Orphan chimp adopted by unlikely mother
At a zoo a baby chimpanzee was left as an orphan. A zoo employee took the orphan baby home, knowing that it would need special attention during the early stages of its life. The employee knew the poor baby needed attention, but they didn't realize it would be adopted into a brand new family - of dogs! The mother dog just had a litter of pups, so her motherly instinct was strong. As soon as she saw the baby chimp, she wanted to care for it. And even though the chimp looked nothing like the big blue dog, it cuddled up to the mother! All the orphan needed was some love and affection. The chimp even began to bond with its new litter mates! It's truly amazing that this adoption occurred! No matter how loving most mother animals are, the little chimp looked nothing like the rest of the pups, yet it was accepted immediately into the family. Source Beluga whale saves drowning diver
Yang Yun thought she was going to die when her legs were paralysed by arctic temperatures during a free diving contest without any breathing equipment. Competitors had to sink to the bottom of an aquarium's 20ft arctic pool and stay there for as long as possible amid the beluga whales at Polar Land in Harbin, north east China. But when Yun, 26, tried to head to the surface she found her legs were crippled by cramps. "I began to choke and sank even lower and I thought that was it for me – I was dead. Until I felt this incredible force under me driving me to the surface," she explained. Mila, the Beluga whale, had spotted her difficulties and using her sensitive dolphin-like nose guided Yun safely to the surface. "Mila noticed the problem before we did," explained an organiser. "We suddenly saw the girl being pushed to the top of the pool with her leg in Mila's mouth. She's a sensitive animal who works closely with humans and I think this girl owes her life." Intelligent Belugas were among the first whales to interact with man and have facial muscles that allow them to smile. Source Our perfect addition to the family
To the AWL QLD staff,especially Helen who introduced us to our girl! After a bumpy start for our Ollie, who was previously named Pluto, but we didn’t think it suited her. She ended up in your vets for the first week but once we got her home and settled and she realised she was safe and loved, her tummy problems stopped! She has given us so much love and happiness and after sadly losing our last doggy ten months before adopting Ollie, we never thought we could love another, but she has proved us wrong. You look forward to seeing her when you get home from work and you find yourself smiling just thinking about her:) after realising what we get out of this relationship, our daughter and I have started volunteering at AWL, our first visit is tomorrow and I’m looking forward to giving back some love to some of the beautiful babies waiting to go to their new homes. Thank you all for helping to fill the empty void in our lives with our beautiful Ollie who is sitting beside me as I write this, waiting for me to go to bed! Source A happy ending
My mum saw this lovely horse on a rescue site as a giveaway. It didn't take long for us to make up our mind to offer her a forever home. We have her at our friends property with other horses to keep her company. She is such a kind gentle girl who now has a forever home. As you can see I love her heaps and I think the feeling is mutual. Story from Kelly Pike Jett: A much loved playmate and family memberAfter arriving in Australia from South Africa two years ago, we were eager for the arrival of our Bobbi out of quarantine. She arrived safe and sound seven months later, and of course we were elated. Before immigrating we had decided that we would definitely adopt a playmate for Bobbi once we were all settled in our new home. Bobbi had been with us for just under a year when we took the plunge and started the search for a new dog. A friend had suggested the Pet Rescue website where we came across all shapes and sizes of dogs. Our search was tireless and might I add, not much fun. It's heartbreaking being faced with so many needy animals knowing you can only help one. Then we came across Jett (formerly known as Dougal), listed with Red Collar Rescue. I contacted Sharyn and we both immediately knew that he would suit our family. Sharyn kindly drove all the way down from Biggenden to Brisbane with our little Jett and it was love at first sight! Bobbi took to him immediately and they have been best friends ever since. Our daughter, Jordyn, adores her new dog and of course, Jett thrives on his popularity with her and all her mates. It felt strange having two dogs after always having just Bobbi for so long but we really can't imagine life without our little guy now. He is literally a laugh-a-minute character and sincerely just wants to please. He has put a spring in Bobbi's aging step and lives everyday to the absolute max. If you give Jett five minutes of your time, he'll give you his entire day. He is a very very loved and special pet. I will always be grateful to Sharyn for her wonderful and endless efforts in saving healthy dogs' lives, most of all Jett's. Story from Ilka Dahms And in comes Grace
