Have a rescue? Maybe you got your puppy from your best friend? Whatever the case, feel free to share your pet’s backstory here!

Post your pet’s story below and remember to upvote other people’s submissions too!

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#1

I've always wanted a dog from when I was a little girl. To keep me quiet, my dad had a method where he would take me to breeders or shelters or anything that sold pets and let me look around before heading home without a puppy just so I would be somewhat satisfied without getting an actual pet. He hated dogs. Now, I was 13 when he tried doing the same. There was a breeder (honestly, I was too young to realize just how screwed up and sketchy that place was) and they sold cockapoos. My mom was pushing for the idea that maybe in the end we could get one and this breed would be great considering they don't shed. She was looking for a male, blonde, big dog. We show up, and there are only dark brown females. Just as we were going to leave, they mentioned that they have a blonde one, but we have to wait outside. So we did and then they let us in and on the floor was this blonde little puff ball with three dark spots (her eyes and nose). I couldn't even see her legs. I fell in love with her instantly, but my dad said no and we left in the car. I was visibly depressed the whole ride... down the street... before my dad stopped at the stop sign for a whole minute before saying "f*ck it" and hit the car in reverse. We got her that day. 11 years later, on this day, I'm looking as my dad is cuddling next to her. He's sick, been told he has only six months left after his tumor spread. She hasn't left his side. He loves the sh*t out of her. The same guy who went to sleep on the couch because my mom let the dog sleep on the bed 11 years ago. He tells everyone to get a dog, because it was the best thing that happened to him.

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Escape
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sunflower_013
sunflower_013
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is so sweet. I hope you and your dad enjoy your last few months together

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#2

We went to a shelter just to look at cats. Yeah. About 10 minutes after we got there a woman came in, saying she’d just moved in with a guy who had dogs and didn’t like cats so she was looking for a place to PUT THE CAT DOWN. We were shocked and jumped in and said whoa, we’ll take her. So the woman went out to her car and brought in the most gorgeous, shaded silver Persian. The poor cat was filthy, underweight, and terrified, and cling to me. I managed to get her age, 4, and her name, Tessa, before the woman was out the door. We gave her a bath, which was a horror show. We had to teach her that her food was hers, and she could eat whenever she wanted. We had to teach her how to play with string. And it took months before she stopped flinching if she made noise. Then she became our sassy, obstinate, wonderful little Tessa we were grateful to have for the last 14 years. She died this past January, and left a hole as big as her attitude. Miss you Tessie.

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BannedFromABoatShow
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#3

Our little Lhasa Apso/Chichuahua cross was born just after Christmas 2013. Commonly known as a Chi-Apso we tell everybody he's a Lhasa-Huahua as it fits his personality better. We didn't intend to get a dog but one of our neighbours dogs had just had a four-strong litter, so she invited us in to see the puppies - who says no to that?! 30 minutes later we had agreed to buy the only male - Henry - and returned to pick up later. All was well until he was a few months old and he had a little 'wobble' where he looked like he might fall over. More severe wobbles followed and so we got him checked out by the vet who confirmed that our little man had a Porto-Systemic Shunt and wasn't expected to live for long. We pampered him and bought the best treatment we could find (he only sees the surgeon at our vets and he is her 'special case') and in the end... he's just celebrated hitting 7 and a half!

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Scagsy
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#4

My husband and I were leaving a small, rural, cemetery in Georgia after burying his mother. His best friend was also being buried that same day after succumbing to cancer, so it was an incredibly sad and stressful day. Suddenly, my husband braked hard and swerved. We heard a thump. We'd hit a small dog who was chasing our car. He was still alive so we cradled him in a towel in my lap and headed to the nearest town. We managed to find a very kind vet who came in to his office after hours. The vet examined him and said that while he was cautiously optimistic he would need to watch him overnight. He said he would call if necessary. If we didn't hear from him by 9 the next morning we could call his office. We found a motel room and waited. That was a long sleepless night for us. I called the next morning and the vet said he was going to be okay. He had a concussion, a split lip and a skinned weenie, but was otherwise unharmed. We decided to adopt him. And that's the story of John Wayne!

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Punch
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Dianna Siever
Dianna Siever
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What a great heart. Do you know how many wouldn't have stopped? I'm glad you got a good dog out of it, but next time don't take "running into someone" quite so literally.

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#5

My family wanted a cat, so we went and looked for a cat. The cat wouldn't get out of the doll pram she was sleeping it. We own both the cat and the doll pram now.

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people chan
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#6

Our first cat came out of a horder house with a few other cats. She was super afraid of humans so the rescuers said it was impossible for her to get adopted unless someone would take time and patience to socialize her to people.
We took her in and she hated my brother and me (we were kids back then) deeply because we were super loud and anoying. But she loved my mum from the first moment. So we kept her (= foster fail) and she started to tolerate my brother when he got older. on some days she would try to kill me and on others she loved me. never really understood her, but she taught me how to act around cats. My mum and her were a dreamteam and nobody else could cuddle her but my mum.
The second cat was a stray that appeared suddenly at our doortstep a few years later and I found her and we fell in love with each other immediately. I asked my mum if it was ok to feed her. Yes it was okay. then i asked mum if it was okay to let her in our foyer just for this one very cold snowy night. Yes it was okay and she never left our home again after that night.
The first cat hated her as much as she hated me. But we didn't care. we were a heart and a soul and whenever i came home from school i would spent the rest of the day with her!
I miss them so much now, because of their unique personalities and everything they taught me over the years. And i hope they're happy wherever they are up there.

