vegansaurus!

Dog saves kitten from ravine! Nurses her as her own!  »

Animal Control in Greenville, S.C., got a call about a dog stuck in a ravine. An officer went to check it out and climbed down, following the dog’s howls. What does she find when she gets there? The little dog was nursing a kitten! OMG DON’T DIE! OK YOU CAN DIE!

The officer believed the dog could have climbed back up from the revine but couldn’t bring the kitten and didn’t want to leave her. Watch this video, the best moment is in the first few seconds—the dog totally grabs the kitten by the scruff! 

Can’t see the video? Watch it on Vegansaurus.com!

Anderson County PAWS recently updated their fb to say the dog and kitten are off to foster care together. Though like the video says, this dog looks like she came from a good home, so I hope the family comes to claim her—and wants a kitten!

Dog travels 10 miles to find his shelter sweetheart  »

This is Jade and Ben. They were surviving as strays in Indiana when Jade got preggers and the Humane Society brought the pair into the shelter. Jade had her puppies and they were soon adopted. But Jade and Ben spent several months in the shelter, even sharing the same pen. Then one day, a young family came in and adopted Ben. They had a three year old child and didn’t think they could handle more than one dog. 

But Ben didn’t forget Jade! Three weeks into his new life, he escaped and ran into the night! Ben traveled 10 miles in the freezing cold, over busy streets and train-tracks, until he got back to the shelter! “He came out of nowhere and started licking her through the fence, like they were kissing,” the news was told.

Well, what was Ben’s new family to do? Of course they adopted Jade and took them home together!

“They want to be together,” said Debbie Floyd, president of the Humane Society board. “There hasn’t been a lot of human love in their lives. They found love with each other and that what’s make them happy. … Hopefully, they will live their lives happily ever after.”

Don’t cry. OK you can cry!

Parrot is rescued from near death, wears handmade sweaters.  »

This is Charlie, in his “jumper,” as the British press calls it. Charlie was neglected by his previous caretakers and almost starved to death. During his neglect, he plucked out nearly all of his feathers (some sites say he was attempting to eat them in desperation). Thankfully, he was rescued and taken in by Safehaven Parrot Refuge. A vet recommended euthanasia but the rescue coordinator Rebecca Blagg took Charlie in herself and spoon-fed him back to health.

Besides being weak and hungry, the poor naked boy was shivering from the cold. So Blagg knit him some custom-fit sweaters! And now Charlie wouldn’t be caught without one: “If we take them off him for good, he gets very cross. He stomps about, he shouts, he gets very agitated. So we just stopped trying.” How cute! I want a parrot! I also just realized I don’t say “cross” enough. Or “stomps about.” Today’s agenda is now set.

Apparently, it’s not uncommon for parrots to find themselves in need of refuge. The lifespan of an eclectus parrot like Charlie is 65-85 years, so it’s very possible for them to outlive their owners. If you want to help Safehaven, here are some ways to do so.

Two rescued calves meet, become BFF  »

I mentioned cute rescue calf Stanley from Animal Place recently. At that time, he was sickly and couldn’t hang out with any other cows. BUT he just met his new BFF Theo and it’s the cutest! The two will be roomies until they are big enough to join the grown up cows. An illustrated diary of their meeting:

13-year-old boy comes to the rescue for neglected pit bull Princess  »

OK guys, I have a tearjerker for you! Like, I’m tearing up as I write. But first, do we have any readers in or near Atlanta? Or even readers who just know people in that area? Help find a home for this dog! I can’t believe her story hasn’t been picked up by the media (unless I missed it), it’s got TV news written all over it. And I’ve seen Broadcast News 11 times, so I know.

On to the story. My ECD (a.k.a. big boss) is from Atlanta and he’s a serious dog advocate. So when FB was kind enough to inform me that he recently “liked” a video of this dog Princess sitting on command for the first time, I watched the video. I was immediately smitten! I looked into it and found her page. Princess has a sad history but hopefully she has a bright future! She’s only a year or so; I like to think neglected dogs totally forget their early years once they’re in a nice home (I mean I don’t even remember what three-year-old Megan’s favorite cereal was! And I’m so serious about cereal! So maybe it’s like that). Do you think it’s true? Well that’s what I hope, and I hope that’s true for Princess.

Princess was purchased with the intention of using her to breed (that sentence is so infuriating. Like, who the eff BUYS pit bulls? There are a gazillion in shelters! Plus, who the eff BREEDS pit bulls? There are a gazillion in shelters!). For some reason or another, the guy who bought her didn’t have a place to house her (way to plan, dickhead). So Princess “ended up in the backyard of a family.” Not clear about that but I think it means she wandered into a family’s backyard and set up shop. She was skinny and too scared to let anyone touch her, so she hid in the bushes. That’s just such a sad image. All these people out there are running around scared of the powerhouses that are pit bulls and this one is cowering in the bushes. 

Lucky for Princess, a kind young boy named Patrick took it upon himself to help her:

A 13-year-old boy, Patrick, would be her caretaker. A neighbor would help him gain her trust. Princess was finally coaxed, caught, spayed and vetted.

There were victories along the way, but after healing from her surgery, Princess would be an outdoor dog. Princess reverted to her old ways of hiding in the bushes and running from the family. It was decided she needs a home where she can be an indoor dog and receive the consistency and training she needs. Patrick & his sister have gotten Princess this far. Now we need someone to take her the rest of the way. 

Is there anyone who can help her? Foster or adopt her? If you can, email the Atlanta Bully Rescue. I can’t foster her and I’m feeling a bit powerless, but that’s when I take to the internets! If you can’t foster Princess either but still want to help, there are two other things you can do! 1. Make a donation to the Atlanta Bully Rescue; 2. Share share share this story until we find her a foster! Or better yet, a forever home! I mean, really, look at this face:

UPDATE on Princess!: 

Thank you for this spotlight on Princess. She is a wonderful dog who is making leaps and bounds and is still currently in the Atlanta area. Princess is in a boarding scenario where she is getting some time with a trainer in a sort of “sanctuary” environment but she is looking for an experienced foster or forever home. It will be healthier for her to continue her progress and rehabilitation if she can go ahead and get settled into a home soon. If you are in the Atlanta area and end up fostering or adopting Princess, you will have access to some training by the people who have been assisting her. If interested in applying to be a foster or forever home for Princess, please email AnimalRescueAssistance@gmail.com

For another story from Atlanta Bully Rescue with as much heart, read about Norma Jean’s sad past and (hopefully) bright future.