Posts tagged "pet rescue"

A kayaker who likes to film his fishing outings for YouTube captured himself rescuing a dog swimming far out from the shore. As you can see in the video above, the YouTuber found the swimming dog distressed, terrified, and injured. The man pulled the dog from the water and brought him to shore, then to a vet where the animal was identified through its microchip.

Unfortunately, the events leading to the dog, Barney, swimming out to sea are tragic ones. Barney's owner, Donna Chen, was walking him when a drunk driver lost control of her vehicle and struck Chen and Barney on the sidewalk. Barney fled the scene in panic and Chen was killed.

Thankfully the kind-hearted kayaker rescued Barney and returned him to his family. We'll offer no further commentary on the matter other than to say this: (1) We're so happy Barney is OK, and (2) don't drink and drive!

We caught Grumpy Old Cat watching this rescue video and muttering to himself, so we asked what he was thinking.

"These kittens today are so dumb! I never got stuck in a pipe when I was his age. No, sir! What does he think he is, a ferret?"

Grumpy Old Cat, that's not really fair. Your kind is known for getting caught in sticky situations. Haven't you ever heard the phrase "curiosity killed the cat"?

"Aw, baloney! That curiosity stuff is just a buncha politically-correct garbage that the bleeding hearts came up with so stupid cats wouldn't get their feelings hurt. A cat can use his brain to avoid getting stuck in pipes! That's what I do."

Well Grumpy Old Cat, what about the firefighters? Do you at least appreciate what they did? I mean, they did a really good job of saving that cat. They saved its life!

"Phooey! Are they firefighters or stupid-cat savers? Somewhere there's a fire that needs puttin' out, and these guys are over here fooling around with pipes and kittens. Why don't they do their job?"

Now you're just being rude, Grumpy Old Cat. You know perfectly well that firefighters don't only fight fires. They do all kinds of rescue work and life saving. You should have more respect.

"What a bunch of baloney."

Oh, Grumpy Old Cat. You're so grumpy!

No one with a shred of decency likes to see an animal harmed or abused, but everyone likes to see an abused animal rescued and rehabilitated. That's why this video generated a lot of buzz yesterday on Reddit. It tells the story of Judith, a beautiful dog who was horrifically abused and neglected for most her life. It's from the Animal Advocates Society in Vancouver, and it tells the story of Judith, an unfortunate dog who spent the first 10 years of her life chained in a muddy backyard. Be warned, the first minute and a half of this video is very difficult to watch, as it depicts the deplorable conditions under which Judith was kept. But it goes on to show how the Animal Advocates Society rescued her and finally gave her a happy life after so long. This one's a tearjerker, folks.

Looking for your next furry friend? Start your search online -- just look at these adoptable, cuddly cuties featured as Petfinder's Adopt the Internet All-Stars!

Name: Riley
Shelter: Saving Paws Animal Rescue, Appleton, Wis.

This Treeing Walker coonhound mix is a fun-loving, eager-to-please 2-year-old who loves to go for long walks and runs. He has very good manners around the house and can be very cuddly. Riley is quite sensitive and eager to please and tries to do the right thing. He would do best with laid-back and fun people.


Name: Beverly
Shelter: Peninsula Friends of Animals, Sequim, Wash.

This adorable cat is a very sweet and lively gray, orange and white tabby mix. Beverly is very loving and demonstrative, and she can play all day long. She's about 2 years old, has put on a little weight at the shelter, and would love to find someone to play with to get fit again.

Many of us in the Paw Nation are interested in helping our local shelters and rescues place animals in forever homes, but did you know that there are more ways to volunteer than walking the animals and cleaning cages?

I've been volunteering with Puppy Hill Farm Animal Rescue, the rescue where I adopted my dogs, for several years, but my focus is on event planning, fundraising and public appearances, which works better with my schedule and suits my strengths.

Whether you've got only a few spare moments here and there or you're looking to get some serious volunteer hours in, a local shelter or rescue is a great place to lend a hand. Here are six ways you can get involved and help save lives!

Have a few minutes?
Even if your time is limited, chances are good you spend at least a few minutes online -- after all, you are here at Paw Nation, aren't you? Take a couple of those moments to spread the word about adoptable animals using Facebook or Twitter. Share links to adoptable animals and stories about animals who found happy forever homes. If you're a real social media expert, you might offer to help your local shelter with its daily postings.

Over the past year, there have been many touching animal stories that made us say "awww" and demonstrated the amazing capacity of animals to love. Here are 15 stories that happened in 2010 that we think are worth revisiting.

1. Blind Dog Has Her Own Seeing-Eye Dog: You usually think of seeing-eye dogs helping people, but in this case, a cute little King Charles spaniel is befriended by an older German shepherd (pictured above). The pair aren't just friends -- the shepherd protects the spaniel, who is almost completely blind.

