Doe Deere Blogazine

Tales of the Unicorn Queen

Bideawee to the Rescue

Category Excursions

Last week Mark & I stopped by Bideawee, nation’s oldest no-kill shelter, to drop off our donation check. I’d like to thank all of you for helping us raise $1,214.63 for such wonderful cause! In turn, we got a tour of the facilities and got to ask any questions we liked.


Playing with a Bideawee kitty

The first thing that hits you is the kindness of everyone who works there. They truly love the animals and dedicate every minute of the day to socializing, feeding, and nurturing them back to health. Even kitties like Pear, who is paralyzed from waist down, are adored and cared for!

One thing I always wondered is how a rescue operates. Animals come from all sorts of places – some found on the streets, some brought in, but the majority are from the municipal shelters. Ending up in a municipal shelter is an equivalent of death row for an animal: unless adopted within a certain time period, they are put to sleep for good. Bideawee’s Shelter Manager checks the cages with the death-sentence white slips first, looking for animals that are suitable for adoption. Each animal is assessed by a specialist to make sure it’s not feral, aggressive or ill beyond help. Adoptability is the main priority. This must be the hardest job to do in the world to do, and I’m so grateful we have organizations like Bideawee to do it.


Look at that rack… of whiskers!

The animals are then taken into the Bideawee facility where they are given medical attention, cleaned, spayed/neutered and socialized. They are even micro-chipped – a scannable microscopic chip is inserted under the skin to identify the animal in case it’s lost or stolen and gets brought over to the vet/shelter. Once ready, animals become available for adoption. Kittens and puppies go first; adults are a harder sell. I asked what the advantages of adopting an adult animal were:

  • There will be no personality surprises – what you see is what you get.
  • You will know about any behavioral or health problems up-front.
  • The animal will already be potty-trained, neutered, etc.
  • Animals that are adopted as adults are more grateful to get a second chance – and you’ll feel better, too!

Because of the rigorous testing each animal undergoes, Bideawee has the lowest return rate in the country – over 90% of adopted animals stay adopted, compared to the average 70% in other shelters. Most pets are adopted within 32 days.

Of course, just like with any rescue, there are some sad stories. One kitty in recovery was a victim of animal abuse. She was burned, beaten and tied in a bag – and thrown into the trash. Luckily, someone walked by… and she made a noise. I was told that people who abuse women and children often start out abusing animals, to ‘practice’ on them. My heart broke a million times looking at that black cat in a funnel collar. The only thing that kept me from losing it was knowing that the abuse was in the past, she was in good hands and will have a chance for a happy life.


Here’s another one of this cutie, he licked my face!

As you know, one of my cats, Felix, came from a rescue in Canada. I found him on PetFinder and although he lived far away, it was love at first sight and we knew he had to join our family. I went on Craigslist‘s Rideshare section and found a girl who was driving down from Montreal to NYC and looking for a passenger. I paid her as if Felix was a person ($50) to transport him over, which she did – and the rest is history! Not a single day passes without us thinking how lucky we are to have him! Felix has his issues – fear of abandonment specifically, he is afraid of fast movements and loud noises. We may never know what he’s been through, we’re just happy to have our sweetheart in our lives.

If you’re in NY and looking to adopt a pet, Bideawee is the place to go – they have locations in Manhattan and on Long Island. They even offer doga classes! For everywhere else, petfinder.com is a great resource to find your perfect pet – this includes mutts and purebreds.

Deerlings: are you mommy/daddy to an adopted animal? Please share your story!

73 Responses to
“Bideawee to the Rescue”

  • kay says:

    If I were going to give a shelter $1,200+, I think I’d tour/ask questions *first*.

    Alison Reply:

    Doe mentioned previously that she was already familiar with Bideawee. They helped out her Puffy. Don’t worry, I am pretty sure she wasn’t donating blind! :)

  • Gillian says:

    Both of my family’s kitties are adopted.

    We got our older cat, Sheba, when she was 4 months old. Our cat, Laya, had just passed away after a happy and much-loved 18 years, and we were itching to get another cat. I had never had a kitten before, and Sheba was just about the cutest thing in the shelter.

    She’s 7 years old now. And while she’s not the friendliest cat (at least not to me – she LOVES my mom), she’s got a good, loving home.

    Our other cat, Leo, is also a shelter kitty. He was 3 months old when we got him. I had just failed my first driving test, so my mom and I went to the shelter to visit the kittens as a pick-me-up. My mom went nuts over this little orange kitten named Gunther (ew, right?) but someone else had claimed him. The woman at the shelter said the people who had claimed Gunther never came to pick him up, and if they didn’t do it by the end of the week, they would lose their claim.

