 Mea, A Rescue Success Story
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One morning last February, a five-month old Italian Greyhound was surrendered by her owners to the local humane society with a severely injured leg. Degloved by a raccoon trap, her leg was virtually unrecognizable and she was severely traumatized. The doctors worked diligently to save her leg, but only time would tell if it would heal properly enough for her to use it. She spend four months in the hospital and by then all the staff knew that she was an amazing dog who just needed to find an owner who would give the love and attention that she deserved.
When Kimberly Hall, owner of The Haute Hound, a luxury pet boutique in Jupiter, met Mea, it was love at first site. Kimberly has worked closely with the humane society raising money for rescue and already owns two Italian Greyhounds, Romé and Sicily. The doctors wanted Mea to go to someone that knew the breed since she was special needs. Kimberly was an ideal choice. Her dogs go to work with her and are rarely left alone. This was exactly what Mea needed.
Kimberly came to meet Mea for the first time after she had been in the hospital for two months. It was heartbreaking to see her leg mangled and raw and her foot swollen three times it’s normal size. Mea was so timid and shy and hid her head on the staff member’s chest the whole time. |
A month later, Kimberly brought her two dogs to meet Mea. She was just as shy as before; cowering and quite unsure what to do as Sicily and Romé gave her a thorough sniffing. After they both decided she was acceptable, they went on to sniffing other things. Only then did Mea move out to sniff them, finally a breakthrough.
One month later, Mea was ready to go home! Her leg was covered in scars and a 3-inch long section was missing fur and muscle that would never grow back. The leg doesn’t bend and one toe and the pad on the bottom were missing. Mea was a very lucky girl to still have use of this leg at all. The first time Kimberly took her to the dog park, Mea never left her lap. Now six months later, Mea reigns supreme there. She runs around chasing all the other dogs and even gives her sisters a run for their money. She will then lounge contently on the grass, everything all right with the world.
Mea has learned to sit, loves all treats, and plays with her toys like they are going out of style. But her favorite pastimes are receiving kisses and cuddling with her mom. To get to her, Mea has no qualms about walking right over her sisters to do it. "She is quite a character! I’ve never had a dog make me laugh as much as Mea does," say Kimberly, "I never know what she’s going to do next, and she’s so smart!"
Sometimes, being that smart gets Mea into trouble. She steals toys out of the toy bin at Kimberly’s pet boutique. "If I see her sprinting off towards the backroom of the store, then I know something’s up." But when Mea gives her that sweet, beguiling look, Kimberly can never stay mad.
"Rescue dogs really do know that you’ve given them a second chance at life and they are forever expressing their appreciation for it. I love all my dogs madly, but when I look at Mea, my heart swells because I know she’s been through so much and yet is able to maintain her optimism and sheer enjoyment of life. We all could take a lesson from her. I’m so glad that she came into my life."
Submitted by: Kimberly Hall
Jake, A Rescue Success Story
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Over the years I have been blessed by being a part of many animal rescues, but Jake will always remain one of my favorites! On Christmas day 2005 my sister, Sharon and I were driving in West Palm Beach and saw a cocker spaniel crossing the road. As with every other time we've seen an animal crossing the road, we collectively held our breath until he made it safely to the other side.
Because we saw a collar, we assumed he was lost and that his family was surely looking for him. So we pulled over and that sweet boy came right up to us. Not only did he not have a name tag, he was dirty, smelly and in need of a serious bath! We didn't hesitate to have him jump up in the car and take him home where we gave him the royal treatment. My daughter Megan later named him "Jake."
The next day we took him to check for a micro chip, but he didn't have one. So we spent the next couple weeks hanging flyers, running ads, checking with the shelters and calling veterinarian offices trying to find his owners, all to no avail. I asked Burt, the publisher of The Beacon Magazine, in Jupiter to run his picture in the Pet Ponderings section of the magazine. Even though The Beacon is not distributed in this part of West Palm Beach, we thought it was worth a shot..
Within days we were contacted by the Taylor family in Jupiter and informed that they were very interested in adopting Jake. Even though it wasn't the original owners, as we had hoped, we soon found that this was the perfect fit for Jake! He joined two other dogs and two cats as the newest member of the family and went on to prove just how loving and valuable rescue animals can be! |
Jake became a registered Therapy Dog through the Delta Society and Therapy Dog, Inc. He was also named an American Kennal Club Canine Good Citizen because of the work he does through the State Attorney's Office in West Palm Beach. Jake works with children who have been witnesses or victims of crime.
We have since lost touch with Jake and the Taylor family, but we have such fond memories of him and our hearts are filled with joy thinking of the amazing work "Jakers" is doing.
Click here to see the follow-up article that was written about Jake in the Beacon Magazine in November 2006.
Submitted by: Martha Blumel
Spaz, A Rescue Success Story
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I had the uniqe pleasure of opening a ferret resuce for a short bit of time,which I had to close due to lack of donations and failing economy. I rescued a baby ferret named Spaz about a year and a half ago, he was in danger of being put down just for lack of people wanting to adopt ferrets.
I soon knew I would keep him forever. He became the spokes-ferret for the rescue. He learned to walk on a leash and was trained to be around kids more often. When I had to close my rescue Spaz was the only one I kept. I have a 17month old girl who loves Spaz, always giving him kisses as well as playing with him for hours. I often take him with us to Clematis by Night and City Place just to raise awareness of ferrets. Many people come up to me and ask "What is this animal?" or "Look, its a rat or possum!" lol.
My only wish is that when I take Spaz the ferret out that people realize that ferrets are not mean nor do they smell bad if properly cared for. Spaz is now being trained with kids so in time he will be working as a service/therapy animal for autistic kids.
