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Kris Carr

Blog Post

How Animal Adoption & Rescue Has Transformed My Life

Hi Darling,

The Carr-Fassett family has a lot to be grateful about. If you’ve been following our adventures on Facebook and Instagram (where I post most of my personal pix and lots of animal adoption updates) you know that we found a big ole blessing in the woods (with the help of some awesome New Yorkers!):Β A sweet, emaciated (35 pounds underweight), sick and struggling-to-stay-alive, hound dog who we named…Buddy!

Buddy's Rescue

After weeks of searching for his owner, making countless trips to the vet, nursing him back to health around the clock (how do you moms out there do it?!), and showering him with love, respect and compassion, it’s officialβ€”he’s doing great and we’re keeping him! He’s our soon-to-be-healthy boy now and we couldn’t be happier. Welcome sweet Buddy!

Today Buddy is quite the celebrity. Thousands of people from around the world have been praying for him and cheering him on (#gobuddygo). Folks have been logging into their social media accounts just for Buddy, especially on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

If you’re one of those people, I just want to take a moment to thank you. I know your love matters. It’s been part of his medicine and ours.

What’s more, I’ve read at least a dozen comments from people who went out and adopted a first or second fur-child. And countless others who have said, β€œnow you’ve really got me thinking, I really want to adopt.” Booyah! Nothing makes me happier. I swear I’ve cried hundreds of heart-opening tears as I read all the love and possibilities. You all are so wonderful, yet another reason I have to be grateful.

When I first saw this skinny guy, I knew the road would be long.

And I heard the voices in my head: β€œUm, you don’t have time for this. He’s too sick. You’re already spread too thin. Lola doesn’t like to share. You travel too much. He’s bigger than your house. He’s a hunting dog, you eat plants!” Sound familiar? I bet you have practical voices that tell you not to do stuff you really want to do too.

Kris Carr Brian Fassett Buddy

Soon I came to understand that Buddy was my spiritual lesson.

I constantly talk about the importance of loving kindnessβ€”extended to all beings. How could I pick and choose when it’s convenient? How could I not take this guy into my life and heart. Brian felt the same way (thank the Gods!).

That was our rubber meets the road moment.

Who better than us to care for this guy? We have 16 acres of woods to explore, 6 of which are fully fenced inβ€”crucial for Buddy’s built-in wanderlust. We work from home. We love animals. We want more joy in our lives. It quickly became a no-brainer.

As for Lola, she’s dealing and healing too. I think Buddy is the only brother she’d ever tolerate. Because he was so malnourished and wounded, she gave him space and reverence. Though she really doesn’t appreciate when he takes over her bed (that’s way too small for him), I think she likes to have a pal to trot around and explore with (which he is slowly starting to do). We’re doing our best to make her feel super special during this time. Translation: She’s getting chubby. β€œHello piglet, enjoy it now cause it ain’t gonna last!”

Lola & Buddy

After only a few days, Buddy is putting on weightβ€”close to a pound a day. His coat gets shinier, his eyes get brighter and his tail wags more and more. He’s even starting to look our way when we call his name!

I wanted to express how lucky we feel to have the chance to make a difference in Buddy’s life.

If you decide to bring an animal into your home this holiday season, please consider adoption. So many beings suffer senselessly in shelters. Sadly, many of them die there, never knowing any kindness or cuddles. If you’ve got a rescued fur-baby, you know what I mean. You also understand that they know you saved themβ€”it’s a bond like no other. And boy do they appreciate it.

Unconditional love heals.

Thanks for listening!Β  He continues to heal. As do we.

There’s nothing better than happy trails and waggy endings!

Public Service Announcement: For all the hound dog lovers out thereβ€”consider a GPS collar. Hunting dogs and hounds are lead by their nose. They get lost easily and really need our help. Tragically, many hunting dogs go missing during hunting season, and others get left behind if they aren’t top performers.

Your turn: Share your adoption story in the comments below (and congrats to Lisa Henbest, myΒ Crazy Sexy KitchenΒ contest winner!)

Peace & wags,

Add a comment
  1. Robin Weir says:

    In November I rescued or actually Dexter rescued me. He was taken from a hoarding situation where I think he was loved just not cared for. He is about 10 years old, he had 30 teeth removed and he was neutered. My kind of man! This bundle of love just wants to be with me 24/7. I take him to my flower shop where he greets every customer with a wagging tail. I too had no children and lost my first dog last Valentine’s Day. Mylo was the little love who entered my life while I was living alone in Florida fighting breast cancer and going through chemotherapy. I didn’t know how I was going to take care of myself never mind a puppy. But like you said this dog taught me more about love and living than I could even begin to explain. Until Dexter came along I didn’t realize how much I was missing loving and being loved unconditionally. I have been blessed with two amazing dogs and I thank God for them.
    I think anyone looking for a chance to be loved unconditionally should RESCUE a dog. They know just how much you both need it.

  2. Melissa L Knox says:

    Three years ago I rescued three pitbull/doberman puppies from a family who was starving them in a garage. I won’t go into the gory details of what I saw when I picked them up but I can say it completely changed my life! I still have two, and adopted one out to a wonderful family. It was a challenge to fit their nutritional needs and help them regain their health. I am now beginning to transition them onto a vegan diet. Kris, can you please post about vegan dogs, pros\cons, and how the vegan community can support animals rescue efforts while maintaining vegan values? Thanks!

  3. What an amazingly beautiful story…I love foxhounds and coonhounds (I THINK Buddy is a Walker Hound but could just as easily be an American Foxhound…he’s so skinny right now its harder to get a true fix on how he’s supposed to look). It’s kind of spooky because I was re-reading Where The Red Fern Grows yesterday and the opening scene of the book is the narrator saving an old redbone coonhound from being mauled to death by a pack of vicious strays. The hound is severely malnourished and skeletal, the pads of his feet worn “slicker than the peel of an old apple”. The reason for this punishing journey becomes clear when the narrator examines the crude check-line-and-baling-wire collar fastened around his neck. Scratched into the leather in large, childish letters is the name “BUDDY”…..

  4. Liz G. says:

    We lost our 2 German Shepherd rescues in the last year to old age so I can’t wait to adopt a couple of new rescue dogs. I’ve never understood paying for a dog or cat when there are so many great ones in shelters. I also just brought in feral cat. Named him Ricky, had him neutered and he is turning out to be the best little love muffin ever. More people need to adopt…these animals give so much selfless love!

  5. Veronique says:

    Hi Kris,

    I love the story about your that you rescued!

    I was wondering whether you feed your dogs vegan food?

  6. Thank you for the favorable writeup. The idea in fact would be a activity consideration that. Start looking difficult to help much more sent acceptable by you! Even so, the best way may possibly most people speak?

  7. Jenn says:

    I’ve been wanting a dog for the longest time now, but nothing ever seemed right – don’t want to make the time to care for another breathing thing, live in a cramped apartment, couldn’t commit to one cute face, and the list goes on. A few weeks ago, a stray wandered into a friend’s yard and I immediately fell in love. It was either my way or the pound. Coming from someone who can’t even keep a plant alive, the past few weeks have been trying to say the least. Turns out my big red stray is riddled with hookworms, heartworms, and malnutrition in addition to a crippling fear of loud noises, strangers (especially men), and cars. Trying to turn his life around for the better has managed to benefit mine in so many ways. It’s so rewarding to see him do the little things, like wagging his tail when I come home or hear him finally learn to play with his dog toys. It’s comforting to know that I’ve become his safety, the leg he clings to when a car passes by or thunder rolls. When I took him in, I thought of him as just a burden that, now that I see it, would have either been put down when taken to the pound or left with conditions untreated. Instead, he’s been a teacher, helping me learn patience, responsibility, and healing with a soft touch. These are all things that are a little foreign to me.

    I feel that everyone comes into our lives for a reason, whether they have two legs or four. Your rescue, my stray, and I’m sure everyone who’s posted are no different. Congrats on your new furbaby, and hope he’s adjusted well to his new home!

  8. Pat says:

    Kris, since you love animals and rescued them, would you be willing to researching cancer in dogs. I think it would be a great idea to add to your book series about cancer in dogs. Let me know what you think.

  9. google says:

    Thanks for any other informative site. Where else may just I am getting that type of information written in such a perfect manner? I have a project that I am just now working on, and I’ve been on the look out for such information.

  10. Shelby says:

    Volunteer for a rescue and have four rescue/shelter dogs and a cat whorock my world. One, Mikey, is 17 (he was 14 when he came into my life) is a beagle/whippet cross. He and Buddy look like they are related.

  11. Paula Cook says:

    Last year my husband Simon was working Iraq. He started to feed a stray dog. They called her Lucy. She was starving and desperate for love. When they fed her she would stop eating because she wanted love more than she wanted food. The locals cut of her ears and threw her in an oil drum. Why? God only knows but when that happened Simon and his co-workers went to work to rescue Lucy. There was a lot of red tape in Iraq to bring her back to Canada. Problems that most people would just give up. Thankfully Simon stuck to it. I am so proud of him and what he did so Lucy could have a better life. Lucy is thriving in her new home in Burnaby. Here is a link to an interview that my husband did with CBC television. http://www.cbc.ca/player/Embedded-Only/News/BC/Animals/ID/2261726162/?page=3

  12. Lynda Olsen says:

    My best friend Liz is trying so hard to adopt a dog right now. She found it, but doesn’t have enough money to pay for medicine to treat her skin infection, ear infection, and heart worm condition. Do you know any place she can contact to get help? The dog is staying at my house right now but can only do so for a few more days. Liz just lost a cat she had owned for her whole life and is really attached to this poor dog already. It’s part pit bull, so none of the shelters around here will take her πŸ™

  13. Andrea says:

    congratulations! we have adopted and nursed back to health so many dogs and kitties and horses I’ve lost count. At one point we were up to 10 dogs (and not small ones), but the love they gave us and the joy (and occasional heart ache) made it all worthwhile. We are now “down” to 7 dogs and 5 cats (indoor, that’s not counting the 3 barncats who have adopted us) and our house and hearts are full. Beware the hound though, our beagle to this day likes to go “explore”>>>he’s at least partially responsible for some of the gray hair I have…
    enjoy your boy!

  14. Richard says:

    We have rescued 2 beagles…one is named Zoey, we nicknamed her monkey… Cause she can climb on the counters. The other one is River, due to the white line on her back reminds me of a river…she sleeps with me and is the best dog I have ever had..Zoey loves my partner and she is so smart that it is scary to think what would happen if she had appossing thumbs..

    Richard and Bryan

  15. marianne charbonneau says:

    We have a similar story, Kris! Several years ago an uncle called my mother, knowing that I was involved in pet rescue here in Ottawa, to say that there was an abandoned doberman way back in the country on the Quebec side, near his in-laws. The in-laws were afraid of it & were going to shoot it. I went up with some leftover dinner meat in hand, my uncle showed me where he was, he trotted up to the car, gobbled the meat & jumped right in to the back seat! He was a big boy, but very thin. My dog (also a dobie) was suffering from heart disease & needed to be kept calm. So my parents agreed to keep him til I found an adoptive family. Well, I did, but by then they had fallen in love with him & wouldn’t let go. They kept him, took him for St. John’s Ambulance therapy dog training, & he became a hit at the local nursing home. Sadly he died a few years later of what is known as the Wobbles – a large breed disease. While he was with us, Jake gave much joy & had a wonderful life!

  16. Jessica says:

    Reading this has brought me so much joy! I’m so happy Buddy has found your family =) xx

  17. May says:

    After rescuing a lifetime of dogs from tiny terriers to bloodhounds, Bassets, German Shepherds, Bostons (do a google search for Granny Annie), and all kinds of mixed breeds, there is one dog I can’t take because there are 7 in residence in addition to 3 exotic birds all who will outlive us, the small flock of chickens and 3 cats. We both have cancer and are in our 70s.

    Her name is Riley and she is deaf and blind, having that awful mutation that comes with breeding 2 blue merles. She is mostly white, less than a year old and probably Australian Shepherd and Border collie. She plays with other dogs well and was adopted for a few days. Now the family doesn’t want her and
    there is no foster available to take her.

    So if you are looking for an affectionate and loving dog with a disability and have the time and enormous
    heart to love a dog like this, please contact Joyce at her email. She is working desperately to find Riley a home. Joyce Soares

    Riley is in the Florida panhandle. I believe she has her own facebook page at Lucky Paws Rescue (or Lucky Puppy Rescue). She is in DIRE NEED.

  18. pathfinder says:

    Please go to this website and look at these sweet pei-bies…

    http://www.macspro.org/adoptions.html

    Dog of the week! Wilbur
    Wilbur is one of the happiest most enthusiastic dogs we’ve ever had! Before we got him he had been making a habit of walking up to total strangers in a neighborhood and hanging out with them as long as they wanted to pet him or give him treats. As a result, he’s a very “healthy” boy as you can see from his pic.

    We’ve had Wilbur for a little over two months now and we now feel it’s urgent to find him a forever home. He’s too friendly and far too loving of people to spend his days in the kennel… he deserves a warm home and an owner with TONS of affection to give and he’ll be juuuuuuust fine.

    He gets along with other dogs, adults and children, comes with a clean bill of health from our vet and he’s current on all shots. Please consider adopting this sweet boy today or please share our email with somebody else who might want to meet him in time for him to be begging for food from the Thanksgiving table πŸ™‚

  19. Cristina F says:

    Love this story. Our dog/child is almost 5 and I can’t imagine our lives without her. I wish everyone would adopt a pet and save a life, not just the the dog’s life but their own. They bring so much more to your life than you even imagine. Our human children are 3 and 1 and I think they truly benefit from having a furry sibling too. They learn to care for and have respect for animals. I would adopt 10 more if I could. Buddy looks very loved and will be forever greatful for your help.

  20. Lauren says:

    Kris, this article warms my heart. Thank you for being a voice to the millions of animals who are homeless, in shelters, or in abusive homes. My husband and I have 3 rescue dogs who provide us with so much laughter and love, sometimes I feel as though my heart may burst! Sending lots of love to you and your husband, Buddy & Lola this holiday season. <3<3<3

  21. William J. Bryan says:

    Hi, Kris. Love your devotion to our ‘best friends.’ I’ve recued dogs my entire life (I’m 87 now). I’ve written a a book about my beloved friends (392 Dog Years and Counting), and will be sending you a copy shortly. Hope you enjoy it. Best always, Bill

  22. Debbie says:

    What a beautiful story Kris! I look forward to following #gobuddygo ‘s progress…he’s very handsome!

    I’ve picked up countless stray dogs and cats in my lifetime – when my sister and I were teens, we brought home a puppy that was trying to get on a city bus we were behind in traffic and even cut open a screen on our window at home and told mom a kitty scratched her way inside! Our mom, who taught us to love animals, “bought” our stories every time!

    My family and I (husband + 4 boys) currently have 3 furpups who are all rescued – Shadow, a 16/17 year old beagle who we’ve had for @ 15 years, an 8ish year old shepherd mix, Charlie who’s smiling face and giant nose captured me from a poster in Starbucks, and Aleister (pup-pup), a 1 year old pitbull mix who lived on the streets of Houston’s East End and was rescued by Barrio Dogs, Inc. He was just a baby of about 2 months when someone spotted him near a drain that he could have fallen into and he was eating eating rocks and leaves. They picked him up, vetted him and posted his picture on Facebook. He stole my heart the moment I saw him!!

    We love all our dogs and the many critters who have resided with us over the years, but having pup-pup come into our lives when he did changed us. Especially my husband. I truly believe he was sent here to show us how to love more. He’s brought a lot of laughter, patience, activity and sweetness into our home that had been lacking for quite awhile. I feel so blessed to be his “mom”.

    Thanks for giving this space to share my story. Namaste.

  23. Pam says:

    Love, love, love. It’s what it’s all about! Big, big hugs and love to LOLA!!! Welcome to your happy love life, Buddy xoxo

  24. Kelly says:

    Simply beautiful! What a sweet boy…and so fortunate (finally) to have fallen into your loving arms. Thank you Kris and hubby!

  25. Christina says:

    Hi there!

    You are awesome. Really. Love your website, love the way you live your life, and I love the fact that you took in a stray pup! I’d like to share the story of my dear sweet Sanford. My husband (boyfriend of one month at the time) used to work in construction. He was a licensed builder helping to rehab homes in downtown Detroit. This was almost 9.5 years ago now. We were only dating one month. It was a Sunday, he spoke with me about the fact that he would like to adopt a dog and I was elated that this new (very special boyfriend of mine) wanted me to search for a new family member of his. The next day, I was at work at an office and he called me. Told me he had something to show me during my lunch hour. I walk outside to the parking lot, and in his hands is this teeny tiny puppy with bright blue eyes looking up at me. My heart melted.

    Here’s how he this little guy came to be in our lives. My husband was on the job site, having a meeting when one of the guys on his team said “I think you have a new friend”. My husband, not knowing what the heck he meant asked for clarification. The guy said “look down”. Look down he did. At his feet was this teeny tiny little pup, curled up and sleeping. He picked him up and walked around the neighborhood looking for the owner to this little pup. No one claimed him. My husband decided to take him to two different vets for evaluation. Both of them said he was most likely about 4 weeks old, and was a Dalmatian/pit bull mix. The neighborhood he found him in was pretty well known for pit bull fighting, and since he was a mutt, there was a good chance he would have been used as a “bait dog”. When he was at the vet, they discovered that this four week old puppy had chicken bones in his stomach and was most likely picking through garbage for food as he was not taken care of and lost apparently. They had to pump his stomach because a 4 week old puppy should not be eating chicken bones and his stomach was super distended. He also had bite marks on him.

    Thankfully, this little guy has now been our beloved family member for ove 9 years. His name is Sanford. He’s such a love of ours.

  26. Jen says:

    Miss Kris,

    Earlier this year, my husband and I wanted to find a friend to keep our boxer company. We are both in the military and felt like he needed a buddy. My husband was set on a Great Dane from a breeder because he thought that purebreds were more reliable to train–that’s what he always did before we met. After some research, I discovered that it’s illegal to sell Great Danes in our town, so any available are under the table on sites like craigslist. I managed to convince my husband to adopt a rescue–a skinny, dehydrated young Dane named Gus with two right ears (not due to damage or abuse, he just born that way). Gus bonded with my husband instantly, a good thing since I recently deployed to Afghanistan and he’s now a single parent to two very large boys who don’t know why I’m not there! I’m so glad he’s part of my family now whenever call home on Skype. And I’m so grateful that my husband opened his heart to a rescue pup.

  27. Kristen says:

    Our Buddy was a Hurricane Katrina victim, one of the last dogs taken out of the city alive. When we first saw him we thought he had a really big head, then realized it was just because his body was so thin. He had been surviving on his own for quite some time.

    He was brought to Ohio by our greyhound rescue group (we have one of those too πŸ™‚ Buddy had to stay at the vet an extra day longer than the other dogs, so the rescue group asked if we would watch him for the weekend.

    That weekend turned into 6 wonderful years. For my fiancΓ© it was love at first sight. When Buddy climbed up in his lap that first night (all 50+ pounds of him), I knew he was staying.

  28. beck mixon says:

    I adopted a 7 month old black lab/hound, Sophie, from Lucky Lab Rescue in Indiana 5 years ago. My kids had always wanted a dog but being the only parent, I just didn’t think I could do it when they were young. At the time I was engaged and we adopted her together. I was also a single parent of 4 kids 14-24 and life was good. 2 years later, my fiancΓ© and I ended our relationship and Sophie was a constant reminder of what I had lost. But meeting with an old friend one day who was listening to me complain that the only reason I adopted her was because of my fiancΓ© and now I am supposed to take care of her and my family, he replied that maybe I had met my fiancΓ© so that I would meet Sophie. She has given my now adult children the opportunity to give and experience unconditional love, even with all of her quirky ways. She has brought joy into all of our lives.

  29. Debbie says:

    I just got to say, You are amazing Kris and thank you for all you do. Keep up the good work, and thank you for coming into my life.
    God bless you,
    Debbie

  30. Debbie says:

    Kris I am so happy to hear that you and your husband have decided to keep Buddy. I hope Buddy will bring you and your family many happy years.

  31. Debbie says:

    On November 16th 2010 I was driving down the road on a cold rainy November day when I spotted a small dog in the middle of the street. I don’t usually take this route but for some reason I did this day. I had a car behind me and one passed me so I drove down the road to turn around. As I opened my car door to step out this little dog was at my feet dripping wet and shivering. I picked him up, calling him peanut because of his size, and put him in a blanket I had in my car. I spent the next several days trying to find his owners figuring that someone was sick about loosing him. When no one claimed him he became the new addition to our family. He has brought us such joy.

  32. Nurit says:

    Dear Kris!
    You are the best! Ya! Love is everything! I love you! you are such an inspiration to me!
    I was so moved by buddy’s story! And I actually have a very similar story to tell you….
    We live in the holy city of Jerusalem – enchanted with beautiful light and spirituality, a city of peace – housing all religions, and also – many street cats….
    Two years ago, we were sitting in our garden one afternoon, when a very sick looking, injured, underweight, limping, dirty cat came to join us. at first, we tried to shoo him away, but he just wouldn’t go… we already adopted a female street cat – one year earlier, when my son found four tiny nursing cats – deserted, hungry and thirsty… my son, ten years old at the time, found a way to feed them with special baby-cat milk. he also provided warm shelter for them, and as time went by, only one cat survived- Tully – is our princess cat’s name… well that afternoon, looking at the sick cat, my son said: “mommy, why don’t we give him something to eat and drink? and I said – “well, if we do that – it means that he’s here for good…” would he infect our beloved Tully? I asked myself…. would he fight with her? how will we manage two cats in an urban setting? can we afford the vet fees? well, we had one look at his beautiful face, his rich, deep, emotional eyes – and all the questions just went away… Pasta became ours in that second! we fed him, cleaned him, took him numerous times to the vet – he was actually diagnosed with FIV – a very serious cat condition – no immune system…. every few weeks – for the last two years, he has to be checked and treated – but we LOVE him SO VERY MUCH! and he loves us!!! Pasta and Tully get along very well – it’s a true love story! He gives all of us so much love! Whenever we pat him – he pats us back!!! he gives us so much love! He guards our house, he is so responsible, he is so wise and so giving! we feel – he actually thinks WE are HIS PETS!!! And he takes very good care of us! we learn a lot from him every day – and we feel Pasta was a true gift to our lives – live and love! love and live!
    We love you Kris!
    Kisses from Jerusalem!
    Nurit

  33. Daniel says:

    Dear Kris!
    Thanks for being a generous and wonderful person sharing a lot of things online and via other channels.
    I haven`t adopted a dog before, but never say never.
    I want to share different story with you: I live in China and used to work in a school and i had an elderly Lady coworker from Canada there. She happened to adopt a dog that nobody else wanted to take care of. But the dog got sick. The elderly Lady decided to take the dog to the doctor and asked me to translate for her.
    The Lady was very sad and cried, because she felt with the dog. I just could not understand, all i saw was that the Lady was seeing her own life in that of the dog.
    I know what it means to have an animal as a true friend. I am 100% percent vegetarian and have feelings for all animals, specially horses, lonely dogs and last not least, after seeing a great documentary: sharks!!!
    I love swimming in the ocean, so far without any shark-experience, but i learned: This is the eldest species on the planet. Originally i come from a European country with lot of care for dogs. I wish that this love will extent to cows and everything around!
    β™‘β™‘
    D.

  34. Diane Viton says:

    Rescue dogs rock! Our experience has been that they are so loving & so appreciate having a safe and comforting home. The 4 that we have adopted over the last 20 years have been nothing short of spectacular and have added infinite joy to our family. If there is a doubt in your mind about taking a chance on a wounded soul, do it! You will not regret it!

  35. Robin Hardy says:

    One afternoon the husby and I were driving by a busy street in San Diego, and my hubby saw a tiny Siamese kitten running along the road and then down into the hole. We were there like a flash with a can of cat food, only to find not one but THREE tiny kittens living in a storm drain. They were going under the road and up the other side, looking for food, or a way out of their life in the storm drain. On one side was a train track, on the other a wall that ran along the tracks, and beneath that a trolley. In the hole was broken glass, dirty clothes, and it was just starting to get cold. We knew what we had to do. I went back for 6 days in a row until I caught them all, through the fence, using a long laundry basket, an easel, and of course: wet cat food. There was the Siamese, a tuxedo, and our darling Kate, the tabby. We brought two of the kitties to the humane society along with a $250 check to ensure they would be “sponsored” until adopted with explicit instructions that there would be no “E.” for them, only a call to us. Of course, I wish I could save them all. They did find them homes; I followed up to confirm. Kate, our little sweet tabby, is now over 5 years old, and she is the sweetest, most grateful kitty going. We also have another grey kitty that we got from some folks that were going to make her a “barn cat,” which means they live outdoors and eat rodents to keep the barn area in order. Nope, our little Gwynnie is living the life of a kitty princess–inside, warm, and with plenty of love, food, and cuddles. I adore them both and they give me back so much more. Thanks for the opportunity to share this story…

  36. Michele says:

    What a sweetie! Just learned about your new buddy tonight and my heart and best wishes to all of you. About 3 weeks ago I noticed a beautiful feral cat in our neighborhood literally staggering from starvation as she walked across the street. Now, thanks to many bags of good food and a ton of patience she is starting to put some weight on. The bowl has been moved from the edge of my property up to the front porch, she still won’t let me come near her, but that’s my Christmas wish – to pet this beautiful creature God gave us! Hats off to anyone who rescues and loves God’s 4-legged children!

  37. Susie says:

    When I was a teenager I was driving my little VW Bug at night and saw someone hit a large dog and keep going. I had a friend in the car and stopped to see if the dog was okay. The poor large poodle was injured. I had my friend help me lift her in the car and drove around for about 20 or 30 minutes looking for a vet who was open. We finally found one and got them to take the dog. I left my phone number in case no one came for the dog.

    That week I learned that the mommy of the dog worked with my then boyfriend, now husband. She told him the story of how some amazing person saved her dog after someone hit her and took off. When I went to see my boyfriend at work I met her and she hugged me with tears rolling down her cheeks. I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.

  38. Justine says:

    I am so in love with this story!
    I, too, feel like my dog Carter Cash is my spiritual lesson. We adopted him 3.5 years ago. We were looking to adopt but many of the dogs we came across weren’t up to my husband’s vision of the animal we needed (where as I wanted to bring home every unloved fur-baby that I laid eyes on). Carter was the last dog for us to encounter during the last hour of a massive animal adoption at Venice Beach. He crawled right into my husband’s lap and that was it – we’d found our dog. Or more so, he found us.

    The first few months were very difficult. He was fine and then would go nuts (turns out, with energy, not malice). We weren’t sure what we were doing or if we could be good puppy owners. But we got him enrolled in puppy classes and fed him out of our hands. Within 2 months he knew we were his family, and started to respond to his name, commands and treats. AND HE IS SO SMART! We’ve practically run out of things to teach him.

    But he’s taught me the most important lesson (or more so, our puppy trainer taught us). “Own your dog” which is a short way of saying – be responsible for what you put out and intentional about what you want to get back. If I am cranky with the pup, he ignores me. But if I’m kind and happy in my voice, he is all up for whatever I ask him to do. It’s amazing seeing my own energy and effort reflected back to me. And I can’t even quantify the love he’s brought me, my husband and our friends and family. Thanks for letting me share!

  39. Joy says:

    We’ve adopted 3 dogs now. Our first, Lola, was 7 1/2 years old when we adopted her. She was a purebred German Short-haired Pointer who’d lived with a family for all of her life. When their child became very ill, poor Lola wasn’t getting as much attention as she was used to, and spent a lot of time in the yard (and escaping it). Lola’s guardian angel, Pam, almost ran over her on the proverbial dark and stormy night, took her in and called her owners who said, you can keep her if you want. Since Pam does lots of animal rescue work, she fostered her and when she had to put her in the local shelter because of dog conflicts, she worked hard to make sure Lola ended up in a loving home. We found out about her online and ended up bringing her home. We got to spend about 7 years with her before a tumor on her liver became too much for her.

    Our second adopted dog, Loki, joined our family a couple of years after Lola. We brought him home from a nearby SPCA shelter which he’d been in for 6 weeks! He was “lucky” that he’d come down with kennel cough and been in the sick ward for awhile, on top of being a shelter favorite – it saved his life. He was about 3 1/2 when he came home with us to be Lola’s buddy, and still acts like a puppy most of the time at 10 1/2.

    Finally, Pinky joined us about a year and a half ago. She was the youngest, at about 9 months, when we found her at our co-op’s “Petapalooza” street fair. She’s yet to meet anyone she doesn’t love, and the decision to adopt her was all but made when I found my husband laying in the (closed) street being enthusiastically licked by little Pinky. Loki and Lola met her at the animal control shelter, and she came home with us right after her spay surgery. Loki had to warm up to the idea of another sibling in his territory, but now she’s the annoying kid sister (like he was to Lola!) and keeps him young and playful. Pinky is turning into quite the distance runner, keeping me company on some of my marathon training runs, while Loki joins me for the shorter, cool weather runs. They’re the best running buddies a girl could ask for – always ready and willing! Naptime on the couch afterward is pretty awesome too. πŸ˜‰

  40. Kate says:

    It’s so sad…I worked for years on a facebook page that posted pictures of dogs from under-visited rural kill shelters. One thing I learned was that if a “hunting” dog doesn’t want to hunt, the hunters will often toss them out in the woods to fend for themselves or dump them at a kill shelter to get rid of them. I have had MANY MANY physically depleted ex-hunting dogs hang out at my place until they found a home. When people ask about abandoned hounds, I always ask them – what’s more perfect than a dog that you KNOW doesn’t want to attack other animals? Hounds are often calm and obedient and loving and make great house dogs.

    I had to stop being admin for the page because I came down with Meningitis and Enncephalitis, which damaged my eyesight and memory. It didn’t damage my love for the dogs though! If you are interested, check out the website above – it’s a facebook page for Highlands County animal control, in FL. I still share for them as much as I can do with my eyesight issue, and all 3 of my dogs came from their shelter.

  41. Kimberly says:

    I know this has nothing to do with adopting an animal (which there haev been many over the years), but I thought I would share my personal adoption story. I was adopted at 6 months to a wonderful family and when I had my own kids, I decided to search for my biological family. I found my birth mom (we look identical) and my birth father’s family. He died of a heart attack at age 48 (which is why I follow you and try to be healthy). Anywhoo, we recently sold our house and wanted something in the woods, with land, an art studio etc. (there is a point to this, I promise) and we found a wonderful home in an area I swore I would never move to outside of the city. We bought the house and moved in. I then emailed my birth father’s family and told them we moved to Smyrna. They asked me what street our new house was on and I told them. They said, “Oh, you know your father is buried in that neighborhood.” Well, what a shock it was to find out that not only my father was buried there, but the whole family. I had returned home to where I was supposed to be. It was meant to be that I was adopted by my family and that I went full circle back to my roots. I am grateful for being adopted and grateful for starting to become whole. I am learning a side of myself that I may have never known. Congratulations on the newest member of your family.

  42. Ann says:

    We were turned down by the Humane Society in San Antonio, because we were “in the system” (our cat ran away just after we moved here) and we would not promise “never to leave the cats outside”. My cats live 18 to 19 years! We adopted 2 kittens from Pet Smart. The runt (Blackie) has been a sickly cat, but so loveable! Instant purrs! There have been several Spiritual stories related to him. I had just attended the Healing Touch World-wide Conference in SA, and felt so connected to all things created. First, we spent $800 to have 2 bladder stones removed (while my husband is unemployed). I felt tested, $800 is a lot of money, but I felt God would give many $800 lessons if I valued money more than life. The following year (he has a job now) during the annual vet check-up, it is recommended he have further tests done due to IBD. The total bill for both cats and tests was over $2,000. I did not hesitate. You see, the week before I was searching for a $750 “stash”. I never found it, but found $4,000 instead! The vet bill was paid and I had enough left to pay for Healing Touch for Animals classes. I am now the coordinator for HTA in San Antonio, Texas.
    The vet and I are still working with Blackie. I am so thankful the vet is open to Alternative medicine.
    I attribute the found money to God, who provided for His critters because I passed the test of Love rather than money.
    We were turned down by the Humane Society in San Antonio, because we were “in the system” (our cat ran away just after we moved here) and we would not promise “never to leave the cats outside”. My cats live 18 to 19 years! We adopted 2 kittens from Pet Smart. The runt (Blackie) has been a sickly cat, but so loveable! Instant purrs! There have been several Spiritual stories related to him. I had just attended the Healing Touch World-wide Conference in SA, and felt so connected to all things created. First, we spent $800 to have 2 bladder stones removed (while my husband is unemployed). I felt tested, $800 is a lot of money, but I felt God would give many $800 lessons if I valued money more than life. The following year (he has a job now) during the annual vet check-up, it is recommended he have further tests done due to IBD. The total bill for both cats and tests was over $2,000. I did not hesitate. You see, the week before I was searching for a $750 “stash”. I never found it, but found $4,000 instead! The vet bill was paid and I had enough left to pay for Healing Touch for Animals classes. I am now the coordinator for HTA in San Antonio, Texas.
    The vet and I are still working with Blackie. I am so thankful the vet is open to Alternative medicine.
    I attribute the found money to God, who provided for His critters because I passed the test of Love rather than money.

  43. Kristen Ethier says:

    My partner and I have adopted three fur babies from shelters. Our first, Nola, was a sweet gal who was with us for 5 years. She was my animal soul mate and we are convinced she’ll make her way back to us someday, when she’s ready. When she died last year, her fur sister Ruby (a kitty) was devastated and so were we. Ruby is a cranky & shy cat who typically only comes out for a quick snuggle and a kiss once per day at bed time. All of that changed when we adopted Charlotte. A couple of months after Nola died, my partner mentioned that she had always wanted a Basset hound. After a quick search of local shelters, the first dog we saw was Charlotte. She was at a shelter 3 hours from our home in Chicago and had been rescued from a kill shelter after being found in the Kentucky woods, pregnant with 9 puppies! We drove down to meet her and her puppies as soon as we could. The second we sat down on the bathroom floor where she was camping out with her babies, she came over and put her head in my lap. At that moment, we all knew we belonged together. Eight weeks later, she came home with us once her puppies were ready for separation. She has been our spiritual lesson in patience, building trust and unconditional love! We have seen her grow into a happy-go-lucky, mischievous and sweet-as-pie city dog. She and her fur sister Ruby are the best of friends and we’ve really seen Ruby come out of her shell since Charlotte joined the fam. She loves long walks with her mamas and since I became pregnant with our first human baby, her favorite hobby is to sleep with her head on my belly. What could be sweeter than that? We just love her so much and are so grateful for the joy she brings into our family!