    Sure enough, we got a phone call early that Friday, and Gunther was ours. I renamed him Leopold, and now he just goes by Leo. He’s 6 years old and the sweetest, pudgiest thing.

    http://img238.yfrog.com/img238/5578/f05p.jpg

    And they both love Christmas trees!

  • Hannah says:

    This is such a great blog! We currently have 7 dogs and a cat (and a lot of land, thank goodness). I always adopt. I have to, there are so many animals in need! I try to always spread the word to help out. I donate as much as I can as well and recently there was a puppy that had two shattered front legs from someone purposely harming her and the rescue needed to raise $4,000 for her to undergo surgery and rehab, they raised it all within one day! I was so happy, and am so grateful as well for rescues to do what they do. It just lets you know there are still nice people in the world. :)

  • Elena says:

    I’m so glad you wrote about this! I used to foster cats for a year when I was at school, and now I volunteer at my local shelter, though I hope to also start at one slightly farther away that needs more help, as well! As soon as I live in nyc again I’ll absolutely be here all the time! :))

  • Timidmongoose says:

    I adopted a 6 month old mini Xoloitzquintle (Mexican hairless- like a naked chihuahua) from a local animal rescue almost a year ago and it was the best decision I have ever made. Rufio grew up in a trailer with over 30 other dogs so he wasn’t used to a lot of affection, but that changed quickly, now all he wants to do is snuggle in a blanket on my lap, unless there are some suspicious looking squirrels in the yard then it’s adios lap, hola window. When I adopted him he was “fixed”, micro-chipped, and on his way to becoming potty-trained -they even gave me a month’s supply of food, I can’t recommend saving an animal enough! Its the best feeling in the world to be a part of something like this. I applaud Lime Crime for it’s support of such an important service!

  • Maggie says:

    My first cat, which I got as a 16th birthday present, we adopted from the pound basically. She was a kitten and had a cute little stubby tail. But she had all sorts of problems.

    I think she was sick with a cold when we got her. She was very nervous, frightened easily, didn’t sleep the first night, was stressed out, etc etc.

    She eventually calmed down, but she’s very clingy and a chatty catty. This probably comes from her breed. She’s not pure bred, but she’s got siamese/tonkinese in her somewhere.

    She’s also very overprotective of my family and told us about a fire in the back of the house once.

    I had to give her to my mom once I went to college, because my mother basically replaced me with her ha.

  • empress mess says:

    A sad but true story about the low percentage of adult kitty adoption :( A lot of black cats end up in the shelter b/c of their “bad luck” reputation too! At Halloween there’s black cat adoption programs, but other than that they often get overlooked just b/c of their colour :(

    Alison Reply:

    That is sad. I love black cats so much.

    Irish Reply:

    When I adopted our black cat Lucky, thats what the guy at the shelter was telling me. It’s so sad because he is the sweetest kitty ever!

    Louise Reply:

    That’s so ridiculous! Don’t worry, not everyone is like that! I love black cats, we adopted one in january and he’s soooo cute!

    Renee H Reply:

    There are actually some shelters that put a “hold” on black cat adoptions untill after haloween to deter folks who would pick them up just to abuse them. Sad…

    Irish Reply:

    That is really sad! Many years ago I was driving to work the day after Halloween around 7 in the morning and the was a decapitated kitty in the road. Still breaks my heart to think about it.

    Louise Reply:

    What? Really? That is so horrible I can’t even find a decent word to describe it… Who does that kind of thing?

  • Mar says:

    I am a mommy/sister to an adopted pound dog. She’s (as far as we know) a purebred Labrador retriever and the biggest sweetie ever. We think someone abused her, because she used to panic if you bent over her while she was lying down (as if you were going to hit her, maybe), and then abandoned her, because boy does she have separation anxiety. My theory is that someone drove her somewhere and then left her and drove away, because she seems especially freaked out about cars. :( She’s much calmer now. We got our pound baby to keep our other lab company when the latter was a puppy (we got her from a breeder). Anyway, our adopted dog is so much calmer and happier now. She’s a sweetheart and we wouldn’t part with her for the world, even my dad, who still pretends to be mad that my mom, my sister and I staged a mutiny and got more pets after our old dog died. So ha.

  • tokidoki says:

    That’s a great shelter!