After the passing of our beautiful 16 year old staffy, Tara, there was a space in our house and in our hearts for another pet. We started looking for a dog that we could adopt. One day we saw a picture of a pair of sisters Becky and Bella. They were in foster care through Peninsula Animal Aid. When I saw the photo of "Becky" I called the kids over and said this is going to be our little girl, they were all excited. We arranged to adopt Becky and to pick up Becky at PAA. We had to change her name as Becky really didn't suit her so she became Grace. We hadn't met "Becky" until the day we went to meet her at PAA. I took Reeanna and Malakai with me, as well as my other granddaughter, Tia. We fell in love with her immediately. The foster mum who had been looking after Becky and Bella was worried she would fret for her sister. But she didn't she fell in love with the kids, snuggled up to them and played with them. Elijha and Samual also fell in love with her and she with them...she plonked herself on the lounge, on the kids beds...on my bed...everywhere. She is part of our family now. And to think someone left her and her sister beside a dumpster at the Redcliffe hospital! She has lost none of her snugglebum attraction. Elijha took her to school to show her off, and all the kids loved her. We spoke to the class about rescuing dogs from shelters and how to look after pets a win win all the way around. Story from Denise Bettany Man rescued at sea by an unlikely heroA man lost at sea for almost four months has told of his amazing rescue story. And the hero of this story is one you may not expect! (Spoiler: it's not a mermaid.) The drama unfolded off the tiny island nation of Kiribati (it's kind of in between Australia and Hawaii). Local policeman and vowel-hoarder Toakai Teitoi headed off on what was meant to be a two hour boat trip to a neighbouring island. Long story short - he didn't quite get where he wanted, and two hours in a boat became 106 days! I hope he had something to read. On day 106 though, Toakai's luck changed. Curled up at the bottom of the boat under some shade, he heard a scratching and bumping against the hull. Peering overboard he saw a six foot shark circling the boat. When the shark had his attention it swam off. This is what happened next, in Toakai's own words: "He was guiding me to a fishing boat. I looked up and there was the stern of a ship and I could see crew with binoculars looking at me. Of course I was able to wave frantically at them and they came and picked me up. If that shark hadn't nudged me awake the crew of the boat might have thought I wasn't in trouble and might have carried on sailing past me." According to Toakai, that shark saved his life!! Source Rabbits rescued from factory farm!Meet Olivia. She is one of 300 lucky rabbits, who were recently rescued from a rabbit factory farm in Tasmania. Now Olivia and her friends are free to roam at Big Ears Animal Sanctuary, doing what rabbits do – hop around, socialise with other rabbits, dig, eat fresh grass and generally be inquisitive. Before her rescue Olivia was locked in a crowded wire cage, similar to those used for battery hens. If she'd remained in this cramped and unnatural environment she could have become one of the many rabbits who suffer injuries and illnesses as a result of this harsh and unnatural environment. When news spread that a rabbit farm in Tasmania was for sale, Big Ears Animal Sanctuary, Radical Rabbit and Freedom for Farmed Rabbits hatched a plan to save the rabbits. They teamed up to purchase Olivia and her 300 rabbit friends. So began the huge task of rehabilitating and rehoming 300 rabbits to Big Ears Animal Sanctuary. Olivia and her friends are now experiencing the great freedom of the outdoors, and more will soon join them once they recover from injuries they suffered at the factory farm. For now the recovering rabbits are resting indoors and enjoying nestling on the laps of anyone who visits Big Ears Animal Sanctuary. Source Dog refuses to leave freezing calfAn adorable dog refused to leave the freezing calf he rescued from near-death. A man posted photos of his Labrador, Bosko, and a shivering calf the dog found on their ranch. "His mother was too weak to care for him, and the cold and wet had nearly taken him," Oakenboken described. "His nose was frozen stiff and his eyes looked dead, but he was breathing...if barely." Oakenboken's mother and grandmother took the baby calf into their home and tried to warm it with blankets and heating pads. For four hours, the baby calf laid amongst the blankets, barely alive. Bosko refused to leave his side, staying with him throughout the night. Oakenboken reported that the baby calf seemed to have recovered. After a few weeks of bottle feeding and a warm life in the chicken coop, the calf returned to life amongst the cows. But he'd made a new best friend in the process. Source Rescued dog has special bond with sick boy