  44. Blessings to the Carr-Fassett family for all the work you do. Buddy is one lucky dog the day you found him. The most important thing said in your blog is “How could I pick and choose when it’s convenient?” I’ve always had a big heart too and seemed to find animals that are in distress. Some people who don’t what to bother, tell me – “you can’t save the world.” And I tell them – “but I can do what’s in front of me.” If it’s an animal in need I try to help (keeping my safety first). One time I was driving on highway 5 in San Diego and saw a Cooper Hawk that was standing still with it’s wings stretched out. I pulled off the next exit and backtracked around. I remember hearing that the most dangerous part of raptors are there talons and not so much there beaks. I got my jacket and slowly approached it. Luckily the hawk did not move, my big fear was that it would go on out into the highway. It had some blood on the side of it’s beak and seemed stunned. I gently placed my jacket over it covering up it talons (feet) and held it while I drove to Project Wildlife http://www.projectwildlife.org They let me know that it did survive. I’ve taken so many birds and baby mammals there over years they have been around. Thank goodness for places like that. My two cats I recused cats are Lola (she was a baby with a broken tibia and fractured hip) and Frieda (was dumped in my neighborhood) and my beloved dog Sophie, who has passed on came from the pound. My current dog Charlie was given to me. Before them I had Mollie (jack russell) who was found as a puppy wondering the streets and she had the coronavirus and I nursed her back to health and ended up keeping her. Before her I had Shotzie, my mom and I got at the pound. They both lived to be 16! There is a saying – It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them and every new dog who comes into my life gives me a piece of their heart. If I live long enough all the components of my heart will be a dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are – anonymous At this point I’d say I’m more than half way there to becoming dog – except I’m a vegetarian ; ^) Thank you for all you do, lots of love,
    Barbara

  45. Shannon says:

    I had been looking online for rescue dogs three years ago, finally in a position to adopt, when I visited my mom at home for a weekend and nearly ran over a dog in the road. I pulled over, called to her, and she came right to me. She came home with me – coincidentally the reason I was visiting was to pack up my things, and she sat next to me in the moving truck as we made our way across the state. A year old, she had clearly been an outside dog despite being thin-coated, and some kind of electric collar had rubbed all of the hair on her neck off. She was skinny, covered with scars, not potty trained, and had severe separation anxiety and stomach problems, so she would destroy my house with both ends. A few years later and I am often complimented on how healthy and well-behaved she is.

    She has been my rock as I dealt with severe depression, bulimia, and anxiety disorders, and helped me overcome them. There is never a day when I am not grateful that Someone took the time to put Piper into my path. Even when she throws up on my coat, as she just did.

  46. Danielle says:

    We have adopted many over the years so sharing only one will be hard….so I’ll share the first one that started it all.

    My grandmother told my mom about this cute little doxie who needed a home. We had just lost one of ours and my mom said now as not a good time. However, my grandmother convinced my mom to take herjust for the weekend and then think about it. Needless to say that weekend turned into 16 years.

    Katie’s previous owners kept her on the side of the house and just couldn’t give her the love she needed. Poor thing didn’t know what to do with our yard so she spend months going potty on the patio and then playing in the grass. It took us a while to convince her to use the yard not the patio but she got the hang of it. Turned out she liked to sunbath, on her back. She also liked to play bite my dad on command, LOL. She was such a character and one we needed to meet at that time. She warmed our hearts so much we went on to adopt many more, 6 more to date.

    Buddy came into your life for a reason and I’m happy to hear he has found a loving home.

    I do want to mention one thing, adopting is not easy. Not all dogs, cats, etc. will be easy. So for those who come across one not as loveable as they thought, give it time. Take the time to meet with trainers. Every one of them deserves a loving home. When they come from a bad place it sometimes takes time. Just don’t give up on them.

  47. Katharine says:

    This seems unconnected because it is not fur-based, but in terms of unconditional love, I think it wags. Today, for no particular reason other than a God-whisper, I took off all my jewelry and decided to not wear any all day. (no small feat for me!). I decided that as I noted its absence to remember in prayer all those women who are lost and unseen to us in the global sex trade. I hope we have the courage to find them and nurture them back to health too! There’s love for all God’s precious creatures, great and small!

  48. Jennifer LaDuca says:

    Almost five years ago I visited an animal shelter just to “look”. A beautiful 13 month old Walker hound/German Shepherd mix raced up to me wagging her tail and said, “take me home! Get me out of here and I will love you forever!” I knew right then I had to rescue her. I was a first time adopter.
    Turned out a friend of mine had adopted her sister, but they returned her to the shelter because they didn’t have a fenced yard and hounds really do roam. My dog also tears up the yard hunting gophers, but we don’t mind at all. Every now and then we go around with a wheelbarrow full of dirt and fill in the trenches.
    Hounds are very loyal and loving, but I they are country dogs and I recommend no less than one fenced acre. They need lots of room to explore and daily walks to satisfy their sniffers.
    Kris, wishing you many happy years with Buddy from one hound dog Mommy to another!

  49. Gina says:

    You are such a kind soul Kris. There are so many animals left abandoned or at the shelters. I would love to just take them all home. We always go to the shelter or get our pets or from people who are getting rid of them. Where we used to live there were so many wild cats that kept having kittens. I took the time everyday to go out there and try to feed them and talk to them to gain their confidence. It took a few months to get them where they came close enough for me to pet them. Then I was able to catch them and get them fixed at the vet. I brought them back and they became our outside cat family. After loving on them,feeding and caring for them for over 10 years we were going to be moving. I know I couldn’t take them because they were still wild and didn’t like to be contained. After being told by animal control that I did a dis-service to the cats by feeding them, I didn’t know what to do. New neighbors moved in next door and I explained my situation. That this land is the cats home! The neighbors said they loved cats and would take care of them for me. So began the slow process of starting to feed them closer and closer to the neighbors house. (We lived in an area with lots of land between the houses) After 2 weeks they were eating on the neighbors property and the sweet neighbors had been coming out and letting the cats get to know them. They had one of the cats actually eating out of their hand after a few weeks.
    I felt so much better about that choice then to have them uthenized as suggested by animal control.

  50. Whitney Douglas says:

    Several years ago (about 8), my dad was riding his bike out in the country (he is a cyclist), when he saw a big black SUV stop by the side of the road and throw something out into a ditch, then drive off. When he was riding by ditch, he heard a sound. The sound was a little ball of golden fluff! She was a little golden puppy, half collie, half chow and she was the cutest thing you had ever seen! He took her home with him and we named that ball of fluff Emma Lou. She was malnourished, had a broken hip and was afraid of humans. But, a few months of loving care and she transformed into an overly excited ball of fluffy love.

    I loved getting to see her when I would visit my parents, I probably would have dog-napped her from them if I had been allowed to have a dog where I lived. She was always happy to see everyone and would follow you everywhere, loved giving kisses and being pet!

    We lost her on April 29 2012, Emma Lou had a stroke and we had to let her sleep. It was incredibly hard, but we can’t help but be grateful that we had the time we did with her. My dad could have ignored that noise that day, the SUV could have picked a different ditch, or a million different things could have happened and we could have missed having her for the time we did and she would have missed knowing what it was like to be loved. But, I think we were destined to have that little (and later big) ball of fluff and she was destined to know love and to give it to every human she encountered.

  51. Missy Isely-Poltrock says:

    I love that angel orb over Buddy’s left shoulder! At our house we have Blue the Cat, and Wally and Nessa the pigs, who are all rescues of sorts. Blue came to us as a stray, Wally was left as a piglet in the night inside a humane society fence up north, and Nessa was being rehomed. Best family ever! You can see Wally and Nessa’s little video here. Blessings to everyone who saves someone. It matters. Also thanks to sanctuaries everywhere for all they do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFWvdLCOloI

  52. Jennifer Belfit says:

    My animals are my life. I know it sounds corny, but it’s true! Last summer I was fixated on rescuing a black cat after I read on the internet that black animals are the least likely to be adopted. I found a good candidate online, and went to go meet her. When I walked into her foster home, I was immediately disgusted. There was trash everywhere, it smelled horrible, and the foster family were clearly hoarders. Without even consulting my family (oops) I immediately took her home and gave her the name Raja. Yes, like Raja the tiger from Aladdin. Raja was SO happy to be in a loving home, and she showed her appreciation everyday with countless cuddles and a never ending purrrrrrrr that seemed to never stopped. All the happiness ended when she escaped out the back door one night and didn’t come home. I was heartbroken was an understatement. I was determined to find her no matter what it took. I walked around my neighborhood all day, every day, in search of Raja. I even hired some sketchy pet detective online, that’s how desperate I was. After Raja had been gone about 2 months I decided that I needed to move on, and find some closure. That’s when I decided to foster. We took in a beautiful pit who we named “Girl.” She healed my broken heart when Raja ran away. Ready for the best part of the story? When Girl got adopted I was so sad to say goodbye. The day that she left I got a phone call from a stranger many miles away who had seen an ad that I posted a while back about a “missing black cat.” I jumped into my car, and drove there as fast as I could! I set a safe trap, and 2 days later Raja was home safe and sound after being gone for 6 months. Now I truly believe in miracles!

  53. Cheryl says:

    Our family just adopted a rescue dog 2 days ago. Our beloved Isac, our rescue dog of 18 years passed away 1 month ago. We, including our 2 little boys have been really sad. Oby, our new baby has lived in several foster homes in the past month. He has anxiety, but already is feeling more calm. We love rescue animals and wish all the best for your sweet Buddy!

  54. Sandra says:

    Kris, I just rescued a mix pit and he has improved my outlook in dealing with recurring ovarian cancer. Pits have a bad rap, but this guy is very sweet and loves to play and gives me unconditional love! He makes me laugh and smile and makes dealing with cancer a little easier!

  55. Sarah L. says:

    I’ve actually got two adoption stories!

    #1. Chandler the cat. I was entering my fourth year of university and really wanted a furry companion to snuggle and study with. I couldn’t get a dog with my work and school schedule, so my roommate and I checked out the local pound to see if there were any kitties we were interested in. Chandler (“Larry Lovebug” at the time) was this adorable little 1 year old grey tabby that first caught my eye. He proceeded to steal my heart by first swatting at me with his claws then licking me. He was a stray that had been picked up by the pound, adopted out but then returned. Just my luck…I’ve had him for 5 years now and he’s just the coolest, boldest cat ever. He’s moved across the country with me and back, goes on exciting 24 hour outdoor adventures on his own, and “tolerates” our dog very well. πŸ™‚

    #2. June the horse. June was an off-the-track thoroughbred racehorse that I adopted from a rehoming agency. The agency is quick to clarify that they are not a rescue – most of the horses they find new homes for come from racing owners that happily donate their horses to the program. Not June. June was at an auction where plenty of meat buyers. These horses are purchased for a set price per pound, then carted off after the auction to slaughter. The agency had sent a representative to the auction to see what she could do. This woman outbid the meat buyers to save June from a terrible fate, brought her back to her retirement farm and let June live outside and be a horse for two years before she was put up for adoption. I fell in love as soon as I met her (she’s dropdead gorgeous AND sweet), and though she had some retraining issues, she was my best friend for 2 years. I went back to school so she’s since moved on to a new home, but her new owner loves her just as much as I do, and absolutely spoils her. I’m so happy this lovely horse got a second chance at life, it’s absolutely the BEST feeling.

  56. Jen says:

    Your story has also opened my heart. I have never thought of adopting an animal, but Love them. Now you have me thinking about adoption. I have shied away from having an animal because I quite dislike the idea of leaving them alone at home when I go to work. I just know that when I get a pet it will be through adoption because no living creature should suffer.
    Jen

  57. Ksenia says:

    This post warmed my heart, I could physically feel it. Thank you!

  58. Janice says:

    My friend sent a group email, Do you know of anyone who has lost a cream colored puppy? I didn’t, closed my computer & went to bed. Checked email in the morning & saw that after my friend sent out a picture of the pup, someone said they thought it might be a Shiba Inu. My friend needed someone to take the pup that day or she was going to have to bring it to the shelter, as she had an unvaccinated foster pup at home. I know Shibas & they are amazing creatures. Wouldn’t do well in a shelter as their often odd catlike behavior can be misunderstood. Despite the fact that my husband had just had surgery, we took her in. We just knew we would find her owners. How could you not be searching for a purebred Shiba? Days turned into weeks as we posted flyers, did daily searches of & posted her info on every lost pet site & contacted Shiba groups. Shibas are somewhat rare & expensive. Not a single inquiry! By now, we had named her Zen, and holding my hands over my
    Lab’s ears, I would tell her & everyone who would listen that I didn’t think I’d ever had a dog that I was so in love with. Then, we almost lost her. One evening we let her out into our walled in back yard in the middle of a development in metropolitan Phoenix, right into the jaws of a coyote that grabbed her by the neck & shook her, according to the vet. We had seen nothing. The bite was a quarter of an inch from her jugular. $800 later, she was recovering very well, so I took her for a walk. My neighbor, who had not seen her before, kept looking at her as we chatted. Finally,he said, “I’ve seen that dog before. She came right up into our yard about 6 weeks ago when we were having a yard sale the weekend you were out of town.” She had tags on then & he called the owners. He said they really pissed him off as their reply was, “Oh, she always gets out & comes back home.” He was even more annoyed that they came for her & left without evn a thank you. My cul de sac is not easy to get into. I know somehow that Zen was looking for me, that owner who would be head over heels in love with her! So, as I type this, she is curled up at my feet, my canine love of my life. Good thing my Lab can’t read!

  59. Hello Kris!

    I am so happy to read of Buddy’s rescue!! I will have to come back and be sure to read all of the amazing stories on here!

    My little Dolly came to me in October 2011 and she has been a little (read: BIG blessing) in my life. My neighbour, Deborah, has a condo that she goes to when her and her husband fight (ha ha…whatever works right?) and Dolly lived in the same building. Dolly’s (former) dog-mum asked Deborah out of the blue one day if she would care for Dolly for two weeks while she went away. Deborah did not know this woman at all, but thankfully said yes. Upon her return she asked Deborah if she would keep Dolly, as her boyfriend did not like dogs. Sadly, we know today that Dolly was physically kicked and hit by this man, so I view this as a real act of love by Dolly’s former momma. Deborah said yes with the intention of finding her a home.

    I was helping Deborah take photos of Dolly, so we could find her a home. (I almost forgot to mention that my little Dolly is a Miniature Dachshund and is just pure love!) When I went home to share the photos I couldn’t help but see the vulnerability and fear, which was clearly evident in her eyes. And, I thought to myself, “She’s 9 years old and has already been given up twice.” (She was originally a breeder dog and then given away to Deborah’s neighbour, when she was deemed to be of ‘no value’.) My heart broke for her. Yes, you guessed it – two weeks later we were a little family!

    This story is very special to me because I also had my other dog, Sebastian, who blessed me with 17 years. Saby and I had been through everything together. And, like in your post, I had always refrained from getting another dog because of the ‘what-ifs’ e.g. Sebastian may not get along with another dog…he may feel not as loved, etc. But, I know that sometimes divine order has everything nicely planned for us. Approximately 3 months after Dolly joined our family, I lost Sebastian. I know in my heart that she was meant to come into my life and I feel as though I would never have gotten through Sebastian’s death without the love and joy she brings to me each day.

    So, that’s my little Dolly story! Much luv to everyone reading this, Mimi~

  60. Kim Lam says:

    Awww I’m so glad to see Buddy is doing so well in the video. We also recently adopted a Pit/Lab mix which we named Roxy. We really should have named her Healer and here’s why…
    We already had another Pit named Oakley who has had strange allergy problems for the last 5 yrs. He would get multiple ear infections and his skin was always red. Our house is so small so my hubby and I were feeling reluctant about bringing in another big dog. But there was something in her eyes that just spoke to me right from the beginning. I knew I was meant to take her. She’s been in a few different foster homes, had trust issues (would not let us touch her paws.) She was however super sweet and got along really well with Oakley. Anyway, after a week Oakley’s allergies got better. And soon after a few weeks his allergies were completely gone. It was weird! They play together every day and perhaps that might have something to do with improving his immune system. We are so grateful to have her in our life and I know Oakley loves having a new companion as well. Roxy is now trusting and actually cuddles up to us. Adopting her was the best decision we made. -Kim

  61. Theresa says:

    Note. Was on the 18th started typing..not sure if you go by Pacific time..thanks for sharing your story with all of us..

  62. Theresa says:

    Deaf Kris, my friend Kim Gonzales who has energyfitgirl.com a blog on nutrition promotes your books and work and she loves your stuff. I dont know if you will get this, but I am so glad Kim Gonzales shared your page with me..sounds funny but when I read about this doggy it so touched my heart strings..we adopted a cocker a few yrs back who we gave a lot of love to after our three cockers had passed the oldest was 16′, his name was COCKIE he was so cute..we even first paid for him to be boarded and taken care of you because our dog Sam was still alive at the time for few more weeks (little did we know we would have to put Sam to sleep within a few weeks of rescuing COCKIE from the middle of our street ( I visited Cockie every day during that time), he had had a bad ear infection and was deaf at the time(at 16 Sam was blind and deaf then). We paid our vet to take Cockie in and I visited him every day, then his staff member called me three days later and had a rescue so she took his care on, and while within a few days it was apparent we would have to put our beloved Sam down and was so hard for us (my friend a surgical nurse went with me and gave me a card where she traced his paw before he passed and was so precious to us and her husband helped burry him, shortly after I kept going and visiting COCKIE and we decided to Foster/adopt him until he passed..he was such a sweet and loving and comforting doggie..we only had him a short time, but was so thankful we took a dog that was so hurting with bad ear infections when we found him to give him love for the time we had him. Every animal deserves a chance at a Forever second home!

    We know you have been through a lot personally (us too) and i know you have been an inspiration to many in lots of ways..Kim and I both have two dogs, me two Cockers, Lilly and Beau(Lilly had a neck fracture we nursed after we only had her a short time ( we think a contractor hurt her while i was gone from home for an hr.) And she is our walking miracle..Kim has two gorgeous white doggies, Samoan and Alaskan Eskimo I think..we are both dog lovers like you big time..the reason I said all that is because I believe the dogs bring just as much healing to our hearts as we do theirs.. When I first got our doggies i put them in the back yard on the grass and the strangest thing came to me..it was a thought that I felt God was sharing with me..the statement was so bold..it was, “They will BRING you great comfort in the days to come!”! Who would have known in the three yrs we had them we would loose my husband’s mom, my step dad, my step mom also to a Massive heart attack shoveling snow a month to the day we buried our mother in law and then my daddy going to heaven 8 months later , then inherit the care of my aunt with the beginnings of Alzheimer’s and move her 3 times in a yr period, then my hubby diagnosed with leukemia all in the matter of 2 yrs..To say that our furry kids have brought us great comfort in the days that followed is an understatement..I believe you have been such a blessing to your new furry buddy and equally Buddy is being a great love and comfort to your family too. Thanks for not passing him by and giving him such a new quality of life that he never would have had without your family and as he is healing will bring you and your family great companionship and love in the days to come..perhaps we may gather together and pool all of our resources and come up with something cool for dogs in the days to come..bless you and your families holiday….tomorrow keep me in your prayers going for my breast exam..haven’t had one in two and half yrs since parents died..will be looking forward to more updates on Your furry kids…

  63. Sherrie says:

    Hi Kris!
    I have been following Buddy’s progress since learning of your “discovery”. Each day seems more wonderful for him than the last!
    I was blessed by my two little ladies this past summer. I had just lost my lovely cat of 16 years and we had recently moved into a house…I knew I needed to adopt again but, my hubby was not easily swayed. I didn’t give up and by July we had our Luna. She was full of such spunk that another kitten was discussed…we are both teachers and I wanted Luna to have company each day. I found that giving my hubby the mindset that a second cat was his idea moved the process much faster…so within just a few more weeks we adopted Maya. She was one of 3 kittens left behind and weighed less than a pound when rescued. She and Luna are both a healthy 5 pounds now!
    These two girls absolutely light up our lives each day…and since following Buddy I have been conjuring my plan for a canine addition!
    I could never be without a pet companion and if I could, I would have many adopted furrkids. I am so moved that Buddy has inspired so many to adopt.

  64. Lisa says:

    Our family has 3 rescue dogs, and the one that is my girl came to us in an unusual way. One morning about 4 years ago, my spiritual teacher said out of the blue that we needed to find another dog that looked like the first rescue dog we had, a brown hound dog.

    My first thought was that it was the last thing we needed – our house was torn up by a unscrupulous contractor, and we had no back door into the yard.

    That day, some people we met told us of a dog that was living in the yard of an empty house. The woman who owned the house barely cared for the dog; coming by once a week or so to leave some food and water. The dog suffered so that the neighbors repeatedly approached the woman & she’d been verbally abusive; they tried calling the Humane Society, who said they could do nothing because there was a bowl there, even though it was empty. The neighbors took it into their own hands to find a new home for the dog, and asked us if we could take her. We peeked over the fence, and sure enough, she looked like our brown dog!

    Some friends spirited her over the fence & into our care. Lots of love, good food and a thorough wash later, we discovered that she was in fact a black & white dog once the dust was gone! (Though her shape was just like our other one.) She was so bony and traumatized, the first time her tail wagged, she turned to stare at it as if it had never wagged before. We called her Gracie, because with her long gangly legs, she needed a name that would bring out her grace.

    Gracie hit the doggie lottery – with a houseful of people to love her, organic chicken, rice & apples to eat everyday, and a soft bed to sleep on. She comes to work with me every day, and reminds me that I hit the doggie lottery, too – she’s opened my heart in a way I couldn’t have predicted, and kept me to an exercise program that I’ll do for her, but wouldn’t have done for myself.

  65. Moon Masque says:

    I can relate to this story having recently found two malnourished, flea and worm infested, three month year old kittens left on my doorstep (alas… I’m the local, unofficial ‘drop and run’ residence for unwanted cats).

    Unfortunately, one of the kittens didn’t make it (She was eaten by a raccoon. Yeah… I’m still beating myself up for thinking they could live safely on the porch, until the worm and flea medicine had a chance to work).

    Anyway, the timing was bad for receiving this ‘gift’ (I already own six other indoor cats; I’m feeding a countless number of outside, feral strays; and I was laid off from my job to boot. Due to finances, all of my fur-babies currently eat better than I do. lol.)

    Nonetheless, ‘Little Egypt’ has been such a blessing. Watching him ‘thrive’ now (as opposed to just ‘survive’) has done wonders for my mental well-being. He has helped lift some of the depression I have been feeling about my situation. I now find myself living vicariously through him and all of my other furry family members who have, strangely enough, also welcomed him with loving, open paws.

    I guess life may not always be what you expect, but when the unexpected brings love who can complain?

    Blessings,
    Moon

  66. Jenn says:

    I adopted my cats Nefertiti and Sophie in August. They are sisters, and were given to a local animal sanctuary by an elderly lady who was forced to give them up when she went into an assisted living facility. Both cats quickly declined – Sophie became so depressed that they had to tube feed her for two months and Nefertiti scratched anyone who came near her. I’m so thankful they were given to a no-kill shelter! They both would have been euthanized otherwise.

    My cats had been at the sanctuary for more than six months when I adopted them. I thought that they would be very fearful and hide when I got them home, but they completely surprised me – they both came right out of their carriers. Nefertiti walked around the whole apartment purring loudly, and then followed me around for a couple of hours rubbing on me, purring the whole time. Sophie jumped up on my bed and stretched out, also purring. And finally they slept, curled up together. It made me cry, that just bringing them home could make them so much happier and relaxed, that it could make such a big difference in their lives. And it made me cry that I couldn’t do that for all of the other animals at the shelter. Which is why I volunteer there now, to help find loving homes for each of those animals, and to share with other people the amazing experience of adopting!

  67. Dara says:

    Kris – also wanted to share this with you and your readers. Got this when I adopted Ashley.

    The Meaning of Rescue…

    Now that I’m home, bathed, settled and fed,
    All nicely tucked in my warm new bed.
    I’d like to open my baggage
    Lest I forget,
    There is so much to carry –
    So much to regret.
    Hmm . . . Yes there it is, right on the top
    Let’s unpack Loneliness, Heartache and Loss,
    And there by my leash hides Fear and Shame.
    As I look on these things I tried so hard to leave –
    I still have to unpack my baggage called Pain.
    I loved them, the others, the ones who left me,
    But I wasn’t good enough – for they didn’t want me.
    Will you add to my baggage?
    Will you help me unpack?
    Or will you just look at my things –
    And take me right back?
    Do you have the time to help me unpack?
    To put away my baggage,
    To never repack?
    I pray that you do – I’m so tired you see,
    But I do come with baggage –
    Will you still want me?

    — Unknown

  68. Dara says:

    Oh Kris, you touch my heart. Thank you for sharing your experiences with adoption and rescue – this will encourage others to do the same.

    My first adopted rescue was a very sick, very old Westie who had been abandoned and roaming the streets for years. He was severely malnourished, had multiple infections, was blind, had rotten teeth, was arthritic to the point of needing to be carried up and down the stairs and was just so very tired from life as a street dog. Like you, I said – I don’t have time for this! But my “Little Man” Ashley was the sweetest, most precious little Soul and I couldn’t walk away from him. I knew somehow I would nurse him back to health. Sadly, I was never able to do that. At least I gave him 3 years of love, care and devotion that he may have never had. I even dedicated a blog to him. http://lovingashley.blogspot.com/

    My second adopted rescue was another Westie who had been taken to the vet to be put down because of aggressive behavior. Thank goodness the vet worked with a rescue group and saved him. All this boy needed was lots of exercise, love, patience and consistent leadership. He turned out to be quite the athlete and comedian.

    My third adopted rescue was a female Westie (yes, I’m crazy for Westies!) who had been rescued from an Amish puppymill. For 4 1/2 years she had lived in filthy conditions in a cage having puppies. She was paralyzed with fear when I got her – and that was after 6 months recovering in a foster home! She had never been around humans except when they were mistreating her in the mill – and she knew nothing of life as a free being. Now she’s my best friend and curls up with me like we were always together, loves her walks outside, hunts for squirrels and chipmunks, and runs circles around me in the living room. She is my little Princess and she knows it!

    Finally, my fourth adoption – yes, a Westie – was another situation where aggressive behavior made my little boy’s previous home untenable. He is now happy, content, calm and sweet as can be. He and his sister (the puppymill rescue) and two sweet peas in a pod. What a happy little family we are.

    When I’m able to buy land, I’m going to have a sanctuary for those who can’t be adopted out. This vision was inspired by my Ashley, who some said should have been put down. Instead, he got to spend the last 3 years of his life being loved and cared for.

  69. Dee says:

    Buddy is looking so good! We have a great girl adopted from the humane society. She is super sweet & smart. We are very thankful for “Missy” πŸ™‚

  70. julia says:

    I believe that kids and dogs make us better people. (It’s probably true of cats and pigs and other animals but my experience is with kids and dogs). Kids and dogs make us try harder, do more and extend ourselves on occasions when we’d rather do less or nothing at all. They make us go outside and get exercise and fresh air and they bring attention to the small joys in life that often get over looked or missed as we become habituated to our busy lives.

    For most of my adult life (and my childhood) I have had the company of a dog. That means the responsibility of caring for that dog and a 5km a day minimum walking schedule that I take seriously. Before Hank, there was Angus and both these boys have dragged me off the couch on rainy days when I’d rather stay inside, they’ve marched me up hills and down hills and made me stop and play when I thought I was in a hurry. I’ve seen and experienced so much more with their guidance and friendship than I ever would have on my own. Having a dog beside me all day and every day has defined who I am . I’m simply don’t feel complete without my dog.

    Congratulations on your new family member. I hope you enjoy many happy moments together. xo

  71. Becky says:

    Alex saw me coming. That cat climbed up in my lap, slid his paw up to my neck and looked right into my eyes. I’ve been in love with him ever since. Eva was this side of feral. The adoption people told me Alex was her only friend and wouldn’t I consider taking both? I sat alone with her for ten minutes, each sizing up the other. Slowly, gently I reached out to pet her. She ducked, and then raised her head to meet my hand. I was the first person there she let pet her. It would be six long months before she asked me to pet her. I would lure her out with my guitar – she would sit near by to listen and run away as the last notes died. Alex owned the house as soon as he walked in but Eva (I chose the name for its meaning, “New beginning”) took her time. She’d been abused and left for dead but now, as I type this, I am tucking the keyboard under my chin to make more room for her on my lap. Laying on me in bed is her favorite thing to do. Alex’s? His favorite thing to do is whatever I’m doing. I adopted them during a dark point and they brought me back to life (his name means ‘Defender and protector’ and boy did I need it). I am happy to spend the rest of their lives paying them back

  72. Toni Finger says:

    Our story starts in June 2006, my son Bennett and I wanted to adopt a dog for my husband for Fathers day. We already had a golden retriever and 2 yorkies. I searched the rescue sites and nothing came up in our area. June passed and July was here and the phone rings and a dog had been left at the vet and no one had come back to get him. I was told someone was going to be by for me to see the dog. It was love at first sight, he was so scared and looked so sick and he would void from fear. My husband came home, not knowing about our idea…he saw the dog and the dog wagged his tail immediately and walked over to my husband…he layed his head down on his knee and I knew he was ours! We took him to the vet and he was so scared that we would leave him that we stayed holding his paws…we still do this today! guess what, we named him…BUDDY! He is our Buddy and he and my husband are best friends! They even look alike, haha…! His eyes show his love for us but, he knows we love him too!

  73. D'Ann says:

    Congratulations on the newest addition to your family! Buddy is SO handsome. I’m so thankful that he found you. One of our kitties found us. We adopted our other kitty from the shelter. They’ve brought an enormous amount of joy to me and my husband. I know you can relate πŸ™‚

  74. Celeste says:

    I have four rescued fur babies! Two cats and two dogs. The oldest cat, Pretty, was rescued from a house where she had been locked in with her mom and the rest of the litter when the humans were evicted. She’s now 12 and is truly the most beautiful cat I’ve ever seen. Then there is Tom who is 7. He was about to be taken to the shelter when he came to live with us. He was taken from his mom too young and started to suckle on my shirt which he still does to this day, it’s quite a sight since he now weighs 27lbs! Arya is a 5 year old Papillon and he was born in a puppy mill and spent the first few months of his life in a pet store (don’t shop. Adopt!) before he was rescued and eventually became my soul mate! He was so timid when he first came into my life he would shake uncontrollably when I took him outside to potty and he was terrified of the stairs because he didn’t even understand what they were. I was advised that the first couple of nights he might be more comfortable sleeping in a crate, that lasted all of five minutes. His whining broke my heart so I let him out and he jumped into bed and curled up by my head and he’s been sleeping there every night since. He’s now happy and healthy and I’m so thankful I could help him heal. Then there is Baur (named after Gene Baur founder of Farm Sanctuary) he’s a min pin chihuahua mix and he’s almost two. I found him in the middle of a busy highway on a road trip. It was raining and he was scared, cold and soaked. Before I even thought about what I was doing the car was in park and I was half way out of it. I bent down and asked him to come to me he did and when I lifted my arm over him he backed away. So I asked again and waited until he was closer and grabbed him quick. When I got him in the car and wrapped in a sweater he looked up at me and licked my face and I was hooked! I sent my husband a photo and said say hello to your new baby. He was a little frustrated that I didn’t consult with him before brining him home (what else was I supposed to do?

  75. Nicole says:

    I’ve been following Buddy’s journey on Instagram. πŸ™‚ It’s so great to see him doing so well! Sending love and blessings to all of you.

  76. Charleen MacCulloch says:

    Kris,

    Reading about Buddy fills my heart with pure joy. I truly believe that animals come into our lives for specific reasons….we don’t chose them, they chose us.

    Our cats, Tikka and Grover, came into our lives about 8 years ago after our cat Trooper died unexpectedly. About 4 years ago, Tikka became very sick. She stopped eating, was drinking constantly and losing weight rapidly. She was diagnosed with kidney disease (rare for a young cat), was placed on IV at the vet for 4 days and we weren’t sure she was going to make it. She did (barely), and the vet told us to feed her a special kidney diet from a large pet food manufacturer that was low in protein so as to be easy on the kidneys. Something didn’t feel right about that, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

    About a week later, I was speaking with a colleague of mine about Tikka. She asked me if I’d ever consider feeding her raw food. I hadn’t even heard of that, but what my colleague was saying made sense to me. Cats are obligate carnivores. They have evolved to eat a meat-based diet, not some dried, processed kibble low in protein.

    I set out to educate myself on everything about raw feeding – I read books, searched online and found a holistic pet food store where I picked the owner’s brain for a good couple of hours. At this point, I figured I had nothing to lose since Tikka was already so sick – we was going to lose her anyway. So, I made the switch from “kitty crack” (kibble) to cooked meat and then eventually a transition into raw. The transformation was incredible in both my cats.

    Tikka went through a healing crisis, pulled through and started to heal. Today, other than a little bit of kidney damage, she thrives and is healthy. Grover’s fur became soft and he lost his Garfield-like pudge.

    What I learned from my wonderful adopted animals was a great lesson. I learned that the same principles of consuming good, nutritious food that we apply to our human bodies also apply to our animals. We can all stay alive by consuming processed, unhealthy food, but we cannot thrive unless we give our bodies the proper fuel to do so.

    Tikka got sick so that she could live and thrive….so that we all could. She has been one of my greatest teachers.

  77. Mary says:

    All 4 of our kitties found their way to us. Some were mere kittens-Blondie, because she is & Yeller because he does. Others were a little older-Gizmo displaced by a new baby & facing a giveaway in a Walmart parking lot, to our old man Harry, who hung around outside our house at dinner time until we discovered he was declawed & promptly moved indoors. No tag, no chip but obviously he belonged somewhere. Somehow this mixed tribe begrudgingly accepted each other & each have brought endless joy & laughter to our home & hearts. Did we plan on 4? Nope but they found us & I can’t imagine life without a single one of them.

  78. Miriam says:

    Hi Kris & family,
    We adopted both of our dogs. Polo was a pup when she became the daughter I never had (my 2 human boys love her & no jealousy…lol) then when she was 3yrs old we adopted Brownie. Wow, who knew that love could heal a dog who had no idea of how to be a dog. She seemed unfamiliar with grass and that she should sniff out her favorite spot to go. We began day 1 of our lives together hiking (since we hike with Polo everyday) she panted after just a few short feet. At the 4 month mark of getting her she began to run with her big sis Polo in search of squirrels (it’s all good for the squirrels, there’s a million trees for them to run up) and hasn’t stopped. On October 25th it was our 3 year family anniversary with Brownie, and low and behold she has started to dream or at least dream out loud, we know this because she started woofing and running in her sleep just like her big sister Polo. Gotta say, we were smiling for days. So awesome to see both our girls happy. It took a lot of patience to heal this little one, but the absolute thrill, joy, happiness, satisfaction, fulfillment…etc that we get looking at her and seeing her bounce around is PRICELESS. Animals are the best, & when you adopt a dog the joy felt is through the roof. People always ask what breed are our dogs, because they look unique aka. stunning, and I always say that they are Pure Bred Mutts just the way we like them.
    Wishing you, Brian, Lola & Buddy (as well as the rest of the family on your farm) many, many years of beautiful perfect health, love, beauty, abundance, freedom, peace, bliss & joy. Rock on Kris, you are an amazing example on so many levels on how to ‘SHINE’ in this world.

  79. Jhanie says:

    I recently adopted my first furr baby, a little rescue kitten who I’ve called Tigerlily. At first when I was looking for a kitten, I was looking at certain breeds, and willing to pay what ever was needed. But the more I looked, I couldn’t decide what kind, and I really couldn’t go past saving a poor kitty from the pound or shelter.
    I called around the shelters in our area, and looked on their websites. Finally I saw my kitten on one of the sites, and just knew that she was meant to be mine. I drove hours to get her, and from the moment I held her she purred and purred!
    Tigerlily is the most gorgeous little cat, and everyone says so. She loves being around me, she sleeps in my bed, sits on my lap in the car, plays in the garden, and purrs and purrs all the time.
    I feel like she chose me, rather than me choosing her, and I’m so grateful she has come to live with me and bring such love and joy to my life.
    I will only get pets through adoption in the future. It is so rewarding and feels very special to be able to give the gorgeous animals a second chance and a loving home.

  80. Janet says:

    We already had a cat and a full grown german shepherd so we were not looking for another pet. Was in getting food for my brood and happened by one of the windows that showed the dogs that had been rescued. Bailey was behind the glass and when she looked at me her eyes said please take me home! Her litter of puppies at 5 and a half months old had never been in a house and the only human contact they had was to be beaten and kicked, the man was taking them out to a field to shoot them.
    Bailey was the only pup with enough courage to come sit next to me although she was clearly afraid. It’s 4 years later, she is still afraid of men and children but always willing to oive them a chance. She is a wonderful dog and I am glad that we decided to take her home.