    I have always adopted my pets. I would never get a pet from a breeder or pet store and I never stick to one type of animal breed. I currently have 2 black cats (sisters from same litter that I got from a shelter in my area) and a rabbit who I also adopted from a fmaily that couldn’t take care of her anymore. I plan on bonding my rabbit to another rabbit this fall and I will adopt the rabbit from Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue (http://www.rirabbits.org/) which is a rabbit rescue I volunteer at. I am educational volunteer which means I teach bunny owners or would be bunny owners the proper way to care for a rabbit (from my experience many bun owners are not taking care of them the proper way). The rabbit rescue is also the House Rabbit Society RI headquarters (www.rabbit.org/). It’s also the only rabbit rescue in the state. Sweet Binks only takes rabbits from shelters (most shelters don’t have proper supplies or space for caring for a rabbit) not individuals who are looking to give one up. The rescue is usually full to capacity (50-60 buns) especially after Easter (right now there is a waiting list…buns need to be adopted out before they can take more from local shelters). What makes Sweet Binks amazing is the shelter is a no kill shelter and all rabbits that are adopted out are spayed/neutered and litter box trained. And if you want to bond your rabbit to a rescue rabbit (you can’t just put two rabbits together…they will fight) you bring your rabbit to the rescue and your bun goes on bunny dates. You basically let your rabbit pick their bond mate. Cute huh?

    To me nothing is more rewarding them volunteering at an animal shelter. I’ve done it my whole life. It’s always great to donate money but it’s a MILLION TIMES more rewarding to volunteer and spend actual time with the animals or promote their mission at educational & fund-raising events. My future goal is to own my own animal rescue. Animals & animal rights are my passion in life and I already have a lot of non-profit job experience so hopefully my dream will become reality real soon.

  • Ayanna Kafi says:

    Before I start I want you to know that I am not a dog person. I actually dislike dogs. I had one when I was a toddler and decided then that dogs were not my thing. By the time I was 5, I had a cat. She lived until she was 18.

    All 3 of my dogs (pit bulls) were in terrible situations when we found them. The first, Seth was found tied up in an abandoned apartment. My husband was lead there by some neighborhood kids who wanted to show off. When he got there he had to seriously restrain himself because he found more children beating the dog with various things. Seth was in some really bad shape. If my husband hadn’t found him, I would think he only had a day left of life. My husband brought him home and nursed him back to some form of health. I thought it would just be temporary but he loves my husband and is one of the most loyal dogs I’ve seen.

    Spike was found in a tiny box next to a dumpster in the rain. It was pouring! He was found by my roommate and brought home without a conversation. I was extremely annoyed but couldn’t say no because he was so malnourished. Currently he’s a bit of a trouble maker but he loves my kid and is a great playmate for her.

    Mack was actually our most fortunate case. We lived next to some very…interesting people who seemed to be breeding pit bulls in their back yard. The dogs had gone hungry for most of their lives so they were all very aggressive. Mack was a very young puppy so his habits were fresh and could be trained out of him. The family got reported to animal control and was told that they had a specific amount of days to get rid of all but 2 of their dogs. They told us that they were going to move and leave the puppies instead of getting rid of most of their adult dogs. Since we already had 2 dogs I told my husband that we could take 1 but no more. Mack is the smallest and by far the meanest. He fights, messes up the house and can’t be left alone for more then a hour while he’s loose.

  • Ariel Grimm says:

    This story almost made me cry! The poor little pets don’t ever deserve to die. I once vowed to volunteer at my local animal shelter if the universe saved me cats life and I am still going to!

  • Melonie says:

    When my grandmother’s cat (whom she got before I was even around!) had to be put down at the vet because of age, there was a stray 3-month old living in a cage in the waiting room, looking for a home. I think the sign on the cage said something about damage to her ears, perhaps from being born in a really loud place… but when we got her home and heard her non-stop MERRRROWWWWWWWWing we knew it was a consequence of hearing problems. I chose the name Dutchess because I was little and had just seen the Aristocats.

    Only a week or two later, the neighbors across the street from us had taken in a pregnant stray that was wandering around the neighborhood. She gave birth in the closet and then had her spayed (and I don’t know what happened to her afterward, I was little). We took in one of the kittens, rather than allow them all to become feral once again; she was probably a Maine Coon/mixed breed cat. She was the colors of the leaves on the ground, and it was the middle of September or October, so we named her Autumn.

