Savanna's Story

My name is Savanna and this is my story. I was found wandering the streets of Miami when I was 10 weeks old. Coastal Boxer Rescue took me in. I had just been moved to a foster home when I became very ill. I started vomiting, was lethargic and had bloody diarrhea. My temperature was 105 degrees and I couldn’t eat. I was diagnosed with the Parvovirus and not expected to live.

My foster parents wouldn’t accept that I was dying and wanted to treat me. With the help of a wonderful veterinarian mom learned how to hook me up to an IV everyday and give me shots twice a day. I was carried around like a baby and told how special I was and that I had to get better. I even got to go to work with mom so she could keep an eye on me. At night I would sleep right beside mom and dad in case I needed anything. Slowly after 5 days I began to feel better and get stronger. Mom started to feed me little bits of dog food – boy did that taste good.

I was a very lucky puppy. If I had been given my Parvovirus vaccine this would not have happened. I am fully recovered now and will soon be going to my forever home. I sure hope they are as nice as my foster parents. Thank you Coastal Boxer Rescue.

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Abby's Second Chance

As I walked past Abby's cage at the local pound, I glanced in and saw a pitiful dog that looked to be in horrible condition. Her fur was very sparse and splotchy and her skin had a greasy look to it. Not only did she look bad, her skin emitted an awful smell. But those eyes, they begged for me to help her.

I found out that her owner had dumped her there, an all too common occurance. She would be put to sleep as the shelter could not adopt her out in that condition. She was definitely a candidate for our rescue program.

A trip to the vet confirmed that mange was not the culprit of her condition which was a great relief. A flea allergy was likely her problem, along with being neglected by an uncaring owner. She tested positive for heartworms which was no surprise to us here in the south.

She was sent to a foster home where she stayed through her heartworm treatment. Her skin began to clear up and her fur slowly started to thicken and grow back black and shiny. Her skin no longer smelled and her sweet personality came shining through. She loved everyone and every dog that she came in contact with.

She now lives with a wonderful family who treats her as she deserves. It is hard to imagine how anyone could have ever neglected this sweet soul and Abby's story gives us motivation to continue our rescue work.

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Chance

On October 31, 2007, Tri-State Collie Rescue received a call from a shelter in Kentucky about a stray collie that was found on a country road the night before. The dog warden had said when she saw him standing on the side of the road he could barely find the energy to walk to her. As she approached him she could see in his eyes that he was very sick and desperate for help.

The rescuer says she will never forget walking into the shelter and seeing the collie. It was the worst case of animal neglect she had ever seen. The collie was so emaciated you could count his ribs. His body was covered in demodeptic mange. She looked at the dog as her eyes filled with tears and her heart just ached for him. She knew this boy deserved a chance at a wonderful life. So, she named him “Chance,” which would soon fit him perfectly as he struggled to fight for his life. After several weeks in the hospital, he was finally strong enough to go to his foster home. Each day that passed, Chance became stronger and healthier.

Chance was finally ready to be put up for adoption. Knowing in her heart that she could never actually let Chance go, the rescuer decided she would be the one to adopt him. It has been two wonderful years since Chance joined her family and his is doing great. He is happy, healthy and finally living the life he so greatly deserved.

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A Ray of Hope

Miracles happen when fate intervenes, and luck plays its part. Left lying beside a rural Texas road with multiple hip fractures, severe head trauma and deep lacerations, Sunshine’s “ray of hope” was wavering until she felt the kind touch and gently lifting hands of her guardian angel.

A cry for help went out on her behalf. It was soon discovered that this might not be the first time NASPR had been contacted about Sunshine. For two long and tormenting years a family from the same area had been searching for their beloved Shar-Pei, Cypress.

It was a cautious yet hopeful mother and daughter that visited Sunshine at the animal hospital. Their mental checklist matched down to an old scar that Cypress’s medical records could verify. Injuries had taken their toll on her appearance making it difficult to identify her based on looks alone. However, Sunshine immediately rose on painful and broken hips crawling into the lap of the girl who had dreamed so long of her return. Smothering her with kisses, no other before had earned such response.

NASPR’s network of friends donated the funding for the medical care to repair her injuries and provide eye implants to relieve the painful glaucoma/lens trauma that had blinded her. Mother and daughter supplied the love.

Sunshine is now pain free and continuing to heal. A daughter’s dream has come true and a family is once again whole. In their hearts and hers, our Sunshine, their Cypress, has come home.

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Cher's Purr-fect Home

Our hotline got a call from a concerned citizen, there were 5 black kittens in a flower planter at a large mall. The caller told us she feared the kittens would be run over if they stayed by the mall. We went over and found the kittens, they were 2-3 weeks old. Just starting to move around. We put them in foster care. When they were old enough to be fixed, we had them tested. All were OK except Cher, her test came back low positive for Feline Leukemia. This meant her future was uncertain if she got sick or was stressed. She had 2 strikes agaist her - she's a black kitten and she had Feline Leukemia. Homes for this little girl would be few and far between. Her foster mother loved her so much, she decided to keep her. She is finanacially stable and was willing to make the commitment to Cher, no matter how long she lived. Cher is playful, active, loving, friendly and has a good appetite. She has fur siblings to play with and is the first to come up to any house visitor to say "HI" and give a kiss. She has found her Purr-fect Furr-ever home.