  81. Angela says:

    We’ve adopted a little feral family (no longer feral) of kittens. Their Mum is too shy to become a house cat, but she loves attention, and her freedom in equal measure. All but one of our animals has been adopted, throughout my life. And I have loved your pictures of Buddy! I love that you adopted him, and that you were there to find him in the first place – sounds like fate to me.

  82. Jill B. says:

    I saw yours and Buddy’s story for the first time last night and I was in tears. Such a sweet story for a sweet dog. I’m so happy he’s doing well.

    Our adoption story isn’t anything spectacular, we got Ralphie from the Humane Society, but I think he was meant to be. My son wanted a puppy for his birthday and that was what Grandma and Grandpa had promised to get him. They repeatedly went to the Humane Society looking for puppies and they never had any (only full grown dogs, which of course I wanted to bring all of them home, but he insisted on a puppy). So, one Saturday, we decided to go check just to see if any had come in because his birthday was Tuesday (even though Grandma and Grandpa checked the day before) and sure enough…there was 1 puppy. He was meant to come home with us and has been with us ever since and we love him so much!

  83. Kate says:

    My rescued furbabies have meant the world to me. I rescued my first cat, Dude, when I was 18, and he lived to be 18 as well. His brother was from a pet store (please don’t judge!), but I fell in love and 17 years later my cat Lloyd still steals my heart. I adopted another kitty from a shelter and he’s a big ole’ sassypants. Jack is so much fun, and such a roly poly tuxedo cat. Then my dog, Sammy. Sweet boy. He was a rescue, and for the life of me I don’t know why he wasn’t snatched up sooner, except that he didn’t ham it up at rescue events. He is so wonderful. I was so nervous, I had never raised a dog before – but he was an old soul and showed me how to be a dog mommy, too. I am truly blessed by these beautiful babies in my life and forever grateful.

  84. Chris says:

    Buddy finding you was definitely meant to be. What a wonderful blessing for both of you. I hope you have many years of snuggling and playing together.

  85. Marsha Browne says:

    I adopted a beautiful red (fawn) female retired racing greyhound. Her story is sad as is all racing greyhounds. In her 105th race, she and another dog ran into each other and each broke their legs. Luckily, instead of her being killed she was sent to Ohio State Vetenarian Clinic to have her leg surgically repaired. This included taking a piece of her right front leg bone, a plate, and screws to repair her right rear leg. Luckily, Greyhound Pets of America-Louisville, KY took her in and a wonderful foster pair of parents took care of her during her rehabilitation. When I saw her pictures on the website, I immediately knew she was the one for me. (Especially in the picture with her beautiful greyhound ears up in the second picture.) When I was able to meet her for the first time, she was so quiet and sweet that I knew we would get along well. When the foster parents came for the required home visit Tiff seemed immediately at home. Luckily, the fosters were going on a vacation for about two weeks and I was able to have Tiff with me for the whole period. They gave me many numbers including theirs in case I needed anything. The time was magical! I am a vegan and this dog LOVES raw nuts, seeds, steamed broccoli, carrots, yogurt, avocado, veggie burger, etc. even though I feed her a freeze-dried meat, vegetable, and fruit mix. She LOVES to eat like me! She has the most beautiful brown eyes I’ve ever seen! She has great energy and endless curiosity. We are looking forward to life together!!

  86. Julie says:

    Our family has 4 rescued fur babys. 1 Pomeranian and 3 felines. You are aninspiration to us all Kris.

    Namaste

  87. Michelle Bunt says:

    I adopted my beautiful cat Jaxx from my best friend who was moving away. When Jaxx first became my cat he had a lot of trust issues, he is a very nervy cat, and felt abandoned by his previous owner. I think Jaxx and I get on so well because we are so similar to each other. I really think God put us together. My cat has thyroid issues, so do I, and I also have abandonment issues from a very dysfunctional childhood. Together we help each other heal from our wounds πŸ™‚

  88. Julie Nixon says:

    I have both you Sexy Diet and Sexy Kitchen. They are my Bibles:). Our family has a rescued Pom and 3 rescued kittens. You are an inspiration to us all Kris!

    Namaste

  89. Denise says:

    My adoption story. I was living in Toronto, lonely and needing a fur friend! I went to the humane society looking for a kitten! They only had two sisters who were about 4 months old! Her name is Betty! On the way home, i commented to my mom how big her nipples were! My mom just sId maybe its like people, all different shapes and sizes!

    I took her to the vet and he noticed her belly and said she probably had worms, so he gave ger a shot! Then he said laughing “ha ha, if not maybe she is pregnant”! Didnt think much of it! Took Betty home we cuddled and loved each other for over a month, then one day she was laying on my lap, i felt something move! A little hand inside her belly! Felt like an alien! I thought i was crazy but then it happened again and again! My teenage cat was pregnant!

    I checked the net and figured i had some time, i was wrong! Two days later on me as i slept she gave birth to 3 wonderful babies! She was a wonderful mother and i found families for all her children! It was a surprise but a welcome one!

  90. In the last ten years, my only sister was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer and died at the age of 28, my 32 year old cousin died the next year, his father (my uncle) the year after that, and my own father a few years later from a massive heart attack. It felt like every year all I could do was pick myself up in between funerals. I started businesses, ran marathons, fundraised for charity, but in the end I was an anxious, depressed and exhausted shell of my old self.

    Because my husband and I live in a small house from the 30s, and work a lot, we didn’t want to get a dog. I thought it would be too much work, and that I would resent the time him/her took away from my dreams and goals (even though I work from home). But once I started taking care of myself (mentally and emotionally), I had the sudden desire to adopt a fur baby.

    The day after Thanksgiving last year, I went on Petfinder.com and entered in details on the kind of dog we were looking for. About 25 possibilities came up, which I narrowed down to two. The first one I called about was adopted that day. I was so disappointed, and my mom said, “There is another angel waiting just for you out there. Don’t worry.” Doesn’t mom always know best?

    The second dog I called about was named Clyde – a one-year old Terripoo – and the shelter did an adorable video of him. I filled out the application, and anxiously waited for the call, which came the next day. Hubby (who just had knee surgery and was on crutches) and I jumped in the car and drove two and half hours to the shelter. It was love at first sight! The volunteer went to get Clyde and he ran from her straight in to my arms. DONE. DEAL. Like a nervous mom about to leave the hospital with her first born, I asked every question under the sun about how to care for him. I signed the paperwork, paid the fee and put Clyde in the car. He promptly fell asleep on my Hubby’s lap. That was the first day of our new, improved and much more joyful life.

    Clyde is pure love and kindness. He is an old soul that doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He loves everyone – people, kids and animals – and is VERY popular. We can’t go anywhere without getting stopped multiple times. And he’s so smart! We’re hoping to train him as a therapy dog, so I can take him in to hospitals to visit sick children.

    Bottom line: When you adopt an animal, you may be rescuing them, but what you soon learn is that they rescue you. They rescue you from your preconceived notions, your “too busy for this” mindset, your misguided priorities, and they teach you how to fully be in the moment, how to open your heart and how to experience pure joy.

    Thank you, Kris, for sharing Buddy’s incredible story of courage, heart, spirit and of course, love.

  91. Denise says:

    I have always been an animal lover and one to never walk away from a lost, hurt, or hungry animal! Buddy is so blessed to have another chance at a loving family! Great inspiration, its more than an inspiration really its just awesome! Love your blog and books!

  92. Christina Waldman says:

    I was a single mom, struggling to raise 3 kids. One rainy evening, we got a call from a neighbor. “You don’t have a dog, do you?” “No.” “Well, we found one, tied to your porch rail this evening. We’re gonna take her to the Humane Society, unless you want her.” I walked down to take a look at her. “She” was a lively black mostly-Lab puppy, frisking about with the neighbors’ retriever. I picked the puppy up and she licked my face. That sealed it. I took her home to the three girls, waiting at the door in PJ’s.

    “Matilda Velvet,” or “Tillie” was a wild dog. She was not at all house-broken and did all the things new puppies do: yapped, nipped, and chewed. But that first night, she hopped right up on the foot of my bed, as if she knew where she belonged.

    The next day, a blizzard hit, and we were snowbound for two weeks. I went to buy food for her, and could barely get home. That dog was driving me nuts, and my youngest child was showing signs of serious dog allergy. I thought of taking her to the Humane Society, couldn’t, but due to the blizzard. After two weeks, though, I did. Chicken that I was, I did it while the kids were with spending an evening with their dad. Tillie gave a sad little whimper when we pulled into the Humane Society parking lot. It seemed she knew.

    When the kids got home that evening, I was in trouble. My youngest started up a relentless campaign: “Mommy, that’s our doggee. When are you going to bring our doggee back? I want my doggee.” Even the nurse we spoke to about allergies was not exactly helpful. “Oh, but she’s a beloved family pet!”

    It was true. I was calling the Humane Society every day, asking if anyone had adopted her, tears streaming down my face. So, my daughter and I went to bring her home again. She was overjoyed to see us. (One of my kids cried because I had brought her back!) She truly was a holy terror for–oh, about the first two years of her life! She used to crash through windows, lunging at squirrels. She chased bikes. She was “persona non grata” at the local dog playground for getting other beloved family pets in the “kill” position. She devoured chocolate, which is terrible for dogs. She was the total innocent (except for when she chewed the feet off the wooden cat).

    But in the end, none of that mattered. What she did best was love us. She passed away a year ago. She opened up my heart to love again, to a man who would howl with her at the dinner table. “Tillie met me more than half-way,” he said. Yes, that was Tillie.

  93. Jane Boulton says:

    I found my little Chihuahua cross in the next state! I live in Canberra, Australia where there is PetRescue.com.au, a massive database featuring animals from foster homes, pounds and veterinary clinics across Australia. When I came across her photograph and story, I knew she was the one for me. I saved her photo onto my phone and would show it to anyone who would look- and she wasn’t even mine yet! And there was the issue that she wasn’t even in the same state as me. I contacted her foster mama, and it turned out that she was bringing a bunch of puppies to Canberra for a pet expo! She said she could bring my little girl along so I could meet her, and was good for her word. When we met it was amazing- she was so tiny (5 pounds) and scared. She let me pick her up and cuddle her, and then she clung onto me when I tried to put her down. I paid for her and took her home that day. I named her Toto (after an unfortunate cheetah cub in an animal documentary), and have had her for nearly three years now. She has doubled in size and is now happy and confident.

  94. Jo-Anne says:

    I adopted a beautiful kitty cat (Macey) 8 years ago & my life has not been the same since. She is very fluffy so being summer here is Oz she has had her yearly hair cut. She loves her hair cuts, after woulds she walks around the house with a kinda look at me, look on her pretty face. She loves her cuddles but only when she is in the mood or I’m reading lol. She loves to eat daddy long legs spiders & she is great at catching fly’s. I don’t know what we would do without her. I love her soon much & I tell everyone she is my baby (as we can’t have human children). I wasn’t sure about adopting her as she has the cat flu & has to have yearly injections but now I would think twice. πŸ™‚

  95. Julie says:

    My parents have adopted 2 dogs. The first one recently passed away from cancer so they adopted another. Both dogs needed a home and are both loved a great deal! It’s neat to see them brought in to a warm and loving home!

  96. jude says:

    I adopted 2 feral cats this spring myself and now I am feeding 3, one of the original. My guy is beautiful and I can’t tell you how feeding and caring for the ‘feral’ cats turns interesting. I decided that caring for them would help better care for my land in a more ‘natural way’, and keeping the rodents back from my gardens and such. Awesome being more connected to the land and animals. Blessings Jude

  97. Lisa Henbest says:

    I found Bruno on PetFinder.com. He had been at the shelter for over two months. He had been picked up as a stray, abandoned to survive on his own in the Colorado plains. No one wanted him. The shelter said he was 10, but he looked older. His teeth were worn, he was lethargic and he looked a bit scary. One look at him and I fell in love. I didn’t notice that he was kinda “ugly ducking” looking. When I brought him home, my husband made a comment about how “uncute” he was. It’s true. He was sickly and malnourished. His coat was dull and rough like a porcupine and it hurt to pet him. He had a huge tick on his chest that I didn’t see until we got home. Both of his eyelashes were flipped inside and had been rubbing on his eyes his WHOLE life! Can you imagine! He had scare tissue built up on his eyes and they were constantly tearing up. We got surgery on him right away. He also had a scrotal infection from a poorly performed neuter. Poor guy. I immediately put him on a high quality, raw diet and we bathed him in love. His coat became shiny and soft. His eyes cleared and the scare tissue went away. He would run around and do a funny “circle dance”. He was the SWEETEST thing. He never showed aggression to any human. He LOVED my nieces and would follow them around. One morning I woke up to find him asleep on the couch with one of my nieces using him as a pillow while she read. He loved to take walks and bask in the sun. Bruno made his transition on October 2nd. He had metastatic lung cancer. I am so grateful for the love he brought into my life and the lessons he taught me…one being “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”. I miss him very much but his Spirit lives on. I am so happy he came to live with me, at least I know he had an awesome and happy life for 2 1/2 years.

    Thank you Kris for all you do! Buddy is one lucky guy as are you and your hubby.

    Many Blessings,
    Lisa

  98. Laurie says:

    What a lucky boy!!!

  99. tess says:

    My aunt found a baby Galah (Australian parrot) in her backyard one morning. It was still featherless and looked like it had just been born and the mum and kicked it out of the nest. My aunt had to make a choice to let nature take its course or save the little baby. She thought the galah was dead as it was motionless and not making any noise, but she didn’t want to give up on it, so she wrapped it in a towel and put it on a frying pan on extremely low heat to warm its temperature up. She went and got the meal for baby native parrots and fed it for a few weeks until it began to get strength and little feathers! My aunt already have quite a few animals and was working full time, so she wanted the parrot to go to someone that had time on their hands to nurture the baby to health. She called my mum and asked if she could take in a little lost soul and my mum happily agreed. The only problem was that we lived in a different state to my aunt, so the little parrot would have to make a big trip to get to our home. My uncle worked in the airforce and was due to fly into Sydney a few weeks later, so we organized for the little galah to take a trip on an Orion airplane. It was so surreal going to the airforce base and picking up a box that had this little creature inside it that was just wanting to be loved. Coco (as our galah was named) immediately became a part of our family. We have always been surrounded by animals in our home, and taking in lost souls that need a home. It’s so important to have your heart open to defenseless creatures that need our help and to not just turn a blind eye and think it’s someone else’s problem. With most of these animals that need a home, it’s because of humans that they are lost and hurting.

  100. Julie Testerman says:

    We adopted 2 furry little dogs. The first one was from a classmate of my daughter. Their dog ended up pregnant by mistake. The “Mom” was so unhappy about it, she said she wasn’t sure what she was going to do because she didn’t want to take care of puppies. She did it anyway, enough to keep them alive for 6 weeks. On the 6th week, she said if I didn’t come get the puppy that day, (whom we named Mia) she was going to “dispose” of her! I envisioned her being put in a bag and thrown in the creek behind their house. What was her trash became our treasure. We got her and a few hours later the Mom called me saying, oh yeah, she has worms and we never weaned her. Wow. Within hours we couldn’t even get little Mia to drink. Devastated, hoping she didn’t die by morning, I was sitting on the vet’s doorstep saying, “Please Dr. Rick, help me keep Mia alive!” He wormed her, gave her a shot and taught me to feed her through a syringe. She could barely stand up. We carried her everywhere trying to get water down her little throat. But we got the hang of it and now Mia is 8 years old and an important part of our family.

    The second was from a flight attendant who was never home and her son moved out. We got a call from a friend and we found the poor dog (all 5 lbs of him–Yorkie we call “Buzzy”) was left outside on a chain for days on end. He was flea infested and had worms. We bathed him, picked the fleas off, and took him to the vet. Buzzy and Mia became instant bosom buddies and love, love, love each other. There is nothing like a rescue dog. We take them everywhere–they love car rides! Don’t know what we’d do without these two! This is true love.

  101. Terri Cole says:

    We share our home with 3 rescue cats, Tallulah, Pickles & Kali (strictly indoor cats). We also care for 2 feral cats, Georgie & Mrs. Norris. The ferals were born in our basement window well. We trapped them and had them spayed. My hubs built them a sturdy, warm house that we fill with straw for the cold months. And of course they are well fed! They have a heated water dish as well. We were unable to get close to them early enough for socialization, so they must be outdoors. We love all our girls, indoor and out!

  102. Gary Smith says:

    Two years November 23, my wife and I welcomed eight beagles into our beagle sanctuary, aka kitchen. We were working with a rescue group and helped to secure the release of 40 beagles from an animal testing lab in Spain, who we flew out to Los Angeles, the day before Thanksgiving. The night before their arrival, while my wife and I were drinking wine, she had the bright idea of clearing out the kitchen, putting down miles of plastic, and converting the kitchen into a beagle sanctuary. When the 40 arrived and were let out, they were much more feral and aggressive than the beagles we had rescued from American labs. I began to rethink the whole beagle sanctuary. We decided to give it ago and came home after midnight with eight frightened, aggressive, humpy and newly liberated beagles. One of us would sleep in the kitchen with the dogs for four hours at a time. Immediately, we fell in love with Frederick. he would snuggle with us, jump on us and want our attention. All the other dogs slept against the kitchen cabinets, as if they were still in cages. This is how dogs who are caged for life react to fear, they push as far away from humans as possible. Little did we know that Freddie was actually sick. After three days, we noticed Douglass. Douglass was the shyest and most frightened of the eight. We had decided that we’d adopt Frederick and foster Douglass. After the other six were placed in foster and adoption, we both fell in love with Douglass and decided we’d keep both of them. You may have noticed that they are named after the abolitionist slave Frederick Douglass. Like him, they are ambassadors for all dogs and other animals who are held as slaves in laboratories all over the world. 65,000 dogs are used in testing in the US alone. After spending the first five years of their lives in cages, they have adapted pretty well to a life of freedom, minus the PTSD of course.

  103. Dee Romesburg says:

    Two of my cats were strays that were at my vet’s office and they wanted me to take them because they know how I treat my cats. Another came from a rescue group that was doing adoptions at PetSmart – she basically looked at me and said “You’ll do.” πŸ™‚

    Last week, I ended up taking 3 more cats from my boss. He brought them into his house last year, but is too allergic to keep them and couldn’t find another home for them.

  104. Amelia Maples says:

    My story is a story of sweet redemption…In April of 2008, my family of five adopted a little black schnauzer we named “Jack”. My husband and I had different pets growing up, but we had never owned a dog as a FAMILY. We searched and searched the Humane Society web pages for THE ONE…and it seemed we had found a perfect match. Jack was a “neighborhood” dog, going from house to house indulging in his own personal “treat or treat”. He was a very social dog and everyone loved him. Someone loved him a little too much, because in August of that same year, they stole Jack. He was missing without a trace. Heartbroken doesn’t adequately describe the months that followed losing our Jack.
    After a while, we began to visit local shelters again. We never had that special feeling inside about another dog, but we were healing. Giving these dogs a bit of respite from their confinement was gratifying. Still, our home seemed as empty as Jack’s food dish.
    Then one fateful trip just before Christmas Eve changed the course of our lives forever. We didn’t feel any different walking into the shelter. Sure there were decorations everywhere…but it was usual visit for us. As we made our rounds into the various rooms, we came upon the “Cat Room”. The shelter worker explained that there were a few new recruits for the “Small Dog Room” that hadn’t made their way quite yet. Probably not enough room I thought to myself. Intrigued, I looked over the puppies, and small dogs in this CAT ROOM. Hahaha…they seemed so miserable and out of place.
    And then. I spotted her. A little blonde dog with unbelievable brown eyes. For some reason, I felt compelled to open her cage (totally against the rules). The cage was at least four feet off the ground, but nevertheless, the dog leapt into my arms. I caught her like a circus trick. And that was the end. She was ours. The love of our lives, completely unexpected.
    “Eva” named for her Adoption Day of Christmas Eve is an old soul. She is wise, has perfect manners, and can hear an apple being cut a half-mile away (she is OBSESSED with apples). Eva isn’t much for exercise…so her body is made in the kitchen…on a diet of her dog food and of course, APPLES!!! She is perfectly polite as I mentioned, leaving the stem and the seeds in a very neat pile after she is done. She is perfectly content eating leftover pulp, and just about any fruit or veggie I offer her.
    I am forever grateful for our sweet doggie! Would love to have the book- but Eva will always be my #1 prize! πŸ™‚

  105. Melinda J. Kowaleski says:

    Walking dogs at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society in Albany, NY (Menands) was therapeutic for both myself & the dogs following my aggressive chemo, radiation & surgeries for Stage II breast cancer in 2004. Since I live in an apartment (in Menands near the shelter) I am unable to have a dog. I truly believe the dogs that I walked, fed, cared for &, of course, picked up their poop πŸ™‚ knew that I needed them as much as they needed me. As you may know many feel that dogs are attuned to cancer in people. Surprisingly, the Albany shelter receives an abundant amount of pit bulls (American Staffordshire Terriers) & I never forsaw myself walking this breed since I was hesitant. I am now a pit bull “convert.” Truly, they are gentle when treated with respect & love. If you ever pass through downtown Albany you will see our black & white “Nipper” (an American Staffordshire Terrier) on the roof of one of Albany’s oldest buildings that has been there for centuries – an Albany landmark! This is my personal story of many adoptions of dogs that I had the pleasure to meet over a period of time – Winter blizzards & all – to find their loving “forever families & homes.” There was one dog in particular that captured my heart & I went above & beyond the call of duty to find a home for “Bianca,” a pit bull whose time was running out – I will never forget her & I am always comforted to know that she now has a “forever family & home.” Bianca looked just like “Nipper!” Melinda

  106. Jo-Anne Yuskin says:

    I have adopted 2 dogs at different times. My first was a faithful companion for 10 years. When she passed away, I said to myself, “Oh yes, freedom.” Four months later that freedom wasn’t all it is cracked up to be. I started looking again. Well, I found her. Lola was rescued from a breeder who was going out of business and she made a lot of money for them. Lola is now enjoying her retirement and is the love of my life.

  107. Darris says:

    I love your story about ‘Buddy’ . . . I love how he responds to your loving voice with his thumping tail . . . what a doll!

    I don’t have any ‘Buddy’ tails . . . I do have about 50 kitty rescue tales though . . . only about 16 have made our home their home throughout the past 25 years. Currently we have two felines who were abandoned and ‘adopted’ us as their family. They even allow us to share their bed ; )

    Thanks so much for keeping us posted about ‘Buddy’ boy . . . your family is truly blessed . . . xxoo

  108. Safena says:

    Thank u for Buddy. Keeps my faith in humanity strong. Beautiful story. Tears are flowing. Love to you.:)

  109. Cheryl says:

    We had to say goodbye to our precious 13 year old German Shepherd rescue earlier this year. I only made it one week without an animal in the house before I adopted another rescue. This little guy was terrified and unsocialized. They even tried to talk me out of adopting him because he snapped at one of the workers. I decided this little guy needed me. In less than 24 hours, he was in my lap licking my face and cuddling. I adopted another rescue from a high kill shelter so he would have a canine companion. This led to working with a rescue organization where I fostered a third pup until he could be adopted by a loving family. Where I live, animals are thrown out like garbage and even puppies are euthanized at high kill shelters. I know I have made a small difference in the world and that, to me, gives my life great meaning.

  110. Vanessa Sanders says:

    First off, thank you for Sharing Buddy’s story and encouraging adoption! My story involves a “Buddy” too, that was one of his many nicknames. This may sounfd like a typical love story, but there is a little twist at the end.

    Budreaux (official name) showed up one day when I was carrying cut branches from the back yard to the curb. His little 2 month old self kept following back and forth as I told him I had just accepted a promotion with travel and couldn’t have a dog. Unswayed, he convinced me to at least keep him safe until I could find his real parents. I fed him cat-food and refused to name him since he wouldn’t be staying long. I put an ad in the free paper, posted found dog signs and I took his cute, little lab puppy face around to all of my neighbors to see if they recognized him. When a neighbor introduced me to his wavy haired twin, we decided that someone had dumped puppies in my neighborhood. Thank the Universe, no one ever claimed him and he became what I call, The Dog Of My Life. Bud-e taught me so many amazing things. My friends called him the Zen Buddha Dog because of his calming effect on people and animals alike. He could walk up and stop a dog fight at the Dog park with his wagging smile and did so often. When I made the choice to leave an abusive marriage, I found him waiting in my car as if to say, “Finally! Let’s get out of here!” He was my only and best friend when I moved to California to escape further from that relationship. We hiked the Sierra Nevadas and walked the dog-friendly beach at Pismo. We even got kicked out of the Giant Redwood Forest after learning there were no dogs allowed. (this was after we had made the entire tour) He was the best travel companion and went with me to every city I worked in. Bud-e stayed at more hotels than most people, and we walked every walking trail and city park in those towns instead of lingering in a hotel room. Budreaux helped to heal my broken heart and taught me the true power of getting out in nature and being peaceful in silence. We had so much fun! My photos of California look like “Mr. B. goes to Cali”. I could never get him to hold the camera so it’s a collection of scenic views and a yellowish white lab mix with Brittany freckles. This sweet friend soaked up my tears when each of my parents died and washed my face and made me get up and go outside in the sun holding a red leash. I knew my boyfriend was a good guy when he understood that Budreaux would be with us at home and out and about to outdoor festivals and dog friendly restaurants. When I finally admitted to myself that his beautiful story would soon be ending after 14 years, I adopted a gorgeous yellow lab friend for him and named her Bonny. Bonny got to absorb his Budreauxness for six months and thought she had found a Nirvana, where the unfinished home-cooked doggie dinners for Mr B. always went to her. He gave so much to all of us. The story isn’t completely over though. Two days after he died in my arms, I boarded a plane to meet some best friends in Arizona for the Celebrate Your Life! Hay House 3 day event in Scotsdale. I almost didn’t go, I was so grief stricken. Bonny was depressed too and I worried about her. It turned out that it was such a wonderful experience with many some of my favorite authors and speakers. On a lark, I skipped one of my scheduled classes and I went to see the medium, Jon Holland with my friends. He was so real and genuine as talked about how he had always been able to communicate with people who had passed on, but only very recently had he begun to see animals. He couldn’t really talk to them, but it was a new phenomenon and he seemed amused and surprised by it. I listened as the lovely stories of loss and healing swirled about me from so many in the room. Jon Holland suddenly paused and laughed. He said, ” I just have to tell you all this. I keep seeing this yellowish-white lab going back and forth. His tail is wagging, and every time one of you cries while talking to me, he goes to you. My heart skipped a beat! He then said, ” I keep getting the words….Bud-e Buddy?” The audience laughed. My friends and I burst into tears. My friend Natalie who was with me looked at me with recognition in her eyes. This was what she called Budreaux whenever we would meet her at the dog park to play with her dog Kai. The next thing I knew, I had a microphone in my hand and I was telling a crowded room about the Dog of My Life. All weekend long, strangers would come up and hug me and tell me the story of the dogs that saved them, changed them and loved them. It was the most healing cure imaginable for the loss of my puppy friend. Since then, I have adopted another rescue, Clyde, to go with Bonny. They have graciously opened up their home to a lab rescue foster sister who is awaiting the chance to meet her fur-ever family. We save their lives and they save us back, many times over. Give love. Adopt, volunteer, donate.

  111. Carrie says:

    Today has been 7 years to the day since little Beasley Brown was found on the street covered in fleas and weighing only 4 pounds. He was soaked to the bones with no tags and limping on only three legs. A trip to the vet where I told the vet “I don’t have time for a pet…he responded “You could always take him to the rescue center for little dogs or perhaps (he paused here) he was meant for you”? Well Dr. DeRose knew more than I did that day because just shy of 3 months my brother was killed and that little dog got me through all those sad days by just being their constantly and loving me in the only way a dog knows how…with unconditional love.

    Here we are seven years later, and I don’t know how I ever lived without little Beasley Brown…were are truly two peas in a pod.

    I’m so glad Buddy found you since he was sent for a reason….Carrie

  112. Rob says:

    Our adoption story has a sad beginning and a happy ending. Just over two years ago, we adopted a dog we named Roxanne; unfortunately, we discovered that she was already sick with distemper at the time of adoption, and she died about two weeks later. We were devastated. After a few weeks of mourning, we decided to try again. We visited a shelter in a neighboring city and found a pup that we liked there. We visited the shelter several times, keeping tabs on her in the weeks leading up to her planned release. Lady luck, however, frowned upon us once again. Just days before we were set to adopt this pup, she became ill and the shelter could not release her. We decided to go to the shelter that Saturday anyway, just to take a look at the other pups that would be up for adoption. The shelter staff pulled out about a half-dozen 12-week-old pups and put them in a holding pen. Right off the bat, one of the pups somehow escaped the pen, so I put him in a taller pen by himself while my wife and I started to acquaint ourselves with the other prospective adoptees. We each took a dog out of the pen and began to walk around the enclosure. None of the pups were very good walkers; in fact, it was like having a fish on a leash for some of them. One of the pups was already very aggressive (at 12 weeks old!), growling and bristling whenever another pup approached. My wife and I each took turns with all these little guys for about 90 minutes before I remembered there was one last pup–the escapee I had put aside earlier in a pen by himself. At this point, we hadn’t really established the connection we were looking for with the other dogs, and I wasn’t expecting much out of the last one. Was I ever surprised. As soon as I put him on the leash and started walking, this little fellow was right by my side. When I stopped, he stopped, sat down, and looked up at me expectantly. When I started walking again, so did he. My wife saw this going on from across the yard, and we decided we had seen enough. It was a busy day at the shelter (They were giving out free innoculations.), but this little guy sat in my lap for about 30 minutes without a complaint while we waited for the paperwork to be processed. We’ve had Kiva now for two years, and he continues to surprise and delight us every day.

  113. Clarisa Mompremier says:

    Three years ago I wanted a dog so bad. I am animal lover and had lived without an animal in my life for six years after my poodle, Fritz passed.

    I was cutting pictures of poodles, putting them on my vision board. I even went to visit a breeder. Nothing was working out. My husband didn’t even want a poodle!!!

    Then I had a shift when I was taking a drive one day..in my conversation with the Universe I realized what I wanted was unconditional love…lots of it. I didn’t have to have a poodle. That is when it occurred to me that there were doggies that needed lots of love and they weren’t brand new puppies but they were filled with unconditional love if I was willing to love them. It was in that moment that I promised God that I would take care of any doggie he sent my way, and as if God didn’t know I asked for one that wouldn’t give me allergies.

    I felt released..and as always the Universe answered!

    A couple of weeks later I got a call from a friend asking if I wanted to adopt her dog. He was being neglected, he was malnourished and basically wasn’t getting any attention. I knew in that instance he was my dog. She brought him the next weekend.

    It was love at first sight!

    I had just quit my job and had all the time in the world to nurse him back to health, to help him with his separation anxiety and to give him unconditional love. I was a stay at home for 10 months before I went back to work. It was a huge spiritual lesson in giving unconditionally.

    It’s been three years of beautiful memories with Gee. He is a Shish tzu with lots of personality. He sleeps between my husband and I. He definitely is a furr baby and my BFF.

  114. Lynne Cunningham says:

    Sweet little Tootsie was outside barking all day on a very cold day. We took her inside and looked for weeks for her owner. She is the only dog our 21 year old cat wasn’t afraid of. About a year later Tootsie woke me in the middle of the night. My partner was having a severe insulin reaction. Tootsie was a life saver. She is 12or 13 now and we cherish each and every day with her and her adopted sister 6 yr old Sheltie, Sadie.,

  115. Deborah says:

    Hi Kim, Just found you and just got your diet book. I’m doing research for a sister in-law with H2 3rd stage breast cancer. Had a stroke while getting her chemo port put in. Long story.

    Congratulations Buddy you are on your way to much Love and good health. My boyfriend and I rescued
    two Morky Brothers last February. They were litter mates and I had visited their mom while looking for a dog to rescue and decided I’d pass as two dogs were more than I needed. Two weeks later they crossed my mind while pulling into a parking space at the grocery store. Not 10 seconds later my phone rang. The gal I’d met had sold them to a man who decided after 3 days to get rid of them and possibly split them up.

    They are a handful of fun and fur. Good boys with much love to share. We too are blessed to have found
    them, Wishing you all the best! Loui, Gucci, Deborah and Ted

  116. Donna W. says:

    My first dog as an adult was a stray golden lab/retriever that I named Mercedes. Mercedes came to me and soon gave me 13 puppies. Mercedes jumped out a screen window and ended up with a family with kids that loved her more than me. I kept the first born and named him Tiger. He grew to a whopping 110 lb. Cliffordlike loving dog whose life was cut short by a neighbor’s car leaking antifreeze into the puddles in the driveway. I then adopted a small yellow lab named Jazz from a family that no longer wanted him. He was sweet and stayed with us for years until we moved and left him with a family with other dogs where he could stay in the woods where he was happy. The last dog was a dalmation black lab mix that was found in the middle of road in the middle on nowhere in freezing temperatures and snow. My brother almost hit her in his Mazda truck and so she became Mazda. Mazda turned out to be my best friend, loving dog, that gave every other dog I ever had a run for their money in the brains department. She was an excellent bird dog and understood everything I ever said to her. Her velvet fur was ever so soft. I used to take her to the lake and she would play for hours or we would go for long walks in the woods. She would open all her Christmas gifts and loved to play hide and seek. My life was enriched by every dog I ever found or adopted and only my first dog was a purchase when I was only 10. My whole adult life has been enriched by dogs that have crossed my path. I am thankful for them and look forward to the next one as Mazda passed at 13 years old.

  117. Jessica Spring says:

    Yay for Buddy! Great work Kris. You never cease to inspire! Our Tuli Hafiz is our fourth cat adoption. He is a flame point Siamese mix with a great personality we could see past his barely breathing nose and big blue eyes at the shelter. It took no time at all for him to spring back from the crud that caused so many would-be owners to pass him by. We are so lucky. He makes us laugh every day. <3

  118. Nanners & Lola says:

    I’ve had 30 years of cats and always wanted a dog, but never had a rental that allowed one. In the winter of 2011 I flew to New Orleans with my cat to visit an old college buddy. It was an open invitation, so we stayed about 6 weeks. I arrived on a Saturday afternoon. During breakfast on Sunday my friend asked if I would like to see her new church. I knew they had to relocate and rebuild after Katrina, so I was happy to join her for a Louisiana UU service. I can not tolerate perfume and cologne, so we sat near a window in case it needed to open. During the service I noticed a dog on the grounds sniffing around. I figured a member brought their dog in one of those pick up trucks I saw in the parking lot. We were in an odd location off an interstate in a rural bayou area abutting an industrial park. It was Sunday and all the businesses were closed. I needed to use the bathroom before the service had concluded. I whispered to my friend that I would meet her in the vestry. I never made it to a bathroom. The dog was at the coffee & refreshment cart trying to steal food. The two older volunteers were trying to shoo her away. I went out to investigate and told them to stop. She was clearly a nursing mother. Then they felt bad and immediately went into compassion mode. One woman said she would look in the kitchen for some food. She returned with a bowl of water. They only had chocolate muffins in the freezer. So I gave the dog some butter cookies from the cart. After inhaling the bowl of water she wolfed down 6 or 7 cookies. I immediately alerted my friend who happens to be no stranger to animal rescue. She looked at her and said, “We can’t take her until we find the puppies.” Then the children poured out of Sunday School. I think the dog got an additional 10 or 12 cookies from the kids. Once the dog was satiated, she played with the children. Several families expressed interest in adopting a pup. We didn’t know if the dog belonged to someone in the area or if she was lost. My friend thought she was probably dumped because she was pregnant. Chris, the church secretary, lived in the parsonage. She said she would keep an eye out for the dog. In the morning she promised to walk over to the other businesses and ask around.