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Francis
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#7

Currently I live with Gracie(dog) and Chief(cat) both former strays.
Gracie was begging outside of a doughnut shop.
Chief was a kitten in the mall parking lot.
Over the years, 9 of my dogs and cats have come from the street. They have all been wonderful pets. I wish that I could take in more.
Please help prevent stray animals.
Spay and neuter.
Adopt don’t shop.

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T Kory
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#8

my whole life i have wanted a cat, me and my sisters would alwayss ask our parents, unfortunately they were against it as we were to young, and my dad didnt rlly like cats. this year in the summer my parents finally agreed. but my mom wanted to BUY a cat, i was very against it. i told her again and again that buying a cat was wrong! my siblings also were with me, so finally my mom agreed. we signed up for adoption, i was rlly happy, though we had to wait a bit. finally we got a call saying they just discovered a hoarder house ☹. and that there were many kittens, we got 2 little kittens, they were both siblings and had recently been treated for tapeworms and fleas, they had also just been spayed and neutered. we went to get them the next day, they were quite scared when they first came, but in the course of the next 2 weeks lemon and june became healthy happy kittens😊. I am so happy i was able to convince my mom that buying a cat was very wrong, remember adopt dont shop!

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Maryam Siddiqui
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#9

My husband and I were looking to adopt a cat. All the cats had their backstory on a card in front of the cages. One read that she was an outdoor cat who got pregnant. The owner didn’t want to deal with it and told the rescue that they were going to “throw” the cat out. The kittens had all been adopted. We adopted this girl without even playing with her. We lucked into the best lap warmer in the world!

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Kzincat
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#10

mine is about my stock horse Syrup

its hard to explain but i'll try. sometimes racehorses reject their valuable babies so breeders breed another normal horse so if a racehorse does reject a babies they can give the racehorse baby to the normal horse but then you have an extra baby that no on wants. syrup was this baby and he was dumped on the road at one day old and my friend saw him and knocked on the owners door, they said they would kill him so we took him home and he was so small he sat on the seat with the seat warmers. he was bottle fed and raised and now he is a healthy 3 year old.

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Jayme Lowit
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#11

I had a friend who was going through a divorce and ended up homeless and needed a place to stay. I took him in to help him get back on his feet. After a couple months I gently told him he need to head out into the world and figure stuff out. He soon got a call from the ex stating that she no longer could care for his cat. He asked me if I would take in Scarface. Scarface is a very large 3 legged all black cat. I said HELL YEAH and he has been with me about 3 years now. He is 15 yrs old and weighs 18 lbs and completely rules the roost! He got hit by a car when he was 2 and my friend loved him enough to save him with the amputation as opposed to having him put down. I love Scarface to pieces. Unfortunately, my friend never did get his life back on track and died of a drug overdose last year. But he lives on in Scarface.

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Scarface's Mom
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#12

This is my friends puppy. Her mom was on a walk and decided they should get a dog because their 14 year old dog had just died. Anyway, her mom opened Kregs-list and there was a little golden retriever. They picked her up the same day at a creepy Walmart. The puppy had lots of problems, it had worms, it got sick a lot. But now it’s a healthy little puppy.

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Lilly Rose Poppy
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#13

When I turned 11, my parents finally said yea after years and years of begging for a dog. We went to hundreds of shelters, until one day on September 29, 2018, we went to pets in need. My baby Nimbus (then named Byron) was in an enclosure with an adorable little fluff ball named Muffy. She was very cute, but only liked my dad and had various health problems that us as first time pet owners were not ready to take care of. Nimbus came up to me and my mom, and he just looked at us with his big brown eyes and we knew we had to adopt him. He was five years old at that time, and supposedly very “calm”. The first time we took him on a walk he barked and literally tried to kill every dog he saw. He was super scared of my dad because - and here comes the sad part - he was abused before he came to the shelter. Pets in need rescued him from a shelter where he got an ear infection and chewed on the bars so much many of his teeth had to be removed. Before then we think he was probably abused and then dumped by a man, because he used to be terrified when we held up sticks or forks to his face. The saddest day was probably when he had an accident in the house, and then cowered in the corner because i had a fork in my hand and he thought I was going to hit him. We’re still working on helping him get over his fear after two years. Adopt don’t shop and NEVER hit your dog. It can scar them for life.

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sunflower_013
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#14

We adopted A cat from our local humane society, He was a little Tuxedo kitten that we named dragon. We named him this because the humane society found him after he was trapped in a car engine. His whisker were burnt off and his paws were so scorched that he could use his claws. He lived with us for a wile but then we noticed that he was having trouble breathing. We took him to the vet and they told us that he was becoming paralyzed. We had to put him down 2 weeks later.