    Actually, all of the members of my family have a history of adopting cats. My aunt rescued one from a bad situation in which she (the cat) was forced to wear a diaper… and though they all made messes and were a pain much of the time it was so sad to see them all pass away eventually (except for Dutchess! Sometimes being loud and obnoxious gets you what you want – to stay alive :P). When I finally have a place to live which will allow me a cat of my own, I will of COURSE be at the local cat shelter (where I like to visit every now and then anyway, just to help socialize the kitties and get my furry fix).

  • Zane says:

    It makes my heart glow to see organizations like this! I’ve had dogs all my life, and I love all animals and I could never imagine abusing an innocent animal, but thankfully there are people put there who dedicate their lives to help. I donate and help out at the TSPCA here, and I must say your collaboration with Bideawee is so great, Doe. It put a much needed smile on my face! I do hope that the adorable dogs and cats in the photos get new loving homes and a fresh start soon!

  • emily says:

    I’m from southwest Louisiana and we have an organization called LaPaw. It’s a non-profit animal rescue organization that rescues animals in shelters that are about to be put down and place them in foster homes until they can find a good permanent home for them. 5 years ago I decided to try being a foster parent and absolutely fell in love with my foster dog! I had officially adopted him by the end of the first week. Not much is known of his past. He was found wandering around covered in mud, almost starved to death and taken to the shelter. Max is a golden retriever/cocker spaniel mix and is now 7 years old. He is so spoiled, even sleeps in my bed at night. He is the most intelligent and loving dog I could ask for. I’ve never made a better decision.

  • Zanthia says:

    Last January, I was looking in the paper for kittens for sale. What caught my attention was an ad for a cat who was free to a good home. She was 17 years old!!

    Turns out the family had her since she was a kitten, but the new baby was allergic to her.

    I felt so, SO bad for this poor old cat! Who in their right mind would adopt such an old cat!?

    ME!! :-)

    Haley Reply:

    You are seriously amazing :D

    Melody Reply:

    When I was a child, we had to give away our adopted cat because my siblings and I developed allergies. I cried daily for at least a month. I often think about him. He has probably passed by now and I hope he is happy wherever he is :)

    tokidoki Reply:

    Awesome! I took in a 10 year old cat before. Adult cats are awesome to adopt. And my kitty lived until the ripe age of 20. Last year was when I had to put her to sleep. Due to old age her kidneys started to fail. I still can’t believe the previous owner didn’t want hr anymore. I would NEVER give up any of my pets. They are my children.

  • Shea Wheatley says:

    Most cats I’ve had during my life time have all been adopted as kittens. Sunny was pretty much a wild cat, but Puppy (yeah, I know, my dad named her) has been the sweetest thing in the world. We got her a month before I left for college the first time and ever since she’s been quick to welcome me home on my breaks. She’s just a doll.

    Since I plan on staying in New York after I graduate in two years, and I’m most certainly a cat person, I’m going to have to take a look at Bideawee when it comes time to get a pet!

  • I have a neurotic shelter mutt whom I literally consider to be one of my greatest achievements in life. When I first got him, his separation anxiety was so bad, he literally tried to dig, bite, claw and ram himself out of his crate. Now, six years later, people always say he’s one of the best dogs they’ve ever met, and he is! He is so sweet and loving, and I have to say, GRATEFUL to have people who love him in his life. I’m a shelter girl all the way!

  • Jen says:

    We have 3 dogs and 3 cats, all rescues in some form or another, and we have done a lot of animal rescue in our section of the city as well…getting them off the streets, getting them fixed and chipped, and placing them into their forever homes. THANK YOU for doing the donation program and for bringing attention to such a worthy cause!!!! Animals give us back tenfold what we give them. There is much to be learned from them about how to be a better human. :)

  • Miranda says:

    When I was young my mother, sister and I went to the local shelter to look for a dog. We had finally moved out of an apartment and into a house that had a yard. It had been a while since we’d had a pet because I was very sick and we spent a lot of time in Memphis at St. Jude’s Hospital so I could get chemo. My mom had to give up her macaw named Sam when all this happened. At the shelter we found this sweet dog who was very malnourished because she was stuck in a pen with a bigger dog and he was hogging all the food. We went out into the little yard the shelter had and she played with us and also sniffed around. We all fell in love and we brought her home that day. She spent many long years with us until she passed last year. She was a happy and loved old lady.

    My sisters current puppy showed up at our house out in the country one night. It was storming and she had been attracted by some grease I had poured into the garden earlier. She was so cute and adorable! At first we thought she was a chocolate lab puppy, but later we realized that she was full grown! She was very nervous around us and other dogs at first. She obviously enjoyed being around people but she would crawl on her belly until you petted her. We think she may have been abused. Either way she is happy now, is no longer nervous and loves to play with the two other dogs we have (one of which was a beagle my roommates found abandoned). The next pet I’m hoping to adopt is a cat.