    At 6:00pm we received a call from Chris. The dog was still at the church. We headed over with dog food from my friend’s pantry. By the time we drove the 20 minutes the sun was down and the dog was gone. Chris now had proper food if she returned. On Monday morning we got a call announcing the location of the pups. The mother showed up pregnant at a truck yard and gave birth under the office trailer. The secretary was feeding her, but the dog was on her own Friday night thru Monday morning. No one knew how many pups were under there.

    The quick and short is that when 3 pups came out absolutely no one came forward to adopt. The owner of the property threw them all in a truck and took them to the county pound. When I finally found them I learned quickly that the dogs were staying. They were a ward of the county. Unless they were claimed they were going to be euthanized in 5 business days. I immediately put my name on the mother assuming the puppies would find homes. Not true. Unless someone came forward to claim a pup it would also be put down. I was flying back to NY in 3 days, so I had to act. My friends back home called the county shelter and put their names on the puppies, so they went into the system. It took 2 weeks for volunteer vets to spay/neuter, vaccinate, heartworm test, micro chip and temperament test. They put the runt of the litter down. She probably had coccidia like the other two. Easily treated.

    Not one animal rescue in Louisiana or Mississippi returned my call. In the end I drove back to Slidell, LA to retrieve mother and her two puppies. There were many angels along the way who made it possible. Another college buddy living in TN scoped out lodging with parking lot entrances so I could sneak the dogs in. In the morning I learned she had picked up the tab for the room. That was after a $200 contribution toward gas.

    I knew on that February day I was going to rescue her. I never imagined that she would be mine. I named her Lola (after the Kinks song). Her two pups, Hudson and Little Bear, were adopted right away. How has she transformed my life? I have smiled more in the past two years then I have in my whole life. You can’t put a price on that.

  119. Vicki says:

    We too have just officially adopted a rescue dog 2 weeks ago. Also so underweight, likely the runt of the litter she is a chocolate kelpie (Australian cattle dog) who loves the car, the river and rounding my 2 year old up like she is a sheep.Lola was left by a highway and clearly treated very badly as she cowers when any male walks near her or we hold a stick or a hose. Not so much any more she digs our veggie garden but we still love her because she is being her sweet old self. We too searched for owners but know that Lola was meant to be ours when no-one showed up. She does not know it yet but she is off to the vet today for shots and fixing. Good luck with Buddy and bless everyone who takes in abandoned dogs.

  120. Anesa says:

    I saw so many homeless starving dogs on the outskirts of Istanbul, Turkey, it broke my heart. On another note, my Turkish friend related to me that any homeless animal in the city is sacred and fed by the public. There were cats hanging out with us in bars and gathering in neighborhood where food was left out for them. Then I saw a few dogs with red ring looking staples in their ear which meant that they were collected by government and given immunization and released back to the streets. A different reality.

  121. We got our dog Pearlie 2/17/12 exactly one month to the day after my dog/ soul mate Ulysses died in my arms. I missed everything about him but most of all, hearing his breath in my heart.

    Pearlie is a Tennessee rescue and was a wild dog. All she would eat was bugs, moles and mice. She ran away at any given opportunity.

    She now walks off lead in the park and comes trotting when I call her. It is a miraculous transformation and we love her forever.

  122. Vasu Murti says:

    Wonderful article by the beautiful Kris Carr!

    As an animal advocate, I must ask, why focus solely on dogs, as opposed to dogs, hogs, crow, cows, camels, asses, etc. ?

    i.e.,

    Why the preoccupation with dogs?

    Why not love all animals?

    Isn’t that the real reason to go vegetarian or go vegan?

    The number of animals killed for food in the United States is nearly 75 times larger than the number of animals killed in laboratories, 30 times larger than the number killed by hunters and trappers, and 500 times larger than the number of animals killed in animal pounds.

    In her 1987 article, “Animal By-Products: A Game of Hide and Seek,” which originally appeared in the July 1987 issue of Vegetarian Times, Andis Roebznieks wrote:

    “…In ways too numerous to count, animal by-products permeate our everyday lives… The list of manufactured goods made with animal by-products is virtually endless. Medicines, soaps, detergents, photographic film, phonograph records, rubber, ceramics, plastics, paints, perfumes, glue, explosives, cosmetics textiles and shaving creams all can contain material obtained from the slaughterhouse.

    “Reviewing the list of slaughterhouse products used in making the family car might lead one to believe the horse and buggy was less exploitative of animals than today’s automobile…

    “Besides its use in clothing (leather), cattle hide is also used in insulation, as a base for many ointments, and as a binder for plaster and asphalt. Cattle hair is used in toothbrush bristles, mattresses, air filters and upholstery covers. Hides, along with connective tissue, cartilage, blood and bones, are used to make the glue in plywood, paper matches, textiles, cardboard and window shades.

    “Bones, horns and hoofs are used primarily for gelatin, with the photofilm and pharmaceutical industries being the biggest customers of this product. Bone charcoal is used as a refining material to purify steel and to filter sugar cane; according to the Beef Industry Council, bone charcoal ‘is vital in the production of high grade steel ball bearings.’

    “Black-colored hoofs are used to manufacture potassium cyanide, which is used to extract gold from its ore. Livestock blood is often used in livestock feed and pet food. It’s also found in fertilizers and in the blood-thinning drugs Thrombin and Fibrinolysin. Raw materials for other drugs are extracted from the adrenal glands, liver, lungs, pancreas, stomach, pituitary gland, spinal cord and thyroid gland. In all, over 130 medicines are crated from the glands of beef carcasses.

    “The most varied mixture of products, however, is yielded from tallow and lard. (By definition, tallow is the fat of cows, goats and sheep. Lard is the fat of hogs.) These products include tires, glue, agricultural chemicals, candles, cosmetics, detergents, drugs, metal castings, paints, inks, paper and shaving cream.

    “Although this news may disturb many vegetarians, Jay Dinshah, president of the American Vegan Society, says not to despair.

    “‘There are no vegan tire factories,’ Dinshah said. ‘We avoid as many animal products as we can, but we live in a world that is not, by a long shot, under our countrol. We never said you could avoid all animal products.’

    “According to Dinshah, eliminating animal products from the diet is the best way to help animals.

    “‘Everything falls into insignificance after the food,’ he said. ‘Food is about 75 percent of it. Clothing is next, about 10 to 20 percent, and then things like soap and cosmetics.

    “‘If you just keep going one step further with avoiding animal products, just when you think you can go no further, you’ll find doors opening up.

    “‘But you can’t withdraw from society and live in a cave. There’s a point where you are spending time and energy trying not to hurt anyone that you can’t help anyone either.'”

    Agreed.

    Again: the number of animals killed for food in the United States is nearly 75 times larger than the number of animals killed in laboratories, 30 times larger than the number killed by hunters and trappers, and 500 times larger than the number of animals killed in animal pounds.

    Veganism Is Direct Action!

    People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is now challenging those who think they can still be “meat-eating environmentalists” to go vegan, if they really care about the planet.

    peta2 is now the largest youth movement of any social change organization in the world.

    peta2 has 267,000 friends on MySpace and 91,000 Facebook fans.

    A few years ago, PETA was the top-ranked charity when a poll asked teenagers what nonprofit group they would most want to work for. PETA won by more than a two to one margin over the second place finisher, The American Red Cross, with more votes than the Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity combined.

    These ideas are now mainstream! peta2 is now the largest youth movement of any social change organization in the world. peta2 has 267,000 friends on MySpace and 91,000 Facebook fans.

    A few years ago, PETA was the top-ranked charity when a poll asked teenagers what nonprofit group they would most want to work for. PETA won by more than a two to one margin over the second place finisher, the American Red Cross, with more votes than the Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity combined.

    Veg celebrities include Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Bill Clinton, Lauren Bush (niece of George W. Bush), Natalie Portman, Pamela Anderson, Toby MacGuire, Kristen Bell, Chris Martin, Ellen DeGeneres, Olivia Wilde, Kellie Pickler, Alec Baldwin, Anthony Kiedis, Leona Lewis, Paul McCartney, Carrie Underwood, Alicia Silverstone, Shania Twain, Alyssa Milano, Anne Hathaway, Brad Pitt, Christina Applegate, etc.

  123. Jenn Z says:

    Love that you rescued!! We believe that is the only way to add to a family πŸ™‚ they often find us when we need them the most whether we know it or not!

  124. florencia says:

    dear all,
    my minpin tukka took over the assignment when her golden lab brother, bohannon, passed on to doggie heaven. to celebrate her arrival the singing (hers, opera of course) and twerking began. just like her bro, she loves popcorn, carrots and rides in the car! couldn’t imagine a day without seeing the look on her face or the wag in her little stub.
    just thinkin’ of her makes it all okay.

  125. Angela says:

    I’m so very glad that Buddy found his way to you and that you are now his forever family.

    My rescue dogs are my family. I wouldn’t be here without them. They are such a blessing.

    Thank you, Kris, for being such a wonderful advocate for adoption. There are so many other animals in need of help.

  126. We had a cat, Buster, for 17 1/2 years and he passed away 5 years ago. We were DEVASTATED and just didn’t want another cat EVER. But as the months went by, our lives felt so empty. So, we wandered into a PetSmart where Kitty, Kitty Adoption agency had some kittens and older cats. Knowing that the older cats were harder to adopt, we took to a beautiful year old gray Egyptian Mau! She has found her forever home with us and we can’t imagine life without her. She is a spoiled rotten princess and we wouldn’t have it any other way! We love our Sweetie! We have since adopted a second kitty and it has been rather interesting seeing the two kitties get used to each other. But slowly, Sweetie and Blondie are bonding. It’s slow going but I know they will be fast friends one day very soon. I hope more and more people consider adoption of shelter animals so we can save some adorable fur faces. Thanks for all you do for the plight of all suffering animals!

  127. Jennifer Wright says:

    Years ago I had an angel walk into my life. I was on the way to dance class on a rainy Saturday morning. I was first in line at the red light on the on ramp to the freeway when I saw a huge rat bouncing through the ice plant on the side of the freeway. Then I thought, rats don’t bounce, that’s a PUPPY! When the light turned green I pulled over and ran into the ice plant to try and save this pup. When I caught up to her she growled and tried to bite me but I kept on going and scooped her into my arms. She was all black and about 6 pounds. While I was walking out of the ice plant holding this puppy to my chest a highway patrol man pulled up. I thought uh oh I’m probably in trouble for pulling over on an on ramp and running in the plants. He told me an officer had already tried to get the pup and had been bitten. He called animal control because the dog could be rabid and he had officer safety to consider. He sat with me in my car while we waited for animal control to show up. All the while I kept holding this puppy who was very still in my arms but would bite any hands that came near her.

    Well, the animal control people never showed up and I had a puppy that was essentially feral. She was terrified and hid in a rolled up rug for months. I was bitten several times at the beginning but I continued to hand feed her and wasn’t able to really touch her for a month. It was determined that she was about 8 weeks old. Eventually she warmed up to me but the number of people she allowed to touch her in her life was limited to one hand. She always was my special, fierce, beautiful dog.

    I named her Freeway but I called her Free because she set my heart free. Loving her and seeing my love heal her healed me and made me understand that my love was good. Because of her, I met my husband and got married for the first time at age 49 – loving had been a struggle for me for a long time. Free left my life just as suddenly as she entered it. She died of liver cancer at age 9. I still can’t think of her without crying – she was my personal miracle!

  128. Your posting couldn’t have come at a better time for me. I am sitting here weeping! I have to let go of my foster dog Paloma this week. (aka Butternut Von Stinky Pants) She came from a hoarding situation, so she had no socialization, was very fearful of me, and quite aggressive as well. I learned so much about trust and patience over the past few weeks. Here is this little dog, scared to death of me and her new surroundings, yet after only a few weeks she perked up and is now snuggling with my two dogs and she won’t leave my side! What really got to me in your video was when Buddy wagged his tail. The day Paloma wagged her tail for the first time I was so thrilled, it just filled my heart with joy to see such a transformation. She will be going to her forever home tomorrow and I couldn’t be more happy for her. Fostering animals is very rewarding, but it can also just rip your heart out when they leave. Thank you for opening your heart and home to Buddy, what a beautiful ending for such a sweet dog. Adopt, protect, and love all animals!

  129. Rainy Day says:

    I have rescued and adopted many animals in my life and probably my biggest teacher is my cat who recently passed away after having her for 13+ years. She was between 3-5 when I adopted her and was semi-feral and had behavioral difficulties. I’m usually great with animals but it took a very long time for us to bond and at times I reconsidered my decision to keep her.

    However I felt it was wrong to abandon her yet again (she had been abandoned at least twice that I know of). After moving with her twice we really started to bond and I realized that she was finally feeling secure that I “wouldn’t forget the kitty” since she was left behind when previous owners moved to fend for her self.
    She spent her last five years in retirement in Arizona and wrapped my partner around her little paw so he was willing to participate in the extensive caretaking for kidney disease the last few years of her life. I felt it was worth it since she had asked so little and gave so much for so many years.

    We cared for her and our bond and love deepened more than I could have imagined. The last few days she gave many sighs of relief while I held her and interpreted this as her knowing that it was safe to be vulnerable and that we would never forget the kitty. She died in our arms and I have tears as I write this. Tears of missing her and also that it took me so long to understand that she needed a different kind of understanding than other cats I had in the past and that inside her tough and touchy demeanor was a tender heart that longed to love and be loved. I miss her.

  130. Yvonne says:

    I know the feeling all too well. We, meaning me, my husband and 3 kids, have adopted/rescued our last 3 dogs. My kids, who are now adults, have learned a valuable lesson growing up. Going to the shelters, most often they left in tears wanting to take them all home…it is heartbreaking to see the need.
    And yes rescued animals, are the most grateful, loving of all. It’s as if they know you saved them and how lucky they are.
    But the clincher is they bring so much joy, you don’t know how you lived without them..

  131. Erin Roediger says:

    My mom and I have adopt over 9 cat and dogs so far in our lives. Each one with a unique personality that brought so much to our lives. I can still remember adopting our first cat, Sandy. We went to the humane society and walked into the kitten room. I immediately picked up a cute, long-hair, 6-month tabby. The minute she was in my arms, she began to purr. My mom wanted me to play with other kittens, but she was already mine. She had me at the first purr. We brought her home and she was the most loving cat. She allowed me to pick her when ever, I wanted…which was a lot because I really loved her. Often times, my mom would come into my room when I was sleeping and find that I was using Sandy as a pillow. Every once of that cat was love (and she was kinda a fat cat, so there was a lot of love:)) and I am forever grateful for the love and memories she gave to us. Her passing was one of the hardest things to go through, but we continued to adopt and now have a 20 pound cat that rules the roost.

  132. Barb says:

    Hey Chris,
    If he is a hunting dog and wasn’t feeding himself out in the woods, maybe he’s a vegetarian too!

  133. Shelley Adams says:

    Hi Kris, I adopted my Hank Kitty just over a year ago. He is a 22 pound, long haired Manx. He had been in the BCSPCA for over 8 months and they were desperate to find him a fur ever home. I think he was hard to adopt out because of his long white hair. I later found out that he had colitis but he is feeling much better on his new food. He is the most gentle kitty I have ever seen, it has even taken him over a year to finally learn how to play because of how sensitive he is. We have lots of nick names for him including Hanky Panky, Mister Panky Pants and Big Sexay just to name a few. He melts me and I can’t imagine not having him part of my world. Big hugs to all the loving families who open their homes and hearts <3

  134. Erica says:

    Two years ago as we were in the process of getting ready to move to another town a sweet tiny very dirty and skinny little blue eyed kitten showed up on my porch hungry and seemed to be looking for help. I had just had to put down my cat the month before and I think it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. We asked around if anyone knew where she came from but no one had ever seen her. I took her in and we were in love with her. I took her to the vet and also found she had a bite on her tail which they cleaned up and gave her medicine for. The vet told me she was around 4 months old. She would wake us up in the middle of the night licking our faces and wanting to snuggle which I figure was from being so thankful to having found her family and new home. Today she a beautiful 2 year old little lady with such soft fur that she makes sure is nice and clean, loves all her toys and food and her 9 year old kitty friend Simba and her family, especially my children. She’s just a very happy girl and we are so thankful and lucky to have found her. It makes me feel so good inside to know I saved her and gave her a second chance at life. We named her Hope.

  135. Keri says:

    Your amazing story brings me so much happiness! Two years ago we adopted our hound mix pup Bailey from our local SPCA. A couple months later, my now husband found out he was being deployed to Afghanistan for 9 months. It was the hardest news I’ve ever heard and I knew it was going to be a battle every day. Bailey was my rock and complete savior during that deployment. With all my family living down south, I knew it was going to be hard to get the support I needed but Bailey proved to be my savior during those 9 months. I can’t even put into words how much she has saved me and made an impression on my life. I know I wouldn’t have gotten through it without her. I am so blessed to have her in my life and I am convinced she is my angel !

  136. Kate Rhodes says:

    I adopted my American Bulldog/Pit Bull mix when he was 5 months old. The story the rescuers told us was that he was bought from a breeder by an elderly woman when he was young. She ended up not being able to take care of him (whether it was financial or just that she couldn’t handle him, we don’t know), so she gave him to a friend of her nephew’s. Well, that friend lived in a house with 6 other people and 10 animals (dogs, cats, etc.), and two of the men in the house were abusive to the dogs, kicking and shouting at them constantly, our Kelso included. Someone living in the house, seemingly a good samaritan who couldn’t stand this any longer, called the rescue to come in and take our pup away, which she did immediately. She fostered him in her home, with two cats, twin infants, an American Bulldog and a Pit Bull, for a few weeks until we came along. We met him and instantly fell in love. It’s been 5 1/2 years, and by his demeanor and attitude, you would never know he was abused. We will forever be adopters!

  137. Dyani says:

    This story made my day! It breaks my heart to see so many beautiful, healthy animals turned into pounds or abandoned because their owners ‘changed their mind’ or didn’t fully commit to the responsibility of pet ownership.

    My two adopted cats are the loves of my life – both came from a Pet Rescue organisation here in Australia, and I swear they have given me just as much, if not more than I have given them in the three years since they came into my life. Animals change us for the better – the moment I adopted my first little fur baby something inside me just clicked… I can’t really explain it but I just looked at her sitting on my lap in the car as we drove her home, and it was like she just stole my heart and I couldn’t have been happier to give it to her. I’ve never been the same since, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

    Pet Adoption is so life-changing, not only for the thousands of animals awaiting their ‘forever home’, but also for those of us who decide to adopt rather than than pet ‘shop’.

    I love that you get behind this cause Kris! The world needs more people like you, and I think Buddy is one lucky pup to have wandered into your hearts and lives πŸ™‚

  138. Amber Krzys says:

    I love this Kris! I’ve been following your adventure with Buddy on Instagram. He is amazing. And, I love this blog post so much. I had a very similar experience last year when I adopted my second dog. I like to volunteer and was looking for a new organization to support – that’s when I discovered Beagle Freedom Project – http://beaglefreedomproject.org. They specifically rescue animals used in laboratory research. They give them a second chance. And they were seeking volunteers to help with an arrival of beagles from a northern California laboratory. What they needed most were fosters. It was right before Christmas and the release of the pups came up rather suddenly, so they didn’t have fosters in place – like they usually do. In my mind I thought, “Surely I can foster a dog and not get attached. I definitely don’t have the time to devote to another dog now. It’s almost Christmas and I’ll be leaving town.” The spiral of thoughts trying to wrap my brain around fostering, not getting attached and definitely NOT adopting – were definitely in my mind constantly. But, I said yes. I was there for the arrival of all 11 dogs ranging from 1.5 – 2.5 years-old. I got to see their first step out of a cage and onto grass. Their first affectionate touch from a human. Their first time playing together and their first time eating treats. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. One little guy caught my eye – He was named Matzah. It was a holiday rescue, so all the dogs were given holiday names – St. Nick, Rudolph, Comet, etc. This little guy managed to wiggle his way right into my heart. After two days I knew he wouldn’t be going anywhere. Thankfully, my other pup, Lucky, was willing to accept his presence. And they danced the dance of ‘i guess you have to be here’ to ‘i’m the alpha’ to ‘it’s pretty cool having you around’. I’m coming up on Matzah’s year anniversary – December 11th. It’s hard to believe it hasn’t even been a year yet. This little man feels like he’s been a part of our family forever. I’m so very grateful for him each and every day. He is a living, breathing example of FREEDOM, compassion and love in my life. Thank you for this opportunity to share my story. I’ll share a pic via social media too!

    Love to your entire family this holiday season!

  139. Renee says:

    I am a huge advocate of “Adopt don’t shop!” I have 3 cats – 2 were from shelters and the other was captured after living outside for the first year of her life. A friend of a friend had been feeding her and her litter mates and was finally able to capture her in February of 2004. One look at her beautiful face and I knew she was mine! My 3 “girls” are aging, 13, 12, and 10. Any future additions to the family will definitely be from a shelter! Thanks so much for sharing Buddy’s story and for opening your hears and home to this sweet boy! πŸ™‚

  140. Lisa Easterly says:

    Last year we found a cat by our house and our granddaughter burst out and said “His name is Carlos Easterly (our last name) we must take him home”. We did and have loved him so much. It’s so sad because a lot of animals are dropped off by our house because we live on the outskirts of town. We have a couple that live by us that find homes for them.

  141. Kimberly says:

    Kris thank you so much for taking the time to post this story that reaches into so many people’s lives and hearts, including my own!
    Since I was old enough to walk I have been bringing home stray animals (It took a lot of convincing from my mother that frogs and snakes were not ‘strays’!) and I continue to do so to this day. Back in my 20’s I had a sweet dog which I named “Foster” (my foster child) that I’d rescued on his last day before euthanasia at the ‘shelter’. In the first week I had him he created total havoc and destroyed many things both in my house and in my car. See Foster had separation anxiety big time! This sweet guy could not be left alone for 15 minutes or he took to chewing at anything and everything. Sadly he was also deathly afraid of fire and would run and hide whenever you lit a match. He had a lot of emotional issues as he had been severely abused and had scars from what looked to be a cigarette burns on his stomach – and he was deathly afraid of men! Foster and I worked very hard on rehabilitation and overcoming fears. It took a lot of work and a long time for him to learn to trust and to feel comfortable in his own skin, but eventually he truly did. Although he could never get over his dislike of men. My intention had always been to find him a good home, one where he was not only wanted and cared for, but where he was truly loved and understood. I searched for seven years! Very few people wanted him and the ones that did, did not meet my criteria for the right home. Then one day a very quiet and sweet man walked into my garage sale. He approached Foster and gently scratched him under the chin. This was the very first time that Foster had not barked and/or hidden from a man he did not know! I was shocked and pleased. The two of them fell in love right before my eyes! This gentle soul lived out in the woods on his family’s old farm. He lived off his land all alone and so craved a loving companion. They were a perfect fit! Foster soon went to live with him and they lived happily ever after.
    I had never planned on keeping Foster and although it was not easy (or cheap) I stuck it out with him until the right person came for him at the right time. I am so glad I did!

  142. Theresa says:

    I think that buddy was led to the perfect place…a sanctuary of love and kindness. We adopted our furbaby on friday afternoon. Even with other dogs and kids there is always enoigh love to go around. Love never divides, it multiplies! #Gobuddygo

  143. This is an amazing story, Kris! Recently our family cat passed away. We got him the same year that my father passed 16 years ago. The cat’s death was extremely difficult for my sister. I think this kind of unconditional love is exactly what could help her. I’m sending this post to her immediately!

  144. I discovered Beagle Freedom Project two years ago, and just then they rescued 41 beagles from an experimentation lab in Spain. My mom, sister, and I went to help volunteer…and came home with Walden, who made it very clear that we were to be his family.

    When we first brought him home, he was afraid of everything: noises, doorways, wind…he and his 40 brothers hadn’t even seen grass before their rescue. His teeth were rotting, he had scars from IVs and injections, and his muscles were atrophied from being in a cage for 5 or 6 years. Two years later, he is now the sweetest boy who loves the dog park, following his nose wherever we will let him, back scratches, fetch (or, his own version where he squirrels away anything he can into his den), and cuddle time.

    Not only do I encourage people to rescue their pets, but to reject any brand that tests on animals. Look for the leaping bunny and you will literally save puppies!!

  145. Stacey says:

    Hi Kris:

    Thank you for your positive attitude and your wonderful spirit! You are terrific and incredibly inspiring.

    I am the Executive Director & Co-Founder of Advocates 4 Animals, Inc.- a 501c3 non-profit animal rescue/rehab/adoption organization. My best friend and I founded the organization back in 2002 and since that time A4A has rescued/rehabilitated/adopted more than 10,000 pets in need. (www.advocates4animals.com)

    I have so many *favorite* stories– but will choose just one to share here. πŸ™‚

    While working on a rescue near a busy apt. complex (and an Interstate)- we saved/vetted/adopted more than 40 stray cats in need. All of the cats were being shot at with BB’s and treated very poorly by area residents. A senior lady contacted us asking for urgent help for the cats. We saved every one of them– one of them being a cat named Garth. Garth was terribly scared when he came to us. We gave him a private room in his volunteer foster home as we worked on rehabilitating him socially/emotionally. In addition, he had a broken leg prior to rescue that had healed on it’s own and as a result, it dragged behind him. Garth would hiss and attack every time I entered his room to work with him. But with a lot of time and patience, Garth eventually started to sit on my lap, purr…and after several months he was running around the house with my dogs and my other cat – his tail held high, as happy as can be! He had multiple BB’s removed from his body and he made a full recovery in every way- physically/socially/emotionally. It was truly amazing! Shortly thereafter, we found a loving, forever adopter for Garth and every year we receive a wonderful holiday card/update from his adopter– and we couldn’t be happier. Garth’s story was published this month in Cat Fancy Magazine (here: http://www.catfancy-digitalmagazine.com/catfancy/201311d/?pg=41&pm=2&u1=friend#pg41) πŸ™‚

    Thank you for your kind heart Kris!

    -Stacey

  146. Alana says:

    For the love of hounds…We adopted Cooper, a tripawd (read three-legged) Redbone Coonhound, two months ago all the way from Girard, Georgia to Montreal Canada. We saw his story on a newsletter (GirlyGirlArmy) and… it just seemed meant to be! We had been thinking about adopting a friend for Colby, our 8 year-old rescue Golden Retriever, and already have a tripawd cat, Cinta, and something about his face and story just stirred our hearstrings! Despite a sad-beyond-words story (he was brought in by Girard Animal Control this summer with a wounded leg – his front left leg required amputation after he was shot, presumably intentionnally by his owner, and we have since found out that he has a shotgun pellet lodged in his rear right hip as well) he is the happiest, most loving dog in the world. If any living being has ever better embodied peacefully living in the present it is Cooper. I call him my Zen-Buddha-Dog. He has brought more joy and love to our hearts that we thought possible, it makes you wonder who rescued who in this story. With only 4 months of tripawd practice under his gorgeous red coat he has no clue he is missing anything, races around and plays with Colby and Cinta and just oozes happiness and ‘joie de vivre’ (he is now bilingual to top it off :)!).

    You can see Cooper’s (previously called Rusty) pictures and story at the link below. Huge hugs of gratitude to the amazing people who rescued him (Samantha from Girard Lifesaver Rescue in Georgia), nursed him back to health and showered him with love and caring (his foster Mom and family) and shared his story (Liz Marshall) that got it picked up by GirlyGirlArmy. He has forever changed our lives and is an inspiration to so many people who meet him.

    http://www.lizardmarsh.net/2013/07/waynesboro-near-augusta-ga-burke-co.html

    Alana

  147. Mahg says:

    I am really looking forward to the day I meet my dog companion friend and we just love each other. At the moment I’m between jobs, and I’m planning to travel in the next couple of years. But one of the things that I look forward to the most when I set roots, is a darling furry friend. And I am definitely going to adopt. Your story, and everyone else’s is inspiring me even more.

    I can’t wait! I AM SO EXCITED.

  148. Cathy von Hassel-Davies says:

    We adopted Mattie, a 9-year old Yorkshire Terriier from a Yorkie rescue group. She was found abandoned in a home covered with millions of fleas. When we got her she was just growing hair and needed lots of meds for different ailments. We had another Yorkie – Chantilly, and they got along wonderfully. Unfortunately Mattie did not know how to play. After treating her with herbals, especially arnica gel for her knees (which we were told she would need surgery for), and feeding them homemade foods. Mattie no longer needed her meds and best of all, with lots of patience she learned to play. She would grab a sock or some other soft thing and play tug of war, or fetch and even hide and seek. It was a sad day when Mattie passed away at 20 years old, but a comfort to know she went in her sleep, peacefully.

  149. Sara says:

    THANK YOU for your voice for fur babies waiting to be adopted!!!
    I have 3 adopted dog-ters. My middle child, Chloe, was rescued from an animal hoarder in south Georgia. They (about 80 dogs) were kept in a basement and the man used a chain to “control” them. My precious girl came to me after two rescues could not place her as she was just too shy. She had my heart the moment our eyes met but I was scared she wouldn’t feel the same.
    Her first weekend home she slept in the sun all day, resting, healing. She sloooowly began to learn there was plenty of food and water, toys are fun, and belly rubs are magical. Three years have passed and she is perky and happy and HOME!! Her past seems forgotten and she reminds me to stay present!

    I love all three but my journey with Chloe opened my heart wide to what love can do, that it can LITERALLY heal. xo – Sara

  150. Tammy says:

    Believe it or not, we met our rescue pup in the grocery store! My son Chris was working there as a teen, and a low and behold a wild and crazy pup came racing through the aisles, so fast that no one could catch him. Chris is known for his speed and agility on the soccer field, and the pup had met his match. πŸ™‚ Chris caught him, searched the parking lot for abandoned pet-owners, but none were found. It didn’t take many blinks from those rusty brown eyes… the pup made it home with my son at the end of his work shift. Instant love grew for this little guy. My youngest son immediately gave him the name “Rocket” due to his ability to take off … or jump to great heights. Knowing someone could be missing this fuzzy ball of energy, we put an ad in the paper, and signs up at the store, and checked online for announcements of missing pets, but received no responses. Rocket has made the perfect buddy for our other dog, Stryker for the past 6 years. Now, we cannot imagine them apart.

  151. Tiffany says:

    When I owned my own home, I adopted a cat named Pickles. Pickles was a tuxedo cat with emerald eyes– a very handsome fella! He came right up to me when I met him at the Human Society, rubbed on my knee and started purring and I said, “He’s coming home with me!” Pickles was 4 years old when I adopted him and he became a frequent flyer at the vet. Despite his health challenges he purred multiple times every day! His last trip to the vet came about when I felt a lump along his jawline and he was unable to completely close his mouth. X-rays showed that he had an aggressive form of cancer that had started to eat away his jaw bone. I knew this was not a time to be selfish but rather a time to look at his quality of life. I took home an empty carrier that day and only part of my heart, but I’m thankful for all the great memories! I knew I was meant to be his mama because I too have had cancer. I’m thankful to Pickles for so many reasons, but mostly I learned that my attitude is the most important thing!

  152. Annea says:

    My cat found me.
    She walked into my parent’s garage in May. She was so thin her face was hollowed out, she had sores, was covered in fleas, and her fur was just patches. I shut the garage door and took her to the vet the next morning. She had no collar and no microchip so I decided to keep her. Her ringworm test came back positive, so she had to go back four times for sulfur baths. I had to keep her quarantined for a month in the garage so my other animals wouldn’t be infected, but I made sure to spend ample time visiting her and showing her love. After having to leave college in September 2012 to move back home and focus on recovering from anorexia, somehow watching her heal healed me too.
    Soon after, I met someone and fell in love.
    As I was becoming excited to head out on my own again, my boyfriend died. He had just graduated and was preparing for vet school. He was the only person I had ever known to have such a passion for animals that I did.
    Despite my consumption by grief I decided to return to school. I brought my cat with me. When I go to class, she sees me off at the door. When I come home, she greets me. When I go to sleep, she is snuggled at my side, and when I do my school work, she is purring on my lap. She ignores everyone else and is truly mine. No matter what crazy thing I put her through, such as flying on a plane, or putting a cone on her head because she can’t leave her spay incision alone, she trusts me with the loyalty of a dog.
    There are still days I break down.
    There’s not a moment I’m not thinking of him.

    But because of this cat, I can’t say no one loves me. I can’t say no one would care if I disappeared. She keeps me from my old self destructive habits. I saved her and now she saves me every day.

  153. anita says:

    Dear Buddy

    ok little man, here’s the deal. The hard part is over. your in. It’s easy street from here. Think, long walks, broccoli bones (try to be gracious… smile, accept, bury out of sight), and regular meals that appear like magic. yes the law of attraction is really happening….This is not a dream. As a sibling it is now your responsibility to outshine and annoy Lola as needed but don’t get caught. do it while mum and dad are juicing. oh and one more thing. That vegan meat is not what you think it is but you will come to love it! Xxoo ps. If you break something. Just keep looking at Lola. it’s true and tested.

  154. Amy Farmer says:

    Shared. Sent a copy to my mom who just adopted a hound “Buddy”!! What a great home Buddy found:)

  155. Sara says:

    Kris, your newsletter is always such a light landing in my inbox and never fails to inspire, uplift and infuse my day with vibrance. That photo of you lying down with Buddy is just so sweet. Bless your heart, for all you do! I can’t wait to adopt my own sweet dog now that I’m out on my own. Having grown up with dogs I am highly aware of how deeply they heal us and us them. It’s a truly magical bond. Love and light.

  156. Denise says:

    When my husband when to work up north in Alberta, Canada, he had rented an old farm house that came with a tuxedo cat. He was so warm and affectionate that we instantly fell in love with him. When he moved back home, we took him to live with my parents on their farm. My husband said “Cats don’t belong in the house. They are meant to be outside on the farm.” After having him for many years, my parents wanted me to find him a new home as he was attracting the wild cats that lived on the farm and they were all marking their territory, the outside of the house. It did not smell very nice. So I talked my in-laws in to taking him and they agreed. They were slowly transitioning to his new surroundings when he ran away. I was devastated. My husband said that if we find him, we can bring him home, but he has to stay in the garage. (We live in a town). Well a month later we found him. I was so excited. He came home to live with us. He only lived in the garage for three days and then he moved in and became the ruler/king of the house. It was so incredible to come home to him every night and spend time with him. We later discovered that he had diabetes and for the last two years of his life my husband would give him two needles of insulin a day. In May of 2006, he become so ill that we had to make the worst decision that we have ever had to make. His last couple of nights I slept with him on the floor because he was to weak to jump on and off the bed. The house was so empty. Later we had decided that we loved having a fur baby around so much that we went to our local human society to look at a couple of cats I saw on their website. Long story short we took three tuxedo cats home a few days later. And now we have six. Aries, Spade, Lexi, Chase, Zoey and Mowgli. Each one, unique and special, with their own stories, and the incredible impact they have had on our lives. But it all started with one little “Precious” cat that helped my husband to really open up his heart and “home” to the joy that they bring. By coming into our lives, he opened up our world to the most beautiful gift that there is, unconditional love. We have a plaque at home that says “Our perfect companions never have fewer that four feet.” and we believe it couldn’t be more true. πŸ™‚
    P.S. A story about our children just wouldn’t complete without mentioning Jake. He was one of the original three and in November of 2008 we lost him. He passed away through the night. He was a big cat, so affectionate and loving and he had the softest fur. When I was having a stressful time at work it was Jake who would come to me and comfort me. I still miss him terribly everyday. Losing him led us to finding Zoey and after I named her I found out her name means “life”. He new that she needed us and we needed her and circumstances have led me to believe that he sent us to her. Thank you for reading our story.