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TESSA DAVENPORT
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#15

My Mom would never allow for a pet in the house because she thinks that she will end up doing the work and we will only play with it. Once my cousin who was living in the same city got transferred and my Sister in law and her cute little daughter brought their two golden fishes and the tank to keep with us as they were unable to take the tank with them. It's been more than a year now, one of the gold fish died and now it's my Mom who wants me to buy more fishes for the remaining Gold Fish's company. We call her Sandy and tomorrow she will get her friends, only two due to the tank size.

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Ankita Mishra
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#16

I was dating this guy that worked as a technician at a secret lab where animals are being used for testing new medications (yes they exist, and they're hidden in plain sight) he needed help finding fosters for the cats of the study that had just ended; the cats had been brought in when they were newborns so they had been there for at least one year. He was so fond of them he couldn't let them be put down when the study concluded ( yes, pharma companies are that heartless) the last one left was this pretty gray big eyed female whom I had to sneak out inside a jumpsuit that I was provided because we were not supposed to take them out of the facilities since they were considered "federal property" I didn't want it because I was heartbroken over loosing my last cat.... fast forward 10 years; I am so glad I kept her; she's the most sweetest, beautiful soul I have ever encountered, she's my best friend and I swear; I believe in angels because of her

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LillyWu
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sunflower_013
sunflower_013
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That’s horrible! I don’t know how people who test on animals can live with themselves

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#17

My cats story starts with a hawk. Found a beat up hawk near my front door in January. Nursed it to health in two weeks and let him go. Same day the hawk went free we found a scratched up pregnant tuxedo cat. We think they fought near our front door. She had three kit tens a few months ago.. The hawk would still come around. My husband would throw him freshly caught mice from the roof. Unfortunately we found the hawk run over in the street. And gizmo the squirrel is still in our trees.

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Becca Gizmo the Squirrel
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ChinaPandas122
ChinaPandas122
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

poor hawk but you took care of them. how did you befriend so many animals? everyone runs away from me.

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#18

I always wanted a black cat, and one day I went to volunteer at a pet shelter. There was a cat, and their cage said, BEING PUT DOWN IF NOT ADOPTED IN 3 DAYS, and I couldn't just let it die! I adopted her, and loved her so much. RIP Spirit. I miss you.

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TOO MUCH COFFEE
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sunflower_013
sunflower_013
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sadly, many people believe is superstitions like black cats are bad luck, which is why many are adopted for sacrifices or killed for no reason. Thank you for not focusing on Spirit’s looks, but on her personality

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#19

One of my first cats literally banged on the front door during one of the worst snowstorms we have veer had. I was watching TV went to the door opened it and there was this big grey cat 6 toes on each foot. He was covered in snow and so cold he went to the chair I was in I had been covered with a blanket. This guy we called bigfoot nestled down in the blanket. And became the best cat ever The cat I have now was from the humane society he was in a cage in a pet food store.When they let him out he would hide in the bags of food. He was adopted once but returned because he wasn't "sociable." They named him M.J. I saw him he saw me. it was love at first sight. I adopted him he's a big black and white chap. Fist thing I did was change his name he wouldn't come for MJ so I named him MoJo he liked it . He doesn't like men- so he's my baby. I love him so!

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Pauline Bennett
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#20

My cat saved my Dad's life.

A very fluffy black cat moved in under the neigbor's deck with her kittens. My Dad loved animals and started feeding her. She moved into the shed behind his house. She was very feral, would bite you if you tried to touch her. But my Dad loved that cat. (My Mom hated her after she bit my Mom hard enough to break the skin.)

The kittens disappeared except one who stuck around. That one was more friendly, but she was still feral. After another litter, the family rounded them all up, took them to a vet, and all but the two adults were adopted. The two remaining adults were deemed to be too feral by the vet to ever live with a family.

After a few years, my Mom died, and my Dad (at 82) was lost. He finally got the oldest/first cat to come into the house. She would come in, and he would always immediately open the door to let her out when she wanted to go out. One day, she hopped up on the couch and never went out again. The younger cat followed a day or so later. We called them Grandma Cat and Momma Cat.

Everyone was terrified of Grandma, but my Dad, brother, and son got her to calm down a little.

That cat and Momma Cat kept my Dad alive for two more years. He needed something to take care of. After he died, no one wanted Grandma, and I said I would take her temporarily. I'm allergic. I was really scared of her but managed to get her home without injury.

And within a month, there was no way it was going to be temporary anymore. Best damned cat I've ever had. My son got her to sit on his lap one day and soon after she sat on mine. As long as I didn't pet her too long, she wouldn't bite. But she was a very, very good cat. If told her no, she would not do the thing again, that was that. She was very smart. She would greet me at the door every day when I came home and bat at my legs gently as I walked around. (One time, I had bare legs and she batted and scratched me. I yelped and she made it very clear that she was sorry.)

