saved 96 animals in Mississippi last week, but thousands more still need our help—our work is far from over. Your support makes it possible for us to continue to rescue dogs from horrendous conditions such as those found in Holly Springs.

To learn more about our work in Mississippi, please check out our updated web page. For more information about puppy mills and how to fight animal cruelty, visit ASPCA .

Charlie the "Foster dog"

Charlie is an amazing dog with an amazing story. Charlie was originally rescued from an abusive home and he was afraid of people, he then spent some time in several different rescues in the states-with no luck getting him a home. He eventually was adopted by a 'family' in Calgary who subsequently surrendered him to the "kill shelter" as he was too much trouble- Charlie was not coming out-he was "unadoptable". Pound Rescue heard about Charlie and stepped in just in time. Because of his 'people fears' Charlie needed some time and TLC - I offered to foster Charlie for as long as it took. The moment I saw Charlie - I was in love! He broke my heart and stole it! I knew Charlie had made his last move - he had just found his forever home! His eyes revealed his fear, his wounded soul, his face the worry and confusion, his body bore the scars of a tough journey - tense and ready to flee - he was untouchable! Within a few weeks Charlie would sleep beside me at night and wake me with a gentle kiss and a raised paw -as if to say "Thank you" and eventually I could pet him. In just four months Charlie has made some amazing progress - he has grown into a happy, playful boy - his eyes sparkle and he is truly enjoying life - and even some petting - and he is learning to trust - perhaps for the first time.  It has been an amazing journey - both heartwrenching and heartwarming- and I would do it again without hesitation. For all those wonderful people who had a hand in Charlie's rescue KNOW that he is safe, and loved and he is HOME. I am so glad he is mine.

Sarah Parker
Calgary, AB, Canada

5-Week-Old Lab Mix Left to Suffer

When Emmie, an adorable Lab mix, was just 5 weeks old, she was heartlessly dumped over someone’s backyard fence and abandoned. Apparently, her first owner -- who could not be traced -- had decided that the sweet, helpless little pup was “disposable.”

Even worse, she appeared to be a victim of neglect and possibly abuse. Emmie had a terrible head injury and a severe case of mange, a painful disease caused by mites that burrow beneath the skin.

Fortunately, the owners of the home where Emmie had been dumped found her in time and brought her to an animal shelter. She didn’t know it then, but her life was about to change dramatically.

Adoptive Family Discovers Puppy Love

Thanks to big-hearted donors like you, American Humane was able to help the animal shelter caring for Emmie pay for her medical treatment through one of our Second Chance® Fund grants.

Emmie is now fully healthy, and her rough start in life hasn’t stopped her from playing, cuddling and exploring like a normal puppy. She is an active member of a new adoptive family, which includes three young boys. The boys are thrilled to have a dog in their lives, and Emmie is thrilled to be receiving so much love and attention!

Please donate today by clicking here - American Humane -- to help other abused and neglected animals leave their terrible pasts behind and find compassion and love.

Happy Ending to a Sad Beginning

"Dusty" had wandered onto the porch of neighborhood house still dragging the chain that was locked around his neck. No name or tags so the owner of the house brought him to the animal shelter where my mom volunteers. It is not uncommon in our economically depressed town for people to move and leave their pets abandoned. Dusty is about 7 years old, was malnourished. had mange, and tested positive for heart worm. His chances of being adopted were slim to none. At the shelter one day, he went over to my mother and put his paw on her as if to say, "don't give up on me". She fell in love with him and with a lot of help, hope, and love she convinced us he would make a wonderful addition to our home. Now he has a loving home with us. He followers her everywhere and they spend all day together. Months later he has gained weight, the heart worm is gone, and his mange is cured. He has adjusted to our house and we love him dearly.

Greg
Warren, OH

Bailey

We adopted Bailey, our Liver spotted Dalmatian, from the SPCA when he was 18 months old. He had already had 4 homes before ending up at the SPCA. We were sure that we owned one of his littermates, Shasta, and were looking for a friend for her. We had seen him advertised in the paper 3 times, each time we phoned about him he had been sold on to his next home. We finally caught up with him in his 4th home. We brought Shasta along and they got on like a house on fire! Unfortunately we decided at this time that we weren't ready for a fully grown male Dal. 2 weeks later we saw him on the local news being walked by an SPCA worker...I phoned that night about him and we had adopted him by the next day, no way could we leave him there any longer! His first hour in his forever home was spent playing and getting reaquainted with his sister. They became lifelong friends.

Bailey has turned out to be a wonderful dog at home. He always wants to be close, making up for not getting enough love in his first 4 homes we say. He has also turned out to be a great agility and flyball dog, earning championships in each sport. He is retired from competition now but still has plenty of enthusiasm for his ball.

Bailey has been with us for 13 great years. He is 14 years old now and sadly has outlived his littermate and best friend Shasta. We believe that it was fate that led us to our Brown Boy, he just kept turning up and finally we got the message! We wouldn't change a thing.

Dan and Leslie Morris
Victoria, BC, Canada