  157. Barbara says:

    Buddy is so handsome. I have been adopting dogs and cats for 20+ years. That it is 2013 and there are still puppy mills and animal testing breaks my heart.

    Thanks for all you do and your inspiration to others.

  158. Our beloved Spencer passed away last year after 13 amazing years with us, and every day I give thanks for her. The shelter said she was the fastest adoption on record: in one morning and out the next. And here’s the deal: she chose us.

    As we past row after row of cages and looked/petted the sweet pups, we passed an empty cage so we kept going. And then several cages down the row we got the weird sense and turned around. There was Spencer looking up expectantly wagging her tail with the “well, there you are!” sense about her. It was love at first sight.

    Not yet ready for our next angel, but when s/he finds us, we’ll adopt her. My heart expands each time I say ‘yes’ to the YES that’s inside me. Thanks so much for all you do, Kris!

  159. Lisa says:

    On Saturday we made a 4 hour hour drive one way to rescue our new Boxer boy, Bruno. We could not leave him in a high kill shelter in Jersey and knew he was just what we needed to mend our broken heart after losing one of our girls to cancer last April. We also thought he was just what our Boston terrier, Bella needed to help with the loneliness she was experiencing since she lost Lucy too. Guess what? She would rather he go back where he came from but we, too, are pouring on the love and helping her adjust. He is such a love as was our first two boxers rescued. Its a win-win situation. We get a boy who needs a family, one who has been neutered, vaccinated, micro-chipped and trained and he gets the family, belly rubs, walks and cuddles he deserves. I wish everyone who wanted a puppy knew how easy it is to bring a rescue home instead. Thanks for sharing the message, Kris. Peace, love and big, wet, messy boxer kisses <3

    • Lisa says:

      oh yeah… and we are learning his native language , Spanish, too! When he didn’t sit for us we suspected he might have been from a Hispanic home and sure enough, he knows his commands when spoken to in Spanish, lol!

  160. Susan says:

    I so relate to this story. Last year before Christmas my husband called me to say a little sickly, emancipated cat had wandered into his office at work. He fed him and the cat was so tired he did nothing but eat and sleep on my husband’s lap for about a week. He took him to the vet and had him checked. Full of fleas,very dehydrated and almost starved but the vet gave him shots and hubby brought him home. I can only say he is just the happiest most playful cat we have ever had. Our other pound kitty had to adjust but adjust she has. This experience has been an absolute blessing for us. Oh and his name….also Buddy. Rescue animals are the best!!

  161. Mary Sebek says:

    Hi Kris,

    Thanks so much for encouraging animal adoption and walking the talk!

    I started adopting animals when I was 7 years old and saw a little lost kitten whom I “helped” follow me home! I’ve adopted many animals, from shelters, directly from the street, and at the request of my vet, who helps care for sick and abused homeless animals and tries to find them good homes.

    My current fur children are three cats, Jenny (about 16 and the queen of the house), Ashley (about 15 and a boy – one of my daughters named him when she was too young to know this might confuse others), and Smokey (about 14 and our resident dominant male), and a 9-year-old miniature dachshund named Erica, who was found 3 years ago starved and severely abused, but is now happy, healthy, and a little spitfire!

    I love them all, and I think the one’s I’ve had and lost to death are forever embodied and alive in the ones who now share my life.

    All the best,

    Mary

  162. Melinda Tshudy says:

    While walking my English Setter one day, I met up with a neighbor who told me there was a small English Setter at our local humane league. He had been there the day prior looking for a Rottie. I said, “your kidding, I’m going to go today, thanks neighbor!” I knew that moment this baby was ours. Called hubby, we are going to the H.L. this afternoon! Excited beyond the moon and back, we stepped into the world of adoption at our local shelter, full of barking, wagging tails, volunteers tending to each and everyone of the dogs just waiting for someone to fall in love with them. I lead the search, hubby close behind me, one by one we checked in each little house looking for the setter my neighbor said was here just yesterday. Down one isle, no sitings yet….rounding into the next isle, again, with breath held, we checked each little temporary home, but no dog that resembled a setter was in this lane either. I was getting nervous…and I said, wow, this is a full house here this weekend, as the barking got louder and louder. I knew there was only one isle left to check and my heart was thumping louder now, starting to keep in rhythm with the barking! Turning into the last corridor of homes, I noticed, it was the shortest of the three. Growing very nervous, I turned to my husband and said, “What if someone has claimed it already.” He replied….”let’s keep looking at the rest of the homes here, and then we will have to check with the front desk.” Just about halfway down this last isle of eight homes, my heart was starting to sink, I knew I had gotten my hopes up to quickly….now, the last two cages, no, the seventh one held of mixed breed, cute, but not a setter. Standing in front of the very last house in the whole shelter, we felt a flood of sadness overtake us. How could it be, it was empty. There were no tags hanging on the front saying what type of dog it was, or if there had been a successful adoption already of the dog that was housed here. Broken, I grabbed onto the cage, and fell to my knees, and sobbed. The tears flowed down, and I let them. Glancing again at what could have been, through the tiny arch in the little home where they excuse themselves for relief, just like that I saw a tiny little setter with a black nose, two black ears, and a spotted black and white face come out with a little grin and a light step, right up to my face and without hesitation, it started to lick my face and wipe away my tears. I could barely pull myself away from her to go to the counter and sign the paperwork to bring her home. Repeatedly I told her, we will be back in four days for you, you have a home now, your ours baby girl.

  163. Tiffany says:

    I adore Buddy and all the things you are doing! I actually cried a little when you first posted a picture of him on Instagram.

    Every last one of my animals have been a rescue to some degree. One cat found us. She came up to my mom in the parking lot of our apartment complex at the time, and was so obviously underweight under all her dirty, matted fur. My mom brought her in to give her some food (all we had was hot dogs at the time…yuck I know, but we have learned since that time 16 years ago!) and she kept swearing up and down that we would not keep her…even as we were going through petsmart loading up on supplies lol. We had her until she died a few years ago. My dog, a golden retriever, came not long after her. My dad got a sort of credit with a shelter in Detroit after he did a drug bust and also discovered a dog fighting ring and called up all the right people to help the pups. He knew it was a long shot that a shelter would ever get a golden pup but he asked and we waited. It didn’t take long for them to call us to say they had a puppy for us that had come from an abusive situation. I never got full details and never wanted them…especially at 13! That dog was my baby. No one was ever allowed to yell at me or he would go into attack mode…nothing bad, but let’s just say my brother’s pant legs were never intact. When he died my world practically ended. What didn’t help matters was having my own stillborn not long after. All I wanted was my dog to give me hugs. We also had rescued another cat that died around the same time. 2009 was a very rough year. Still not ready for another cat, but if one finds me I won’t turn away! And when I had my daughter, I couldn’t deal with the idea of her not growing up with a dog. In comes my Indy. She was not what I was looking for. We drove a long way to interview with a rescue for a golden mix puppy. It came down to us and another family and names being drawn from a hat. We didn’t get her. As we were leaving, I saw this meek, underweight mess of a black lab mix hiding behind the person handling her. She just gave me that look of “please…” and I was sold. I got down on the ground with her and she was immediately in my lap. I was adopted so fast. Then we brought my daughter over and this pup immediately took to my one year old, then gave my husband a hug. We could not say no. They didn’t have a full story on her as they had just found her on the streets that week. Her fur was grey from dandruff and had all sorts of digestive issues due to stress, lyme disease, underweight. We put a lot of money into getting her healthy. She was also terrified of water and cowers if anyone raises their voice, and freaks out if anyone speaks spanish near her or carries a backpack. One can only wonder…

  164. Kim Cooper says:

    I adopted my first cat from the Humane Society, but sadly we had to put him down after 7 months because he was very ill with feline infectious peritonitis πŸ™ We were both still dedicated to providing a forever home for an adopted animal; we just couldn’t imagine buying an animal that was bred specifically to be sold, when there are so many loving animals out there who are looking for there forever home!
    1 year later, we adopted Rumo and Rala, two crazy cats, from a shelter in Seattle. They are the BEST cats with plenty of personality, and never fail to keep us laughing, especially when we are feeling down. Plus they love to snuggle!!! They are our family and we are thankful every day for making the decision to adopt. And every chance we get, we tell people to adopt to give a deserving animal there forever home!!

    Thanks for highlighting the importance of adopting and congrats on your new puppy!!! πŸ™‚

  165. Hi Kris, you are such an inspiration and sweet soul. I loved you on Super Soul Sunday! Woot! And, love that you have taken in sweet Buddy. I have eagerly watched your posts and sent healing love and light to him….and you, your husband and Lola. Such a great time for you all to expand your hearts. Isn’t that what life is all about? My husband and I have two super sweet rescues, one we got from our local pound, he was a stray running the streets whom we’ve named Buster. He is the cutest little dog on the planet, we think he is Norwich Terrier and Shiba Inu. Then we had the opportunity to adopt a little feral girl dog from the streets of Taiwan. We named her Maddie. She had been rescued and sent to the states and she was just like Buddy, super skinny, could barely walk, totally freaked out,….she would just huddle in a fetal position all day. 1 1/2 years later, she is now a thriving, loving, super sweet girl who “manages” our 2+ acres of land and “gopher-hunts” (thank God they never have caught one) with her little brother, Buster. They sleep together with us, eat out of the same bowl, share toys, love on and bathe each other, play every day until dark and love, love, love us. There is NOTHING better than adopting sweet fur-babies! We would never get another animal any other way. We are beyond blessed to have them. We know you must feel the same! Please continue to keep us posted, I love seeing the updates on Buddy and Lola! <3

  166. Melanie says:

    Hi Kris! Well, this is a kitten rescue story (dogs are in our near future, but not yet). We had rescued our kitten “Chili Pepper” the year before and he had, a few months earlier, gotten to the age and health where he could begin exploring outside. He was such a good boy, staying so close to our home and calling at the back door to come in every night. One day last May, my oldest son said that he saw Chili taking a nap in the sun with a squirrel – what? Well, I had to see this…….the next day I saw it- our Chili was licking and protecting the tiniest kitten, really taking care of him. He didn’t even want to come inside at night, as “little kitty” was alone, living under house, we soon learned. His Mom and Dad were gonzo – g.o.n.e.
    We tried to catch the little guy for over a week….putting food out strategically, live trap (too light to set off the trigger), sneaking up behind him when napping with Chilli – nothing worked. He was so scared and would not let anyone near him. Well, finally my son did sneak up and got to pick him up – we took him to the vet immediately. He was near death’s door – hooked up to hydration IV and lots of natural foods coupled with attempts at snuggles/attachment (super anxious in anyone’s arms) – our Leon appearred, getting stronger every day and growing longer and fatter all the time! Now, 6 months later, he is a very big, fluffy and gorgeously healthy and loved cat – Our Leon. He is finally allowing me to hold him – we practice every day. Last night, he actually jumped on the bed and curled up next to me. Success! Thanks for the opportunity to share – we love both of our rescued kitties.

  167. Mazie Miles says:

    My hubby and I are wildlife rescuer folks and just after christmas 6 years ago now we rescued a bird from a blizzard and it just so happened that the blizzard was so bad we could not drive to the town where the rescue center was. Divine Guidance for sure as the next day was a Sunday and we drove up and there was a man holding a small ball of fur, kicking a 24pack beer box where the past 24 hours the dog was struggling to survive in the outside halls of an apartment complex. The fellow said he wanted to give this dog to the rescue center as he heard the puppy crying for a few hours, then he thought it was dead until the morning when he checked the box. I was stunned, and had the mind to take the pup who was lethargic and starving to the humane society as we just lost two dogs and our hearts were not quite healed. However, we never made it as the pup crawled into my hubby’s sleeve and won our hearts. She is now an 85 pound lover…………………..Thanks all for caring for all our animals as we could not live without their love and beauty.

  168. We had two dogs, Lily and Copper, both adopted from the humane society, and took them on a trip with us to see my husband’s family in Ohio. On our way back, there was a terrible storm through the upper midwest that knocked out power and roads. We stopped at a small gas station in West Virginia, and went to walk our pups around for a potty break. A little, shivering, skinny pup popped out from underneath one of the gas pups and came over to sniff our dogs. No amount of shooing would dissuade him, and he pranced right along with us on our little walk.
    I went inside, and asked the gals working there whose dog he was (mostly to give them a piece of my mind about the terrible condition he was in- I could see his ribs, he was flea-ridden, soaked and filthy, and his fur was matted beyond belief) but they told me that he’d been there for 3 days, and seemed quite irritated that he was getting into their trash. I asked if the shelter had been called, and they said with the storm, no one had gotten out there to pick him up yet. They asked me to please take him, and I was apprehensive.
    Getting back to my car, I opened the door, and he jumped right in. Our other two pups seemed to like him, so I went inside and I left my name and phone number with them in case his owners came looking.
    On the ride home, our first stop was a local pet chain, where we rented the tub room to give him a quick bath- the fleas were so bad, we didn’t want to expose our pups to too much damage. Then we had to stop again multiple times because he got so car sick and vomited all over my daughter in the back seat.
    Once home, I posted a notice in the local paper where we picked him up, and contacted the Humane society there to let them know we had him, just in case, but I was already falling in love.
    My other dogs are faithful friends, but Little Jack (as we named him- he was so scraggly and weather beaten, he needed a pirate name) is the best snuggler. He loves to sit in my lap as I work in my office, and is never too far from my side if I’m doing anything in the house.
    When people ask about our dogs, I tell them, that we adopted Lily and Copper, but Little Jack adopted us!
    Thank you, Kris, for being there for Buddy to adopt you!

  169. Nicki says:

    Kris- this story from the get go has just pulled on my heart strings and I seem to well up with every photo that is posted. We have 2 rescue puppy who are now 6 years wise. Our German Shepard cross was locked in the pound the night we went to search for our missing kitty – one look into his adorable eyes and we knew we weren’t leaving without him. And a few months later we were at a dog walking class and again we were given the opportunity to adopt. This time a Great Dane who had been shuffled from home to home, nobody sticking by her, so again in that moment we knew she was ours. Now that we have 2 kids, life is busy with the 4 of them but we would never imagine it any other way.
    Thank you for what you are doing, adopting pets is everything that is right in this world #gobuddygo

  170. Christina says:

    So wonderful to read so many stories about the rescue of so many fur friends. We lost our home to a fire a year ago on Nov 26th. Our human family was not home at the time, for that we have much gratitude. However, our house was so engulfed by flames by the time the firefighters arrived they were not able to save our precious fur children. Two aussie-border mix Aluna and Apolo (1 year), a terrier mix Kiara (14) and our cat Gwen Ben (14). A friend of the family contacted us to let us know when we were ready that she would help us adopt from the Mohawk Hudson animal shelter. It wasn’t easy for us to move forward with accepting new pets into our lives. For the sake of our children I think I did it sooner for them to help deal with their grief. We now have two beautiful pups that we rescued that had been sent up to Upstate NY from Virginia. One is a lab mix Lily, and the other is a shepard mix Bernard (whom we found out is part St. Bernard!!!) They are such gentle beings and have brought with them such a calm demeanor and unconditional love. Something that we so needed after all of the chaos. Thank you so much Kris, for spreading the awareness!! Many blessings to you all!

  171. Emmanuela says:

    I am super grateful for your inspiring story! I took in a cat, misplaced just weeks before hurricane Katrina. She was frail and undernourished just like your sweet Buddy boo. As she regained strength, I noticed she was pregnant! During the hurricane, we took in our aunts and their pups from New Orleans, and Tapi the cat gave birth to 6 kittens! It was a zoo in my family’s home in Baton Rouge, LA. Tapi was in poor shape, and so were her kittens. I brought her to a vet friend and learned that she had mastitis. She died peacefully (mama mission accomplished), and I took over from there. I nursed the kittens myself for weeks after the storm while volunteering at the emergency pet shelters in our area. We adopted the kitties out to families. I kept one, the baby boy who stole my heart. Brooster is my soul cat. He has a beautiful spirit because of the unconditional love and gratitude I fed him when he was just a weeeee little babe. We’ve lived in 3 different states together. Brooster taught me to be adventurous, tenderhearted, loyal and free. He just turned 8 this year! I’m a proud mama! http://instagram.com/p/bv571NnBYg/

  172. Kelly says:

    Thanks for sharing Buddy’s story. It has been so uplifting to watch him recover. I found myself chanting #gobuddygo Almost 4 years ago my husband and I volunteered at a local animal shelter after having to put our beloved rescue Rottweiler mix, Watson, to sleep just months before. We didn’t plan on adopting another dog because we were still grieving the loss of Watson and wanted to just give back to the local shelter. Little did we know we would meet our next furry child. That’s when we adopted a beagle mix and named him Gatsby. He has been a welcome addition to our family. http://instagram.com/p/Xa7D8HyDN-/

  173. Demi says:

    He is SO gorgeous! I love dogs to pieces πŸ˜€ I’m so glad he’s a happy chappy again! Nearly the same thing happened to our family dog Jess growing up – my granny saw her all chained up and skinny looking somewhere a few times, and when it was clear that no-one was feeding her and looking after her my gran just took her home and she came to live with us and had a great time.

  174. Derek Wood says:

    Quite honestly so simple what you did, and yet so powerful. While we are all animal lovers in my family, both cat and dog allergies prevent us from having our own for now. I shared your post with my almost 12 year old son and he absolutely loved it confirming that animals will always be a part of his life in a big way. He connects with animals….any animal like the horse whisperer.

    Thanks for sharing your story.

  175. Hi All!

    Reading through all the comments, my heart is truly warmed by all the awesome parents to their rescued pets! I tried to keep this as short as possible, but the story is about my two little rescues that each has an incredible story.
    Four years ago I was approached by some family friends who had a friend in New Mexico that had this little Italian Greyhound that had no home. She was smaller than a normal Italian Greyhound should be and desperately needed to be with a family. I had grown up with large dogs, both rescues and was in a position where I could take a pup in, but had no experience with a small dog. A week later a 2.5 pound scared little pup arrived at the airport where we waited for her. I held this little, skinny thing and looked at her and thought, I have no idea what to do with this little pup. We went through trials and tribulations between her crying all night, peeing everywhere she went, scared of her own shadow and ultimately learning how to knock over the garbage can to get all the tissues and cardboard-I mean tissues, really?? However, her big eyes and big heart truly had me fall in love with her. We learned a lot about each other. Like how she hates to get wet, and so do I, so she walks very closely to me under the umbrella. We learned that q-tips are not to be consumed because they make her throw up and so we got a bigger garbage can. We learned that she likes to open doors and then gets herself locked into rooms because to her pushing the door always means it opens-it couldn’t possibly close. We also explored all the hiking trails in the New Jersey area. We have been through much together so far and she weighs a hefty 8.3 pounds!
    About a year later this same friend contacted me again. They had a male Italian Greyhound that was found at the edge of a canyon with kids trying to tease him over the edge. He had scars all over his body and needed a lot of dental work. They found worms and all other kinds of problems with him. I looked down at my little girl, whom we have just started to adjust to life together and she was finally understanding what house training was-but I knew I couldn’t say no to the little man. It took about three weeks for him to heal his wounds before he could come to his new home which we sponsored for all the work to get done. He was so scared we couldn’t even get him out of the kennel the first day. He had scars all over his little body and lots of missing teeth. He shied away from everyone and yelped whenever we touched him-out of fear. We finally got him home where my little pipsqueak was impatiently waiting for us. Her tail was wagging and she was jumping all over the place. When we put the little man on the ground he instantly ran into a corner where he curled into a ball and refused to move. What does my little female companion do? Spring and bounce over to his corner, tail wagging and starts to lick him all over. All of a sudden the little guy jumped up, ran in a circle and started playing! We couldn’t believe our eyes! They hit it off and became best friends from that moment on.
    It has been a long road though with healing the little guy. We also recently found out that my little girl has PRA (progressive retina atrophy) and will eventually be completely blind. What I have learned the most is to realize that life is short and sweet. I look into her eyes now and wonder just how much of me she can actually see. I remember that when she was diagnosed she didn’t feel sorry for herself or even become remotely sad. She continued to love me unconditionally through break ups and loss of jobs and new beginnings. She is the first one to curl up in my lap and remind me of how wonderful and happy life is. She is the first one to dry my tears with her little kisses and make me smile and laugh when it feels like there’s no reason to. She was there when Grandma got sick and passed away and curls up with pop every night to keep him company while he watches TV. She is a priceless reminder of the glory and amazement in life and that there is nothing else but this moment. She has been a continuous blessing as well as my little man who still likes to hide in his corner, but has learned that laps are pretty awesome too. I cannot imagine life without these babies! Because honestly, I have learned more from them and been more loved by them than I could only hope to return half of.

    Blessings,
    Lauren

  176. Carol Tate says:

    Hi Kris – Just love that you’ve adopted Buddy. My rescue story was as unexpected as yours. Several months ago (June) I took a walk on a Saturday and ask I was walking with ear plugs in my ears, one of the residents at a home I was walking past motioned to me. I stoped and took out the ear plug while he was asking if I wanted a puppy. Apparenly this VERY YOUNG little one was abandonded in his front yard and they were going to call the pound because they couldn’t keep it – they were moving. One look and I knew I had to rescue the little girl. She was just so young – wish I could post a picture of her, she was so sweet. Couldn’t have been more than 6 weeks old…we think she’s part jack russell and something else. Anyway, after I stopped being mad at whoever could have abandonded such a little thing, I gladly picked her up and walked back home. We are fully and completely in love and couldn’t think of not having her in our lives. Come to find out, our own very old lady black lab named “Sadie” passed not one month after this. We truly believe God sent “Sophie,” as we named her, into our lives at just the right time. πŸ™‚

  177. Hi All!
    Reading through all the comments, my heart is truly warmed by all the awesome parents to their rescued pets! I tried to keep this as short as possible, but the story is about my two little rescues that each has an incredible story.
    Four years ago I was approached by some family friends who had a friend in New Mexico that had this little Italian Greyhound that had no home. She was smaller than a normal Italian Greyhound should be and desperately needed to be with a family. I had grown up with two rescues, but both were large dogs (over 60 pounds each). I was in a position where I could take a pup in, but had no experience with a small dog. A week later a 2.5 pound scared little pup arrived at the airport where we waited for her. I held this little, skinny thing and looked at her and thought, I have no idea what to do with this little pup. We went through trials and tribulations between her crying all night, peeing everywhere she went, scared of her own shadow and ultimately learning how to knock over the garbage can to get all the tissues and cardboard-I mean tissues, really?? However, her big eyes and big heart truly had me fall in love with her. We learned a lot about each other. Like how she hates to get wet, and so do I, so she walks very closely to me under the umbrella. We learned that q-tips are not to be consumed because they make her throw up and so we got a bigger garbage can. We learned that she likes to open doors and then gets herself locked into rooms because to her pushing the door always means it opens-it couldn’t possibly close. We also explored all the hiking trails in the New Jersey area. We have been through much together so far and she weighs a hefty 8.3 pounds!
    About a year later this same friend contacted me again. They had a male Italian Greyhound that was found at the edge of a canyon with kids trying to tease him over the edge. He had scars all over his body and needed a lot of dental work. They found worms and all other kinds of problems with him. I looked down at my little girl, whom we have just started to adjust to life together and she was finally understanding what house training was-but I knew I couldn’t say no to the little man. It took about three weeks for him to heal his wounds before he could come to his new home which we sponsored for all the work to get done. He was so scared we couldn’t even get him out of the kennel the first day. He had scars all over his little body and lots of missing teeth. He shied away from everyone and yelped whenever we touched him-out of fear. We finally got him home where my little pipsqueak was impatiently waiting for us. Her tail was wagging and she was jumping all over the place. When we put the little man on the ground he instantly ran into a corner where he curled into a ball and refused to move. What does my little female companion do? Spring and bounce over to his corner, tail wagging and starts to lick him all over. All of a sudden the little guy jumped up, ran in a circle and started playing! We couldn’t believe our eyes! They hit it off and became best friends from that moment on.
    It has been a long road though with healing the little guy. We also recently found out that my little girl has PRA (progressive retina atrophy) and will eventually be completely blind. What I have learned the most is to realize that life is short and sweet. I look into her eyes now and wonder just how much of me she can actually see. I remember that when she was diagnosed she didn’t feel sorry for herself or even become remotely sad. She continued to love me unconditionally through break ups and loss of jobs and new beginnings. She is the first one to curl up in my lap and remind me of how wonderful and happy life is. She is the first one to dry my tears with her little kisses and make me smile and laugh when it feels like there’s no reason to. She was there when Grandma got sick and passed away and curls up with pop every night to keep him company while he watches TV. She is a priceless reminder of the glory and amazement in life and that there is nothing else but this moment. She has been a continuous blessing as well as my little man who still likes to hide in his corner, but has learned that laps are pretty awesome too. I cannot imagine life without these babies! Because honestly, I have learned more from them and been more loved by them than I could only hope to return half of.

    Blessings,
    Lauren

  178. Noora says:

    I used to be allergic to cats until I started taking allergy shots hoping one day I could have one. In my dad’s culture and where he grew up, they don’t keep pets, so at first he didn’t want a pet. But then after years of allergy shots, a hungry cat wandered in to where my dad worked and they kept it in the bathroom with food and litter until one of the coworkers could take it home. My dad fell in love with it and surprised me one day and brought home another cat that he adopted! We named him Snickers and we love him so much! Your story was so inspiring! Snickers would never let another cat live in our house because he growls at other cats but when I get my own place I would definitely love to adopt rescues!

  179. Sabina Smith says:

    LoVe… that’s all I gotta say. Thanks for sharing your happy tears, considering adopting a 5th fur child. We have 3 cats & a dog already! They truly are like real children… they can drive you nuts but you still love them like crazy πŸ™‚ xoxoxo………

  180. Cheryl Osten says:

    In the past I had adopted difficult 14 months border collie mixed after she had been adopted from previous 5 owners and returned her back to the Toronto Humanity Society 5 times. One had begged me not to return her back. I loved her so much and had kept her for 14 years till her death. I also adopted cats from the various rescue groups for years. Now I have two recused cats, one retired goldendoodle Hearing Ear service dog and I have a lab and golden mixed guide dog for the blind for I am both deaf and blind. I love them so dearly.
    Cheryl Osten

  181. Tauna says:

    We have three very different breeds of dogs we have adopted from our local animal shelter over the last 14 years. Moby, our oldest, has to be partly if not mostly wired terrier and the leader of the pack with our smallest and youngest, chihauhau, Joey, right up there with him. Punkin, the min-pin, is a little overweight and pants a lot while trying to keep up with the other two and loves to sit her butt down in the shade when she’s had enough. When I take them on a walk together, the smiles from people driving by or walking by on the ditch bank make my walk that much more enjoyable. They have given us lots of laughs and loving over the years and continue to do so.

  182. Margot Bloom says:

    In 2006 our family was grieving from the illness and loss of our beloved cat Percy. I swore that was it! I would never have a pet again. I thought I could never love a cat like this one. He was so special. Then one day I decided to go to the local Petsmart where a local organization called “Cats in need” was having adoptions. Nonchalantly I walked to the cages filled with furry kids. I walked by them telling myself, “Margot don’t look in their eyes.” Well that lasted for about a second. Just around the corner there he was. A black polydactyl cat (polydactyl cats have extra toes. This one had 6 on each foot.) he was shaking the cage door with his hand. Like an inmate in a prison. I thought this was the craziest thing I had ever seen. I went home and told my family about this crazy cat. Over the course of several days one by one my family went to see this cat and couldn’t believe what they saw. My husband thought he was a freak. I was determined not to get a cat.
    We went on a family vacation and one morning on the trip I woke up and told my family that I had dreamed of that crazy six toed cat. My son and daughter both yelled ” oh my gosh so did I .” Well we took it as a sign that we were meant to adopt this cat. At that moment the need for him became so strong that we cut our vacation short and rushed home to Petsmat to get our new little guy. We ran into the store and to his cage and stopped dead in our tracks. Our hearts sank. The cage was empty. We just stood ther looking at the empty cage. We must have been quite a sight because one of the volunteers came over and asked us if we were ok. We told her we had rushed there to get “our” cat and he is gone. Happily he was just at the foster home. She told us not to move and he would be there in 10 minutes. Short story long…Elvis is the best kitty and we have adopted Lila from them too!

  183. Six years my husband and I went camping and met the cutest dog we had ever seen (thus far). We chatted with the owner to find out his breed as we hadn’t seen one before. That little guy was a Mini American Eskimo. Once we got back home we started a search to find one. Only a week or two later I saw one posted on Craigslist that needed a new home. I called and spoke to a very unpleasant man who said if I wanted to see him we’d have to come today because tomorrow we was taking him to the pound. My heart broke after that conversation. The man didn’t have an ounce of sorrow or sadness in his voice. I could tell instantly he didn’t care none the less love this little fella whom in the pictures posted online looked so sad and skinny. Go figure πŸ™ I called my husband and replayed the story, telling him how we need to make the hour dive and save this dog. Later that day we made the drive and met him. He was a very angry little dog and the only way to calm him down was through teddy grahams, which we broke him of that promptly. Even though he barked like crazy at us and for a lack of better words was really freaking out, we couldn’t say no. He was the cutest boy we had seen and his need for a home was greater to us than his lack of socialization.

    Once in the car on the way back to our home he became a different dog. He smiled, was very happy, and no more barking (at us) occurred. Since then it has been a bumpy but rewarding road with Woody. While he was only a year and a half when we adopted him, we were his 4th owners. Due to this he still is uncertain about all strangers and other dogs. He does have a 3 time rule though. After 3 times of meeting someone he’ll be your new best friend but until then you have to prove you’re a good guy and not out to hurt him or his people. He loves car rides, treats, and kids. Woody has taught us unconditional love and to put others before ourselves. While we don’t technically have children, he’s been our furr baby since that day. While it’s been hard having a very far from perfect dog who can’t be around others much, I would do it all over with him again in a heartbeat. Saving Woody made us a family two years into our relationship and helped created the foundation that later turned into our marriage.

  184. Rachael says:

    What a great story about Buddy! He looks so happy with you guys – I love that you took him in!
    Three years ago I went to visit my cousin and his wife in Raleigh, NC. A week prior, they had found a kitten in their garage – emaciated, dehydrated and near death. They took him to the vet, got him rehydrated and started caring for him. Since they already had two cats, they were keeping him outside in their garage and were looking to re-home him. Talk about being at the right place at the right time! The second I heard his meow I was smitten. I took him home, nursed him back to health and today he is the most beautiful, amazing animal I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I named him Leroy Brown. He’s the best! I don’t think I’ve ever loved a cat as much as I love him. He sleeps with me every night and his favorite game is fetch – believe it or not!

  185. Kathy G says:

    We adopted our cat Bill almost 16 years ago. I had never had a cat before and wasn’t sure how it was going to work out. Now, I can’t imagine my life without him. My husband and I talk to him all the time, sometimes when he is not even in the room! When we go on vacations, it is weird that he can’t come along (he hates the car) and we find ourselves talking to him and looking for him. It is amazing how an animal can capture your heart.
    So glad to hear that Buddy is doing well.

  186. Michelle E says:

    All of my pets are rescue animals. We are at capacity for cats and have 2 dogs. These animals seem to find us. 2 of our cats found us at my childrens elementary school. I picked up my daughter early for an appt and out popped a kitten from the bushes. I picked it up and heard another crying which my daughter quickly found. We inquired inside about them and they were just hungry strays. We brought them home (missed the appt) and feed them and loved them and they have been here ever since.

  187. Miriam says:

    About 9 years ago I adopted a 4yr old female cat and her 3 mo old male kitten. They came from an abusive home. The first 4 months, Patchouli (f) hid under my books shelves. I worked with her daily, to try to get her to feel comfortable near me, by throwing a piece of food (kibble), which, in the beginning, she’d run out to get, then run back to her hiding place to eat. Slowly she came closer, and eventually would stay and eat the food beside me. But, I still couldn’t touch her. Over the space of 2 years, she became more comfortable, wouldn’t run from the room when I came in, and I was slowly able to touch & pet her – but that never lasted long, as soon as she started purring, she’d run away. So, I decided to get my Reiki certification, so that I could send her loving energy from a distance. After my attunements, she wanted nothing to do with me (lol) – but, around the same time her kitten Chai (m) , then 2, was diagnosed with a severe heart murmur. I was told that unless he was put on meds, he wouldn’t live to be 5 yrs old. So – he started meds, and I started giving him Reiki. About 4 years later he went back to the vet, and they couldn’t hear the murmur anymore. (maybe he grew out of it? maybe it was Reiki?) – he’s now 9 and off his meds & doing well.
    Patchouli has progressed very well too – in fact, it took her about 6 years, but she’s now always near me, wanting to be pet, and tucking in and curling up behind my legs when I’m on the couch. Sometimes I reflect back on how she was when she arrived here, and marvel at the changes she’s made – and, how long it’s taken. It’s also a reminder that sometimes we need to be SO patient with rescues, and that there can still be changes, and progress, even years after we adopt them.
    On a final note, my Reiki certification has also allowed me to volunteer for a local hospice – & I was able to give Reiki to my dad when he was in palliative care – probably one of the most profound, and rewarding, experiences of my life. (I wouldn’t have gotten my Reiki certification if I hadn’t needed to for my cats).
    A bit of a long story – I honestly didn’t expect that taking in these 2 cats would totally transform my life, but they have. And I’m thankful every day that their souls chose to journey with mine.
    I applaud your efforts to try to raise awareness about adopting rescues. We’re all here to love: to give love, to receive love, and to increase love – and what better way than to give love to an animal that has been abandoned or neglected.
    πŸ˜€
    Namaste,
    Miriam

  188. Jeff_W says:

    Thanks for all the info on Buddy, it’s so awesome to see him doing so well. Just over three years ago my wife and I went to our local Humane Society and adopted a dachshund mutt named Willie. I remember thinking he was an odd looking dog, and worrying because he had blood in his stool (probably from all the drugs to get him shipshape), but now I couldn’t imagine our lives without him. He has brought so much happiness to our lives, and I absolutely believe he understands that we rescued him and he found his forever home. If anything the only semi issue he has is that he gets a bit upset every time we leave for work and overly excited when we get home. It’s nice to be so wanted though πŸ™‚

  189. Debbie says:

    So happy for Buddy…and you!

  190. jillian says:

    When my daughter, a volunteer at a shelter, called me and cried about a little yorkie in bad shape i tried to reassure her and let it go. But he stayed on my mind, so after three days i called the directer of the shelter and told her i wanted him. He was not even up for adoption, clearly headed for being euthanized, but we worked it out and we brought him home. His age was estimated at 10 or 11 years old. he was skin and bones his fur was sparse and his teeth were missing and bad. He could not see well, and when we brought him home most people thought he would not make it. At the vet we discovered that his canine teeth had come out and food was getting into his sinus cavity. We had surgery and a very talented Dr. removed the rest of his teeth and made flaps to cover the holes. He was fragile but began to heal and grow fur and gain some weight. We fed him every two hours and had to try hard to find food he would eat. (he was fond of filet mignon and chicken) We named him Oliver (for Oliver Twist) and called him Ollie. Ollie slept on a furry cover right next to my head and I called him my husband dog because we were so in love. He wore sweaters and non-skid doggie sox because he slipped on the floors. Ollie lived another five years. He required a lot of care, but the love we shared was one of the important highlights of my life and I still miss him all of the time. Giving an older dog a chance is worth it.

  191. I LOVE happy endings! Your Buddy love story made me all teary eyed and I’m so thrilled to read what an inspiration you have been to others in deciding to adopt a homeless pet. My husband and I have six rescue fur children: 2 cats and 4 dogs. There is SO much love bouncing around in this house! I’ve always loved animals and grew up with everything from a hamster to a horse, so I knew my own home-life would never be complete without a critter…or six!