She died two years later. Even more than me, my son was extremely sad about it, would find himself wandering the house looking for her months after she died. The vet said she was probably 14 or older by then. Best cat ever.

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Marnie
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#21

My mom would often bring me to shelters so I could some experience with animals while she did her research. One day we stopped by an older shelter, and like always I asked to go play with their dogs and cats, so they gave me two little schnauzer puppies. My mom didt think much of it until one of the workers thanked her for allowing me to play with those puppies because their days were up. Out of kindness and fear my mom snatched the puppies and brought them home with us. Later that day we choose the puppy we were keeping and gave the other one to my Aunt. To this day we still have that little schnauzer we call Maynerd.

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BlueReaper
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#22

My dad is a firefighter and one day while he was at work some of the other firefighters spotted a chihuahua tied up to the front of the fire station. Keep in mind it was in high desert and it was really hot. They took him inside and fed him and gave him some water. My dad texted my mom saying he found a puppy and asked her if she wanted him to bring the puppy home. Of course my mom said yes and so my dad brought him home and we named him Pachuco.

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Maya Herrera
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#23

A few years back, in the winter, we found a cat and her kittens in our backyard. The mother cat had unfortunately died with two of her kittens, but one was still alive. We took warmed her up and took her to a vet. After a few days there, we officially adopted her.

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Cøzmic
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#24

Our 12 year old black Labrador named Zeus, was taking ill in April of 2018. He had got cancer and we felt that it was better for him to put him to sleep. Hardest thing we have ever done. We had him from a puppy. We had his half brother as well who also had to be put to sleep in 2017 due to cancer. We had gone from two lively dogs to none. The house was so quite, empty. By chance one night in May 2018 i was looking at a Blue cross rescue site just to see what they had up for adoption. I found Teddy, a 18 month old Chocolate Labrador. I applied to adopt him and went to see him. We were told that he had been given up as he was not being cared for properly. He was caged for up to 8 hours a day, because the family had small children. He was also a bit funny around men. We went to see him with our oldest child (28 M) on the Friday and was told that when we went back on the Monday with our other child (25 M) we could take him home. He walked into our house and has never looked back. He has brought as so much joy in our lives. He loves and follows my husband and kids around so i dont think the afraid of men was an issue. He is just like Zeus but just brown. I am so thankful that i was looking for him but i think he found us.

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Tracy Turner
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#25

My cockatiel, Twinkie, escaped his previous home and was brought to a bird shelter. When I walked into the aviary for cockatiels, he was sitting by himself on top of a cage. My mom and I stared at him, me hoping for him to come close, believing that he was the one. Long story short, we got him. My second bird, Panini, was found in an alleyway starving. The person who found her captured her and brought her inside. My mom had seen the add for a “baby budgie” before, but her captors had decided to keep her. Flash forward two weeks, I was driving to their house and picking up the most beautiful parakeet I had ever seen.

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Bird Mom
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#26

My dog(sharpei Labrador mix) was adopted as a puppy by a sweet old lady. she took care of her until the lady realized she couldn't take care of a dog her size. she put her up for adoption. some shop owners adopted her but she became a shop dog, badly mistreated and lived in the garage. one day she escaped, and my parents friend saw her on the street when she was taking her dog out on a walk. she looked badly bruised and scratched. the dog followed her as she walked, so she went to the shelter and called my dad because he was thinking of getting a dog. he came with my mom, they loved her, and boom! adopted. she was the sweetest thing. would never hurt a fly, even after all her abuse.
P.S: my dad renamed her from "big kahuna " to "Candes"

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Maia Metz-Tolliver
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#27

Me and my partner was over at my friends home and she casually mentioned that her inlaws had found and now fosterings kittens that left behind by the mother. I puppy eyed my boyfriend then we all went to their inlaws to adopt one to add to our family. She now is 1 year old and harassing her 2 siames brothers, and yet to learn now to be in bed...

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Iffydust
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#28

I was around 11 when my mom and dad found my cat Leo. Leo was found in the middle of the highway, he still has a scar across his face. My mom got me out of school after they got him, and told me he was mine. He was a scaredy cat, we thaught he got thrown out a car. When I first held him, he wasn't but the size of my palm, he would hide in my arms.

I am 13 now, and Leo Is strong, lazy and my baby boy. I want to get him fixed so he doesn't run off. But this is my story.
(hes a tux cat btw UvvU)

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UndertailPerson
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#29

My mum went into a cat room and one our current cats, Rory.He couldn't eat so we fostered him cause we thought he was dying.It turns out he was allergic to his own teeth.We adopted him after a surgery to remove most of his teeth and he's still here today!

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CapoQuinn
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#30

My stepdad rescued our last cat, Jack, from a window well when he was a kitten. It took him a while to get used to us, but he eventually became very affectionate and playful. He enjoyed being around us, and was happiest when all of us were in the same room together. He would bat our feet if he wanted to play with us and liked to hide in our coat closet, as well as boxes and bags. He didn’t enjoy being picked up, but he tolerated it if my stepdad did it. Like most cats, he liked sleeping and was equally comfortable on our furniture and our floors. Unfortunately, due to health problems, he was put down a year ago.

