Taiga’s Story
It didn't take long for this shy little girl to begin to show her true self. Within two weeks of adopting her, neighbors were commenting on how different she looked on our daily walks. She wasn't as apprehensive. Her ears were standing straight up, tail out and curled and she was looking around, studying her new neighborhood.
Taiga is very affectionate, showering us with kisses and crying with joy whenever we return after being gone for a period of time. She's also very smart. She's doing so well with her basic commands that she begins intermediate obedience training with her Lab brother, Einstein, in early May. She and Einstein run and wrestle and play tug-of-war constantly.
We didn't know it when we adopted her but she is quite the talker too. Not sure what she's saying but she has plenty to say, and it's totally entertaining. In the beginning she wasn't sure about meeting new people, but after meeting thirty at our annual Easter Family Reunion she's decided, "people just want to pet me and give me affection" so now she is ready to meet anyone anywhere we go.
In six short weeks she has won our hearts over and we can't imagine life without Taiga. Thank you for allowing her to rescue us. We needed each other.
Here are pictures of Taiga in the kiddie pool, her favorite toy it turns out, on the first day we got it. Also a picture of our 9- and 13- year-old grandchildren walking Einstein and Taiga on Easter.
–Jim and Joyce Carroll, posted May 2017
A Joy and a Blessing
I met Farfel on a visit to AnimalSave, when I dropped by to take pictures of some new arrivals for AnimalSave's website. Here was this little ball of black fur curled up in a leopard-print kitty bed, eyeing me cautiously and issuing a little "mew" as I opened his cage for a photo op. Within minutes, Farfel had captured my heart with his playful, engaging demeanor and unwavering eye contact.
And so it was that Farfel would become a member of our family, joining Pippy and Hobo, our two other kitties. In the two months that Farfel has been with us, he has continued to grow in confidence and in size—no longer a wary little kitten but now a bold and practically full grown adolescent cat. He has succeeded in making great friends of his feline housemates (even Hobo, our oft-cantankerous feral), greeting them with nose bumps and curling up next to them on the sofa or bed. And he made our Christmas one of the most enjoyable (and amusing) ever—reveling in his new toys and the wonder of our tree, while amazingly not breaking a thing!
And so, as we welcome 2017, Farfel continues to be a joy and a blessing—a most delightful addition to our household.
–Skip Pollard
Maia Comes Home!
When we were settled in our new house and ready for a cat, we went to AnimalSave to meet a three-year-old cat. She ignored our boys and walked away from them. We then went to see the new arrivals: two four-month old kitten sisters that has just been brought back by their foster Mom. One of the kittens had a beautiful tabby pattern and short hair. Her medium-haired sister was a mixture of different colors, but what was most striking about this kitten was her behavior. Even though she had just come to a new place, she purred and pressed herself against the front of the cage when she saw us approaching.
Maia came home with us that day and has been a great addition to our family. She has never scratched the boys and enjoys sitting on their laps or on top of their books and helping them with homework. She comes when we call her name, and follows along when we take the dogs for walks in the forest surrounding our house. Maia has helped teach our many AnimalSave foster puppies to be good with cats. I am so glad we chose the kitten that the foster Mom called a “love,” because that is what Maia gives to us every day.
–The Hemphill Family
River Rules!
On a rainy day in March, eight-week old River was brought into AnimalSave with her six litter mates by someone who realized he could not properly care for them. The puppies were muddy and timid and didn’t know quite what to make of humans. They were wide eyed and quiet during the whirlwind of activity around them as they went through the intake process that included weights and vitals, cleaning them up and adorning them with different colored collars to help identify them. The puppies were fostered by several AnimalSave volunteers until old enough to be placed for adoption. Their water-themed names (given by volunteers Sami and Lukas) were River, Spring, Lake, Creek, Brook, Stream and Surf. All have found loving forever homes thanks to the efforts of so many.
Stuart Williams and his wife, Cynthia, were looking for a dog and saw River online. They were quickly won over by this pretty, long-nosed pup, visited her at AnimalSave, and decided to make her a part of their family which includes their cat, Panther.
Stuart says that River is all puppy, all of the time at her new home. She has a busy social schedule and is learning new things every day. In addition to chasing squirrels that she never catches and keeping airplanes from landing in the yard, she spends three days week at home with Stuart while he works and gives him fun “doggy breaks.” She goes to daycare to play with her puppy friends two days a week and on the weekends she goes on walks or "helps" out around the house, where her main skills are rearranging the furniture and shredding magazines.
River is quite the magpie collecting and burying shiny objects, an inconvenience when the object is a remote or a computer mouse. In the evenings she plays until she is all tuckered out and then kicks back on the couch with her family. River has learned to sit and heel, and is working on “down.” Her “stay,” well, it is a work in progress. She has become an indispensable part of the Williams family and though she is still leery of Panther the cat, they are slowly becoming friends.
We've Also Found Our Forever Families!
Since 1999, we've found homes for more than 4,500 cats and dogs. We rescue and find homes for more than 250 dogs and cats every year. Browse the gallery below to see some recent adoptions. Click or tap an image to enlarge it.