    Our two lady dogs, Kex and Gypsy, came to live with us one year ago this week. They had been living on the streets and were tiny sacks of skin and bones—absolutely starving snd terrified of everything. Today, they are happy, healthy and their fears have vanished. Witnessing these changes filled me with immense joy.

    We have a rescued Boston Terrier who is struggling with a severe case of inflammatory bowel disease (just one of many issues overbred, designer dogs can suffer, so adoption is crucial to changing the lives of dogs in these situations. Down with puppy mills!). His personality is enormous! His name is Pilot, and he is our little comedian.

    Donkey is our tiny wolf: part chihuahua, part some sort of wirey haired terrier. He is small, but strong and is guardian of Hay-Chapman house πŸ˜‰

    Our two senior cats, Opie and Falcor, have thyroid (Opie) and kidney disease (Falcor). You might have guesses we spend a lot of time at the vet’s office; it’s our second home! And we do so happily, because adoption is forever. When we make that commitment to a pet, it’s a promise to care for them through it all, the good, the bad, the happy and the sad…forever. I know the promise is good on their end by the love, laughs, tiny kisses and great snuggles they so happily serve up every day. I won’t break my promise to them either, they’ve changed my life in a major way for the better and I’m grateful for every minute of it!

  192. Stephanie Molnar says:

    After picking up a “new to us” washer/dryer set off Craigslist, we were headed home. A tiny black dog ran in front of our 1968 Chevy C-10 pickup. He stopped traffic going both directions, and his traveling companion–a little black and white fellow with floppy ears–was barking furiously at him from the sidelines. However, Mr. Black laid down in the street, and we pulled over. Don got out of the truck, knelt in the grass, and whistled. The black and white dog, who we realized was a tripod, literally ran to him and leaped into his arms. I thought, “Uh-oh. We have dogs.” Neighbors came out decrying their miserable condition and handed us leashes, and food, and flea shampoo (they were both riddled with them). I was terrified as they looked up at me from the floorboards. I’d never had dogs! Their inscrutable little undernourished stare startled me. When we got them home, we realized quickly they were not housebroken. They were poop machines. They ate ravenously. The vet said that the leg had come off “in an accident and never received medical attention.” Quickly, the black one–almost bald–sprouted a thick coat. He was a Pomeranian! We christened them Trace (Tres) and Catorce (after the intro to U2’s “Vertigo”). Trace has since passed on, but I know he was my original doggie angel, and I miss him every day. We have four dogs now–an old boy whose first mom died of cancer, and two more who were abandoned by neighbors. Seven animals (three gatos) in a two-bedroom duplex loft isn’t ideal, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! (At least we do have a fenced yard and nearby off-leash trail. And everyone now knows to poop outside!)

  193. Sandy says:

    My husband and I have rescued many animals through out our marriage. We had a coon hound who showed up outside our home while my husband was working out of town. I had to leave a note on the door when he came home one night saying the stray is in the house so be careful when you come in. We have also rescued dogs from shelters. I worked at a humane society for a while. I did pet therapy with the developmentally disabled. There was a dog which I used for this service a lot due to her loving temperament. I came home on day and asked my husband if we could adopt her. She was a loving companion to use for 12 years. About a year ago when she passed we went in search of another furry to love. We found one in a shelter when we went in to meet him he instantly started playing with my hubby I knew he would be coming home. While riding in the vehicles he either rides with his head on hubby’s lap or shoulder. We also adopted another sweetie who is Mommy’s girl and stays by my side. That is just the dogs we have adopted. We fostered 3 kittens from the humane society after their mother had been hit by a car. They were barely a week old. We kept one of them and the rest were adopted to loving families. We also have adopted another foster who had a social problem. She likes to sleep on my side. I believe that animals in shelters and rescues are the most loving ones you can find. I am glad that Buddy chose your family to make his forever family!

  194. This is the first article I read from your website after subscribing to the newsletter.

    It is a very inspirational story and it is true that “Unconditional love heals”

    I hope to read more stuff from you!

  195. Kelly says:

    Great idea Chris- well I have a whole house full – at one time we had 5 dogs now just 2 but we have become the home of old wayword male cats ( they get neutered) if they stay. My policy. You can stay if u get along. These r guys that have seen tough times and just want some love. Since we live in a relatively rural area there are lots of “drop offs” that find there way to us to live out their final days with a good meal and warm bed. We even took in a donkey- a wayward farm bird – and a quail (of all things). I do not have children so I pour my love to those in need.

  196. Kathie Brown says:

    Our furry friends return our love tenfold.

  197. hilary says:

    my sweet, crazy pup passed away almost 4 years ago now. i got her while visiting friends out west. i had flown out to portland, oregon to see some of my favorite people from college and while i was there, we realized my friend’s neighbor was abusing and neglecting some rottweiler puppies. the mama was chained up in the yard and the pups all had rubber bands on their tails, in various stages of infection. the lady planned on selling the puppies as rottweilers even though half of them looked like german shepherds. aiyaiyai. we took 4 of them to the vet, got them all fixed up, and i flew back to north carolina with an unexpected companion. i named her aisha and she was my travel buddy for 11 years πŸ™‚

  198. j. o. miller says:

    My buddy Anton was malnourished and quite sick when I adopted him. He was left on my old boss’s doorstep with a note from his owner that he couldn’t afford to take care of the wee one anymore. Though my boss couldn’t keep Anton, I didn’t want the little guy to end up not finding a home so after an impromptu play session w/ Anton, I took him to the vet to get checked out and taken care of (he had some medical issues) then off to my home. Though he died and I have still have two adopted lovies in my live, because Anton was sick when I found him to be part of my life, I think we always had an extra special relationship so when he passed I took it hard. He was my best friend for almost ten years. Here’s to furry friends that make it all worth while! Congrats on opening up your heart to Buddy. πŸ™‚

  199. Diane W says:

    Fur babies help us to slow down and be present in our lives. They also help us remember how to love unconditionally. As I type this my adopted kitty Lola sits on my lap. She greets me at the door each day, no matter how late I get home…and loves me endlessly. I love her too! Her sweet, sassy, funny personality brings joy to every day. Anyone who is on the fence about adopting…get off the fence and play in the yard with a fur baby. You and your family will never be the same!

  200. Andie says:

    He reminds me of the dog I grew up with. His name was Barney. Buddy is so sweet!

  201. Maurine says:

    I haven’t adopted a dog. But I adopted my little boy Gabriel (now almost 12!) and what I love about ADOPTION that is different than something biologically connected to you (which I have too), is that it feels like it was MEANT TO BE. Not only was Buddy MEANT TO BE with you (and in turn you & your husband will RECEIVE something special from him that perhaps another dog would not be able to give)… but you & your husband are the right people for Buddy. You are MEANT TO BE with him.
    Signed,
    Living LIfe to the Fullest (with slow growing cancer) too πŸ™‚

  202. Sarah says:

    Dear Kris,

    What a wonderful happening! Thanks for sharing your story of Buddy and the pictures along the way. It’s so neat to witness transformations of what love and food can do! πŸ™‚
    I found my Quin girl as a puppy abandoned by a stream, at a pulloff on a middle of nowhere gravel road that doubled, unfortunately, as a trash dump. I am an aquatic biologist and was out stream sampling that day when we found her. She was not very old. It was too far for her to have wandered there, and she was covered with fleas and ticks. I took her home, wrapped in a towel, of which she promptly climbed out and ended up hanging out on top of our gear in the back of our truck (covered top). Her sense of adventure and spunk was evident from the beginning!
    She became (and is) a fantastic dog and very much is an outdoorsy girl. She is obsessed with water (I don’t know where she got that from ;)).
    To this day, she has been an incredible blessing to me in so many unforeseen ways.
    Geek moment: Her full name is Harlequin, Quin for short. We were out searching for the Harlequin Darter the day we found her. It is a rare, very beautiful darter fish of which we found in that stream (which was a good find). The fish is a lovely brown and tan, mottled and striped coloration. Quin initially was a mottled dark brown and tan coloration, of which turned into a gorgeous espresso colored coat today!
    Thanks for reading my story!
    I’ve enjoyed reading the other adoption stories here too, hurrah!
    Sarah

  203. Jennie says:

    So happy for you and Buddy! I have been following on Instagram and it makes me smile when I see buddy. My kids love it too!

  204. Oh, yay for Buddy!
    Kris, I shared with you when we met last month.. We have an invisible sign above our farm, seen only by stray dogs and cats. It says, “welcome”.
    My furry children are all rescues, or have been dumped on our farm. We support our local animal rescues, and I keep a leash in my car at all times. (my son loves our rescue missions when we spot strays) We’ve taken in wounded birds, and have picked up baby fawns and taken them to rehab centers.
    It’s all good, blessing to you for taking more animals into your home!
    My best tips; find an amazing pet sitter who loves them like you do, and change out your carpeting often. πŸ™‚ Invest in a good vacuum, and non-toxic air freshener.
    XO big hug!
    Holli Thompson

  205. Mary says:

    9 years ago, I was nursing the heartbreaking loss of my 13-year-old Dalmatian, Roxxi, by fostering dogs through the Dalmation Rescue and the local animal shelter. Over the months, dozens of kittens & puppies came through our lives, as we nursed entire litters back to health and got them all adopted when they were 8-9 weeks old. Later on, we started fostering older dogs of 6 mos – 2 years, individually helping them overcome health and emotional obstacles of shyness, distrust, and separation anxiety. All the while, my 2 wonderful daughters and husband, along with neighbors, provided their love & support to all these 4-legged friends and watched their amazing transformation. After 2 years, I was given a 6 month old puppy who had been rescued from Tijuana – a scrawny, disheveled collie mix who had somehow survived distemper. When we picked her up, let’s just say she wasn’t the “prettiest gal in the shelter”, and although friendly to females, she had a fear and distrust of all men. Somehow we felt compelled to give this scrappy little dog a chance. Over the 3 months of rehabilitating her, she became a healthy, friendly, and loving gal – and we discovered that she was smart as a whip too! She wasn’t the pure-bred gorgeous specimen of a dog like my former Dalmatian, but she won over our hearts and we recognized that her beauty was much more than skin deep– we just could not let this little girl go! We ultimately adopted “Lindy” seven years ago, and we could not be happier. She has been such an amazing addition to our family – a kind, loving, obedient friend and faithful companion. We truly couldn’t ask for any better. We love her dearly, and every time we look at her, we don’t think so much of how we saved her…but how she saved us.

  206. Margo Henderson says:

    It was Thanksgiving weekend 2011. I’d convinced my husband our rescued Lola needed a brother or sister. I was convinced she was suffering a depression since we had to say good bye to our precious Riley a year before. He was our yellow lab who grew up with our children; played rescue dog 9-1-1 in the pool with them; fetched the morning paper…so many memories of Ry-pup…
    We visited the shelter Thanksgiving weekend after seeing a few “lab like” pooches on the website. We were about ready to leave when I saw my husband playing “don’t blink” with a tiny dog in the medically fragile section. She ended up winking at him and that was the end. The staff got her out and let us play with her. She had just been spayed but was feeling pretty spunky and licked us clean! They required a play date with our other dog Lola which went well. It was just as I thought, Lola just sat there ignoring her. Then we took Sadie Mae home. Sadie is Lola’s very best girl friend now and for us, a ball of loving energy. She fetches, tries to catch a squirrel, does not like the pool and is our grandson Tristan’s very best friend. Most mornings she can be found nestled in the covers right between my husband and I with her head on a pillow.

  207. Claire Nordness says:

    10 years ago we moved from the city to the woods. While sitting the deck one evening, I heard a little meow…one kitten came out of the woods and crawled up on my left shoulder, purring and kneading!! Not far behind #2 came out. They were not hungry because they did not even finish the small can of salmon I put out(someone dropped them off). In the morning #3 showed her beautiful calico face.
    I took them to the vet to get shots and get fixed. My husband never let me have a cat, so I am very happy that #1 and #2 are still here. #3 got sick and had to be put down a few years ago:(.
    They have provided 10 years of furry love and #1 still likes to purr and knead on my left shoulderβ™₯

  208. Stephanie says:

    While I’ve never taken an animal in off the street, my family has adopted all of our animals from rescues/shelters.

    My big Siamese boy just passed away on Halloween morning. He’d been with me about half my life! My mom adopted him from the Texas Siamese Rescue and he became the family cat. He came to live with my boyfriend and me when my parents moved across the country. He worshiped my boyfriend (he loved me too, but my boyfriend was definitely his #1!) He would follow him around the apartment and be waiting at the door when he came home from work. I think he learned the sound of my boyfriend’s brakes and would stop whatever he was doing (napping) to run to the door! We sang nonsense songs to him and took more pictures of him than of ourselves. We’re both complete softies for animals and we have no regrets about the life we gave him.

    After he passed, I started looking at kitties up for adoption through Petfinder.com. I never even considered anything other than adoption. We just adopted a Russian Blue kitten! I still miss my first cat, but I am so happy that we get to give this little guy a good life now. There are so many great cats (and dogs, etc) out there that need homes and I’m proud to be part of the cause πŸ™‚

  209. Barbara Kitz says:

    Yay! for Buddy. And you. We adopted a stray puppy that was part hound and part shepherd. We named him Mulligan – because he got a do over- and we had him for 17 years! Lost Mulligan a month before my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Now, I am here with four crazy cats who showed up in the year after my husband’s death. You are so right. The Universe knows what you need and where your love is needed. Happy rescuing!

  210. daniela schulze says:

    You are truly amazing, to be able to see past your own daily struggles to take on this beautiful little rag-a-muffin!!! You are truly blessed to have such a BIG heart and to help him, and in the process you discover he is helping you. I too went the rescue route after our first family dog crossed the rainbow bridge and he has been nothing but a big goof-ball, full of energy crazy guy. Rocky, is an Airedale Terrier (the king terrier), they are full of shenanigans
    , loyal and love their families (whoever they associate in that pact). He came to us with digestive issues, but I already was cooking for our previous Airegirl (after we got into the Menu Foods dog food massive dog recall up here in Canada), so I knew that with some tweeking to our recipe I would get his tummy all right again. And now 4 years later, there have been no issues, he has not gained or lost any weight, poops are all good and he is full of energy. So from one fur-kid rescuer to another – THANK YOU!!!

  211. Julie says:

    In December of 2006, I was a preschool teacher and a college student. I decided that it was time to expand my family of one and wanted to adopt a dog from the local shelter. I was also trying to be strategic about it, and had the next two and a half weeks off of work and school for the Christmas holiday so we would have lots of time to bond! I knew, however, that I couldn’t just go there and choose because that would break my heart. So, I went online and a picture of this precious “puppy” with overgrown hair and a squishy looking nose popped up and I knew he was meant for me. It was a Thursday afternoon and I called them to find out what needed to be done. I needed to come in and sign the documents and pay the fee, then he would be neutered the following day and I could pick him up on Saturday.

    I finally came to the realization that there was no way I could make it to the shelter before they closed that evening with Dallas traffic in my way, so I sadly realized that I would have to go tomorrow and that I wouldn’t be able to pick him up until Monday. Or so I thought…

    When I arrived at the shelter the next day, the lady I had talked to on the phone was there and told me it was a good thing I had not come yesterday because “Riddles” (his behind bars name) got sick the night before, had been diagnosed with kennel cough, had been quarantined and was no longer up for adoption. I could not believe it! So, I asked if I could go see him and that was the beginning of several visits I made to the animal shelter over my holiday break. I laid on the floor, talked to him, petted him… and when I wasn’t there, I was calling to check on him. So, January came, and he was still locked up. I started back to school and back to work and FINALLY in the second week of January, I was notified that he was back up for adoption. So, I made my way to the shelter, filled out my paperwork, took flowers to the receptionist for putting up with me, and officially became a “Mom”. He was neutered the following day, and I got to take him home that Friday. “Tucker” and I got to spend the three day weekend together (for MLK day) where I potty trained him in the snow (in Dallas, TX – really?!). And we’ve been inseparable ever since. Later that year, we moved to Raleigh, NC and a few months later I met the man who would later become my husband at the dog park Tucker and I went to every night!

  212. Jenny Goergen says:

    A year and a half ago, my husband and I adopted a little rescue hound pup named Ben. Ben was from Tennessee and had been abandoned with his brothers and sisters on the doorstep of an animal shelter worker’s home. Apparently this type of thing is rampant in these parts of the country, as dogs are bred for hunting and fighting. If they aren’t what the “breeder” wanted. They are abandoned. Ben was full of worms and parasites, malnourished and sick, with a hernia on his belly. I saw a pic of this little guy on the internet and immediately emailed it to my husband. Without even thinking twice, my husband reached out to the animal shelter and about 3 weeks later, little Ben made his first road trip from Tennessee to MN and into our hearts. We re-named him Angus (after Angus Young of AC/DC fame – because he’s our little rock star) and he has since made a full recovery. It was a long haul at first and he still has fears and phobias that our other pup never had, but Angus is our little angel and best friends with our other fur-baby Marley, and could not be more loved! Adopt a puppy, everyone! So much love is given and received right back. It changed my world.

  213. Melissa says:

    I have adopted by two furbabies. First is Duke, my sweet old-soul border collie mix. He came from Georgia (I’m in Illinois) and showed definite signs that he was abused. He would hit the deck at loud noises, was a little leary of men and very timid. He is a LOVE though and just wants to cuddle and get face massages. We decided that Duke needed a buddy and someone to help him learn how to play with toys and bring him out of that shell! So we adopted Roscoe, a 3 month old Lab/Pit mix. His mom, when pregnant with his litter, was brought into Chicago Animal Care and Control. They were going to abort the litter and with minutes to spare, a pitbull resuce stepped in and took preggo mama home. And now we have a sweet, playful, CRAZY puppy! Good thing Duke is so laid-back cause Roscoe is a nutcase at times! But our plan worked and Duke now chews on nyla-bones, plays tug of war with Roscoe and will start a major play battle! He’s not the same dog we’ve adopted by anymeans! He’s still a sweet, loving, cuddly boy, but now has more confidence and playfulness.

    We also were crazy enough to foster a sweet bulldog mix named Mork. Him and his preggo lady Mindy, were found locked in a crate in the woods in Indiana. Just like Roscoe’s mom, Mork and Mindy were brought to the local care and control and if they weren’t fostered out, they would have been put down. We stepped in with the foster home for Mork (Mindy found a foster home too)! We fostered him for about 6 months and then a friend adopted him. Good thing, because I love that little boy so much and I don’t think I couldn’t live without seeing him on occasion.

    All three of these boys, over the last 4 1/2 years since we got Duke, have enriched my life like nothing else. Adopting is definitely the way to go, because as you said, they KNOW you’ve saved them and they spend the rest of their lives showing their love and appreciation to you.

  214. Regan says:

    Kris,

    How lucky both you and Buddy are to have found one another! And what a wonderful story.
    I have two adopted dachshunds and a rescued cat. My older dog, George, was put up for adoption because his previous owner was pregnant. I, however, think he was surrendered due to the fact that he had so many accidents in the house. As it turns out, the accidents were a result of seizures caused by thyroid disease. Two pills a day and no more accidents!
    Our other dachshund, Oliver, had been abused and starved. He wasn’t quite emaciated like Buddy but very under weight. Oliver was so untrusting that he growled at us for six months. Although Oliver growled at us, he loved our dog George from the second they met (George didn’t return the feelings at first). We knew our love and George’s eventual acceptance would get Oliver through the transition of joining our family and boy did it! He’s a great dog! The kids get so angry with him because he won’t let them get more than 5 feet ahead of him on walks without getting upset.
    Lastly, only a few weeks ago, a kitten appeared in our bushes. She was living between the bushes during the day time and the rear fender of our truck at night. I fed this little girl for weeks before she trusted me enough to pet her. I was finally able to get her inside just before bad weather here in Texas. She’s got a great personality too!
    I really feel like I have a dog with a thyroid problem and dog that growled at me for six months for a reason. Many people would take the time to care for these precious animals but oh so many would not.
    Thanks for saving Buddy!
    Take care,
    Regan

  215. Angela says:

    Your story (and all of your readers stories) is so inspiring. I grew up always having cats, a dog or both. I can’t have a pet right now because I move around too much but I sure love them. I have always loved visiting animals in shelters, and dreaming which one(s) would join me. Every times they get adopted it is bitter sweet. However, there are always more to visit and love! Some day I will have my own furry family memeber, until then, it’s great visiting them!

  216. V Hardy says:

    We adopted our cats from a shelter 12 years ago. We can’t imagine our lives without them!

  217. Jamie says:

    My husband and I adopted out first baby from a shelter and just recently adopted our second from a rescue group! Our first baby wasn’t very happy about having to share but after a few tense weeks of working with them they are now happy siblings! Thank you for spreading your story and inspiring more people to adopt! My next journey will be fostering!

  218. Jackie Lee says:

    we adopted an Istrian hound, Walle, a few years ago from a local shelter. I don’t specifically recall requesting to see him up close; but, within seconds he was in my arms and our bond was already formed. I placed him in my car and then went about the task of informing my husband we have a new family member. Prior to adoption, Walle was extremely abused and underweight. He bounced back within 6 mos and is happy and healthy. Hounds are magical animals that have such big hearts. Enjoy your new friend. I look forward to watching his transformation. You’re blessed to have found one another.

  219. Lori says:

    we rescued a red-nosed pitbull + some sort of lab cross from a litter of 12 unwanted pups. He was the alpha, which I didn’t want. My plea was for a kinder, gentler one or the runt. My fear was speaking to meβ€”don’t get the alpha, it’s a bully breed, he’ll be hard to train and manage, blah, blah, blah. Well I did not get my way as my husband and son both wanted little alpha boy. 6 years later, Boomer is mommy’s baby and is truly the biggest snuggle buddy and most gentle companion I can imagine. Of course, it’s not the dog, or the breed, it’s all about the owner and how they are raised. One less pitbull in a shelter and one more pitbull ambassador. My fears were replaced with love and understanding. Congratulations on finding Buddy, you need him as much as he needs you and your life has been changed forever <3

  220. Terry Wilson says:

    When my daughte, the lover of all things four footed and furry, was thirteen she begged. Begged us for a dog of her own. Begged is too pale of a word to actually describe. She harassed. And prayed. And was relentless. We caved and then came the search process. Where does this dog of her own come from? A few weeks into our search the answer came large as life. My daughters piano teacher had found a stray dog in the woods. He was the tallest skinniest tentative black lab mix you would ever see. After the search was given up to find his owner. Buddy the black lab had a new home and a new best friends my daughter. He slept with her. Did I mention he was the tallest black lab we’d ever seen. And was not as skinny after a few weeks at our house. Buddy was always attached at the hip to the people in his life from that moment on. It was as if he was saying I do t ever want to be lost and alone again. If you let Buddy out he would not go off the porch unless you stood there and watched him. Wherever my daughter was there Buddy was for 4 years. And then one summer my daughter went away for a couple weeks to Barcelona on a mission trip. While she was gone I noticed Buddy had gotten really skinny really fast and was not eating so I took him to the vet who said Buddy had liver cancer. Devastated did not describe the feeling of watching Buddy deteriorate in front of my eyes. Of course the doctor suggested relieving Buddy of his pain. But how could we do that with his best friend out of the country. So we waited. And he waited. Just like with everything else Buddy did not want to pass alone. He waited till his best friend arrived home. Waited until our whole family was surrounding him one night and with all of us there petting and holding him he quietly slipped away. It was one of the saddest days of our lives. And he was one of the best dogs we have ever had. It was like he was ever grateful to us for taking him in and we were ever grateful to him for loving us. I hope your Buddy gives you as many happy memories and love as ours did.

  221. Laura Fulton says:

    I have a huge soft spot for hound dogs and Buddy is magnificent! Thank you for opening your heart and home to him! My rescue story is about a little kitty that came into our lives when we were just thinking about having a baby. She was homeless and frightened. We fed her and with time and patience she eventually started to trust us. Buster made us realize how much room we had in our hearts and home for so much more!! She lived with us for almost 20 years.

  222. Allyson says:

    My dogs have literally changed my life for the better. I adopted the first one, Bubbas, in the fall of 2010. I had moved out of my soon-to-be-ex’s house. He helprd me make it thru an incredibly difficult recovery period – dealing w melanoma and a pending divorce. He is still to this day the only male, other than family members who has never let me down. He can sense when I’m hurt or sad, and tries to do what he can to make me happy.
    My 2nd dog, Rory, was adopted.in Mtarch 2013. She is goofy and always makes me laugh. She is a year and Bubbas is 4. Best puppies ever!
    Allyson

  223. Kristi Giles says:

    We have two fur babies Daisee & Lucee. Daisee found my husband Paul at our local convenience store & followed him to a house he was working in. When the end of the day came Paul couldn’t stand the thought of leaving this poor girl so he brought her home. I was dealing with the death of my grandmother & believe Daisee was the cure to my depression. She is a corgen (corgi/golden) with the sweetest disposition. Three years later when Daisee’s feline buddy, Darcee (my grandmother’s cat whom we adopted when she passed) died unexpectedly Daisee was very lonely. We had lost our 3 felines all within a years time so the house had become very quiet. Into our hearts came Lucee from a shelter that was at a PetSmart adoption day. I fell in love immediately & brought Paul by later to see her. She had a brother Paul hated leaving but we had to draw the line somewhere! Lucee is the yang to Daisee’s ying! She is 95% jack Russell with a lil lab and bulldog mixed in. Plus she is a hermaphodite…born w male & female parts, spayed & neutered! Lucee loves cuddling with Daisee and Daisee has come to tolerate it, like a big brother tolerates a lil sister (I know!). They are best playmates & take care of each other. They bring joy, comedy, love & chaos to this otherwise quiet life we lead. Definitely have changed our lives!

  224. Dee Hayes says:

    First, I want to say Congratulations on your newest member of your family! Joy is bursting out of my heart for Your family and the ahh-mazing outcome finding Buddy has show us all….Now, to my story of Cleo. I was mourning the loss of my 14 year old Cocker Spaniel “Charlie”, who has passed away May 15th 2012. He had been my constant companion through a very tough time in my life. The unconditional Love that I received from him was a priceless gift that I will never forget. He was so special to me I couldn’t bear the idea of replacing him too soon! I told myself I would wait to get another dog for a year, so I could travel and not have the responsibility and worry that goes along with being a parent to a four legged child. I am single and never had the gift of having my own children…Well darn if every night I would come home to an empty house and look at Dog Rescue websites looking for my next furry friend. I would cry myself to sleep missing my boy and wondering if I could possible wait a whole year before bringing in a pet that needs a good loving home….So two months to the day of Charlie’s crossing over I saw a notice from the San Diego Humane Society that they were putting 60 plus dogs up for adoption the next morning. These dogs were part of a Pet Store Sting bust and been kept at the SDHS for the past three months. Finally, the courts had formally charged the man responsible for animal neglect and that put the Dogs in the ownership of the SDHS. Well, in my mind I was going to go find and adopt another Cocker spaniel because every Pet Store that I had ever been in always had them…I prayed on my there to unite me with my next companion. I was in a full sweat worried I would do the wrong thing and regret it after word. I got there and took a number because it was first come, first to pick. I was #72 :/ and I thought OK, I am here and I will see how this plays out I got chance to see the dogs that where ready to find their new home. The look in the eyes of these pets just broke my heart. The tears streamed down my face uncontrollably! The folks there must have thought I was a nut. I didn’t not see any Cockers and my heart sank a bit…Just when I was ready to give up, I made eye contact with Cleo! πŸ™‚ <3 She is an Akita! yikes…not a cocker by any means. I loved her instantly and whispered in her ear that I would love to be her Mom if she thought she would want that! After, being at the shelter for what seems to be hours, I asked one of the volunteers what number where they on? She said 26…Oh boy this would be a long day of waiting and possible heart break at the end. So, I left and went home. Crying the whole way and talking to Charlie and asked him to guide me. If Cleo was to come home with me.. so be it! My phone rang about 45 minutes after returning home. I was trolling the Cocker Spaniel rescue web sites with tears streaming down my eyes. I answered and the gal asked if I was still there, replied no, she said well if you want to come back you will be first to pick and they still had lots of dogs to adopt out. I headed back, walked in and the gal helping said "we still have the female Akita, if that is a dog you could handle" My heart jumped and I just couldn't believe it! Because Akita's are a very strong willed breed and are on the high risk. I had to meet with a animal trainer/behaviorist to determine if I could handle this dog or not! I am not a timid women and have always had a special connection to animals. I knew I could take care of her, but i had to prove myself to them. I was nervous, but just sat down on the floor and they brought Cleo in. She was so scared and I could tell nervous as well. Pretty quickly, she came to me and laid down next to me, put her paw on my lap and started to lick my hands and feet. The Trainer said with a big smile I think you found your next dog! I just say…she is a love bug and so so sweet! Everyone loves Cleo and she loves everyone. I know this was a bit long of a story… Cleo was and is worth it. Thank you Kris for always sharing your soul with us! You a so inspiring and full of light! Namaste Sweet lovely lady!!! And YAHOO for Buddy's recovery!!!

  225. Alissa says:

    I have two rescued dogs sleeping beside me right now. After many years of the “ski bum”/raft guide seasonal lifestyle, I settled in one place and decided it was finally time to adopt a dog. Saphira (formerly Hannah) was surrendered to a high-kill shelter in southern CA because she was pregnant. Many groups in UT drive to CA to bring dogs to other shelters where they’ll have a better chance of being adopted. We adopted her the same day her last puppy was adopted and she has brought nothing but happiness and joy! I go back and forth wanting to hug or shake the people/person who surrendered her because I can’t imagine not having her in my life. Two years later, we decided it was time to start fostering and helping more animals get out of the shelter. Our foster was Princess, an 8 year old pit bull who was hit by a car before being surrendered to the shelter and sweet as can be! After several adoption events and realizing many people’s disinterest in senior dogs, we realized she was where she needed to live out the rest of her years. Elder dogs are such great companions: they love to cuddle, are grateful for short walks, and are incredibly eager to please after who knows what kind of life they had before. Thank you, Kris, for saving Lola and bringing awareness back in Crazy Sexy Diet and for all you’re doing with Buddy. So many shelter dogs will benefit from your advocating for adoption.

  226. Ashley L says:

    My husband and I had just recently lost our cat to a bladder disorder. He was our first baby so we took it pretty hard. I always love going to the shelter and just looking. It wasn’t even 2 weeks after we put our cat down that I couldn’t take the loneliness so we decided to just go and “look”! Well my husband fell in love with a little female Russian Blue. We took her to the quiet room and played. It was a done deal but I didn’t feel quite ready for a new kitten so we left. Not an hour later we went back and adopted her. We named her Milla (pronounced Mee-Lah) Blue, named after the actress Milla Jovovich and Blue for Ruasian Blue. We always say we are so happy that we saved her, but in reality she saved us!

  227. Candy W says:

    My son is an only child and we thought having a dog would be great company. We went to our local SPCA and adopted a black lab mix. He was found on the side of the road in New Jersey so they named him Jersey. He was shy and afraid at first but soon came to trust us. I am not the animal lover of my family ( we always joke with my mother that we wanted to be reincarnated as one of her animals because she loved them so!) BUT THIS DOG STOLE MY HEART!! Sadly we had to put Jersey down 3 years ago after 13 wonderful loving years. Our son now 21 and at college thinks it is time again to make a trip to the SPCA. Something we plan to do after the holidays. Thank you for helping us remember that wonderful experience!

  228. Allison says:

    We rescued our German shepherd mix 11 years ago when he was about 3 months old. He was picked up by animal control in a small town near us dragging a rope collar behind him. His owners refused to pay the fine for not having him registered so left him for animal control to take care of. The town would not take him to the local Humane Society because he had nipped at some kids who were hitting him with a stick and decided to euthanize him. Luckily my mother had heard his story and told us. We immediately decided that we would take him. We named him Chance and he has been such a wonderful companion. So sweet with our children, other dog and two cats. I cannot imagine our lives without him.

  229. Wendy says:

    My boyfriend and I decided we wanted to add some life and joy to our apartment and decided to adopt a cat. We went to the ASPCA in our neighborhood, and looked at all the lovely furry souls, even played with a few, but weren’t sure if we were connecting with any of them in particular.

    When we walked into the final kitty habitat, though, an amazing thing happened. A sizable tuxedo cat flumped down in front of me bearing his belly and looking at me from his upside down head. As I scratched him, he stretched out further and luxuriated in the lovin’. I said to my boyfriend “I think we found him!”

    “Not so fast,” he says. I look and see that he is crouched in front of an even bigger tabby cat, rolling on his back and purring as my beau scritched and scratched his little head.

    Oh no. Now what? We’d only considered having one cat. But we had each instantly fallen in love with 2 cats. We asked the ASPCA volunteer about each of these furry boys. Turns out they were a bonded pair, and could only be taken together. And the beauty of the ASPCA is that they only charge the adoption fee for one of the cats to make it easier for people (like us) to decide to take both boys home. Which we did. Two loves for the price of one!

    30lbs of cat later we have much more life and joy in the apartment than we even first imagined. YAY!

  230. Nicole says:

    Well, it’s not really an adoption story, but my own rescue. Over the years, animals generally find me, and I always help them whether they are wild or domestic…. But this one I found. I grew up on a farm when I was younger and I played outside almost everyday. One spring, I was quadding around and had the urge to stop at an abandoned chicken coup. When I walked in, all I heard were faint little meows of a barely 10 day old kitten with his eyes still closed. When I found him, I quickly put him in my shirt to keep him warm and safe. His tiny little claws scratched me as he looked for food, any food. I quickly rode the quad home knowing that I was going to hand feed this kitten. Once I came in, we (my mother and I) started trying to feed him… He was sooo hungry it was very difficult. But then, the most amazing part happened. Our own cat had recently given birth, she heard his meows and came to the kitchen. She immediately layer down and we placed him with her. She knew he wasn’t his, but she adopted him, and my baby kitty was part of our family. He was ours for 18 years… That’s impressive on a farm, but all six of our kitties lived at least that long. And whenever we would take him to the vets, they were always surprised at how gentle and loving he was, they would always nick name him ‘baby’… Because he was, my baby!

  231. Lenore Feeney says:

    We live in an area where people hunt deer with dogs like your Buddy. Over the years we have adopted several emaciated walker hounds that were left behind. They are the most endearing, loving dogs we’ve ever encountered. Our last living walker hound is Joe, and Joe has been with us for ten years. Watch out though, they’re excellent at scaling all fences to go hunting. After spending many all nighters wandering through the cane fields looking for Joe with flashlights, we finally had to put a special collar on him that buzzes him (it doesn’t hurt) if he tries to cross the fence, and he doesn’t go too close to the fence anymore.

  232. Ali says:

    We adopted our second dog Sammy, a Yorkie/Lhasa Apso cross, from a rescue organization just one year ago. The rescue organization had gotten him out of a kill shelter, where he was destined to be put down for being aggressive. I think the fact that he was little and cute was the only thing enabled him to keep being given second chances. After bouncing around several foster homes, we agreed to adopt him. I don’t know what went on in this little guy’s life previously, but he wouldn’t leave his food dish, for fear you’d take it from him, and he would flinch if you raised a foot near him or brought out the broom. Well, one year later, he’s a cuddly little muffin who has calmed down like you wouldn’t believe. The year has definitely not been easy (I have the bite marks on my hand to prove it!) but he’s taught me a great deal about patience and persistence (lessons I truly need in my life right now as I’m dealing with physical health problems) and our two dogs have been the brightest part of many of my days. Our first dog was not at all keen on having Sammy around to begin with – he needed his space! But we soon realized that the separation anxiety he used to have when we left the house completely disappeared. And now they cuddle up together on the couch all the time. Rescuing has really been a blessing for our whole family.