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Rainbowskull13 (she/her)
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#31

My current cat, Isabel, was the only kitten at the Paws Shelter North of me. I couldn't resist her fluffy grey cuteness. She cried all the way home. I felt bad for the other people on the bus especially when the lady with the baby got on and the baby started crying as well. I think they were all very glad when me and the kitten got off the bus. She slept at the end of my bed sucking on her tail until she was almost a year old. Now she is a happy and healthy 15 year old lady.

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Laura Mortensen
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#32

I had never had a pet before and I had always wanted one. My family and I were going out somewhere when our neighbour joined us in the elevator, with this plastic bag. There were 3 HUGE fish in it, and he explained that his tank had cracked and couldn't keep them and was trying to find someone to take care of them. My mom didn't want them, but my dad and I had other ideas. Thats how we got 3 gourami fishes and a whole tank overnight. We had them them for 3 years until we had to move to another country.

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Andrew
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#33

I own five fancy mice, although I grew up with dogs and cats only. During my teenage years I had occasionally cared for gerbils from my schools' animal club. With that being already maybe 15 years ago, I hardly remember anything about it.

Last year my partner and I adopted a mouse - Karlie, our "emergency mouse" - from a person who no longer could take care of it. I have wanted a pet for a very long time, but can't afford a cat or dog in my current life phase. We took him in, knowing nothing about mice, and dived into research. We came to realise that Karlie, having been on his own this whole time due to him being male and unneutered (unneutered male mice fight each other and if you pair them up with females you will end up with more mice than you like) would be damned to staying alone forever, an absolutely horrific and cruel fate for mice. So we decided to take the risk of a castration and found a vet with experience. Long story short, Karlie was the first mouse with that vet to not survive this operation. That was in July 2019.

We had only had him for less than a month, but in that short time we were completely taken with that little guy. We decided that we want to continue keeping mice. So we designed and built a new, bigger cage (our "mousehold") and, in December 2019, found a group of five completely white, young brothers in an animal shelter. Each day, it is so charming to watch them scurry around, climbing and chasing each other, building and rebuilding tunnels and nests, sometimes accepting little treats from our fingers, and hearing them run in their wheel, destroy toilet rolls and gnaw at all kinds of wooden furniture. They bright up our daily life. Even my mother, who was prejudiced against mice, starts warming up to them.

Sometimes it needs just one little mouse to change your perspective and life.

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Nothingparticular
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#34

I moved to a foreign country to study. I studied psychology and have always loved animals. They have always been a huge part of my life. They especially helped me heal after my father died. One day, I went to volunteer at an animal shelter and was no expecting to adopt a dog at that point. I saw Vivian on a chain and knew she was my dog. She had big ears and was 10 months old with a lot of traumas and behavioral problems. They said, she had been taken away from her mom too early. I could relate. It took a lot of patience, treats and love...but she is a different dog today. Happy and healthy. She is my best friend and helps me realize that dogs really are angels on earth❤️

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Alexandra Harris
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#35

So we sometimes fed our neighbours Ginger cat if they were out late. One night my husband duly threw a few biscuits out into a dark dark night for a blur of ginger fur that turned out not to be the neighbours cat.

The ginger cat in question was in fact, Jaffa, a stray who proceeded to shove his face into the corners of the cat flap and howl LOUDLY, for A LONG TIME whenever the kitchen light went on. One time I even army crawled across the kitchen floor in the god damn dark to avoid him realising I was awake... Then flicked the switch of the kettle... Yep you've guessed it. HOWLING at 4am.

I feel like I should say that by this point we had started to leave some food for him in the garden so he wasn't howling with desperation, for food anyway!

Long story short, Jaffa now graces us with regular howling fits throughout the day - usually for food but sometimes it's just because he feels like it. He has demoted our other cat to the role of "servant" and has almost completely destroyed a rather expensive rug. But he is the softest, most affectionate lump of orange fluff you will ever find.

We could never trace his owners, even though he is microchipped but its clear that he's been abused at some point. He's very wary if you get close behind him and is terrified of the brush. I just don't understand how anyone could ever hurt such a sweet, loving little thing. We're just glad we can give him a warm, safe home and provide a safe space for him to erm... 'express himself'!

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Jo PP87
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sunflower_013
sunflower_013
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i have a dog that was abused too. it’s horrible to see them suffer, but i’m happy you gave him a good home :)

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#36

We were on a holiday and had been searching online to adopt a puppy for a while. While we were there we expanded the search radius on the website and this little Border Collie x Kelpie came up nearby. At first we decided we would visit in the afternoon but we were so excited that we left then and there. We arrived at the owners house to check out the puppy and as soon as I saw the puppy I picked her up and gave her a hug. She was still sleepy and so just kind of lay there in my arms. My family and I made eye contact and nodded in complete unison. We signed the papers and said we would pick her up in a week. We checked the website later on and by that time all her siblings had been adopted, we had only just gotten there in time. We just celebrated little Molly's second birthday last Friday.