  • ~Mary~ says:

    i cannot wait until i move to a house where i can have a god and cat! i’m going to the closest shelter to save some unfortunate little guy. props for the money you donated. i might have to donate some to the shelter i get my new best friend from!!

  • Anna says:

    Both of my babies (cats) have been ‘adopted’. Petey from a rescue and Cleo was a stray that found us. They were both about 7 months old when I got them. Petey is now almost 9 and Cleo is 6. They are such sweeties and I can’t imagine not having them in my life! Thank you for bringing attention to all the wonderful animals who need new homes =)

  • Remi says:

    Awww. Great post and it’s great you guys were able to donate such a nice check for them. I think no-kill shelters are incredibly important. OMG, reading about that poor kitty made me well up. So so so sad how people mistreat animals, I will never understand how people can do that :(

    Almost all of our pets have come from various shelters, and we have had so many amazing ones. They have so much personality and they’re SO happy to come home with you!

  • Jessie says:

    I adopted my first dog ever, Zoe, from the animal shelter when she was just 6 weeks old. She’s 3 1/2 now and I could not have asked for a better dog. I will always adopt from the animal shelter from now on because it breaks my heart to think about them putting those dogs and cats to sleep just because they didn’t get adopted.

  • Juliet says:

    My cat Drusilla was rescued by my mum and my grandmother at my mums work! My mum works at a nursing home for the elderly and there was a problem of wild cats there who would all have kittens, my mum and her friends actually started catching them and getting them neutered and then rehoming them themselves so in a way my mum rescues cats! But anyhow, one day they heard this little mewing sound and looked in a bush to find this tiny little kitten, she was so small… she had a cut on her paw and she had been abandoned by her mother.
    We bought her home but she was too young, luckily a vet we went to for our other pets had a nursing cat at that time and she agreed to take Dru from us and put her with the nursing cat until she was strong enough to be given back.

    Adopting rescued pets or rescuing one of your own is such a good cause, it feels amazing to know you are there for these animals, you are going to give them all the love and attention they deserve.

    It’s great to see you behind such a good cause Doe!

  • shannan says:

    my last roommate fosters kittens(babies too young to be on their own yet) for the nearby shelter. she got a brother and sister, about a month or two old, and my man and i agreed to help her out since we all worked. they had already been named kimiko and karma, and though the shelter said we could change them those names stuck! eventually after about 4 months of caring for them, the shelter decided they were old enough to spay and put up for adoption. we had grown so fond of the little ones, we ended up adopting karma the day after her spaying. she used to fit comfortably in my palm and ride on my shoulder…now she’s almost too big for my lap!

  • Luna says:

    Is this a couple of days ago? Your hair is long in the picture :p

    Aaaawhhh, cute animals! I cant have animals due to allergy tho… :(

  • Littlekobaby says:

    My family adopted a dog or two from the North Shore animal league, and another from a local shelter in NC, as well as helped get a kitten my mom found adopted through a local organization, so this is pretty cool.

  • Rachael says:

    I am. I adopted Otis and Kermit, brothers. It took Otis a year to start purring and another year to start kneading. Kermit has anxiety issues and will chew on non-edible objects if he does knead or nuzzle. They’re a handful but I love them very very much.

  • Irish says:

    Awww, love the pics and the info!

    Back in September I had a friend contact me on Facebook who knew my boyfriend and I were looking a new kitty and she knew I was wanting a black one.. so she had forwarded me an e-mail about a precious black cat who was scheduled to be put down that very next morning. When I read about him and saw his picture I grabbed my keys and drove 45 minutes to the shelter he was at.

    When I went in to go look at the kitties I almost didn’t see him since he’s black and it was kinda dark in there.. but then a little paw came out of the cage as I was walking by and it lightly pawed at me and he started meowing at me. When they opened his cage for me he came up and licked my nose! I took him home then and there and spoil him and my other kitty daily. We’re so glad he is a part of our family!!!

    http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab108/brat-boutique/0012.jpg

