Someone left a puppy in a box outside a store. When I picked it up I saw it still had an umbilical cord.. i took it home cause David & i had been rescuing and finding homes of animals for years. BuT, 1 of my Doberman's was dying, she had cardiomyopathy. A few days after that and alot of talking about the little puppy with David, we decided it was time to put Brandy down and keep this black dog. The vet came out and put Brandy to sleep out back where we had a hole ready for her. So the little black dog looked like a bear but we didn't want the usual bear names, grizzly, king, bear, etc.. so we called him Kodiak. And after he grew up a little I gave him a middle name of feathertail. So his name became Kodiak Feathertail. We had him for 13 yrs, never knew he was a dog, as a pup didn't play with the other dogs, only watched from my side, and followed me everywhere. He died Oct. 2, 2010. He waited til I got home from ICU and died 3 days later..just started seizing and his heart stopped. May God Rest His Soul. Feath3rtail

I was lucky enough to get 2 sisters (shep/rottie mix) from the same litter back in September 1999. They were 4 weeks old and became inseparable. I already had a 2 year old chow/lab mix female at home who I also got when she was 4 weeks old. They all got along so well and the oldest (Cody) taught the girls (Dacy & Sadie) everything the right way.
In April 2006, Cady was diagnosed with Lymphoma. We started chemo immediately and she went right into remission. She continued her treatments thru November 2006 and them 6 month check-ups! All was wonderful! In March 2009, she was diagnosed with Canine Cushings Disease and I opted for surgery. My girl never woke up, but I got my chance to say goodbye and tell her it was ok to sleep. She sits on my mantle now and I see her every day.
On December 31, 2010, I had to put her sister Sadie to sleep due to severe kidney failure and she now sits on my mantle and I see her every day. Sadie & Cadie crossed the rainbow bridge and are happily back together again.
Cody will be 14 in April and my girl is not doing well...severe arthritis in her back legs. My newest addition, Brandy is an 11 month old German Shepherd and she is such a wonderful girl.
My girls have given me more smiles in their lifetime than I could have ever imagined. My heart breaks for the ones that have passed and for the ones who will pass in the future, but the time spent together has meant more to me than anything in this world. There is no love greater than the love of a fur baby!!!
Love you & Miss you Sadie & Cady
Love you & glad you are still with me Cody & Brandy!!!

Timebandit, Thats a beautiful story.. you know the whole time I'm reading it, I'm thinking who is this girl with my pet names.. because I had a Sadie who was a funny funny, smart, loving, potbelly. OMG and of course I had Brandy and Kody (Kodiak) . We have 3 dogs altogether.. did you see my photos? I got Winnie the Corgi mix from the local pound last Dec.. 2 months after Kodiak passed away. When we got brandy we also got a sister of hers so they were litter mates- her name was Snifter. get it brandy- snifter? They were always together too except Snifter was more on the job and Brandy was more,, yeah, i'll just sit here and catch your back if you need me. ;) Thanks for commenting.. everyone loves talking about their kids! Peace, feather

My animals help me overcome depression and anxiety. Interacting with them raises my mood, stroking them quiets my anxiety, caring for their needs gives my a positive outlet for my ocd tendencies and walking them overcomes my agoraphobia. Currently (numbers and species change)i have 3 dogs. My old guy who is 15 and a half and was born into my hands. My baby girl who is 1 and a half and was rescued from the pound and my little guy who is just over 2 and was given to me by a friend who could no longer keep him.

I had a really bad break up with a boyfriend and I had been wanting to get a Golden Retriever after losing my last one about a year and a half prior to when I was looking for a new one. I was finally ready, it took a long time because I had my last Golden from when I was 4-16 years old which was most of my life. We wanted a rescue and it was so hard to find one that wasn't immediately wanted and had like 24943 applications already.

We then looked on petfinder and found a female Golden Retriever, she was beautiful and I thought OH what the heck I might as well see if she is still available. So, I sent in a application and almost immediatley someone called me and told me they loved the application and they chose us to be "NaNa's" new family. Someone came to our house to make sure we were all good and they said we are perfect for her. Little did we know she actually was in Taiwan!

They told us after clearing us her story. She had gone through 3 families before us in Taiwan. The first had her when she was a puppy but didn't realize how hard the puppy stages were and gave her to a shelter, then the next family loved her but ended up moving and they couldn't take her and then the next family she ate a toy and they didn't want to pay for surgery so they gave her up. After that no one wanted her and she was three days till death, till this American organization saw her and knew people really wanted Goldens and they found a foster family for her and she came on a flight to SFO airport and we picked her up on April 18th 2010 and we wouldnt DREAM of ever getting rid of her.

We renamed her Maggie and she is a joy and such a love and she is so sweet. I don't know how anyone would give her up, I am glad they did though because she loves her family and me and she is spoiled sleeping on my bed every night, but having such a hard time she REALLY deserves it.

I have a Maltese as well named Lila, she gets me through my darkest days. She actually smiles when she is happy. She lifts up her lips and gets a big grin and she will imitate you when you smile. There is nothing better than when i am crying and Lila comes into my room with a big smile on her face, I can't help but smile. She is just so cute and she just wants me to be happy. I treat her like my daughter (she loves ice cream and so does Maggie her sister). Lila seriously was the best thing I ever bought myself because between her and her sister Maggie it's hard to cry. Lila keeps me always laughing and smiling no matter what. She is the reason I am not completely depressed or ever feeling suicidal because I live for my Lila and my Maggie. they love their mommy and I could never leave them.