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Just Your Regular Avocado
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#37

4 years ago, we adopted a dog from the humane society. He had been there awhile, and had even been adopted and brought back. He has a condition from birth, that one eye is much smaller and he is blind in that eye. He also had a problem with his legs and was 7 years old. I brought him home, and he has been part of our family ever since. He just celebrated his 11th birthday. 🎂

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BusLady
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#38

Pretty much Biggie Smalls was born the biggest of the litter and she was big but small, so, yeah.

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Cat Nip Gal
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Cat Nip Gal (Submission author)
Cat Nip Gal
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry it's short, but I've also taught her to beg on two legs, play fetch, turn in a circle, and roll over

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#39

My husband is a Dentist and one of his patients is a puppy service dog raiser. She regularly brings her dogs in to the office for training purposes. One Tuesday her black lab trainee did not come to the office. My husband asked where he was and she said he had failed training and needed a home. She asked if he knew anyone who would be a good match.
Within hours I was texted pictures and the patient called me to talk about the dog. We set up an overnight for the following Tuesday to see if he was a fit.
Tuesday evening they brought him for an overnight and he never left.
He is the most gentle, sweet, easy dog who is amazing with our two girls ages 4 and 8.
He has made the last 10 months so fantastic and our family complete!
We love our Vader-Dog!

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Diana Juracka
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#40

We adopted Maxwell from a no-kill shelter as a puppy. He's a 100 lb., well loved dog for over 7 years now!

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A Méndez
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#41

We adopted Remy May 2020. He had come up from texas in a truck with 3 of this brothers; Tito, Louie, and Murphy (tito and Remy being from the same litter). They all got adopted into different families on LI, and they where reunited in August 2020 based on a DNA test that the dogs took that linked them together. The owner or Tito got the full story as she got to meet the truck driver; the four brothers where from a puppy mill, but they are very timid and afraid of people, and where deemed not good for breeding. The people at the shelter found wandering as strays together, and reckons they are all around 1 year old, Louis and Murphy being older. All of the dogs still attempt to eat from trash cans, and steal and eat food very quickly. When Remy came to us, he was terrified of everything and woulld not allow anyone to pet him , and laid in his crate most of the time. Now, he's an energetic, happy puppy, who loves running around in the yard and having playdates with his brothers!!

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Dragonfruit'nrollerskates
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#42

Two birds. One found in a park, captured, and taken to a bird shelter. The other, found starving and weak in an alleyway. Burns on her feet and no family. Both of these birds are the best things that have ever happened to me. Although there has been yeast infections and near-deaths, both of these birds are as strong as can be.

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Bird Mom
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#43

(Dad’s dog, but I’ll share.)


This little guy, a rarely colored chocolate brown Bernedoodle puppy named Buoy, had a pretty rough start to his life. He was born on an Amish farm with about five littermates, I can’t remember exactly, who were all picked up immediately by breeders, as their coats were normally colored. Yes, because of his fur color, he was left alone. He lived in a barn. Again, this was an Amish farm. My dad adopted him eventually and now he’s a huge, healthy dog.

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Conceptual&Colorful
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#44

i got my dog in 2013. He is from Hungary and was thrown over the fence right into the shelter. He was the greatest dog you could ever have...he got sick with cancer on christmas 2019 and after 8 month chemo, he died at the vet. I was there and he wanted to go. But house is so empty ...

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Furry Facefrens
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#45

Late 90s. I wanted a snake! Was at a large chain pet store, they had a PINK corn snake, a snow corn. It wasn't a hatchling, it was already over a foot long, possibly a year old. They said the previous owner just didn't want him. I bought him.

Deuce is now at least 22 years old, going on 23. He has cataracts and cryptosporidium, but as long as he eats, he is a healthy boi. We had a few struggles over the years with URIs,and learning he can't have any of the standard medications. But he's worth every penny I've spent. He knows my voice, likes to cuddle, and prefers me to my husband, whose body temperature is higher. He likes to get in hair and go down shirts, and has been an amazingly wonderful pet. Even Santa was impressed by him when we went for pictures!

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Brandy Grote
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#46

We already had our one rescue, and we were scrolling on an app called Next Door for neighbor things. We were looking for local honey, instead came across the face of a cute set of dogs. The dog we adopted, Hailey, along with her brother, had been dumped at a gas station. A woman heard the pair whimpering and then rescued them, took them to get dewormed and defleed, her then posting them on the app. We adopted the female, and now are in touch with the woman who got the brother so they stay in touch.

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readingthequibbler
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#47

I was at a school carnival and I really wanted this particular fish, and i just couldn't win it from the game. So my best friend (my actual hero won it for me). Two year later and a couple tank upgrades, He a happy gold fish, we ended up naming his Glenn coco.

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Abby
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#48

Went to the shelter to look at cats and fell in love with a blue-eyed beauty. She was a new intake, so still in her own kennel and she hissed and scratched at everyone. I couldn't get her out of my head, so we went back three more times to see if she would be right for our family. On the third visit, I realized her wet food was the same from my first visit, untouched and had developed a hard crust. We adopted her and I spent a week trying to acclimate her and get her to eat. Finally took her to the vet. She was severely underweight, dehydrated, and had a raging sinus infection. The shelter said we could exchange her for a healthy cat and they'd euthanize her, but we paid the $450+ to have her treated instead. She's been with us five years now and she'd happy and healthy.