When I rescued him I knew that he was a special ferret. Again, my family and Spaz only wish to make people realize that ferrets are pets too and there are states still making them illegal. There's so many resoures available for dogs and cats but only a handful of resources for ferrets in the country.
Submitted by: Ray Darby |
Hunter and Tiger, A Rescue Success Story
Foster kitties Tiger (l) and Hunter (r) |
Famous last words "We are NOT keeping them!"
It had been a year since my 20 year old cat Hon passed away. She had been with me since I was a teenageer and I wondered if I would ever be able commit to and love another animal in the same way as I did her. Because I wasn't ready for another cat to call my own, my daughter and I decided to look into fostering, so we went down to Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. After going through the interview process we were presented with a small box that had 3 of the smallest kittens I had ever seen!
They were only a few days old and covered in fleas, but we were up for the challenge. There were two females that looked exactly alike, with the exception of one that had white paws and the male was a gray tabby. Megan promptly named them Tiger, Holly and Hunter, after our beloved Hon who was also a gray tabby.
They had their share of health issues, but the vets at Peggy Adams were great and helped guide us through each challenge we faced. Unfortunately, Holly passed away early on, but the other two got stronger by the day.
As they grew, I still thought I wasn't "ready" to make a commitment so soon after losing Hon, so I stuck to my guns.."We are NOT keeping them!" I''d repeatedly say to my daughter.
There was only one problem... I was falling in love.
It clearly dawned on me one night, as I laid on the couch with Hunter curled up on my chest, that I really could love another animal after Hon. So when the time came when they were ready for adoption, we knew they were going to become part of our family! We officially adopted them the day before Hurricane Frances graced us with her presence.
We went on to foster two more sets of kittens and Hunter was a huge help to us. He was so nurturing to the babies and acted as if he was their mother. With his help all of the kittens grew up to healthy loving babes who were ready to find their forever homes.
Submitted by: Martha Blumel, West Palm Beach, FL |
Hunter showing off his "Maternal side" with the newest set of foster kittens. |
Mr. Bean, A Rescue Success Story
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The Unconditional Love of a Dog!
Nine years ago my husband and I lost our beloved English Springer Spaniel Scubie, and we continue to miss him. We moved from a big home with lots of property to a villa in an active adult 55 and over community. Everyday for the past nine years we have come home expecting a welcome greeting with licks on our face, a tail wagging, and a big smile as we walk through the door. We thought we would never be able to get so attached to another animal again. However, on December 30, 2010, when we visited a neighbor who was fostering Mr. Bean, a beautiful English Springer Spaniel, it was love at first sight. Mr. Bean is his given name, and he turned four years old in November. Our neighbor told us that Mr. Bean and his two brothers were rescued from a breeder and brought to Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. These three wonderful animals were very ill with severe heart worm and other illnesses. Mr. Bean's foster mother nursed him back to health with the help of the veterinarians at Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League.
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Howard and I could not get Mr. Bean out of our minds as we visited our neighbor again, and talked about adopting him. Mr. Bean needed eye surgery (which was taken care of at Peggy Adams) and came to us wearing a cone around his head. We had to "dog proof" our wonderful home so Mr. Bean could have the run of the house as he banged into our furniture, beds, and cabinets. It was worth every minute. Today Mr. Bean is a healthy, loving dog thanks to his foster mother and Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League.
One of the requirements when adopting a dog from the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League is to attend a dog training session. We were happy to oblige and brought Mr. Bean to attend with 40 other newly adopted dogs. The training session was wonderful and, naturally, Mr. Bean passed with flying colors. The trainer asked if anyone had any specific concerns or questions. Some of the questions and concerns were: “How do I get my dog to stop licking me?” and “How do I get my dog to stop chewing the furniture?” When it came to our turn we asked, “What can we do about separation anxiety?” After watching us interact with Mr. Bean during the training session, the trainer asked, “Your separation anxiety or Mr. Bean’s?” After thinking about it, my husband and I had to admit it was our problem and not Mr. Bean’s problem. We don’t like being separated from him, even for a short period of time.
Adopting an adult dog that is housebroken is much easier than starting the process of house training. Mr. Bean is very intelligent; he has a toy box filled with all sorts of toys. Each toy has a name and he plays with them all day long. At night he is required to put them back in the box. When I take our sheets and pillow cases off the bed to wash, Mr. Bean takes each piece, one by one, and brings them to the washer and dryer for me. Recently my father-in-law was admitted to Morse Rehab Center, and we take Mr. Bean there to visit. Their staff and patients look forward to his visits. Mr. Bean comes home with lipstick all over the beautiful white fur on his face. He never approaches anyone until they call him; he seems to have a sixth sense about people and is very compassionate. Maybe his early years of being kept in a cage and used for breeding with little love and attention has taught him to be gentle and loving.
We recently attended the Pet Expo at the South Florida Fair Grounds. It was wonderful to see so many hundreds of people with all sorts of animals come together and enjoy this wonderful event. It amazed my husband and me as we watched all the dogs, cats, and other animals interact with one another.
Many people in our community have dogs, but Mr. Bean has made the biggest hit. People stop us whenever they see him to ask what breed he his, and then compliment him (and us) on how beautiful he is. We are partial to English Springer Spaniels, but we love all breeds and all animals. I want to encourage everyone to consider an adult dog when they are planing to adopt. There is no greater love than from an animal that needs us as much as we need them. Dogs have been put on this earth for a purpose, and we can learn from these animals. If I ever have the opportunity to return to this earth, I hope to come back as a dog. Knowing the word dog spelled backwards is God!
Submitted by: Natalie Engel, West Palm Beach, FL |
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