Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Petlife.
Oliver’s Rescue Story
When we found Oliver at the shelter, he just looked so sad. He was a 5- or 6-year-old black lab/pitbull mix. My kids and I picked him out and he came home with us that day. He attached to me very quickly. My girlfriend didn’t get home until late that night and Oliver did not take kindly to some strange woman coming into his new love’s home. It took about 6 months until he trusted my girlfriendusbn completely. More than one person thought we should take him back to the shelter because he would snap at people, but we just couldn’t do that to him. He loved us and we loved him. I found some great classes that were for reactive dogs. They didn’t cure him, but they helped us understand the way his mind worked and helped us to help him. He was finally able to be around my brother’s dog without going after him. He never played with another dog. You could see that he wanted to but was just too afraid. He would shake and hide if someone held a belt or a broom. He disliked most people and all animals, except baby ones! He kindly helped us watch some baby birds we found. When Oliver was comfortable, he was the best dog. He listened, he was goofy, and he was sweet. It took us some time to figure out that he was fear aggressive, not just mean. It took him about 6 months to feel safe enough to wag his tail. By the time he passed away at 12 years old, he loved 20 people (up from about 6 in the beginning). Being at the cabin with us was his favorite place. No other people or animals and he could relax and just be a dog. We learned so much from Oliver. How to love difficult people and how to see past behavior and realize that there are reasons why people act the way they do. And that you can see good in someone, even if no one else can. Finding equal lack of positive response in a call to the Animal Medical Center on 62d Street In Manhattan, the neighbor said he made several More calls to the A.S.P.C.A. and finally struck a responsive chord when he suggested be would compensate someone who came to pick up the dog.
By Jaramie Kinsey5 years ago in Petlife
Tsunami Sammy
It was a sunny Tuesday when I found myself at our local animal shelter. My little sister had just adopted a puppy that looked exactly like my last rescue dog Emmett. Seeing little Ozzy had sparked a lot of emotions for me and after the tears I decided it was time to give the love for furry babies I had to another baby.
By Kimberly Bolta5 years ago in Petlife
Adventures with Buddy
It was three weeks before he even barked. The little dog we found hiding behind our house was scared of everything. People, animals, trash cans, cars, and of course his own shadow. He cowered in fear, his tail stuck between his legs, the only show of assertion coming when he thought he could escape. Humans were obviously not his friends.
By L.A. Eaton5 years ago in Petlife
Relicta No More
May 15th, 2016 Well today my fiancé found a kitten at work, though calling it a kitten paints a false picture of sweet purrs and adorable paws. This is a 200-pound tiger disguised as a two-pound orange tabby. This is a demon that was accidentally summoned by some teenagers with an Ouiji board and got relegated to the body of this kitten. This creature is as feral as they come.
By Stephanie Nielsen5 years ago in Petlife
A Dogs Life for Me
Going to the gym has been a hobby of mine for a while but the thing I like the most about it is the drive home. There are many different ways that I could take home but I always take the same way for a certain reason. On this route, I come to a stop sign and see two dogs in the window of a house. There must be a couch under the window because they are always laying or standing on it to look out the window. Every time I see them I can only smile. Dogs can make your day better so why not get one?
By Nicholas McKenna5 years ago in Petlife
The Howling Rescue
My story about my friend Basha started nearly six years ago after I had traveled home after of my father died to help mom. I met an incredible dog . Not being a dog lover especially large dogs it was hard to believe the relationship we built. But like all things life goes on and I returned back to Florida to my family leaving my new friend and companion with mom. Yet I knew I wanted to find another friend to live with my family so off to the shelter I went having no idea what I might find or how I would replace the friend I left in Michigan. After the paperwork I was left to walk through cage after cage of dogs of all sizes hoping they would leave with me. But none really appealed to me until I heard very loud howling coming from a cage. I followed the sound of that one dog till I saw what I had been looking for.
By Linda McCollum DeLong5 years ago in Petlife
The Joy A Dog Brings
My dad is such a suck when it comes to animals. This six foot two, burly man – a fireman and a welder – has the bloodiest of bleeding hearts. For example, he used to carry my parents’ first “child,” German Shepard puppy named Jack, in the pockets of his Barbour coat and go for walks. I’ve seen him nuzzled up to a stray kitten he named Purry Murray. It’s because of this otherwise traditional specimen of masculinity that we have adopted and/or rescued almost all of our beloved family dogs. Each one has been special and taught me their own unique lessons about life and more specifically, love.
By Millie Schneider5 years ago in Petlife
Sometimes They Choose Us
This is a beautiful story for me to write but it is also a challenging and emotional story for me to tell. Not because it isn’t an amazing story of love, rescue and healing but because Malik is no longer with me in this physical world. On March 5, 2021 Malik, my beautiful and goofy boy, made his transition from the physical realm to the nonphysical realm. Despite my grief and aching sadness, never have I felt so drawn to telling his story before. There is a feeling that sharing snippets of his journey here is a way for me to honor and celebrate the 12 years we spent together. There’s also this knowingness, this belief in synchronicity and signs; this is a loving Universe’s way of allowing me to reflect, to grieve and to heal. And so, I shall follow the Universe’s breadcrumbs and tell you his, and subsequently part of my, story.
By Jessica Hoffman5 years ago in Petlife
ORCA: A Racist Animal Rights Fraud
ORCA (Oceanic Rescue Center and Awareness), is an animal rights extremist group that claims to “create empathy, concern, and greater participation” of cetaceans and other marine wildlife issues through animal rights literature and signing of petitions and letters as forms of action. They also claim to have a rehabilitation center that is aimed at rehabilitating cetaceans. However, when I looked at their website in hopes to locate the supposed facility, I found what was actually at its given address. ORCA’s address was actually the address to two small businesses that are in San Francisco, California. One was a health consultant center, and the other was a software company. There was no sign of a wildlife rehabilitation facility being at that address.
By Jenna Deedy5 years ago in Petlife
The Dog of My Dreams
It started with a dream. My husband and I had just lost our 9-year-old black lab, and I was still in the "I never want another dog again" phase. We had adopted Mindy from our local shelter when she was 2 years old; we got her the day we got back from our honeymoon. We treated her like our child. When she was 4 years old, she was diagnosed with diabetes. I had to schedule the next 5 years of my life around her twice-a-day insulin shots. My parents' home became a doggy daycare whenever my husband and I had to go anywhere. Throughout it all, Mindy remained the sweetest creature I had ever known. When she died, I felt like part of me went with her, and I swore I wouldn't put myself through that again.
By Jenn Baxter5 years ago in Petlife