  233. Tami S. says:

    My little guy came into my life quite unexpectedly. I had just a few months before said good-bye to my sweet dog of 17 years and didn’t think I could do that again. So, I decided to foster and volunteer at the local rescue. Well, you know how that goes. I took my little energetic spunky guy home and brought him to adoption events. When someone showed interest in adopting him I realized I couldn’t let him go. We’d already bonded and I felt I could provide a better home for him, so 2 years later it feels like it was meant to be. He’s the joy of my life!

  234. Amy says:

    Nearly 12 years ago, when I was a teenager and still living at home with my mother, I witnessed a cat fight between two cats in front of our house. It was scary to see and I chased the cats off to separate them. A few days later, I was surprised when I went out onto our fenced-in patio to see one of the cats from the cat fight, a small black cat, asleep on one of our chairs. She eyed me up and ran off, and I noticed how skinny and rough she looked. We had never been allowed pets in our home growing up, but I always had a very soft spot for animals. I left some food and water outside in case she came back, which she did within hours. Over the course of the next few weeks, I continued to feed her and she began to trust me little by little, as she stopped by at the same time every day. Eventually she set up shop in our patio, and was there during most of every day. She would run over to visit when I came outside, sitting in my lap and purring up a storm. I spent many hours outside with her, cuddling and chatting with her. We lived near Chicago, and the winter months were fast approaching. I was worried about “Kitty”, as I called her. My mother has told me in no uncertain terms that I would not be bringing this cat inside, so I had better not name her, to keep myself from getting too attached. I built her a little cat house out of wood, waterproofed it, and filled it with blankets to give her shelter and help keep her warm. She stayed in there 24/7 throughout the beginning of a particularly frigid winter. Eventually, other neighborhood cats began to catch on, and during a particularly bad snow storm, I watched helplessly as Kitty had to defend her little house from another big stray cat. It was the final straw for me, and even my mother couldn’t stand to see her struggle and agreed to give her a chance. I opened the door and called for her. She ran right inside, and she has been mine ever since. I took her to the vet, cleaned her up, and we started our new adventure together. Kitty is perfectly happy to be a spoiled, indoor cat, and even now, twelve years later, she doesn’t like to go outside. I think she knows she’s got it good! And I know I do too. There is nothing quite like the love of an animal.

  235. Growing up, we had house full of animals. 3 dogs, 3 cats, a rabbit, two parakeets, a snake, 7 parrots, hamsters and fish. Early on, my mom instilled the love all things in both my brother and I. We’d put out cat food for the stray cats. And I will never forget the look on my father’s face when I brought home a stray doberman. My mom called me the “Animal Whisperer”. Animals loved me. And I, them.

    But, I never considered adopting. I confess, right after I got married, my husband and I bought a Chocolate Lab from a Pet store. But, several years ago, my attitude towards pet stores and adopting changed.

    Our local animal shelter needed an extra set of hands on the weekends. Cleaning kennels, walking dogs, and as I would soon discover, walking dogs to the back of the shelter where they would be loaded up into a van an taken to the Vet’s office to be put to sleep. Some days, I would see 5 or 6 dogs and cats taken away. Nothing wrong with them, they just took up space. It broke my heart. If I could, I’d have taken them all home.

    One afternoon, a mix breed dog came in. The owners were surrendering her . They said they just didn’t want her any more, and they had decided that they weren’t dog people. I could see the look of disdain on the animal control officers face as he handed over the paperwork. He handed me the leash and told me to take him to an empty kennel. 7 days past, no one wanted this dog. Each day, people would come to look at the animals, sometimes taking a dog home. This dog would sit at her kennel door, her eyes sad. On the 8th day, it was time to send her to the vet. Her time was up. She was medically sound, but was about to be killed because her owners just “weren’t dog people.” As I loaded her onto the van, I broke down in tears. I told the driver to wait and I called my husband. He knows me. He knows that I have this desire to save every animal I can. And, thankfully, he understood my desire that day. In 15 minutes, he was at the shelter with my wallet and the adoption fee. We adopted Hazel two years ago. She has become a huge part of my family. She loves my children and other animals. (and like my husband, accepts the numerous strays that come to live here briefly while on their way to their fur-ever home).

    Had I not spent my weekends in that shelter, I never would have met Hazel. Nor would I have gotten into rescue. I volunteer with several different organizations in the area, hold food and toy drives, and open my home to strays and shelter animals who need a safe place while on their way to their fur ever home.

  236. Annette Pelc says:

    hi kris,
    I love to see people that are involved with a healthly way of eating and nourishing the body and mind . We love our dogs as well we have 2Great Prynees . Rosco el magnifico ,Guinevere of the birch . Well stay healthy and keep doing great work to inspire people . I am waiting for a free book from you …:). Love Nettie Pelc . I am a Certified raw food chef .got certified from Cousins in Chicago il , 8 yrs ago . I do host some gatherings to help people see a better way . Well just stopped in to say hi ….

  237. Helen says:

    Blue and Riley are the two best dogs you will ever meet. We have 25 acres of land just 15 minutes from the city and they both just showed up there (seperately) while I was in highschool. In all likelihood they were dumped there. Both were males, muts and about 6 months old. Riley came first and admittedly we hesitated to take him in. We decided we would try to find a home for him but it soon became clear that Smiley Riley belonged with us. He was afraid to come into the house at first (we lured him in with bacon) and he has been the most loyal dog ever since. Blue came to us about a year later and this time there was no question what to do with our blue tongued, part chow new friend. That is after my mom rushed him to the vet because she was sure a blue tongue meant he was near death (he was just fine). Blue now follows my mom around all day and if anyone is standing still he takes that opportunity to sit on your feet or nuzzle you knees. He likes to be touching someone at all times. So Riley, part german shepard we think, gaurds the house and Blue keeps our feet warm. We have also placed two other dogs that have found their way to our farm, one with our cousins and one with our old neighbors and I can tell you from experience… there is no dog like a rescue dog!

  238. Marlene says:

    I have three rescued cats and two rescued dogs at home. Most noteworthy are the stories of my Luna, she was recovered by police in a house drug raid at eight weeks old with a broken leg and cracked pelvis due to an untreated pit bull attack. She spent two months in a cast but is now three years old and thriving, although she is suspicious of people and dogs she doesn’t know. And the next noteworthy rescue is my little Jasper. The reincarnation of my canine soul mate Jack the beagle who passed away four years ago. After I adopted Luna I was financially and time constrained so I vowed no more adoptions. But then Jack came to me in a dream and when I reached for him he shrunk down to a tiny body. A week later a puppy that looked just like that tiny form from my dream was at the local SPCA. The name Jasper had been running around my mind since my dream and when I met him for the first time the shelter worker that handed him to me said, “his name was something different when he came in but I’ve been calling him Jasper”. I cried as soon as I saw him because I knew it was my sweet friend that had come through time and space to go around with me again. Thank you Universe for this gift. xo

  239. Isabelle Laroche says:

    First, sorry for my english, i’m french : ) My first dog died sudenly of cancer in august 2009. The emptyness he left sufucated me. 2 weeks later, i adopted my Zack (border collie) he was 3 month old. When we got im, he was scared of everything… Parked cars, furniture, doors, everything. We think he never got out of a cage for is fist 3 months. At 9 month, we got im fixed, at the same time, we asked the vet to check is hips cause he was limping. Bad news, he as severe hips displasia. We where prepared to operate him, but our vet said to reenforce his muscle firt. So we did some hydrotherapy in winter, wen to the lake in summer, gave im supplements. Today, he’s a healthy dog, physicaly and psychologicaly. We worked a lot with im to clear is fears. It’s always a work in progress, but he never keep suprising me. He’s my hero, makes me laught everyday, and we will do everything to keep im happy and healthy.

  240. Kim Burns says:

    Beautifully written Kris! So happy to see Buddy’s progress! I am in the process of fostering a Chocolate Lab who is recuperating from being hit by a car. I’m hoping to meet her in a few days! As you said, I have enough to handle with one pup and a teenager, but now that I’m working from home most of the time, it’s a great opportunity to help a sweet wounded soul. Thanks for bringing attention to adopting homeless animals in such a lovely way! Happy Thanksgiving!

  241. Whitney says:

    Your story makes me want to adopt another! My first dog is a Boxer, Apollo. I didn’t pay for him or technically adopt him, but I feel like I rescued him from this family I nannied for because they had no clue how to care for a litter of pups! Poor Apollo got bitten by a snake and had Demadex at only a few weeks old! He’s 5 now. We got our second dog, Ramsey- a Transylvanian Hound, from a shelter in January. When we first met him at the shelter, he was so scared. We didn’t have that moment of a connection like most people have when they pick out a dog. But there was no way we could meet this dog and then turn him away because of how his past has affected him. The energy between Apollo and Ramsey is what let us know it was the right decision. This poor guy was either abused and/or not exposed to anything that a house pet is exposed to. It took him several weeks to not hide under the deck or the kitchen table. Eye contact scared him. He learned so much from Apollo- like using stairs, playing with a ball.. everything! He still has some social issues but he will go up to strangers now and make eye contact. We spent the first month or so with feelings of frustration, sadness, and still a deep love to help this fur baby be successful in the world. Caring for a pup with behavioral issues like these is not easy with a deployed fiance and a full-time job, but it is so worth it when I see him now as a very playful, cuddly, and loving dog! It was the best decision we’ve made πŸ™‚

  242. Riti says:

    Dear Kris,

    One year ago we wanted to have a pet. Our daughters received two sweet kittens from a kind woman farmer when we were in holidays, but unfortunately we couldn’t keep them because of our house’s landlord. She forbidded us to take them home. So, the kids were so sad that we wanted to find fur friends for them! We searched in advertisement journal for Guinea pigs. A young man had rescued two brothers from the former owner that didn’t care about them. And he couldn’t keep them anymore (he had two rabbits, a dog and a cat at that moment). So we decided to adopt them instead to buy baby ones. We had already names for the kittens: “Bisou & MonchΓ©ri” (by the way they were French), we couldn’t name the new boys like that, so they are “BOMBO & MAMBO” :). It was not so easy at the beginning, they were afraid and quite shy but now they get well. Bombo will be operated next week because of a tumor, but I think he’ll fine soon! Thanks for sharing this kind of stories! πŸ™‚ such a good idea!

  243. Ali Cherniak says:

    Hi Kris,

    I spent 6 months in India volunteering at an orphanage. Toward the end of my stay, I came a across an abandoned new born puppy smaller than my hand. He still had his dried up umbilical cord attached, but no family in sight. I got feeding tubes from the orphanage medical clinic and raw goats milk from the goat farm, and started to feed him. This amazing creature came to life. Never having any experience with hand raising puppies, I learned as I went and trusted my instincts. I made a story about my dog Kaalan and our journey here: http://www.backspac.es/r/z9pQnNAC0Z/my-pet-mushroom, please check it out!

    It warms my heart to see you doing something similar with Buddy. I am really enjoying following his recovery! Sending you and your pups lots and lots of love.

    Ali

  244. Sharon Nelson says:

    Many years ago, my hubby brought home a beautiful, apricot Cocker Spaniel. Someone dumped her in the corn fields. It looked like she was used for breeding. She was our sweet, sweet Sandi. She is no longer with us. We lost her earlier this year to cancer. It was very hard on me and my three girls (15, 14, 8), especially my youngest who had always been with Sandi. Our latest adoption story is about my Laila, our lovable, faithful, but unsociable dog.

    My 14 yr old daughter (which inherited my love of animals) and I were volunteering at the humane shelter in town. As we signed in, there was a note on the board to make sure and visit kennel N12. Hmmmm. We went straight to N12 to see this eight month, miniature yellow lab (mixed with Beagle) sleeping on a cot next to a huge care bear that was bigger than her. Her eyes told us she was scared. Her papers didn’t have any info on the family that previously had her. The new note said she needed lots of love and attention. So, we took her for a walk/run, fed her treats and just sat in the grass with her as she tried to lick us the whole time.

    My daughter has always wanted a lab, but our house was too small so I had this brilliant idea. This was the perfect opportunity to get a mini yellow lab! What could go wrong? She loved us. I asked my hubby and he wasn’t too hip on the idea since he thought we volunteered at the shelter in order to adopt (not true!), but he gave his blessing. The very next day I took my other two daughters and we all met in the socializing room to make sure she got along with all of my girls. She loved us all!!!! She walked through the halls with no problems and was actually scared of the other dogs barking at her from behind the kennels. So, we adopted her. We had to wait for the paperwork to go through so we went shopping next door for her new items (collar, leash, bedding, brush and food) and named her Laila.

    The car ride went well. We brought her home and she loved her bed. This was a piece of cake! She did well with our three cats. They showed her right away who was boss and she learned quickly. I wasn’t actually sure what the problem was and why she was at the kennel. Who wouldn’t love this beautiful and loving dog? Well, we soon found out. My hubby walked in from work and low and behold, she attacked him! She had this howl of a bark (Beagle bark), stayed next to us as her hair stood on end and nipped at my hubby’s legs to keep him away. He wasn’t very happy. Not happy at all. He told me to take the dog back and he was adamant about it. I told him how well she did with the girls and to give her time to acclimate to her new surroundings, but he said, no. I immediately called the shelter and talked to the director. She told me to bring Laila to have one of the volunteer men work with her. When I took her back there, she was like a Jekyll and Hyde! She had this hideous howl and bark and hated everyone there. He worked with her for a while, but it didn’t help. The director told me that she was just scared (it wasn’t aggression) so she suggested my hubby be the only one to feed her for a week and for him to work with her (getting down at level and speak in a loving tone). I told her he won’t do those things. I’m the animal lover here! He just tolerates them. My hubby gave me until Monday to take her back (it was the weekend). She loved us so much, but she really did not like my hubby and continued to try to nip him when he got too close to us. Somehow, she developed this sense that we were her pack and we needed protecting.

    I couldn’t abandon her. I just couldn’t. He again said, no! So I pleaded, argued, pleaded and then argued again the whole weekend. By the second day, I couldn’t help it. I started to cry and told him I wasn’t taking her back and I stormed outside. Boy, it felt like that argument that whole weekend was the start of World War III and for a dog! After much emotion and discussion, I got to keep her! My hubby ended up feeding her for four days and Laila learned to trust and love him.

    I wish I could say there was a perfect ending. There was a happy ending, but not a perfect one. It’s been two years and she still loves us and only one other person in our family, my oldest daughter. She worked with Laila, gave her treats and played fetch with her (Laila’s favorite game). It’s been a challenge when I have friends over since it takes time for Laila to bond. We also have to make sure she’s on a leash outside since she still likes to run and bark and keep people away. I just found a workaround Laila’s personality. She’s a sweetheart, loves my girls, loves to play fetch and actually, really loves my husband, but just doesn’t like other people! She’s still my sweet, loving Laila and she’s part of our family.

  245. Christina says:

    Last summer during a long weekend when most people are away we had a tornado storm. Coming a couple miles close, there was no major damage, in the cleanup a new friend found us. What we thought was about a year old retriever had made our yard its home. Calm, collected, and just wanting cuddles we thought maybe he ran away in the storm. He looked well taken care of except no collar or identifying tattoo. Since it was a weekend and everything was closed we were happy to take care of him, he seemed to make immediate friends with our hyper 5 year old sheppard. Thinking he was so well taken care of him someone must be missing him we called the local pound and gave a description and told them we would be happy to keep him and take care of him till then. Unfortunately due to law the moment we called they had to come pick him up. This trusting little man was being taken away and it broke our hearts to know he would be put in a kennel till someone came for him, when he had obviously picked us to keep him safe. We felt like we were betraying him. We stayed in contact with the pound and after 5 days he was sent to the SPCA, no one had come looking for him. Again we were told he had to stay there for two weeks in case someone claimed him and he went up on their website. We watched everyday hoping his family would come to find him. At the end they called and said he would be going up for adoption. With no questions asked we said we would take him in, with lots of farm land to run and already playmates, there was no hesitation. This little man now named Dax had picked our place to refuge we felt it was only the right choice to honor that.

  246. Jill says:

    Our adopted babies have brought only joy and love into our lives. We adopted Cody ten years ago, and he has been such a blessing. It wasn’t until I wrote a thank you note to the shelter letting them know of his progress that we found out that he was considered unadoptable. My note was published in the monthly newsletter as proof that a difficult dog can be a success story. We worked through his separation anxiety and wandering ways with patience. He has since learned to welcome two kitties into the family. Though moving, children leaving for college and divorce, he has remained a constant source of love, calm and peace. My heart swells with joy knowing that your family has this same kind of blessing. I know Buddy thanks you and will every day, forever.

  247. Pam says:

    I have been blessed with 9 cats in my life (not all at the same time!) and they have all been rescues. Some were from rescue organizations, one from the pound, one found on the street, a couple from people giving away litters at the market. No matter where they’re from, I so believe that rescued animals are so special. They show their gratitude by giving unconditional love.

  248. Marion says:

    I am a firm believer that our furry children come into our lives to teach us lessons. Here’s my story. The daughter of a friend of mine called me one night out of the blue. A friend of hers had picked adopted a black puppy when he was, let’s just say, a bit drunk. He still lived at home with his mom and she told him that the puppy could not stay and had to be brought back. The ride home for this puppy was three hours away. The young woman knew I had just said goodbye to my furry child about four months earlier and that is way she called me. Would I be interested in taking this little puppy into my home. I jumped into my car and drove over to her house. The puppy was adorable, but he was black. Why was that an issue for me? I had been severely attacked by a black dog which traumatized me. I was always nervous around black dogs. One look at this little puppy and the look on the young man’s face, I knew, this little puppy would end up on the side of the road somehwere. I took him. He was so small, he fit into my hand and his eyes were open but you could tell he couldn’t really see images clearly. I worked for a large company and knew I could find this little guy a home. Well, after just a week with him, he found his forever home – with us.

    We named him Kola, which means “friend.” Kola helped me overcome my fear of black dogs and brought so much love, joy, and happiness to our lives. He crossed the Rainbow Bridge, but we continue to bring furry children into our lives. We curently have a rescued mixed breed that we adopted from a kill shelter in South Carolina and have brought my mother’s little dog into our pack as she could longer care for him. Our lives have been so enriched with our furry kids and we are thankful to share their lives and have them in our lives.

    Congratulations to Buddy for finding his path to you, and to you and your family for the love and nurturing you have given Buddy. Enjoy the love, adventures and joy!

  249. Ali says:

    Volunteering at your local animal shelter is a great way to give back to the community and help your furry friends. Shelters in your area may desperate for humans to help, so I highly recommend inquiring as it will be the best decision you’ll ever make β€” the rewards are plentiful!

    – Ali

  250. Tracie B. says:

    I had a similar experience almost exactly a year ago! I had always had cats growing up – but for the past five years or so our house had been animal free. One Sunday morning, we saw an article about a local animal shelter doing a “Black Cat Friday” and featured in the article was this beautiful tuxedo cat, with this little stripe down her nose, named Chelsea. She had been brought into the shelter, as a 7 week old kitten, in 2008 and had lived her entire life in the shelter. Reading the story brought tears to my eyes – no animal should have to spend their entire life in a shelter – no matter how good that shelter may be. We ran down the next day and I absolutely feel in love with her.

    Since she had been in the shelter for so long, it took her a little longer than normal to adjust but I worked with her, every night, for over a month and slowly but surely, she became more and more confident. Now, almost a year later, I’m so proud of how far she’s come. She is one of the sweetest cats that I’ve ever had the privilege of loving and being loved by.

    A couple of months after I adopted Chelsea, I started volunteering at the shelter. They had done such an amazing job of taking care of her for all those years, that I wanted to do the same to help other cats. Shortly after, this little scared cat was brought in and I felt an instant bond with her – her name was Callie. A few months later, someone came in and wanted to adopt her out into a barn and I fought for her because I knew that she deserved a happy, loving home – she was no barn cat. During the process, I got a few grey hairs but in May of last year, my little Callie came home with me and now her and Chelsea are the best of friends.

    You don’t realize how much joy an animal brings into a house until you’ve gone so long without one. The light and love they bring into the household – it’s just the most amazing feeling – and I’m a strong believer that shelter pets are some of the most loving animals that you’ll ever have. Some of them have been through so much, yet they still find it within themselves to share their unconditional love.

  251. Kassie says:

    I was not a dog person. I thought they were smelly, loud & too licky. Then we adopted Stitch (my husband travels & I needed something to keep me company). I fell in LOVE with that little dog! (we think he is a min pin mix) I now accept kisses all over my face, we cuddle, I plan my weekends around when I can take him to the park! After we had him for a year, we decided he needed a sister. We found Lilo at the same shelter we adopted Stitch from. She is the perfect addition to our family. She’s been a little more work (we think she had a rough time while on the streets) But it’s been wonderful to see her open up and begin to trust us. She is the perfect little sister to Stitch, steals his toys, then licks his face with love. My husband will just laugh at me and remind of the time when I said I wasn’t a dog person. In the summer I get up at 6am so they can play at the park before it gets hot (we live in Phx). My two little furbabies have really changed my life. It’s amazing how much love you can have for an animal, and the happiness they bring to your life.

  252. Holly Harris says:

    I have adopted 3 dogs in my adult life. Right now we have an 11-year-ish old corgi mix we rescued after our 14-year-old dog died from cancer. After we lost our dog, I went to the local shelter to drop off some food and supplies we had. I saw a 10-year-old dog there who looked so sad and resembled the dog we had lost. At that time I had a 3-year-old and 5-year-old and was thinking I shouldn’t take on a dog. But this guy was 10 years old, I thought, how much work could he be? Turned out he was a very energetic dog who wanted to play ball all the time and he also was a fearful biter who had obviously been abused in his life. I was devastated thinking we’d have to return him, but with training he has become the sweetest dog in the world. We got a friend for him a year later, a mom rescued from a puppy mill. He is so sweet to her and they love to play together. I work from home also and these 2 are my constant companions now that both of my kids are in school. I love to adopt, especially older dogs.

  253. Vicki Henson says:

    Buddy truly is a lucky dog. And thank you for adopting a rescue dog Kris. I too have a rescue dog named Molly. Molly was found wondering the roads with her hair long and matted. She even had a sucker stuck in her fur. They people that found her tried to find her owners but her collar just said Molly and no owners name. I was the super lucky one that adopted her and she has been the blessing in my life. I have had Molly for almost three years now and she is the best dog ever. I really think rescue dogs know how special they are and they love the owners that rescued them so much. I know my Molly does. She shows me every day.

  254. Priscilla says:

    Jake was adopted almost 14 years ago. He is my best friend. He has seen me through my father and mother’s passing. My children growing up and leaving home. It just wouldn’t be home with out him. He brings an energy to our home that wouldn’t be there without him. Thanks for letting me share, Pris

  255. Jennie says:

    When I was just out of high school I adopted a dog. His name was Honey. He was a cute cuddly, mixed breed and was adorable. Almost like a border collie, shepherd golden retriever type mix. Really super cute, regardless. He slept with one of my cats, which was like the icing on the cake for me. My cat Hobbes and he became quick best friends, it was true happiness. Honey was one of those sweet, grateful loving dogs that deserved a good life. No matter what was going on as soon as he saw me he would just get so happy. Nothing compares to that warm fuzzy feeling he exuded. I swear he knew it was me who rescued him. He was the best dog ever, rest his precious soul. Because of Honey, I have adopted and encourage others to adopt as well.

  256. Erin says:

    Almost 3 years ago, my sister nephew and I went to a no-kill shelter with the idea to each adopt a cat. There were hundreds of cats in this shelter and being among them was overwhelming. how could you ever pick one when they ALL need a home? I stepped outside the “cat room” feeling defeated. Walking through aisle of caged cats one glanced up and looked me in the eye. A lovely tabby with bright green eyes. I asked to hold her and she settled in to my chest still looking up at me. I said, “This one” and brought her home. She has never let me hold her like that again! But every morning she curls in to my side resting her head in my hand and purrs so loudly it still makes me tear up. She’s my girl.

  257. Jenny says:

    I adopted my sweet Siren 7 months ago. She came from a house with 150 dogs in a basement. We quickly became fast friends, and I think we found each other really. She has taught me so much, and I can’t imagine my life without her ( even when she helps herself to my morning oatmeal).

  258. Sandi D says:

    Congrats on your new fur baby!!! It’s unimaginable to me who could do this to an animal. My daughter is a vet tech and one day a man brought in a little kitten who had “fallen” into a bucket of motor oil. He wanted to know what to use to clean it because he had more at home who also had “fallen”. The techs cleaned up the kitten but were suspicious, as it was very young (maybe 4-5 weeks at best). How could it “fall” into a bucket when it could barely walk? They ended up going to the man’s house and picking up the entire litter (7 total). They were able to clean them all up and my daughter brought one home to recuperate. Well that was 17+ years ago, and Bandit is still with us! He has been a very loving joy in our lives, and I can’t imagine life without him in it. I truly believe that he knew we saved him and he was grateful to be with a loving family. He’s an old man now, but our 2 other rescue kitties (age 3) know & respect him enough to let him be king of the house. πŸ˜€ All the best to you and your family, Kris!!

  259. I also have a Buddy! Named after a sick squirrel we found repeatedly running into the posts of our neighbors fence. Buddy the squirrel had a huge abscess on his neck. He was very sick and disoriented. We took him to a wildlife rehab but sadly they were not able to save him. A few weeks later I was photographing dogs at a shelter named Found. Buddy the Chihuahua arrived after being found in an alley next to a dumpster in Chicago. It was late November so very cold outside. She was in heat, dirty, had long curled nails, a mouth full of rotten teeth, one bad leg and a heart condition! They estimated her to be 10 to 13 years old. I immediately offered to foster her. Needless to say, I’m the one who ended up adopting her! She now lives happily with my two Boston Terriers, two cats and my boyfriends lab! We LOVE our Buddy!!!

  260. Sue says:

    Lucky Buddy! I love animals also .I recently took in two more furry friends, with the passing away of my daughter in August, bringing my total to 6. Nicole was never able to have children,” Cuddles” and ”TeddyBear” were her babies. They have all adjusted very well!

  261. Faith says:

    Our doggie rescue has also been a spiritual journey and one that has provided so many benefits to not only Ginger, our second fur child, but to our whole family. We had been considering a second dog but we’re not sure how Princess (name says it all) would like a companion. Through a series of “coincideneces” I received an email about a dog in foster care that needed a permanent home right away. The dog, Ginger, had 4 owners in just as many years with its most recent long-term owner being disabled in a car accidentand unable to care for her. Ginger was reported to be very skiddish, shy and afraid of people . We went out in the middle of terrible snow storm to meet her and she immediately came to us tail wagging and jumped up to greet us. We then had her come for a home visit and she and Princess became great friends – she had found a new home. The previous owner was so relieved to know Ginger had found a true “forever” home. Ginger is truly now the dog she was created to be – lively, friendly, trusting and a great family member.

  262. Cindy Allen says:

    My dear friend adopted a l9 month old Yorkie-Poo from a family in crisis. She named her Shakti…she is a little energy ball! That first few days were challenging, but they bonded & started their life together…then she found out her sister was gravely ill…her cancer was winning this time, so she had to go. I have 2 rescues myself Chewie & Olivia, 14 & 9 yrs. old. We have Shakti with us now for however long it turns out to be. My guys are teaching her manners…establishing boundaries & she’s getting it…she’s a smart puppy! To me dogs are pure love…everytime I leave the house & return it’s Christmas morning! Yay!@ You’re home! We missed you SO much! 5 minutes or 5 hours. Glad you shared your story & boy did Buddy hit the jackpot…looks like you all did.

  263. Jacqui Holzworth says:

    I adopted a sweet but quirky beagle named Belle 5 years ago. Our Miss Belle was rescued from a kill shelter on the west side of Michigan and traveled hundreds of miles across the state to a foster home. I learned of the degree that animal rescue missions go to save these animals. They loaded up the dogs that were to be killed that day and our sweet Belle (who was only 1 1/2 at the time) was one of them. The rescue mission then finds foster homes for these dogs until they are adopted. Truly a labor of love and one that I will forever be grateful for.
    Miss Belle’s foster mom had a lot of beagles and when my daughter’s and I walked in to her home, Miss Belle stole our heart. We had to go through an interview process and we passed with flying colors and we brought this beagle home to our at the time, all girl home. I was a single mom with two young daughters and we brought in the 3rd sister! The foster didn’t know a lot about Belle but knew there was some abuse issues in her past. She was very friendly to women upon first greeting but is very fearful of men. Funny thing is that once she gets to know and trust men she really loves them and knows how to work her powers on them! She has my husband wrapped around her finger (lots of treats and affection!) We have learned to work with Belle and her trust issues. It is clear to us that she was beaten and probably by a man since she is so fearful. She has had some “issues” and some people told us that we should get rid of her but I couldn’t give up on this 23 lbs of beautiful beagle spunk. For a long time we could not pick her up because she didn’t trust us. In time we were able to do so, although she’s not super happy about it!! It took a long time for her to truly trust us but now there is so much unconditional love that our hearts swell with it. To think that someone could hurt this trusting pup breaks my heart. We did not give up on Belle, and just like you, we showered her with love and affection and she is a beautiful loving dog that all people who meet her love. When we are gone for 5 minutes – she cries when we return and is so excited to see us. True puppy bliss just to see us. Is there any better gratitude than that? I couldn’t and didn’t give up on that sweet dog and she thanks me for that on a daily basis. She has brought so much love and laughter to our home and has truly been a blessing. She is treated like a princess and I am grateful for the love and compassion that she has brought to our house!

  264. Just as Buddy has been blessed with entering your life he has also been a huge blessing to you. It is such a miracle how our animal friends have an impact on us and support us in our personal growth. This unconditional love bond is amazing in teaching and guiding us to be the best person we can be when we are open for transformation. My daughter adopted a lizard when he became “useless” after a science unit in school. It is amazing to see how she has stepped up to take ownership and responsibility for her new friend. I see new kindness and compassion blossoming in her as she tries to find her place in this world.

  265. Teresa Mehok says:

    Several years ago, I stood peering out my bedroom one rainy day. I was looking at the opossum walking along a street. As this opossum approached closer to my window, I noticed, it wasn’t a opossum, it was a dog! This poor dog was so matted, I couldn’t see the eyes or if it was a male or female. It waddled as it walked, it was so matted. I ran and got some dog food and she walked into our home. I already had a dog and living in an apartment I couldn’t have two dogs. I just needed to help out this dog in any way I could. I called the groomers and told her what I found. She said “bring the dog in”. While driving she sat up on the front seat, like she’d belonged to me forever.
    The groomer said, “I don’t know what you have, but it will take about 3-4 hours to clean the dog up”. After 3 hours of working on HER, the groomers said she’s ready for pick-up. When I got there, the groomer “said, you won’t believe what you have!” I was so excited to see how she looked. She was a beautiful miniature poodle all white, except for her ears. She had one black ear and one white ear but, when you flipped them up they were opposites, one white and one black. So unusual was she. When I took her home she could jump waste high on me, she was a happy girl. knowing I couldn’t keep her I turned to Pet Finders. I called and reported what she was and that evening a lady and little girl picked her up and took her home.
    Volunteer your time, read a book to a child, talk to the elderly at nursing homes, and help a animal.

  266. Kirsten MM says:

    I have a cat (Flatley) who lost her brother and so I wanted to get her another boy (she’s not so keen on females) for company and so I went to our local cats’ rescue centre looking for an older male to take home. However, the older males I saw seemed too boisterous for my elderly Flatley and the lady at the rescue centre said “come upstairs and I’ll show you a little secret – I shouldn’t be showing anyone these yet as they’re only 4 weeks old”. That was it, there were six kittens: one black and white ball of fur (male), 4 tabby and white balls of fur and an all black shorthair (all female). I immediately got my name down for the male and named him Xavier and he’s been the best, softest, innocent, playful, MASSIVE, yet gentle, perfect companion for Flatley. All of the other kittens soon had people claiming them with the exception of the black (seemingly, runt) shorthair of the litter. I said if no-one had ‘claimed’ her when I went to pick up Xavier at eight weeks, I would take her. Hence, Phantom is part of my brood now also. I visited Xavier and Phantom during those four to eight weeks before I could take them home and on one of my visits I met a tortoiseshell who was caged. Apparently, she had been abused by some children and also hit by a car and had part of her leg/bone removed (at the top of her right thigh) and had to stay in the cage for weeks. The lady at the rescue centre let me get her out and she purred her head off and basically told me she was mine. The lady at the rescue centre certainly saw me coming as I said I’d take her too! India (as she became known) is a total nut job (it’s like all those weeks in the cage made her psychotic (but in a good way!)) and she’s the most energetic of the bunch and so loving and hilarious. You wouldn’t know she was hit by a car until you see her sit down and she sticks her right leg out in front of her – adorable. My mother was very ill with a brain tumour when I got this bunch and brought them home to Flatley (who has accepted the females brilliantly too) and, sadly, my mother is no longer with us, but my puddies bring me such joy and so much laughter that I know I made the right decision, even though four are more hard work than two and I can’t afford all organic fruit and veg ‘cos of the cost of their ‘must be above 70% meat’ diet!) but I wouldn’t change a thing! They keep me sane, laughing, and up and I’m thankful for them every day.

  267. AnnMarie says:

    I am loving this story and seeing him get healthy warms my heart.

    I have not adopted a dog yet! But our family recently started to foster dogs for Tailwaggers 911, in WI. Yesterday, we got our second dog! Our first one found a forever home last week, just in time for another transport of dogs this week. Both of our foster dogs were brought to WI from GA. I just don’t understand how people can just throw them away!

    Keep mending Buddy!

  268. Toni says:

    My story starts 14 years ago in Guam. I adopted Daisy from GAIN- the local shelter back then. I was transplanted to Guam with my husband’s (at the time) job with the coast guard. He was headed off island for training and I wanted a companion. She was full of worms and barely 4 lbs. After good nourishment, lots of snuggles, and a wonderful vet, she have me 14 years of wonderful companionship. She was my constant through the wonderful and the not-so-lovely. I just lost Daisy last month and as I am nursing my own broken heart I am so filled with gratitude that a tiny pup who grew into 56 lbs of pure love chose me for her doggy mama. Love and appreciation to all those who adopt a pet.

  269. Julie says:

    Gatsby came into my life within a couple of months after my ex husband and I separated and a few weeks after my beloved 6 year old Malamute quickly died from cancer, (a week from diagnosis). I was struggling with loss and so were my children. During this challenging time I had to focus on helping this beautiful red dog deal with his anxieties as he helped me deal with mine. After 2 years he is my constant companion, we are rarely not in the same room, bathroom included! My only regret is that my beloved Majik never got to meet him. We were looking for a second dog before Majik became sick, but that wasn’t the Universe’s plan….The plan was healing the family. And that is exactly what happened…..
    We are currently considering adding another furry friend to our family, we could all share a little more love…….
    If you are feeling the pull on your heart to welcome a furry friend into your life, adopting will heal your world and the world of someone in need too!

  270. Viviane says:

    A few months back after a long day at work I was on my way home in an industrial area in Puerto Rico commonly known as “El Cinco”. After a short left turn I noticed a “Puertorrican terrier” a name given to a mix race dog in the island; he was asking for help….I mean he could barely walk yet he was making his way to people. He had various infected wounds and kept bleeding with every step he took.

    At this point I felt so bad that I started crying, you see this dog wasn’t a regular cute mix race dog he was definitely half pit-bull, which intimidated me so much I was afraid to help him. I didn’t know what to do, he was medium size and I am 5’2″ with an SUV. I started thinking that if I picked him up he could bite me.
    My mind went immediately to my fear zone…. yep FEAR ZONE that exclusive space in my mind dedicated to commemorate my fears… and in this case one in particular; a few years back I was bitten by my dog maybe because he ran out the night before and he was dehydrated or maybe because I touched him in a wounded area after a night of party… the point is that from that moment on I’ve kept small dogs and even a cat and this half pit-bill did not fit in any of the previous categories. To make matters even worse I didn’t have enough money to take him to the vet.