2. Sweet Reunion Between a Man and the Gorilla He Raised as a Baby: We love a good getting-back-together story, and this reunion of a man and a gorilla he raised from infancy really moved us. They say elephants don't forget, but neither do gorillas, it seems.

3. Cat Returns Home Five Years After Hurricane Katrina: An incredible five years after Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast, one Biloxi, Miss., resident got a call from a shelter that had her missing cat. The kitty, named Scrub, was microchipped before the hurricane and had been living about 15 miles away, in Gulfport, Miss.

Lea Michele is best-known for her hilarious portrayal of high-school student/diva Rachel Berry on "Glee," and now, perhaps, for her fabulous look at the Emmy Awards. But the breakout star is also a devoted animal lover with some serious rescue credibility.

Michele told People Magazine that she saved six stray kittens in the Paramount Studios lot. While she was able to keep two of them, she found homes for the rest with one of them going to "Glee" co-star Heather Morris, who plays Brittany on the show. Additionally, upon seeing a dog chained to a fence during a shoot at a nearby school, she worked with the folks at "Glee" to get the pooch veterinary care and, eventually, a home with another co-star.

Michele gets her inspiration from her family. "My mother always said, 'Stand for something, or [you'll] fall for everything.' I feel like [animals] don't have a voice." Well, anyone who has watched "Glee" or seen Michele on Broadway knows that voice is one thing this woman has in spades. We hope she continues to use it to advocate for animals.

Some Internet videos go beyond the first rush of viral mania and inspire countless parodies and tributes. The popular JK Wedding Entrance, where the wedding party dances down the aisle, is an example of video that's still producing spin-offs.

Last week, the Nevada Humane Society rocketed to YouTube fame with their pet-themed take on the JK Wedding video, with their "Adoption Entrance Dance." So excited are the NHS's employees when a new pet finds a home, they can't contain their happy feet. Witness their exuberance for yourself.

All over the country, shelters provide not only a safe haven for homeless animals but also offer critical veterinary care, rehabilitation and most importantly, love. In Paw Nation's newest column, Rescue Tales, we will share with you the stories of these amazing organizations and some of the fortunate pets who have gone on to find permanent, happy homes.

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BARC: Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition - Brooklyn, N.Y.
BARC is a no-kill shelter in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y. Originally started in 1987 as a pet-supplies store, which is still the cornerstone of BARC, the two owners found themselves taking care of rescued animals brought to them by neighborhood residents. BARC grew into a non-profit shelter for dogs and cats and are in part funded by all the proceeds from the pet store. Their adoption fee is $150, which includes shots, spaying/neutering and, for dogs, micro-chipping.

Petunia -- Elderly Pooch Saved from a NYC Expressway
This shih tzu, was around 13 years old when she arrived at BARC after being found on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The dog needed immediate medical attention for her severe malnourishment, eye problems, and hip pain. For weeks after being rescued, she remained lethargic and unresponsive until she finally gained some weight, got a great haircut and suddenly had a little more pep in her step. Still only able to walk a few blocks, the dog who is now called Petunia had also been diagnosed with lymphoma, and the staff at BARC prepared for her to live out her last days with them at the shelter.

That was when an older woman named Verna, who herself had trouble walking long distances, came to BARC and fell in love with this cute pooch. Coordinators at BARC counseled Verna on dealing with Petunia's health issues, walking the dog and how to introduce her to Verna's other dog. Four months later, Petunia is eating voraciously and can be seen prancing around with Verna on the other end of her leash.

Rachael Ray has become a heavy hitter in the pet industry. Not only does she have her own line of dog food, Nutrish (from which all proceeds benefit animals in need), but she uses her celebrity status to promote animal advocacy, and to bring positive attention to homeless animals and the rescues that help them through Rachael's Rescue.

Ray received the "Excellence in Journalism and Outstanding Contributions to the Pet Industry Award" for her efforts on March 26 by the American Pet Products Association and Pet Industry Distributors Association. The event was sponsored by Nestlé Purina (who also made a generous donation in Ray's honor to North Shore Animal League America).

Paw Nation had a chance to chat with Ray and asked her how she recommended people get involved with pet rescue when they're short on time and money. Her answer? "Just do it! Like the Nike campaign!"

"It's not the amount of time you spend. It's more about the quality," she told us, adding, "Fostering is a great and easy way to make a big impact."

Ray also suggested taking a local approach. "Make food. Drop off homemade treats [at a local rescue]," she said. She recalled a small grocery store she frequents that always has boxes at the check-out line for the local rescue. "Put out boxes with a picture of one of the dogs so people can easily donate food or blankets. You'd be surprised at how much gets dropped off!"