Lucas Hembree is a four-year old boy who suffers from Sanfilippo syndrome, a rare genetic disease, that causes children with the disease to suffer seizures and severe neurological damage and eventually loose the ability to speak, walk and eat. "The most catastrophic thing parents hear when they learn their child has this disease is that there's no cure or treatment available," says Lucas' father, Chester Hembree. Lucas may not have many years remaining, but Chester and his wife Jennifer, want their son to experience the best quality of life while he can. So when Lucas began to have difficulty walking, Chester investigated getting a service dog to help Lucas. Chester began searching online, and found Juno, a Belgian Malinois, who was scheduled to be put down. "I came across a posting about her on a rescue group’s website," he says. "I had the feeling in my gut that I had to go see this dog." So the whole family drove two hours to meet Juno. "She was skinny and was just days away from being euthanized," Chester says. "She had been surrendered to the shelter because her previous owners didn't understand the Belgian Malinois." But Chester had experience with the breed and gotten to love them from his work as a law enforcement officer years earlier. He used to help with the training of police K-9s, many of which were Belgian Malinoises. But Chester first needed to be sure Juno would be a suitable service dog for Lucas. "I put her on a loose leash and she walked with me and never pulled," Chester says. "Next came the Lucas test. They took to each other immediately, like kindred spirits." Since coming home with the Hembree family, Juno has taken on the role of protector to Lucas. Right away Juno seemed to have an instinct about Lucas and can sense when he is in trouble. Like on one occasion when Chester noticed Juno circling Lucas. "She was whining and nudging him with her nose,” Chester says. “I checked his oxygen levels and they were very low." After Lucas returned to normal, Juno greeted him with licks and affection. "That’s when I knew she had the ability to pick up on his neurological changes," Chester says. "Now she alerts us when Lucas is about to have a seizure or if his oxygen levels drop really low. She has saved him several times." Juno has become an integral member of the family. She calms Lucas when he's agitated and is always next to him. And although she gets "down time", Chester admits it’s hard to get Juno to leave Lucas' side. "You don’t see one without the other close by," he says. "It really feels like it was meant to be." Source Dog gets around with four bionic paws
Naki'o is the world's first dog to be fitted with a complete set of bionic paws. They work naturally to allow him to run, jump and play like any other dog. Naki'o lost his paws to frostbite as a puppy after he was abandoned in the Nebraska winter by his owners. He was adopted by vet technician Christie Tomlinson. As he grew, Naki'o had difficulty getting around on his stubs, resorting to crawling on his stomach. So last year Tomlinson decided to get him prosthetics. Denver's Orthopets created two for the dog, and after seeing how well he did with them, made another two for free. It's really amazing to see how he jumps and moves around with his new feet! Source I adopted your dog todayI adopted your dog today The one you left at the pound The one you had for seven years and no longer wanted around. I adopted your dog today Do you know he's lost weight? Do you know he's scared and depressed and has lost all faith? I adopted your dog today. He had fleas and a cold, but don't worry none. You've unburdened your load. I adopted your dog today. Were you having a baby or moving away? Did you suddenly develop allergies or was there no reason he couldn't stay? I adopted your dog today. he doesn't play or eat much He's very depressed, but he will learn again to trust. I adopted your dog today. And here he will stay. He's found his forever home and a warm bed on which to lay. I adopted your dog today. And I will give him all that he could need. Patience, love, security, and understanding. Hopefully he will forget your selfish deed Author Unknown |
Faithful dog Dasher