  • lexi torres says:

    my mom and her boyfriend were looking for a friend for out 22(yes, 22) yeah old dog toby that her boyfriend found and rescued forever ago. She went into the animal place and apparently the dog picked her, he humped her. lol. his name was mikey and we rescued him from an 80 year old lady who couldnt take care of him, and her son moved to a different state so they had to give him up. She said she wont let anyone adopt him unless it isa big loving family. so she made sure to meet us before we were allowed to have him. he is now a big fatty and is super energetic. playful, and adorable. And who can resist the heart shaped spot on his head?!
    http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/85/l_d6d06032be5346caba77f28ee55bf41a.jpg
    http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/79/l_78d21e78f5c3521856acf0d0b06f8417.jpg

    then my mom was driving up the canyon i live in and she saw two chihuahuas running around in this dangerous canyon. So she practically stopped traffic to catch them. The bigger one was too fast and ran away. But she caught the smaller one. It was shaking and whining, so she brought it home and named it princess. :) Shes shy and shakes a lot, as most chihuahuas do. but shes fiesty and plays and fights with mikey. Shes ugly, but somehow adorable at the same time. we love her. :)
    http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/110/l_7a016e32cb0f428b9eb5a741376dd6d3.jpg
    http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/112/l_41307461fd8139b8a2ad36752af30e76.jpg

  • lexi torres says:

    i believe my moms bf rescued out cat as well. she just died :( she was 18 or so.
    http://i44.tinypic.com/25unqms.jpg

  • Alison says:

    I love/hate going to animal shelters. I just want to take all of them home with me. That was very generous and kind of you to donate so much money. One of the honor societies I am in donated a bunch of supplies and money to a no-kill shelter last year. We got to deliver the money and supplies in person and play with the animals. It felt so much more rewarding to see who would benefit from our donations.

    I wanted to get involved with helping the city animal shelter in my hometown. They were supposed to be a no-kill shelter. But then, I found out that they kill kittens as soon as they get them! They don’t even put them up for adoption! That’s horrible. :( :(

    I used to have a cat named Penguin, and he was the son of a pregnant stray we took in. My Pandora is not from a shelter, but I will definitely be looking at shelters for my next cat. I also really want a Sheltie (looks like a smaller collie). I really hope I can find one at a rescue.

  • TyphoidMary says:

    My parents live on two acres of land and almost all of their animals out there are rescues and adoptions.

    Wobbles, looks like a half-sized rottweiler, was found on the side of the road by a friend of ours. When she was a puppy someone had broken her leg in half (the bone was snapped in two and the vet said there was really nothing they could do to fix it) and left her at the side of the road. Her leg is mostly healed (totally straight, impossible to bend), and she’s about the happiest dog I’ve ever known, and amazing with kids.

    Kid was rescued from Mexico, brought here by some of our neighbors who used to regularly rescue dogs from Mexico, bring them to AZ, get them fixed, vaccinated, cleaned, and taken care of before adopting them out to families through a partnership with certain Petsmart stores. She was given to us in exchange for dog sitting the 10-15 or so they had ready to be adopted while they were in Mexico.

    Jade was abused as a puppy, she has a fear of hats and loud people. My mom took her out to visit a friend with horses once, and Jade fell in love. It’s at a point where my mom can’t go riding without her, or she will eat her shoes (but not her riding boots). Without any kind of training she will stay within earshot or my mom and the horses, doesn’t run into the roads they cross between chunks of desert, and knows not to mess with the horses.

    That’s 3/6 of them. Sorry for writing such a lengthy comment, but I am a huge admirer of animal rescues, rescuers, and animals overall.

  • Haley says:

    I recently adopted a 3 year old chihuahua from a rescue organization :) She was found in the desert with a broken leg, but she’s all healed now and she’s the sweetest little thing ever. I’m really passionate about animal adoption, and I’m so glad that you were able to donate! Thanks Doe :D

  • ruth says:

    It’s horrible that people can be so cruel to animals. In Australia (it’s probably the same everywhere) we have a problem with people not de-sexing their animals. All of my cats have been from my mums friends. It gives me such joy to look at my Ziggy and know I was able to give him a better life.

  • Amanda says:

    I was a proud mommy of a rescued dog for 20 years. I grew up with Corky, as I got her when I was 3 1/2 and she passed on when I was 23 1/2. She was such a sweet girl, but always so timid and a little aloof. Poor dear was abused badly when she was just a puppy, which still makes me angry as all get out considering we got her when she was 7 months old. How anyone could be terrible to a sweet, innocent puppy is beyond me. We loved her with all we could though and she rewarded us with many happy years of love.