A house in Walnut Creek, Calif., had been vacant for several weeks, leading suspicious neighbors to call animal control to investigate. When they arrived, they discovered two crates full of chihuahuas, none of which had survived. But the tragedy was joined by an incredible story of survival in the locked bathroom, where a kitten, a chihuahua, and Leonardo, a 108-pound mastiff, stayed alive against all odds, reports the San Jose Mercury News. Experts suspect the three animals drank toilet water to survive, and lasted weeks without food, with Leonardo never turning on his much smaller companions.

Some San Francisco shoppers are coming home with fuzzy packages. The shop windows of Macy's Union Square are filled with adorable, adoptable animals from the city's SPCA. Don't believe us? Check out the live Web cam!

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the city's SPCA has done this for 22 years, sending shoppers home with more than 4,000 new pets from the Macy's windows (317 just last year!). Starting in late November and running through January 3, homeless pets fill six store windows from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, with SPCA staff on hand at all times to answer questions and screen potential adopters.

While they tend to bring the same animals back each day until they're adopted, according to the Chronicle, the shelter has a 97 percent adoption rate, so most of these animals will find happy homes whether they're adopted from the store windows or not. Most of the animals in the windows are cats, though small dogs are brought in as well. Large dogs simply don't fit.

When the Chronicle went behind the scenes at one of the adoption days at Macy's, they found that adoptable animals are described in three ways: "Cherry Blossoms" are animals that are a bit too shy for the windows. "Class Clowns" are a little rough-and-tumble, but could work. "All-Stars" are just what they sound like -- perfect for opportunities like this.

Want to know how you can lend a paw? Check out the SF/SPCA's Web site for more information.

One Utah dog and her family will have a much happier holiday now that the pooch is home, safe and sound.

Millie, an Australian shepherd, disappeared about three weeks ago from her home in Cottonwood Heights. Her owner, Sue Garr, presumed she'd jumped the six-foot fence in their back yard, and told KSL TV, "Our whole family was absolutely sick."

A woman walked by a storm drain about two miles from the Garrs' home and heard a dog barking from within. She called 911, and a scared, skinny, smelly Millie was coaxed out by the police.

When she saw her family, "She went nuts," Garr told KSL TV.

Before her rescue, the freezing temperatures had most people doubting that Millie could have survived, but fortunately, the storm drain was about 10 degrees warmer than the temperature on the street, reports KSL TV. It's assumed Millie survived on storm water and rats, though we're certain she'll be showered with some tastier treats now that she's home.

While Garr said they don't plan to increase the height of their already tall fence, she did tell KSL TF that one change would be made: "She's going to become an indoor dog."

We've all heard of firefighters rescuing cats from trees, but from drainage grates? According to the New York Post, a lucky kitten was saved from a drain in a Long Island parking lot after a passerby heard her crying and called a Humane Society Volunteer, who then contacted the Oceanside Fire Department's ladder company.

Firefighter Matt Martin, who carried the cat out of the storm drain, told Paw Nation that he was "confident we would get the cat out." He described the rescue: "One member [of the company] went down one side and was trying to coax the cat out, but the cat was just sitting there in the middle of the pipe, and on the other side was another pipe where it could escape. So one of us was on either end." When the cat wouldn't budge, they "took the water extinguisher to try to, not to scare it but, you know, cats don't like water. This wouldn't hurt the cat at all -- there's not very much pressure -- so we just sprayed behind it to scare it to the other side. It started walking towards me and when it was about two feet away, I reached in and grabbed it."

The cat, nicknamed Storm, was severely hypothermic, and spent the night at Hilton Animal Hospital in a warming cage. The next day, she was taken to the Long Beach Humane Society, where she was adopted two hours later. And who should the proud new cat parent be but the mother-in-law of the good Samaritan who originally heard the frightened feline. Now that's what we call a happy ending!

Hilary Swank took time out of her busy schedule (she's currently promoting her latest film, "Amelia") to attend the Iams Home 4 the Holidays event. Along with her mom, Judy Swank, the Oscar winner posed for pictures and helped raise awareness for shelter pets. This definitely is our kind of red-carpet photo -- precious!

Helping shelter animals definitely is no acting gig for Swank; this actress walks the walk. She currently lives with two rescued dogs: Karoo, a Jack Russel/Corgi mix she found as a tick-infested stray while working on a film; and Rumi, a Golden Retriever mix she adopted from the East Valley Humane Society. Throughout her life, she's also rescued other dogs, cats and birds.

Swank says in her Iams profile, "Every day when I look at Karoo and Rumi, I know they're thankful I've adopted them into my family, and I'm just as thankful they've adopted me." Finally, a celebrity with whom we can really connect!