It was a discarded nappy, foot and paw prints, and the sound of a crying child that drew police to two-year-old Dante Berry, who was found in bush. Grubby, with prickles in his bare feet and wearing nothing but a long-sleeved top, the Mildura toddler was found with faithful German shepherd Dasher in state forest more than 4km from their home. The pair's adventure started at 8.30pm on Tuesday, when it was discovered they had disappeared from the front yard. A search was started as the pair wandered down dirt tracks and through scrub in thunderstorms. A sharp cry in knee-high scrub that led police officers to find Dante several metres from the track, "stunned" and dehydrated. "We've run down here and called out at the same time, hoping he might call back, and we've seen the dog appear in the bushes," Sen-Constable Rigby said. "We are happy, but not surprised, to learn that his faithful dog Dasher stayed by his side and was also found safe and well," they said. "You could just imagine what was going through his little mind - lost (and) dark. Lucky he did have his dog to keep him warm overnight," Mr Hannah said. The resilient toddler was smiling as he ate McDonald's on his hospital bed hours after the ordeal. Source Once I was a lonely dog
Once I was a lonely dog, Just looking for a home. I had no place to go, No one to call my own. I wandered up and down the streets, in rain in heat and snow. I ate what ever I could find, I was always on the go. My skin would itch, my feet were sore, My body ached with pain. And no one stopped to give a pat Or to gently say my name. I never saw a loving glance, I was always on the run. For people thought that hurting me was really lots of fun. And then one day I heard a voice So gentle, kind and sweet, And arms so soft reached down to me And took me off my feet. "No one again will hurt you" Was whispered in my ear. "You'll have a home to call your own where you will know no fear." "You will be dry, you will be warm, you'll have enough to eat And rest assured that when you sleep, your dreams will all be sweet." I was afraid I must admit, I've lived so long in fear. I can't remember when I let A human come so near. And as she tended to my wounds And bathed and brushed my fur She told me 'bout the rescue group And what it meant to her. She said, "We are a circle, A line that never ends. And in the center there is you protected by new friends." "And all around you are the ones that check the pounds, And those that share their home after you've been found." "And all the other folk are searching near and far. To find the perfect home for you, where you can be a star." She said, "There is a family, that's waiting patiently, and pretty soon we'll find them, just you wait and see." "And then they'll join our circle they'll help to make it grow, so there'll be room for more like you, who have no place to go." I waited very patiently, The days they came and went. Today's the day I thought, my family will be sent. Then just when I began to think It wasn't meant to be, there were people standing there just gazing down at me. I knew them in a heart beat, I could tell they felt it too. They said, "We have been waiting for a special dog like you." Now every night I say a prayer to all the gods that be. "Thank you for the life I live and all you've given me. But most of all protect the dogs in the pound and on the street. And send a Rescue Person to lift them off their feet." ~ Author: Arlene Pace Source Kitten RescuesThe two little kittens on the left are currently living in my daughter's bedroom. We are trying to get the kittens used to people and strange noises. We are doing it slowly as to not stress them too much, as they have been fending for themselves. They don't know how to be kittens. It will be a slow process. We have introduced them to my own cats, so they get used to being around other cats. My five year old is spending time with them as well. Once they are no longer scared and are calm around people they will be put up for adoption. This middle photo is of Gypsy. She is one and a half years old. She came into my care along with her kittens. They were dumped and are very scared and timid. The last photo is of the last of Gypsy's kittens to rehome. Story from Lisa Rudd One at a timeA friend of ours was walking down a deserted Mexican beach at sunset. As he walked along, he began to see another man in the distance. As he grew closer, he noticed that the local native kept leaning down, picking something up, and throwing it out into the water. Time and again he kept hurling things out into the ocean. As our friend approached even closer, he noticed that the man was picking up starfish that had been washed up on the beach and, one at a time, he was throwing them back into the water.