  • Melody says:

    My friend’s mom breeds dogs and knows much about animals in general. An acquaintance found an injured crow baby two years ago, he didn’t even have feathers. My friend’s family nursed him back to health and called him Noa. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/2690077073_da9abf15a6_o.jpg As you can see, he grew up perfectly :) But Noa started flying away and not coming back for some time more often and often, and one day, he didn’t return anymore. We guess he joined other crows and adapted to the wilderness.

  • ali says:

    doe! my friend just sent me a link to this video!
    there are dancing people with unicorn heads! and a teeny tiny rhinestone top hat!
    gleeeeeeeeee

  • Tobi Lynn says:

    All of the cats my family has ever owned have come from shelters. Both our dogs were rescued, but not from a shelter. Our first dog used to be kept outside day and night, year round in a cage too small for him. We did what we could to get him away from that family and took him in. He’s now FIFTEEN years old! (A very old dog.) Our second dog was found with a chain padlocked around his neck. By the time he was in our care we were still trying to get some of the grease around his neck. He’s happy and energetic now!

  • Mia says:

    My kitten Bobby also comes from a no-kill shelter, he was my Valentine’s Day gift and we’re soon going to be roomates. If anyone in Quebec is looking for a no-kill shelter (which are unfortunately really rare), the SPCA Monteregie is a really great place and you can even volunteer, to walk the dogs, play with the cats or be a foster family if you don’t want to adopt.

  • Melinda says:

    Most of my animals were given to me at some point in my life due to certian reasons, all were young except my ferret and my betta.

    Coco is our oldest pembroke welsh corgi (12 and counting!). She was given to us because her mother died while giving her birth and my aunt didn’t want the responsibility of a young pup, so she gave her to us, because we had my old dog of 10 years at that point to help rear her.

    Cletus my calico cat was found in a drainage ditch covered in fleas and ants right after Tropical Storm Allison. She was with her two brothers and her sister in about 5 inches of water. Her sister didn’t make it. She was about 3 days old when we took her in. She’s hand reared and spoiled rotten cat of 11 years! But she’s well loved and scared of cameras…i think its because of the flash…

    Chiqui (short for Chiquitito, 7 and counting!) is a chihuahua smooth fox terrier mix. He’s the size of the terrier with a chihuahua body! He was given to us because he was the last puppy of the litter and no one wanted him. We took him out of pity :(.

    Boo aka boobear was the last of her litter as well. Who wouldn’t want an all gray cat with white armpits! She’s absolutely beautiful with her plush fur, she’s also very photogenic http://theoracleofdreams.deviantart.com/art/Hurricane-Ike-Sunbeams-2-98863372 , http://theoracleofdreams.deviantart.com/art/Boo-Vintage-1-91366320 She loves the camera, hence the pictures, I love her so much! ^_^

    Dagger is my little a**hole ferret (and I mean that in the most loving way!). He was found in my co-worker Jill’s garage by her husband who thought that he was a rat. It was mid october here in houston, so it was HOT, and she didn’t want to keep him in her garage. My boyfriend and I took him in with the intent of him going home, but no one called her or us. So here we had this new ferret! When we first got him, he was not, and i mean absolutely NOT! a friendly ferret. He wouldn’t come out of his cage, and if he did, it was only to terrorize my boyfriend’s cat Precious. Also, if he were out of his cage, he’d run back in and hide when someone knocked at the door, or range the door bell. And forget dogs! He would have nothing to do with them. Alot, and I mean alot of love went into Dagger, he barely trusted us and now, he absolutely loves us, gives us ferret kisses, and tries to ferret my leg under the couch. I”m still waiting for him to fit me underneath the couch. Now when someone knocks on the door, he HAS to be the first one at the door to greet the guest and he wants to play with any dog that comes around even if the dog isn’t interested. He still terrorizes cats and likes to drink betta water when we’re not looking. The a**hole part is that he seems to do stuff that defies our “no”s and still steals my undies from the dresser and presents the to our guest. We try to ferret proof and he figures it out! Sigh, never ending cycle with ferrets, but you just can’t help but love them!

    My betta was my neighbor’s fish who lived in the same small cup that he was purchased in! He had no clue how to take care of a betta, and I stole him from my neighbor and now he lives in my 10 gallon tank and is very spoiled, he has a pagoda and a small great wall of china that he hides in, and gets fed yummy blood worms for snacks! He was an all red fish, but after some love and care, he’s a dual color, an aqua and red fish. Now my cute moniker doesn’t fit him anymore :( I called him Commie (short for communist because they’re red) I’m thinking of changing his name to something different now…

  • cece says:

    Animals being euthanized isn’t very common any more. In Canada, I believe the animal [in an SPCA] gets switched to different shelters until it is adopted.