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Edmond

The call came in November 2006 – a shelter had received nearly two-dozen Tonkinese cats from a hording case. All were in desperate need of medical care. Worse, the shelter could not put them up for adoption because the hoarders were sending agents to adopt the cats back under false pretenses.

Rocky Mountain Siamese Rescue stepped in and offered to take four cats, and contacted other rescue groups who saved the rest. One of the four was Edmond. He needed some serious dental work. RMSR sought donations, and were given a discount by their generous veterinarian. After $4,000 and 34 extractions, all four kitties were ready for adoption.

Edmond was soon adopted by a loving family who already had two RMSR cats. He was adopted at age 8, which meant on top of his previous life, he could have a tough time adjusting to a new life and family. But the opposite was true. Instead, the family says Eddie is the sweetest, happiest little guy they have had the pleasure of knowing. Whether he is napping in his favorite sunny window, or playing with his kitty friends, Edmond has proven to be the picture of contentment.

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Pepper

Pepper was found on the side of a road with his two brothers. He had no hair, his skin was crusty and he had deep wounds on his legs and body. He was in so much pain, a lot of care had to be used just to pick up his small, frail body. The vet diagnosed him with mange and told the rescue group he probably wouldn’t make it through the night.

However, through medicine, dips and lots of tender loving care from his foster mom, Donna, Pepper pulled through. He has turned out to be a very sweet and loving dog. Though he is left with scars on his body from the mange, he is now a healthy twenty-three pounds and loves to play in the creek and spring. He is still looking for his forever home, but there’s no doubt Pepper will get to live a beautiful life thanks to the people who took such incredible care for him when he needed them most.

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The Gift

A gray tomcat showed up in our yard with a small lump on his neck. It wasn't an abscess. We tried to catch him but the tom had different ideas about carriers and traps. Nothing convinced him to even come close to one. His tumor was growing fast and we could not catch him.
Then one morning, he sat outside our front door and was holding a mouse in his fangs. He carefully laid the mouse on the doormat and walked a little distance away to watch. We admired the mouse and thanked him for the gift. He very carefully came closer and when we got a carrier out he went in by himself. We think he realized that he needed help badly.
Our veterinarian made no promises but as always worked a true miracle. When Mouser came back from surgery, he had a neatly zippered wound going down his neck and left front leg. He quickly gained weight and started looking better. Two smaller tumors grew later and had to be removed. Now he is Pets Haven's very loving 18 lb boy Mouser.

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Joanie

Joannie and her sister came to the rescue program at almost two years of age as owner surrenders. Although said to be in good health, the difference between the two was night and day. Joannie only weighed 65 pounds and was just skin wrapped around bones. Their vet found she had a hole in her diaphragm, her right lung was collapsed, and her small intestines were inside her chest cavity. Because this did not allow her to eat, she had slowly been starving for at least four months. The group’s wonderful vet had never been faced with a surgery like this, but agreed to operate to try to save her life.

The surgery was success! Within just one week she gained four pounds. As Joannie continued to recuperate, her progress was posted on her rescue group’s website so people could watch her amazing transformation. One of those watching from the beginning was Tracy in the Seattle area. She fell totally in love with Joannie. In order to make Joannie a family member, Tracy flew into Texas one Friday evening, rented a car and drove Joannie home over the weekend, about 2300 miles. When Joanie was adopted, she weighed 105 pounds. Today she weighs 110 pounds, is the love of Tracy’s life, and goes to work every day with “Mom” and her four legged brother, Tito.

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Brooke

In June, 2007, two Boxers cowered on the concrete floor of Animal Control, totally emaciated, all pelvic bones showing. One, Brooke, was so weak her hind legs would not hold her up. Brooke’s weight was about 33 pounds. Diagnosing extreme Valley Fever, Barbara of South Arizona Boxer Rescue called on two volunteers, Rob and Lynnae, for long-term intensive care of Brooke. Although they had two other Boxers and a Doberman, they stepped up to the challenge.

Rob carried Brooke to the car and for two weeks, carried her in and out of his office so he could poke any food she would eat and her medicines into her. She spent days lying on her bed, unwilling to get up unless urged to do so. Slowly her strength returned and her weight increased.

Today Brooke is sleek and lively, playing with her cherished squeaky toys and cavorting around when she sees the leash. She is housebroken, and has learned to use the dog door and to come when called. They don’t think she had ever been in a house before!

While she will always be on medication for the Valley Fever, she is enjoying her life with her two other Boxer buddies and seems pain-free. Rob and Lynnae became very attached during her long recovery and officially adopted her, so they are now foster failures! But, the rescue groups will take that kind of failure any day.

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