Our friend was puzzled. He approached the man and said “Good evening, friend. I was wondering what you are doing.” “I’m throwing these starfish back into the ocean. You see, it’s low tide right now and all of these starfish have been washed up onto the shore. If I don’t throw them back into the sea, they’ll die up here from lack of oxygen.” “I understand,” our friend replied, “but there must be thousands of starfish on this beach. You can’t possibly get to all of them. There are simply too many. And don’t you realize it is probably happening on hundreds of other beaches all up and down the coast. Can’t you see that you can’t possibly make a difference?” The local native smiled, bent down, and picked up yet another starfish, and as he threw it back into the sea, he replied, “Made a difference to that one!” Story from Chicken Soup for the Soul written by Jack Canfield and Mark V Hansen Jessie the goat
Jessie the goat was dumped from a car and thrown into a ditch by a cruel and heartless man on a 38 degree day and left to die. Jessie's cruel fate was seen by a passing motorist who quickly do a U-turn to see if the animal was still alive. She was, indeed, but very limp and barely able to keep her eyes open, Jason immediately contacted Australian Animal Rescue and bought the very sick goat to us. Sharon, with the help of volunteer Josh, got to work on her immediately administering intravenous fluids and a Vitamin B injection as well as a good dose of antibiotics. Barrie Tapp of 1800 Animal Cruelty contacted Sergeant Gavin Buchan from Cranbourne Police station to report the act of cruelty as well as all the local papers in hope of getting some answers. Jessie's condition was serious she was emaciated, dehydrated and unable to hold her head up. It took five days for Jessie to be able to walk three metres without collapsing. After three weeks and lots of treatment and care by Sharon and the wonderful volunteers, Jessie was running around and doing a great job of pruning the rose bushes. Jessie went on to live at Clunes in Victoria and is one very happy and spoilt girl. Story from Sparky Bee Shelter dog returns favor by saving babyA Connecticut family says they've always loved their dog, but that adoration has reached a whole new level after the pup helped save the life of their infant daughter. Jenna Brousseau said their dog, Duke, jumped up on her bed Sunday night and woke up her and her husband with its shaking. She said that's completely out of character for the mixed-breed dog that the couple adopted six years ago, so they knew something was wrong right away. They went into the nursery to check on their 9-week-old daughter, Harper, and found her not breathing. Brousseau's husband called Emergency. Paramedics were able to revive the baby, and she's doing fine. Now, the family has nothing but praise for Duke. "He's the perfect dog. He was meant to be ours, and meant to be hers. I tell him all the time, 'You were born in mummy's heart,' just because he was so meant to be ours. He's heaven. He's a good boy," Brousseau said. The family said they wanted to share their story because they are hoping to inspire others to adopt dogs in need like they did. Source Riley's story
Riley first came to the attention of Golden Retriever Rescue when he was advertised at Griffith Pound. Katherine from Labrador Rescue in Yass arranged Riley’s release and cared for this underweight, filthy, flea ridden bag of bones who limped on his front paws until he could be transported to GRR Headquarters in Sydney. Katherine named him Riley and bathed, flea rinsed and rushed him to a vet each time his skin erupted. As Katherine’s young son was teething and woke every couple of hours with painful gums she took the opportunity to feed Riley small amounts of food until his ribs were no longer showing. Riley was flea free and clean but it was obvious there were other issues that needed urgent treatment. Riley was driven from Yass and handed over to a GRR foster carer late at night just off the M5. The Kidd family was shocked at how thin this young boy appeared, but more alarming were the marks on each of Riley’s hocks. Katherine had mentioned these marks which were all of the same size and diameter, rubbed raw and bleeding but she could find no reasonable explanation. The morning following his arrival saw Riley delivered to GRR’s vet where he weighed in at 23.5kg. Still a long way to go but it meant that he could have surgery to find out why his feet were oozing pus. GRR’s vet removed two grass seeds which had become deeply embedded in his hock, Riley was also desexed and vaccinated and returned to GRR Headquarters to recuperate. There has been much speculation about the marks on Riley’s legs and it would appear that this young boy has been tied by all four legs. Not rope, as the marks are not burns, but maybe a belt with the buckle rubbing into the skin. It’s all conjecture and GRR will never know the true story, but whoever took this boy and anonymously placed him in the dog run at Griffith Pound, you have GRR’s eternal and heartfelt thanks. GRR is once again amazed at the ability of this beautiful breed to move on, forgive and trust humans again. The horrible person who abused this young dog did not succeed in breaking his spirit. The