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MillieS
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#49

One of my moms friends found a little puppy that had been kicked out of her house during hurricane harvey. poor girl was 5 pounds. covered in fleas, and was barely able to walk. She is now almost 20 pounds, healthy, and VERY active. And a good napping partner if i say so myself

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TheHolyFatherOfToast
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#50

I went to a petting zoo while in China with my friend and his friend and my cousin (I know, confusing) and then we came out and they were selling hamsters, for one dollar!!!! So we each got one but me and my cousin have to share one, meaning when I am in the US she takes care of our hamster, 汤圆.
Now I am in US because of corona and all, but she lives happily and she get a lot of treats.

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Mildly Disturbed Cat Birb
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#51

My dog Zeke was born on an Amish farm in Sugarcreek, Ohio. He was the smallest of the litter and was the last one who needed a home. The day I took the SAT for the first time, we had some Costco pizza then drove all the way from Cleveland to Sugarcreek to get him.

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KK
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#52

We pulled into a friend's driveway and could hear a kitten screaming before we even opened our car doors. poor thing still had it's eyes shut and had been abandon on a hot concrete porch. It had burns on it's toes and crust on it's eyes. We bottle feed her and were convinced she'd grow to be the sweetest thing. Bottle feed kittens always are.

She now two, and a fighter not a lover. She won't sit on your lap, but will allow you to carry her around on your shoulders. She will chase you and attack your feet going up the stairs. When we have guests she will approach them in a congenial way, sitting to sniff an outstretched hand and will be happy to bite them if they try to touch her.

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DDmaybeandor
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#53

Well i had a dog named Bebe and she was amazing she was a full on pitbull i got her from my cousin Davie and she was a good guard she was the best. She almost lost her ear fighting for me and my sisters friends life. While i was in foster care my mom had the dog and while my moms house was getting advicted Bebe was in the living room when 3 cops came in and as the loving dog she is she was protecting my mom and the cop shot her. The shot killed Bebe. My mom is not a honest person so she said that they killed Bebes puppie Bruno but my brother being the person he is told me. Still to this day i pray about her hoping that she will be in heaven when i make it there.

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Lakalynn Galloway
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#54

I used to be scared of dogs when I was really small because I got bit by one. So my parents thought that getting a dog would help me get over my fear. So they said they were taking me to buy a toy, and it turned out we went to a hose where they were breeding dogs. I heard barking and refused to come out of the car. I cried and cried until the dog was brought into the car. I was so terrified when they put her next to me, I wanted to faint. My dog, apparently, was the only black dog there.

Long story short, my parent's scheme worked and now I love my dog with all my heart!

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Miruku_Spilt
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#55

I have 4 pets but here is the best story. So, my little sister went to the animal shelter with my mom for her birthday to get a pet. They were shown a cat that was gorgeous. She was found on the streets with her kitten. She was 3 years old when we got her. Now she is 7 and has been a wonderful addition for our family. Btw she is a calico and still loves sitting in the sun on our front porch porch and our balcony.

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CharlieKaye
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#56

This story is regarding my third cat, Ken, that came into our lives. We were watching TV one day when a ginger cat came down the stairs and ran across the living room. We didn't have a ginger cat! However, he kept stealing food from the kitchen and was very dirty and smelly. He visited us for about a year before we found out officially that his owners had a baby and moved houses and decided to take Ken's brother and abandon Ken. During the winter, he would sneak in and sleep under the dining room table on the comfy chairs. My Dad did not like this. However, in the end, we fell in love with him and kept him! Best.cat.ever :)

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NapQueen
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#57

This is a story I will be telling for the rest of my life.
Nine years ago someone threw over the fence in my garden a bag with two newborn kittens, no more than a day old. I took them in and struggled to keep them alive (which, sadly, I only succeeded with one of them), waking up several times a night to change their warm water bottle and feed them, visits to greedy vets and so on. The only thing I couldn't manage to do was make them poop.
My dog, as most of them, hated cats, including the one I had even before she came into my life, whom she chased around every time he got in her way. She never had puppies, but the day I found these kittens her maternal instinct kicked in and treated them like her own. She was desperate every time she heard them cry, jumping on me in bed to wake me up and most importantly, licking their bum to help them poop and pee, making sure they're clean every day.
My beautiful and beloved dog Maya is gone now, but without her help I might not have had Jerry, this amazing creature to love so much, who makes me happy just by looking at him. They've been best friends since day one, playing and chasing all the time, cuddling in bed together and following each other everywhere. I'm far away from my cat now, but there's not a day that goes by without missing them both and being thankful for all the laughs, joy and warm cuddles they offer me.