    Renee H Reply:

    it’s a nice thought – but euthing still happens here.

    Yes, dogs and cats that are acessed as having a high potential for adoption do get shuffled from shelter to shelter, but ones that are not (such as those with temprement and health problems, as well as a lot of older kitties) are still euthed. Then there is he situation at the Toronto Humane Society recently where they were neglecting up put down sick animals to keep their euthanization percentages down…. Sad.

  • Renai says:

    We have two adopted shelter kitties- both within the past year. Luna is just over 2 years old and has the personality of a dog. She was the third cat we looked at (after only planning on meeting two that day) and we knew right away that we wanted to take her home. I can’t imagine not having her. She loves to wrestle and be picked up. She also loves cheese!

    Ollie is 4 years old and came into the picture about 3 months ago and is finally starting to settle in. She had been a stray found in the woods on a mountain, and was then at the shelter for over 6 months. She is bossy and hits and bites, and she seems to just be learning how to play. We definitely think that she was both abused as well as neglected, but every day she seems a little happier and a little more comfortable. Her and Luna play fight all the time, but aren’t quite snuggle buddies yet.

    Honestly I am so grateful to have both of them in our lives. Adopting adult kitties is the way to go!

  • Louise says:

    I adopted my kitty from the SPCA (one of the animal shelters in New Zealand) and Rufus has been the loveliest kitty. He’s not one to cuddle up on your lap or on the bed, but the look of kitty ecstasy when I walk home from work makes up for it.

  • Libby says:

    One of my best friends used to work in a veterinary surgery, and whilst she was there, they got a call about some kittens being dumped in a farm yard… The kittens had escaped from the box they’d been dumped in, and were running around all scared and crazy near all of the big machinery, and the owners were having a hard job keeping the farm dogs (who were trained to chase all animals) away from them.

    Thankfully, all of the kittens were captured and rehomed – including my little Barnabee!

  • Ally says:

    We adopted our grey cat when she was 10 weeks old. My now-husband (who “doesn’t like cats” – Ha!) picked her out. She just celebrated her 4th birthday a couple months ago.

    Thanks for such a great article, and for donating to a wonderful cause.

  • Doe Deere says:

    It’s so heart-warming to read all your stories and to know how many kind people there are out there. Thank you for adopting! <3

  • Erica Currey says:

    My first cat turns 1 this month, she and I are a perfect pair. As I type she’s laying on the couch talking to me.

    She was a shelter kitten. A whole lot of circumstances had to line up just right for us to get her. My husband and I lived in an apartment after college, he was allergic to cats, we didn’t have the space, we were too busy… A lot of things kept me from getting a cat for years. Finally we moved into a house last summer. He wanted me to get a cat and I repeatedly said no, I didn’t want to make him suffer, I wasn’t ready, I was too busy. Then one day I was taking a break from working at home.

    On a whim from nowhere I went to the local shelter website, and discovered the very next day was an annual Kitten Shower. My husband and I went down to the shelter that day after work to catch a sneak peak before they closed. We did see her, among all the others. The next morning we went to the Kitten Shower and pretty soon we found the right one, a little black medium-haired girl I named Merlot.

    We were hoping for a black cat because we’d heard black ones are the last to get adopted. The shelter volunteers said Merlot and her brother had been at the shelter longer than the other kittens, their cagemates having been adopted out twice over.

    We’ve been a happy family ever since! My husband regularly rubs his face in her fur, he’s not allergic to her at all. ^__^

  • Renee H says:

    My dog is a 4 year old Boston Terrier that I got from a rescue in Montreal at 11 months old in 2007. He was fixed, but his previous home did not properly housebreak him, so this took a LONG time to fix – he’s just at the point now where i can call him totally housebroken. As you said with adult adoptions, he’s so grateful to have a family, and noticeable tries SO HARD to be good.

    My boyfriend’s cat was a stray kitten he picked up in a mall parking lot in 2007 or so. He was totally wild. Now he’s a big fat fluffball that travels with the buisness everywhere. He’s not so grateful – he’s a cat, you don’t expect them to be!

  • Ash says:

    One of our previous cats was found by my mother in a parking lot when he was just a kitten. The poor thing was scared out of its mind dodging and hiding under cars. So, my mother took him home. He was awfully skinny from starving and pretty much started to eat non-stop as soon as he came home. He eventually died at about the same time as our Bernese Mountain Dog did (which is strange because the dog and the cat were like BEST friends and even slept together at times).

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