light in Riley’s eyes shines bright as he looks straight into your eyes and each morning he shows that he is ready to embrace the day and enjoy life. Riley is now in foster care with Dr Katrina Warren, sharing her home with her young daughter and Mr Fox, a cat with a reputation for being the centre of attention. His care is ongoing and he is receiving a ton of love, going for walks each day, eating nutritious meals and being part of a family. Riley will need time for the wounds to heal, time to put on weight, to grow a luxurious coat and eventually be ready to take his place as a much loved member of a family. **UPDATE** Dr Katrina Warren admits that she is a foster failure and is now the proud owner of Riley. Updates on Riley are available on Facebook via Toby The Wonderdog’s page. Source Rory's story
Rory's Rescue Date - 1st May 2005
For as long as I can remember I have always loved people. I loved the first lady in my life like no other. I didn’t care that she found a human she wanted to spend her time with as it made her happy so I was happy too! Alas he didn’t love me, he thought the lady spent too much time with me, even though it was less since he came along. He gave her an ultimatum “It’s me or the dog” he barked one night. I was scared. The lady took me the very next day to the vet, handed my lead to the nurse and walked out of my life forever. I was sad, I loved the lady. The nurse bent down and touched my head, a tear dropped from her cheek. I licked her hand and wished she wouldn’t be sad. I have never wished to make anyone sad. I sat down and pushed my back against her leg and looked up at her with my big brown eyes. ‘No one should ever make anyone make such a choice’ I heard her tell the other kindly nurse who came in. ‘It’s not fair’ the other said, and her eyes too began to mist over. I am not sure what happened next as I became sad too. I do recall the first words I heard as I blinked in the sunshine and heard someone whisper in my ear, ‘You’re safe now, you are at Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary’. I often hear my new human friends joke, ‘it’s lucky for the boyfriend he wasn’t taken to the vet for there is no place here for someone who would force another to make such a decision!’ The Edgar’s Mission folk say that in animals each human finds their measure and how you treat us tells the world so much about the sorts of people you are. I have heard the relationship didn’t last, but there is no way I am going back! Source Ruby's story
Ruby's Rescue Date - 6th July 2009
I am a pure bred working sheep dog. My previous owner paid a lot of money for me as a pup, so his expectations were very high. You see some people believe that you can put a value on us animals, thankfully the good folk at Edgar’s Mission do not. Somehow, I couldn’t understand what exactly was wanted of me and my then owner got very mad with me. He said I was a bad dog and he beat me trying to get me to understand. I thought that very strange as it only confused me even more. Deep down I have always wanted to have fun, I never wanted to herd the sheep and spoil their fun either. They all looked like they enjoyed hanging out together and didn’t want a dog hassling them. But my owner didn't agree, he would rant and rave at me until he said he had had enough and took me to his mate's place to shoot me. I got very scared and wet myself, I did this a lot whenever people raised their voices or even their hands. I would fear the worst and would cower in fright. I knew the man with the gun had a good heart. I am sure all you humans do, it’s just that some hearts sleep more than others. I knew if I could awaken his sleeping heart he might just spare mine. When he got his gun, I jumped up on him. I know I am not meant to but I just wanted to take one last look into his eyes and maybe, just maybe, I could see into his heart. A tear filled his eye as he said ‘down dog, down’. He walked away and made a phone call. The rest is the start of my life at Edgar’s Mission. They opened their gate to me and their hearts. I am so glad they did, but I wondered how I could repay their kindness? Then I had an idea - I would make it my official duty to personally greet every visitor, both human and non-human to Edgar’s Mission and ensure that there is never any doubt that they too feel the gentle touch (or in my case lick) of kindness. And who knows, I may even wake up a few more hearts along the way! Source I rescued a human today
Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn’t be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today. Sometimes the overworked shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them. As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life. She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one. I rescued a human today. Source Written by Janine Allen CPDT, Rescue Me Dog's professional dog trainer. Janine's passion is working with people and their dogs. She provides demonstrations for those who have adopted shelter dogs, lends email support to adopted dog owners that need information beyond our Training Support Pages, and aids shelter staff and volunteers in understanding dog behavior to increase their adoptability. Copyright 2013 Rescue Me Dog; www.rescuemedog.org |