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dienuca
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#58

My husband & I lost our baby boy Pugsly in Aug of 2019. He was one of the cutest & silliest boys I ever knew. He loved making people laugh with his antics. We were very heartbroken that he was not with us anymore, as was our other dog, Mika. One day I went onto the website for our local shelter & saw this puppy that was so adorable & there was something about his smile that just warmed my heart. I thought of all the dogs they had, this guy was just so special. Later on my husband said he was looking around on the shelter website & saw this adorable dog that just looked like he was smiling. He showed me the picture at the same time I sent him the link to see the dog I saw. It turned out to be the same dog! So, our good friends took my husband to the shelter "just to look around" & when he came across this dog whom they called Clarence, his face just lit up & this dog acted as if he & my husband had been buddies forever. Of course my husband couldn't leave without this sweet boy. He brought him home & he has fit right in. The shelter said he was brought back twice. We couldn't figure out why. He's just so sweet & so loving. We had a picture of our dog, Pugsly, on the wall above the water dish & every day King (we changed his name from Clarence) would boop the picture with his nose. Pugsly's ashes are on a little table in the living room & every once in awhile one or both of the dogs will sit in front of the table and stare at the box of ashes. We truly believe that Pugsly sent King to us to love & take care of us. My husband has night time seizures & whenever he does King presses his body tightly against him until he comes out of it. One night he must not have been coming out of it because when he finally opened his eyes King was booping him hard on the forehead. We love this guy so much & can't imagine life without him.

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#59

I have two dogs. The first, Charlie, I got for my mom when she had two types of cancer at the same time and things got really rough for us. The first day I brought him home he made a little mess so I gave him a bath, and when my mom came home and met him for the first time, she went and found a baby blanket she was keeping from some of my (now older) nephews, wrapped it around Charlie, and held him until he stopped shaking. He helped her focus on something other than her pain. Years later, my sister had adopted a puppy but was unable to keep him, and I was heartbroken that he would be bounced around yet again to another family, so I kept him. My mom agreed to this so I let her name him, and she chose Benji after the dog movie. He is now her little shadow, walking patiently alongside her anywhere she goes. We were never dog people and now our family would not be complete without these two cutie pies!

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Mina
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#60

My dog is a rottwrieler labdor i say it was meant to be when we saw her in the shelter she was surrond with so many people she had a sister she was cute and well thats all

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Dorianne Pierre Pion [STUDENT]
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#61

I always wanted a dog, my husband did not. So we have compromised and now we have 2 dogs. I haven't me anyone who would love their dogs as much as he does.
When we have decided to have another dog, we searched various add sides for people who were giving away puppies for free because sadly, in my country, if no one takes them, they will most likely get expired in some crucial way without ever seeing a shelter. We wanted a strong male dog to keep company for our first dog with somewhat anxiety issues, so he could feel more brave on walks or meeting other dogs. We found one perfect few months old pup in other city. I couldn't go, so my father and my husband (2 grown and experienced men) went to take it. The pup was pretty and super lively, somewhat fluffy but looked somewhat different than the pictures in the add. We named "him" Sinner. About a week later before we even took "him" to the vet, "he" accidentally fell from the bed and I wanted to inspect "him" closer. And it appeared to be that "he" was actually a "she" :D We were scared and not prepared for that but 2 years later everything turned out to be tons of times better than we anticipated!

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Kill-Bunny
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#62

Miss Piggy is a dog found wandering in Santa Cruz, CA. She was sent to a shelter and we adopted her. We quickly learned that she loved to escape and wander. You couldn't stop her. She's 18 now and her breed typically lives to 15. She escaped recently and wandered about a 1/4 mile. She just loves to adventure. I feel bad about her original owner. She probably would have made her way home called or left alone which she always does.

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Adam Francis
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#63

Eli was the only animal I've ever brought from a breeder. My Mom always wanted a chihuahua and she found him online. When we contacted the breeder she was a bit relieved because he was already almost 6 months and the one puppy she hasn't sold so I wound up negotiating a discount and we only spent around 180 for him. He wound up becoming my Mom and Nanny's service dog, Nanny has Alzheimer's and Mom has a disease killing her brain. He alerted me to changes in their mood which was vital with Mom because it helped me get her medicated in time. He did that for Nanny, got her calmed down when she was getting volatile. He's retired now, turns 11 in January and he's been my boy since we got him my h to Mom's dismay. He bonded to her, helped her, but he's my dog. Fun times.

Sora, my Siamese, was a rescue. Mom decided if Eli loved me more than her she'd just get a cat. We found her on a FB post and the woman who had her had rescued the entire litter from an abandoned house next door. She was about 7 weeks when I got her in October, Eli was around 3. Brought her home and it took us about 2 weeks to figure out her name. Mom taught me to let animals name themselves, we figured out Eli's name in a couple days, Sora's took a lot longer. She had food aggression when I got her so I had to train that out of her. She's 7 now with some health issues in her mouth so she has no teeth. Oh yeah, she's my cat, my first cat that's been mine since Lucky passed. She'll love on other people and is genuinely friendly, but she's still my cat.

Mom cussed me out a little bit over that. 🤫

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Roadkill The Brave
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