How do YOU improve animals' lives?

[A. L. Aljan]

When the going gets tough, focus on what really matters, I say. Nothing makes me happier than helping animals, so I focus on it when I want to jab the others groomers through the brainstem with my 10" Geib shears!!! MUHUHAHAHAhahahaha.....

So let's hear some uplifting stories! Anyone help a stray find their way home? Anyone make a breakthrough with a pet in need? Nurse an injured animal back to health? Help out a local rescue organization?

I just found out that my favorite rescue organization from Indiana has supporters here in Illinois, and they're close enough that I can help out by offering free grooming services to the foster pets! I'd never have known if I hadn't kept in touch with my pals on Facebook! Pet Jamboree helped me network so I could find homes for 5 rabbits, 5 dogs, and 21 cats and kittens (all of them were barn cats I fostered and had spayed/neutered, de-wormed, and vaccinated out-of-pocket, thanks to the help of a sympathetic vet that did them for COST). All of this happened in a single year. I love that organization!

I am very grateful that the kennel I work out of is extremely rescue- and charity-friendly. I've been able to help with all-breed and breed-specific rescue organizations, Midwest Greyhound (retired racers), and Dogs For Disabilities. D.F.D. provides service dogs for physically-challenged people free of charge: the owner, who used to train Law enforcemet K9's, trains them and I groom them, all free-of-charge. In fact, I'm giving our latest guy, a 5-month-old Lab/Standard Poodle mix (for someone with dog allergies) tomorrow - it will be his very first! Can't wait...

So let's hear your great stories, folks!


~ Amanda @ Aljan

[wolfgirl159357]

well i am studieing to be a vetranarian when i am older and my freinds freind just got a new dog and is a first time dog owner and i was giving her some training tips health tips and stuff like that, that way she knows what to do say if he jumps on you turn your back.

[mash]

Well... I used to work at a animal rescue, and saw many sad and many happy things. I think the one that sticks into my mind the most was a Rotty we had in. She was so very scared, any movement would send her cowering and peeing into the corner f the kennel. She growled and tried to bite any who entered her kennel. It was getting to the point that she was going to have to be put to sleep as no one could go into her kennel.

She was a beautiful dog, and me being me couldn't just give up on her. I spent hour upon hour just sitting in her kennel. She growled at me and bore her teeth but she never once attacked. This gave me hope. Every spare moment I got I went in to see her, after a while she began to calm a little. She would just hide in the back but she no longer growled or trembled. One day I got a slip lead and managed to get it round her neck. She resisted the pull of the lead, but eventually I got her out into the field and OMG. She was a different dog. She played, she wanted love, she was just beautiful. She still cowered if you raised your hand for any reason, suggesting to me that she had been beaten at some point in her life. She was with us for some time, then eventually a gay couple came to look at her. They were the lovliest blokes you've ever met, they already had a pet goose 0_0 who lived in the house with them, and my little Rotty took to them immediatly. After all the appropriate checks she soon went home with them. A few months later we recieved a letter saying thanks for all the hard work, accompanying the letter was a picture of Sacha (the Rotty) sitting on the sofa WITH the Goose. How sweet?

Other than that out of my 11 animals, 10 of them are rescued. 2 of my dogs were found abandoned in a cardboard box, they were only 41/2 weeks old. One of my ferrets was at deaths door when he came into the sanctuary I worked at. He recieved medical attention, but he needed 24hour care which being at the sanctuary, he couldn't get. I took him home and after many trips to the vet and lots of medication he pulled through.

I have many many more stories, but I'd be here all day 0_0

[LizM25]

I used to volunteer at the Humane Society. I can't anymore because I'm so busy in college. The one case that I remember most, and helped with a little, was a small black kitten that some teenagers had gotten a hold of on the 4th of July weekend. (at least we think it was teenagers) They had glued the kittens eyes and...other parts shut. A 6 year old boy found it and he and his mom brought it to the shelter. We were able to get all the superglue off and named him Peepers because there was a ring where his fur had come off around his eyes. He was terrified of humans and I was one of many volunteers who helped to socialize him. He now has a loving home and is a very sweet cat.

[Cosmosxx]

I volunteered on allexperts.com under the dog behaviour section. A guy messaged me wanting help as he was teaching English in China, and didn't speak Chinese. He had found a pup that was very obviously in a really bad way. He had "rescued" the pup from a place where he was to be food.

So we corresponded and went through the dogs symptoms. After a bit of research we concluded that the dog had some kind of worms. I knew that in young pups worms can be fatal if left untreated, so I told him he had to rush to a vet. He said the nearest vet was 100 odd miles away, and he had no way to get there. I emailed a couple of vets in the "kinda" area, and it turned out that that village had a vet visit once every so many weeks.

Sooooo, he went to the the vet and it was worms. I collected some photos from google to show the vet, since they couldn't understand each other.

I'll make the rest short....

The pup survived (although it was rocky at first) he was affectionately called Chopsticks.....

Michael (the guy who rescued him) eventually had to go home to Australia, but not before placing Chopsticks with a family who had kids, he seemed in for a happy life.

And I'm happy that maybe just part of that was aided by me.



I even have photos, he is very cute....