Our puppy was a rescue puppy. He was 7 months old and no stranger to the shelter life.
He was born in a shelter and then adopted three times out. Dakota was named before we got him and we decided on keeping it. He is black with a stripe in front by his belly. He loves lunch meat which we found out the first day when he hijacked my son's sub sandwich. He also is a good watch dog for the neighborhood, which sometimes can be a problem because he thinks that the whole street is his to patrol.
We made a day in the life in the day of him for the local shelter to use as a marketing tool. Not sure if they used it at all but it was fun.
He also helps me with my bi-polar when I get manic he gets me to calm down and when I get in my depression mood then he cheers me up. I was asked if I would get another dog and I am not sure since I didn't pick him the kids did.
He is 8 years old now and is a real spoiled doggie. We like it that way.
ttfn AnnieEm

I'm thankful for all my pets, past and present. Where would I be without them? Words aren't enough.

Beautiful story AnnieEM :) I am so glad you found a treasure :)

My dogs, Zoe and Marley, are my pride and joy. Whenever I am down, they are there to watch over me and they are loving. I love to watch them play back and forth, its comic relief in every way. My husband Bill and I love them very very much.

Gosh, this group, this topic is harder than taking an exam!!! I have way toooo many cat stories and dont know which ones to tell. Well I can tell you about my name here, TyTy Baby is Tyra Banks' nickname. I have looooved her and the America's Next Top Model since it all started. You could call me obsesed with the show! Anyway, I got this little tiny black kitten, she chose me like all our cats have. Anyway, she is black whith these long white whiskers and her eyes are a gold I have never seen!! Stunning! If any of you know the AMTM show you know Tyra is big on "smize" (smile with your eyes) and the word "fierce" Well my TyTy Baby is FIERCE!!!! And eyes?? Oh yeah!!! Fierce!! She often looks like a panther!! But she is so tiny. She is 2 years old and so little. But she loves the camera and if I pick it up she starts posing!! I call her my little Super Model! I wish that I could get to the REAL Tyra and show her this fierce pic of TyTy and her personality and that I named her after her. I know she would love it, but that is like impossible isnt it?????? If anyone knows how I CAN get a pic and story to her where she would definately see it, let me know.
Ok, thats it for TyTy Baby, I will write others another time.
Pets are the BEST medicine!!!
Peace and Love,
Allison

my pet, kelly, we found here at the pound,she was just skin and bones and was going to be put to death, on the monday. it was a saturday morning and we were at the pound and we saw this little dog, which we were going to get, but the lady walked across us with Kelly.
so we got her from the pound and took her home and she ate about 3 cheese burgers on the way and then we had at home, sitting on the counter and while we were out she ate that as well.
one day we got home and we couldn't find her,so went to the bedroom and their 2 tiny ears their and she had made her own bed, by destroying mine.
she was great with the kids,any person came near the kids, was barked away.
she lived with us for 14 years, till she died.
that was the saddest day for the kids.

i think i will tell story of the cat i had when 9-11yrs old not that i don't love my curent cat pug i do love him and i do apercaite buddy bird and mutly dog saving us from fire. however hokey was specail cat who had a whit tiped tail. we found him with his sister and brother negcleted in a box in a yard my mother gave a lady something and we took the kitties home. dad instited we could only keep 2 cats once they were rehablitated we kept hokey and sheba. hokey became a great therapy cat for me when arm and leg were both in cast. he once saved one of our pet mice from his sister sheba gizzy(dog) saved 2 sadly sheba ate the 4th. those 3 would always walk us to school even when we were on bikes in a line. but the most specail thing he did was after my cousin changled me to bike race and i decide to be clever and cut through grass big mistake i went flying landed in grass mircle of mircles didnt split my head open later lied to mother when my head hit the grass i blacked out wake to hokey liking my cheek till i responed and saw bike on my leg. i layed their and petted hokey till everyone came out of house hokey was just always their for me when i was dealing with things that are rough at that age.

The dog I loved the best of the rest was our Irish Setter named Russett aka Red. She was a crazy Irish girl! She drooled when she wanted your food. She was a shameless begger. We would wrap her up in a blanket and let her sleep on the couch when she came in from playing in the snow. Talk about a spoiled dog! She was so sweet I cry when I think about her. My sweet Red has been gone from me for almost 30 years! Yep, that long. I loved her and she gave everyone her love. I wish I had one day to just hug and kiss her. RIP my best friend!

My doberman, Waldo's biggest rival is my daughter Ami. He likes to sneak out of the house and spend some time with stray dogs. He loves it. So, every other day we find a new hole in the hedge from where he sneaks out and we come to know only when we hear dogs barking madly somewhere in the vicinity. Where I stay there are a few people who are known to dognap dogs and sell them in the city and I feel scared for Waldo. Half the time I spend mending the holes in the hedge, which is no use because he makes a new one the next day. I suppose the only thing that goes in his favour is that he is scary looking and he can run faster than any other dog around. I find it so funny when he returns from his sojourns, he is so excited and thirsty and looks so satisfied, just like a child after a village fair.