    After a few desperate moments with the help of a few people in the street we picked him up and put him in my SUV, took him to the vet and left him there for observation and care for the wounds. I named him CINCO after the area that I found him, this also means 5 in Spanish. The next day I received a call from the vet’s office telling me that he had to be operated, since he had a broken leg in addition to the other wounds…I immediately accepted but had no idea of how I was going to pay for CINCO’s hospital bills. Then I received a call from one of the ladies that helped me put him in the car and though she didn’t have money, she and I contacted a few rescue groups, friends, family and strangers in order to have them call the doctor and make a donation. We used a slogan “Cinco para Cinco” ($5 for Five).

    After many vet visits to Cinco, an operation and many donations we raised the money and even found him a foster home, that two months later became a permanent home for him. He now lives happy and I must admit that my fear of pit-bulls is almost gone.

  271. Leslie says:

    A yr ago last August Otis the golden doodle blessed our lives. He was 4 1/2 and had been taken to a rescue for the 4th time. His problem is terrible allergies and he sneezes and snot flies everywhere. Well we say: “what’s a little snot among family members?” He has blessed our lives more than you can imagine and his ailment keeps me on track to better health for our whole family. I am determined to find a homeopathic cure for our sweet boy as well as keeping him on a healthy diet. And we thank you Kris- for sharing your story and helping so many find the path to health by using food as medicine! Oh, and it helps to find doctors and vets who agree with going the homeopathic way! God bless your family and especially Buddy!

  272. Sabine says:

    We decided to adopt a second dog from our local shelter. Apparently I am not good at identifying pregnant dogs (lol) and came home with a beautiful 3 year old husky/border collie girl named Dutchie. Dutchie was surrendered to the shelter as the owners couldn’t handle any more dogs (maybe that was a hint?) I took Dutchie for her check up 4 days after we adopted her as I was a little concerned of how quickly she was putting on weight….
    The vet pronounced her young and strong and due in 7 to 10 days…huh???
    Along came 7 puppies….the best surprise ever! We found homes for 6 of the darlings and kept one little girl named Bella….the tiny duplicate of Dutchie. We love them…they are the light of our lives. I would highly recommend taking a chance on love…you just never know.

  273. Charlene Vidal says:

    What a lovely story. I have adopted a few dogs in the past that have now gone on to doggie heaven due to old age. I currently have one fur-baby named Chiquita (Chihuahua) and she keeps me company at home as I am recovering from thyroid cancer. After I had surgery, I could not keep her out of bed with me. She watched over me day and night and still does. She seems to sense what is going on. She has quieted down quite a bit and seems to know when I am having a not so great day and to lay quiet. She is a good listener and a loyal companion my little Chiquita.

  274. Evie says:

    I actually have a not-so-nice fostering/adoption story. Our family fostered a kitty who, when she came to us was half-starved and her fur was shaved due to excessive mats. We loved her and nursed her back to health. After a few weeks I noticed she kept gaining weight and was, in fact, pregnant and looking for a place to have her babies. I called the humane society to tell them about this and told them I would care for the kittens, and they wanted me to take her to their vet to get checked out. The next day when I picked her up I had to sign a release understanding the risks of a late term abortion. I had no idea they were going to take the babies. Our kitty was never the same, and neither were we. We haven’t fostered any animals since then because it was such a trauma for my family. I agree with the mission of fostering and adoption programs. But don’t always agree with their methods of population control.

  275. Debbie Turner says:

    I first saw Buddy on Instagram and having two shelter dogs of my own it touched me. I was going through a tough time in my personal life and feeling really down when I first saw this. Then day by day Buddy began to get brighter and stronger and I realized how grateful he was. It is in the giving and helping others that we grow stronger. This sick weak dog was a reflection of how I was feeing on the inside. Day by day, post by post I began to climb out of this depression. Buddy, you gave me strength and help me heal too. Thanks!

  276. Rebecca says:

    My little 3 pound dog, Mia, and I were minding our own lives when another sweet little 3 pounder got adopted by our neighbor. The old owners had neglected her so badly that her vet needs were urgent and costly. The neighbor could not afford to keep her. How could I say no? Sugar, the super spastic but amazingly sweet, little bundle joined our family. She is now bouncing, running, her coat looks great and she only has a few more surgeries to go. We love her.

  277. Lisa Cannon says:

    I love your Buddy story! We’ve taken in 6 strays (so far) over the years (2 dogs and 4 cats). Three of them were in bad shape when found. Our beloved cocker spaniel was found wandering the parking lot of our office early in the morning 5 days before Christmas when it was just 2 degrees outside! Several of us worked together and finally surrounded this very scared and half frozen dog (the snow was sticking to his long fur and then freezing). I scooped him up, wrapping him in my coat and drove him home. We put ads out, posted signs, checked with local vet offices, to no avail. He officially became part of our family. We named him (St.) Nicholas. He had a gigantic personality, the happiest dog I’ve ever been around. We were so blessed to have him in our lives for 7 1/2 wonderful years. Thanks for sharing Buddy with us.

  278. Katy G says:

    We have 3 fur baby’s. My husband and I when we meet each brought a dog with us. He had a beagle mix named Cougarand I had just a straight up mutt named Emma , both were adoptions. After marriage we owned enough land we adopted again from a local rescue and brought a big love into our life by the name of Hudson, a HUGE german shephard with a HUGE heart. They all loved each other. Sadly we lost our sweet Emma last new years eve after she had a long battle with melanoma. Hudson and Cougar were still together though and both around 9. About a month ago we decided to bring another sweet girl Ms. Stella Gaffney. She is 5 and when we meet her she had the sweetest eyes and both our dogs loved her. She is a glorious brindle who has to have greyhound or something fast in her as she loves to dash around her 4 acres of land with her new brother and sister. They all say #gobuddygo! I love our rescue animals they are simply the best.

  279. Brittany says:

    We got our lil’ baby, Bailey a year and a half ago. She was covered in ticks- like i would guess 50 +. It was pitiful. My husband and I spent quite some time trying to coax the sweet little puppy to hold still while we removed these guys one by one. Luckily she was in good health otherwise!
    We got Bailey right when my dad was having surgery to remove a cancerous lobe of his lung. Let me just say, growing up my dad made himself out to never want an animal, ever. ( crazy). But when he got home and was recovering from surgery, he asked if he could keep Bailey with him while my husband and I were at class, work, etc. I thought it was a great idea since it’s always great to have company around when you’re going through such an emotional and physically trying time. Needless to say, Bailey helped him recover, keep him in good spirits, and now they’ve become inseparable buddies. She’s so smart and can anticipate every feeling or emotion we have, and knows what to do to brighten our lives!

  280. Andrea says:

    I wasn’t looking for love when I found Frank — or rather, he found me. The man I was dating at the time was driving down a desolate stretch of Southern highway and saw what he thought was a possum by the side of the road. Upon closer inspection, he discovered a badly neglected dachshund: a hairless scab-riddled emaciated mess of a dog with several missing teeth. The dog jumped into my former boyfriend’s car, but wouldn’t let anyone remove him from the vehicle but me. I was in no place to adopt a dog, nor was I planning on it. At the time I was a financially challenged graduate student who was just emerging from a serious bout of clinical depression. When I took that little dachshund to the veterinarian, I thought for sure that I was taking him on a drive of mercy, that the pup was too far gone to recover. It was, in hindsight, pretty much how I felt about myself. But under the scabs and the mess was a determined little dog who fought his way back to health — and in taking care of Frank, I found myself recovering too. Frank went on to live a long and happy life with me and my family (my Dad came to love Frank just as much as I did). Boyfriends came and went, and we moved several times during our life together, but for eight years Frank was my constant companion. He has since inspired my work with rescue dogs, and my writings about them. Now I live with two young adopted dogs: Sadie, a lab/golden mix (who was adopted from a local family), and Lola, a dachshund/terrier mix (who was rescued from a high-kill shelter). I have never once regretted opening my heart to an animal in need. Their capacity for love and compassion and play is endless, and I am so grateful for the reminder to embody those qualities in my own life. Thanks for sharing your story, Kris!

  281. Debbie says:

    I adopted a lab mix puppy. I wasn’t planning on it just went in to look! There was a litter of pups in a little fence in the middle of the floor and this one was standing up on hind links, head cocked yipping away to get my attention. I reached down and picked her up and she snuggled into my shoulder, sighed and went to sleep. That was it I fell in love. I found out these puppies had been brought in from a farm that morning and were going to be put down because they had no more room in the shelter.. They put them in the middle in the little pen in hopes they would be adopted out. I have had my baby for six years and she has become my best friend and companion. Her sheer joy for life, devotion to my family and total love is all I could ask for!

  282. Rebecca says:

    I’m happy that Buddy found you and your huge open heart. He will have a wonderful life now. Several years ago when I was living in the city I noticed a cat high up in one of the trees on the edge of my lot. It was a very tall tree, and the kitty was not going anywhere – under obvious stress. She was crying and very afraid. After watching her for several hours I came to the realization that the situation wasn’t going to get any better, so I enlisted the help of a friend of mine who brought over a tall ladder and climbed up that tree and rescued her. She was very grateful for that! I named her Alice and she has been my best friend ever since that day.

  283. Shereen Quraeshi says:

    Our family is a ‘foster family’ for our local SPCA. We do this because it gives these abandoned – not ‘fit’ / ready to be adopted fur people the time and space to recover. There is no question in my mind that if we could all slow our lives down …. just dial it back a bit and consciously love an animal in need, it enriches ours lives, our health and our families beyond what we realize.

    There are numerous ‘scientific studies’ on how sitting and stroking your dog or cat decreases stress, lowers blood pressure, improves mood, etc… No matter how busy your life is, our pets give more to us when all they need is love and a couple of nice walks a day. How does it get any better than that?

    As a parent, one in a 10 year high conflict divorce, I wish that children could receive the love, the compassion, the kindness and the ease of living that you have shown and shared with Buddy.

    Buddy you are welcome in our home any day! With gratitude

  284. Your story bring tears of joy and warms my heart.
    And thank you so much for bringing attention to animals who need so much love, good care and a forever home. It breaks my heart thinking of all those animals mistreated, abandoned, left to die…

    This is a refuge in the Ottawa region http://www.refugerr.org/ I like to support and help get the word on their work (or I should say Rose’s work ’cause she’s doing so much on her own.) Rose rescues horses that have been beaten, abandoned and left to die and she nurses them back to life. The refuge is not just for horses though; she has about a hundred animals she has rescued.

    Namaste and thank you for your generosity and kindness Kris!
    Love and warm hugs to Buddy (and your family)
    XO

  285. Cindy says:

    Awww so thankfiul that buddy found a family like you!!! We have always rescued dogs and right now we have Allie who is 18 months old. The rescue fostered her mum and found out there would be 5 puppies in there! lol Our other rescue dog had passed and we were no not for a while… well that was August and Oct she was ours!! My daugther had rescued a purebred boxer who is a doll and she went on to rescue Allies sister… so my girl can go down to play with her sister fairly often.
    I can’t fathom people that abuse or just neglect their animals, don’t get them, or give them away something don’t toss them. The rescue we got Allie from has just recused puppies from the garbage..
    Just in case anyone is reading from my area… here you go some awesome rescues that need homes. So thankful for families like yours and also for you and your awesome blogs and cookbooks!!!
    https://www.facebook.com/CoolDogRescue/app_190322544333196#!/CoolDogRescue?fref=ts

  286. Jane says:

    Buddy broke the ice as I have never emailed anyone I follow, but have sent silent thoughts to all that have touched my life. Tears rolled down as I read about “Buddy.” He’s warm now with a full belly and most of all he’s loved. He never gave up!

  287. Rose says:

    Hi Kris
    I’m so moved by your beautiful friendship with Buddy, and how you’ve inspired so many of us to be a part of his healing journey, sending love and prayers. I wish you and your adopted family love and happiness together.

    I think you would enjoy the book ‘a street cat named Bob’, I wonder if you know of it? It’s the true story of a homeless guy here in the UK who was befriended by a bedraggled, injured cat. He instantly falls for the cat, and by taking care of him, learns to take care of himself, coming off heroin and building a new life for both of them. It’s an inspiring and beautiful story and has captured people’s hearts here in the Uk.

  288. maria says:

    Kris, I’m so happy and thankful you took this boy into your home.
    I adopted my little jack russell early this year and he’s been the biggest source of love (and fitness!) in my routine.
    I feel such despair when I hear about what humans can do to animals, any gesture to improve their situation is an act of kindness and repair.
    Thanks again,
    M.

  289. Heather says:

    The rescue of our dog Tara wasn’t elaborate or heart-wrenching. My then-new husband of two months and I simply drove to a nearby rescue and picked up my present – the beautiful 16-month pup we chose from their website. But that scruffy skinny stray would become a massive part of our lives.

    Our beautiful Tara (who turned out to be a Rhodesian Ridgeback, not a lab as the rescue billed her) would see me through the trials of living over 1,000 miles away from my family. She bonded us as a couple as we trained her and fell deeply in love. She became my only “child” when the doctors said we would never have two-legged children.

    Four years later we would radically switch careers, building a doggie daycare and boarding facility in her name (www.tarasplace.net). Tara was my therapy dog as we actually did have a baby – one with special needs and when 2 years later I was diagnosed with MS.

    This past summer we lost our beautiful girl. She had become injured during an uncharacteristic spree of wandering and unbeknownst to us it caused irreversible damage. I don’t know how to end this, as I’m crying too hard but I can say that the lessons that one β€œyellow lab” brought me were life-changing and I know Tara will always be with us.

    God Bless you and your precious furbabies, Kris.

  290. Kelly Luna says:

    Around the first part of summer, we had a cat show up on our back porch. There are a few wondering cats in the neighborhood, but this was a new guy. He was big but still technically a kitten, we guessed between 6 and 8 months. We already had three cats and they happen to be picky eaters (spoiled!) so we always had plenty of food we could put out for the new guy. He wouldn’t let us near him, but would come around almost every day. We sit still while he’d eat to get him used to us, and then magically one day, he let me touch him and he warmed up to us from there out. We gave him a name (Floyd) and always kept an eye out for him. His coat got soft and shiny, he filled out and he’d crawl into my lap and fall asleep. We knew we were going to keep him, so we got him to the vet, got him fixed and immunized and now he lives inside with us. He’s adorable and loving – I can’t imagine NOT taking him in.

    All of our other cats are strays or abandoned as well, one left in a friend’s yard, (lost her this summer after 17 years), one brought over by a neighbor (12 years ago), and the other two rescued from outside of a CVS where they were dumped (4 years ago).

    It breaks my heart seeing Buddy in the before pics. I’m so glad he found you.

  291. Shirley says:

    We have two adopted fur members. Tika. Adopted 14 years ago from the Humane Society. She was sitting quietly in her cell with her face leaning up against the door and her big eyes saying ‘take me home, please’…she is the sweetest dog eva!! Amazing with kids she’s a human in a dogs body. Gentle, sweet, caring….love her to bits. Our second rescue, Sam. He’s a different story. He’s a character. You can view lots of photos of him on my blog, shirleybittner.blogspot.com. He’s now 6. He’s a rescue from Iqaluit at 2 months old. I can’t imagine not having a fur friend in my life. Love them both so much.

  292. Crissy says:

    My cat, Franny, had been abandoned at a gas station, when I found her. She was a tiny little thing – only 1 pound, and she had a lot of health problems. I wasn’t sure I wanted the responsibility at first, but I’m glad I took that leap. She’s been my girl for a little over 3 years now. I just love her.

  293. Christine McKenna says:

    When I lived in Himalayan India, dogs adopted me. Many westerners train dogs and abandon them when they leave. These darlings were mostly housebroken and some would try to give me their paw when they wanted food. It started with a puppy, helpless and ill. The others would see a dog (later dogs) being fed and cared-for and wanted in on that. I was able to place the puppy with a retreat center in the area before leaving; she is well cared-for; when queried, some people coming from that center say she is spoiled. The larger dogs loved to run with the dog pack at night, would be scratching at the door at 4 AM when they wanted to be home again. A very nice veterinarian from Vets Beyond Borders helped nurse the puppy back to health and made housecalls to give other dogs vaccinations. When I left, I gave the dogs’ beds and food to another American who was staying another year after me and was very good with them; we transitioned them, showing them their new apartment and playing with them and feeding them there before I left. They lined up as I was leaving, right along the path, to say good-bye. I hugged them and cried and had to tell myself over and over that I couldn’t stay in India just to look after these beautiful creatures; my aging parents needed me. Several years later, I still think of them and pray for their well-being, and smile when I recollect some of their antics.

    I would like to adopt a pet in the U.S. but have questions about what it would take to pet-proof my current home (I had much less clutter in India), what a vegan should feed her rescue, etc. Haven’t yet figured it out. Recommendations for resources?

  294. Denise says:

    In March of 1991 I was 6 months pregnant, my Dad was in the ICU, and my husband was building a house beside our local SPCA. One day before lunch he went for a walk by the fenced area over there and noticed a very skinny brown dog outside. He went over and started talking to him, and then fed him half his sandwich. A lady came out and started talking to my husband and told him that it was the brown dog’s last day, as they were very overcrowded. She told him the dogs name was Yeller. Needless to say my husband came home that night with brown dog in tow. I was ticked. We had two small children to feed on our small salaries, and one on the way. He took the dog back in our laundry room and washed him up. Brown dog was actually yellow! He renamed him Buddy, and the first thing that dog did was come out and looked me in the face, then gave me a sloppy kiss. That’s it, I was sold! Our Buddy we found out had been dumped as a pup, and our Vet said he was only about 6 months old. He grew up with our daughters, and was the best. dog. ever! We were lucky to have him with us for 15 1/2 years. He died in 2006, and is still missed every single day. After we mourned his loss for a few months we found ourselves back at the SPCA, where a black dog caught our eye. His name was Buddy. πŸ™‚
    We took that as a sign, and brought him home with us. Since there could be only 1 Buddy in our lives, we renamed him Remy.

  295. Betty Hargreaves says:

    About a year and a half ago I spoke with a few friends and said I was looking for a small puppy to keep me company while my husband was working (long distance driver). Our friend Sue found my special little guy in a local pet store and sent me pictures of him. I went that Friday night, in late January 2012 and purchased him from the pet store. The following morning I brought him to the vet to have him checked over. The vet advised he was dehydrated and had kennel cough. I purchsed the medicing to make him better. About two weeks later I took Riley to another vet, referred by friends who went there, and they discovered that he had hook worm. Hook worm, left untreated, will kill any animal within months. Again, I bought the medicine and made by furry little bundle better. Today, Riley is a happy, healthy, 6 lbs, Yorkiepoo who has bonded with me beyond words!

  296. Charisa says:

    My husband and I adopted a beautiful German Shepherd mix who had been rescued from an abusive life. When she came to live with us her teeth wore worn down in half, from chewing on the cage that imprisoned her, scared to death of any noise and even the wind. She was a great dog, full of personality, who we cherished until it was her time to go. Still miss her everyday. Buddy reminds me of our Daisy. Thanks for sharing your story and for the giveaway.

  297. bridget says:

    We have two rescue cats from our local humane society. Our orange-tabby-meets-puppy boy Wallace was returned twice b/c, well, he’s not what ppl want when they get a cat. He’s energetic, always curious, playful and smart-as-whip… This makes him a bit mischievious and relentless when he wants something (i.e. To play at 4am!) – it breaks my heart into a billion pieces when i think about him in a cage for over a year and how confused he must’ve have been to be returned twice. Well he has his forever home now. Our black beauty shady lady Lola’s back story is not known and she came to us in pretty good shape, actually. It wasn’t until we got her home we realized she has “feral-like fear aggression” – which means if she feels at all scared, she goes “feral” – there is no limit to what she’ll do when she is nervous. With a new baby on the way, it wasn’t looking good for Lola to be a fit for our family. Fast forward a couple months where I deliver our son at home – just as he was born Lola came running in and meowed (she’s normally silent and hiding somewhere) – it was cimpletely out of the realm of her personality to enter a room full of the chaos of a labor and birth; but from that moment she completely changed. She was loving, attentive, curious and would sit at my feet while i nursed. My son is two now and Lola puts up with a lot of crazy toddler behaviour thst only a committed cat-mama would. Lola has found het forever home with us.

  298. Elaine says:

    13 years ago while driving on a back road in Stamford, Ct. I spotted a paper bag that was moving! As we passed it, I yelled out to Tom, I think that bag was moving…Tom thought I was crazy but I would not let it go…I told him we needed to go back and check to make sure I was not seeing things.. Which happens sometime! After me pleading with Tom, we turned around. We pulled over and sure enough inside a brown paper bag were 2 sweet kittens. They were barely a few weeks old but someone dumped them! We immediately drove to Dr. David, our vet at the time. He was WONDERFUL! He was there when we had to say good bye to my sweet girl, Feebee only a few weeks prior. Feebee had one paw that was orange and one paw that was taupe. When I looked in the bag and saw that one was orange and one was taupe I said to Tom, right paw, left paw and he knew exactly what I was saying… They had worms and needed a lot of TLC. Tom and I fed them by hand and gave them their medicine. Fast forward to now…Fenway Park (after the Red Sox for Tom) and Shea Stadium ( after the Mets for me) are 13. They are the most precious things. They show unconditional love every minute and I know they are grateful for us saving their lives! They are our Furkids since we do not have children and we love them back every single day!

  299. Lisa says:

    We wanted to help friends one January about 4 years ago when they were going through a tough time. When they asked if we could take their dog, a four-year-old Jack Russell, we responded, “How ’bout we foster care her while you get your lives back in order?” She was a mess: shedding everywhere, submissive peeing, a raw spot on her leg that she incessantly gnawed, and hated her crate that they left her in for hours at a time! We took her to the vet for a check-up: “Devil-dog,” she said, “Foster Care,” we said; “Looks like you got yourself a dog,” she said; “Oh no, she’s just temporary,” we insisted. Six months went by and we knew from the great changes in her that she was here to stay. One by one, the family called and said we could keep her if she was doing well (we never asked for her). She sheds a lot less, but still more than I would like, she growls like a Tasmanian devil when she doesn’t want to get up after getting cozy, sneaks up on the bed to sleep between us at night, and she’s all ours! Couldn’t imagine life without her and her fun antics of playing hide-and-seek with her toys, or dropping balls at my feet all day (I work from home), in hopes that I will like one of them enough to play with her! So thankful for our adopted puppy!

  300. Ally says:

    I was living in Mexico, a place where dogs are treated to the equivalent of trash. It was heartbreaking for me. I wanted to rescue every dog, I saw so many of them starving, and I cried. Constantly. I decided that though I could not rescue them all, I could provide some sort of kindness. I went to Costco (yes, there’s Costco in Mexico) and bought a Costco-sized bag of dog food so that way, whenever I was driving around town and I saw a starving dog, I pulled over, and poured out a heap of food. It is literally the only thing I can do, because the crisis for dogs there is overwhelming.

    Well there was one little dog who was about 4 months old and she learned that I was the sucker around; that my love and food for dogs had no end. So she started coming by every morning and every evening for dinner. She was beautiful- one blue eye and one brown eye. She was so sweet. She let me pet her. I tried to have her come inside, but she would not. She was so fearful because of the way that people treat the street dogs there. The people in the neighborhood hated her because with the two different colored eyes, it was clear that she was not pure blooded, meaning she was “just a street dog.”

    Finally, I earned her trust to get her inside my house because I have an indoor courtyard and I thought she could run around or relax and just be safe. I wanted her to have a place that she could come in a storm, on the days of extreme heat, etc. I wanted to rescue her to live with me, but we already had two dogs and a rescue cat, and I thought that if I could give her shelter any time she wanted it and food, then that could be my part.

    Something that was cute about this dog was that she had these crazy ears. One was often sticking straight up while the other one did all sorts of silly movements. When I finally got her inside, I found out that her ear wasn’t sticking up because she was trying to hear, it was because she was infested with ticks and just could not put her ears down. At that moment, I knew that I had to rescue her. She was just a baby, just like 4 months old, and she was totally abandoned in this world. I sat down for one hour removing ever tick I could find. I brought her to the vet immediately, who continued to get ticks out of her ears. We bathed her, got her her shots. She was a little underweight but the vet said that with proper nutrition she would be 100% healthy.

    My husband and I named her “Estrella” which means “star” in Spanish, because she came into our lives and completely lit it up. Like you, I feared another baby would be too much, but it turns out that our hearts are so capable of so much love, even more than we think possible, and our lives are not burdened by adding another fur baby, rather they are expanded. We love our Estrella more than words can express. We LOVE her different colored eyes, her tenderness, and her playful nature. And she loves us with the purest heart that exists in this world with a gratitude that I think only a rescue dog can feel.

  301. Rose says:

    Meet my baby girl – A Spanish hunting dog. Badly abused and after she was of no more use she was dumped at a huge shelter with about 800 other dogs. And they were the lucky ones. All the others got either shot or dumped out of cars while still driving.

    Link to photo on facebook:
    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4473219718067&set=pb.1517143867.-2207520000.1384777741.&type=3&theater

    I adopted this hairy angel when she was about 7 years old. She was the love of my life. She opened my heart after it had been bleeding for a long long time. She was my angel – and I was hers. We have spend about 8 beautiful and loving years together. She passed away august 2012. And I still cry like a baby (as I do now) every now and again. But most of all I am so immensly grateful for the love, trust and wisdom this girl showed and teached me.

    I always choose dogs from shelters. Their lives depend on us. But don’t be fooled, because these dogs will give you back something so special. They are so aware of their situation and because of that so dedicated and grateful for you to adopt them and love them. It goes very very deep.

    Rightnow I have one more spanish cutie and we just fostered another until she found a great home for the rest of her live.

    If you want to experience true uncodonditional love go for a shelter dog! They are all angels waiting for our eyes and hearts to open.

  302. 6 years ago I was a volunteer at an animal shelter, working with dogs deemed unadoptable. My husband and I were finally ready to open our hearts to a new dog after the death of our beloved first dog.
    We thought perhaps around 6 months old- 50/60 lbs….
    Then in came Bear, a 100lb 18 month shepard that was just scared. His previous two owners had not been there for him. He ws locked in a room then tied outside all the time. He was very barky and deemed aggressive, then he was set for euthanizing.
    We fostered him as he was sick and he took our hearts and we decided he could not be put down. It has been a labour of love. Three years ago a friend told us he needed a job. We got into K9 search and rescue and now the dog I was told would never be able to walk down the street without reacting is nationally certified in trailing. He finds lost people and has expanded our life in wonderfully outrageous ways!
    Adopting can completely open your heart πŸ™‚

  303. brandy pena says:

    Three months ago, my son and I went to the local shelter, Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA). It was a hot summer day in August and the poor animals were looking really withered in the heat. There was one white pit bull named Yellow that was jumping up and running around to get our attention. He was adorable. WE immediately asked to spend time with this spunky 70 pound baby. After spending five minutes with him, we knew he was ours. The rest is history. He is part of our family and we love him to pieces!!! I hope to adopt adopt another soon…

  304. Shelly Hawes-Smith says:

    I believe that the animals we are meant to have will find their way into our lives so Buddy is right where he belongs.

    We have 3 dogs and 1 cat, all rescued. They all have a story but I’ll share Samwise’s story. Sam is half dalmatian, half border collie. He and his 12 siblings (11 boys and one girl) were thrown in the garbage by the man who owned their mom. At some point, he decided to call a local shelter and tell them where they were. They rescued the 3 week old puppies (the girl had died) and two foster families hand raised and bottle fed the 12 boys. The owner of the mom refused to turn her over or even have her spayed. Sam will be celebrating his 10th birthday next week. He has a few quirks in his personality that I think is due to him not having his mother around but I love him.

    Our 13.5 year old great dane/dutch shepherd, Ike was found wandering the streets with his brother and taken in as a stray.

    Our almost 2 year old Pit bull, Oliver was surrendered to the shelter with his 5 brothers when they were 8 weeks old.

    Our 12 year old cat, Bella ran into my husbands heart when he found her outside his work place one day. A tiny, underweight kitten.. he brought her home and she stayed.

  305. Our cat Twinkle crossed our life paths in November 2004. The day that my cousin had emergency surgery and we were all praying she would make it. While anxiously waiting by the phone my brother in law called, saying that he had found a little kitten in the woods on the army terrain he was stationed as a soldier. Could I take the kitten in? I guess with all the chaos of that day around me I thought: why not? If my cousin doesn’t make it then at least I can give this animal a chance to grow up. So we did….
    Fortunately my cousin survived the operation and is still here with us today. My kids named the kitten Twinkel and she was a miracle in disguise. Both my kids, now teens, are autistic, and my youngest, our daughter had trouble speaking at that time. She was almost 4 and mostly made noises instead of speaking words and understandable sentences. Within two weaks after Twinkel came into our lives she began to speak a lot better, it was amazing! In January 2005, when twinkel was at least 3 months old we adopted a little friend for her. Another 3-month old kitten we found in a cat adoption center. We called him Yuki. He had been beaten by his former owner and it took us weeks, even years to get him to trust people again. He’s a soft guy, always crawls onto my lap at night. Twinkel is a lady who knows what she wants and she will tell you πŸ˜‰ Together they are our blessings in furry disguise and I hope we will have lots of beautiful years with them ahead of us. Sometimes life puts a soul on your path in a way that you could have never imagined!

  306. Anna-Carin Rahm says:

    There was this icelandic horse (pony) that had been limping and the vet could not find what was wrong. He was the loveliest spirit one can imagine. The family who owned him would put him down, however they asked me if I wanted him, and I knew this little fellow a bit and I could not resist. I had to pay 300 SEK for the halter but got the horse for free. We spent some 10 lovely years together and we learned to play clickergames and a lot of other fun stuff.

    He could pull a cart despite his pains that had gone a bit better because of alternative treatments. I love him so much and once I said to a friend in the stable that if I could set him free I would. She told me about an Island where this opportunity is. He is still mine and I am responsible for him and pay for him but he lives in paradise. The closest to free as a horse can get in Sweden. The horses live in a pack and they walk vast beautiful land, in winter they are fed and they are looked after every day. The farm have a homepage and my horse has his own page there, it is: http://www.lenstad.nu/Grimnir.htm if you like to take a look.

    Thank you Kris and all animal-lovers for all you do to save animals from cruelty and neglect in this strange world.

  307. Lea says:

    Thanks for sharing, what a lovely story. I had to put down my dog in June this year and I still miss him a lot. I love people who love animals and give them all they deserve. Love, love and more love as they give us so much back πŸ™‚ keep us updatedt about your new love, please.

  308. Mary says:

    Love to see this – a wonderful dog saved and in a new loving home! Congratulations to you all!
    The Humane Society in my town of Longmont, CO, is facing hard times and may go into foreclosure if they cannot make their next building loan payment. It breaks my heart to think of the hundreds (and more) of dogs, cats, and other animals that won’t have a saving place if this happens. I have adopted 1 dog and 3 cats from the humane society and they are as much my family as the non-furry members! Love to see stories like this – Happy Home to you and your new Buddy!!

  309. Amy says:

    We have adopted two dogs and two cats. I was brought up out in the country where people seemed to think their unwanted animals could be dumped off and they would just survive. So I have been rescuing since childhood. And it is moving down a generation now as my daughter and her husband just rescued a darling little boy from the pound. they are the best animals.

  310. Janet Cameron says:

    We already had a cat and a full grown german shepherd so we were not looking for another pet. Was in getting food for my brood and happened by one of the windows that showed the dogs that had been rescued. Bailey was behind the glass and when she looked at me her eyes said please take me home! Her litter of puppies at 5 and a half months old had never been in a house and the only human contact they had was to be beaten and kicked, the man was taking them out to a field to shoot them.
    Bailey was the only pup with enough courage to come sit next to me although she was clearly afraid. It’s 4 years later, she is still afraid of men and children but always willing to oive them a chance. She is a wonderful dog and I am glad that we decided to take her home.

    • Anne Thompson says:

      Hi Janet,
      If you can find someone who knows advanced Psycke K, they may be able to alleviate Bailey’s fears altogether. It’s one of the ways to change subconscious processing through a simple process. I heard of a very frightened and sad horse that was transformed into a cooperative and happy horse in minutes.

    • Cynthia Cook says:

      I was supposed to be ‘just meeting’ a co-workers dog, Oliver.so I could watch him while she went out of town in a couple weeks….she called him from the front door and no show for minutes…then he came ,almost crawling on his belly,from what it looked to me fear….I KNEW RIGHT THEN AND THERE …he was going to be my new furry baby…7 years later..Oliver is laying by my feet..he is 15 years old now and THE BEST and most grateful guy..He was also afraid of EVERYBODY…I packed some treats in my pocket and we went to local pet store where I asked if they would give Oliver a treat..with ALOT of patience and treats…in 2 years time he started to make the initial greeting..”hey you, hi, where is the goods?’ Happy ending..

  311. Carolyn says:

    We too rescued a hound…who incidentally looks very very similar and was named “Buddy” upon his arrival to us. We have since named him “Jackson” and he has been in our home for two years now. Although he can be a nuisance at times (getting in to the garbage cans and nesting to a point of ripping blankets apart) we love him and we wouldn’t be the same family without him πŸ™‚ …

    Buddy is more than grateful for your love and care!

    Blessings to you!
    Carolyn

  312. Nancy A. says:

    That is such a sweet and wonderful story! Such a lucky dog! I cannot understand how people can just throw out an animal. It boggles the mind, I cannot ever imagine doing that to a beloved friend, and that is what they to us, part of the family. My cat was a cast off and roaming the neighborhood. When I found him he was thin and his fur was coarse like a porcupine. He took to me right away, I fed him and took him to the vet. They gave him his shots and an exam. He loves to eat and I think it is because he was without so long. He is a gorgeous little guy with soft fur and is a complete baby now. He is loved so much and I am so glad we found each other. It was the day before my birthday and I had just lost my dad a little before that. So, I feel like he was sent to me to help ease the pain of losing my dad.

  313. What you have done completely warms my heart Kris! What a lucky Buddy and I love how his presence in your lives has been a spiritual lesson! β™‘β™‘ We rescued our Border Collie, Maddie from the pound, and she too has been a blessing in our lives πŸ˜‰ Kudos to all who adopt and/or rescue our furry friends! β™‘β™‘

  314. Johanna says:

    8 years ago my husband was late on his way to the university, as he saw a black spot on the road under the cars… he stopped his car, got out and stopped the others that he could pick up the kitten that was lying on the road bleeding… he called a friend working at a vet’s office and took the kitten immediately to them. The vet checked her, fixed her broken leg and told to my husband: She will be ok. But you know that you brought her her, now she is yours. That’s how his story started with our cat, who gave him so much love since then… we love her.

  315. McKenzie says:

    Our sweet pirate dog, Barney, is featured on our website. We adopted him 2 years ago, and we are taking classes with him where we’re learning to be a therapy team so we can visit kids in the hospital and older folks in nursing homes. Spreading the Barney love!

  316. Kara says:

    Thank you, Kris, for sharing such a beautiful story! We became involved in fostering dogs (through Double Dog Rescue in Connecticut) just 2 months ago. We adopted our first foster in September and currently have our 2nd foster, who we adore!!

    We have been blessed by our experience with the many volunteers we have met in the rescue program–all coming together to give loving and safe homes to dogs waiting for their forever families.

    I also wanted to share a wonderful Kickstarter project for anyone who has rescued a dog and then wondered “who really rescued who?” A childrens’s book by a woman I met in Marie Forleo’s BSchool

    Blessings,
    Kara

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