[~~rose~~]

Well, I helped a very sweet female pitbull find her way home. She didn't have tags or anything. I was playing outside with my little sister when two strange dogs appeared, a big black one and a smaller greyish one. The moment that the big black pup saw me he/she ran back home, I didn't get to see where the big pup went, and the little pup was looking lost. She came up to me, she was obviously hungry and thirsty. I got out a bowl of water, and some cat food (it was all that we had at the time) I made her a cute bed, and told my mom of the incodent (spelling is wrong). She went up to the gas station less than a mile from our house to ask if anyone was missing a dog, someone was looking for a dog earlier, but the people working there couldn't remember who it was. We made the dog a makeshift bed for the night, and she fell asleep. In the morning when we came out there, she was still there. I kept on thinking that it was our neighbor's dog, the Kellys. A little while later that day the boy Alex Kelly, and his sister's boyfriend David rode their bikes over to our house asking if we had seen his dog, Rilley (nickname Rolly Bally) when he spoke her name, Rilley ran to see him, he rode his bick home with her at his heels, she visited a few more times after that. She had gotten to our home by crossing a farmer's field. Then one day she decided to go across the rode to see another friend, Missy (a person) again. On her way back from there, Alex called her name, she started to come, and Alex screamed, his dog had been hit by a truck. The hit killed her instantly. RIP Rilley.

[Ferox]

Lots in small ways. I alway make sure they have pair relief after surgery, and some of them just need to be held when they're waking up. Some intensively sick animals just need to be given attention to make them eat (cats in particular). And for our blood donor greyhounds at Uni, I helped with a fundraising night to buy them all coats for winter, rawhide chews and a few squeeky toys. Some of the poor things didn't know what to do with them.

One kitten:
http://www.nearlydrferox.blogging4life.com/?p=516
http://www.nearlydrferox.blogging4life.com/?p=518
http://www.nearlydrferox.blogging4life.com/?p=521
http://www.nearlydrferox.blogging4life.com/?p=575

Another kitten, with the deal that if I did the surgery correctly she could be adopted, otherwise would be pts.
http://www.nearlydrferox.blogging4life.com/?p=651

And there are those you can't save, no matter how much you want to, but you can at least try to make them feel safe and loved before the green needle.
http://www.nearlydrferox.blogging4life.com/?p=642

[Drmchaser]

Oh poor Riley, that is so sad

Well I don't know if this counts but I rescued both of my cats, my male I got when he was 8 weeks old, he was the only kitten left and I went to look at him but wasn't sure I'd get him or not. When I saw him, he was so cute and I saw the mess the house was in, clothing and stuff all over the floor and I knew I couldn't leave him there. I have had him for 4 years now and I love him dearly. My female was a little 4 month old stray when I found her. I took her in temporarily until we could find her a home, we already had 3 cats at the time and didn't need a forth but her and my male became fast friends, he didn't get along with the other two and I fell in love with her and also didn't want to take away Mystik's new friend and we ended up keeping her and I named her Sassy because she was hissing at growling at everything that moved until she relaxed more lol. They are my babies and I wouldn't give them up for anything.

I also have helped a beagle when I was a kid, the poor dog lived in a cage outside and it was always dirty, her water would be frozen in the winter time, she was a good weight so I knew they were feeding her but I never saw any food in her cage. I loved her but couldn't stand to see her living like that and I called the humane society. A few days later I went to see if she was still there and she was gone, I played dumb and asked the owner where she was and he said "I took her out hunting and she ran off" of course I knew what really happened.

I also helped a few dogs over the years find their people. I do what I can to help animals but wish I could do more.

[sandtiger]

Oh Ferox, there all really cute the last one broke my hear, R.I.P little guy.
now 2 stories, but here is one Its a kind of help story...



Ok, This was when i back like 2006, but I remember lie Yesterday... I was staying at my Grandma's house with my brother for about 5 days. she has semi-domestic cats, basically outdoor living kitties. there was one that I think was an Orange and white tabby, she was a female we callled "Faty" [yes, Faty], but she had a kitten just one, the others were gone a few months or weeks earlier. This kitten was propaly 1 to 3 months old, he was black, orange and white, he reminded me of the month of October greatly. So I named him "October", he was extremely cute and Shy. The first few days I would only let him feel me and pet him VERY gently, the mother diden't seem to mind. He was EXTREMLY shy, always sitting near the garage on his paws. I begged my parents to take him, but of course they said no, when I reurned for Thanksgiving he was gone, but his mother was there. He was gone I wish he were here next to me, R.I.P little Autunm Angel...

[wolfgirl159357]

awwww very sad Sand i recued 3 of my 6 pets its a long story.

[Chilly Girl]

It's nice to see a thread like this one going on. =)

I have fostered for a Labrador Rescue for almost 2 years straight now. I have a new foster pup. He is a mutt at about 5 months old. I want to get a picture up soon for you to see how cute he is! He is really super shy, like afraid-to-walk-out-of-the-door-or-something-might-eat-me kind of shy!

I have provided free behavioral and training help to all fosters and adopters of rescue dogs.

I do Dog Therapy with my 6 year old Lab, Chilly. We go to Senior centers and hospitals etc. Not really helping dogs but Chilly thinks it's fun!

I provide the best life possible for my own dogs. Although sometimes I think I might kill em if I hug them too hard!!

--
Chilly

[wolfgirl159357]

lol Chilly this is a PERFECT picture of my dogs

[img]C:\Users\Family\Pictures\2009-03-07[/img]

[wolfgirl159357]

[~~rose~~]

aww, the pup on the left looks just like what riley used to look like. *sniffle* I promised myself I wouldn't cry...

[wolfgirl159357]

awww really her name is Sweetie she is a female rhodesion ridgeback plott hound mixed that was badly abused.

And the one on the right is Chuka(pronounced Chu ka) she is a female cocker spainial yorkie mix.