Steve McQueen was a filthy old dog blindly wandering the streets - literally. Except for shadowy peripheral vision, he could see nothing. Through his matted coat we could tell he was well on his way to starvation. With co-operation from other rescue groups and some compassionate citizens, he found his way into a safe foster home. Because of his vision, we thought he would be with us for a while. He was lucky enough to be pulled from the brink, but how lucky is it that a qualified adopter who doesn’t care about his disability was looking for a senior pretty boy, which is what he is after a good bath, proper grooming, and regular meals. Thanks to your generous support, this lovable snuggle buddy has settled into a loving home with a mom and a new doggie brother.
Huckleberry was found by a hiker deep in the woods of rural southern Tennessee. A dark Catahoula, he was skin and bones, understandably worried, and skittish about quick movements. Still, he was amiable, and he soon realized we would help him. We were able to find his family, but after hearing their story and anything but ‘we want our dog back’, it was clear they had purposely dumped him far enough away from home so that he’d never find his way back. Needless to say, we didn’t return him but brought him into the rescue. He settled in nicely and began to learn to be an inside dog. Huckleberry was full of puppyish play and enjoyed the other dogs. We were surprised that this handsome, elegantly slender boy was overlooked for quite a while – we guess because dark-colored dogs are the last to be adopted. While he waited, he earned good marks in obedience training. At last qualified adopters from Georgia came looking for a Catahoula to complete their family, which already included his new Catahoula sister. Today he thrives in a home in which he will be safe and loved for the rest of his life.
Opie was left outside to his own devices outside for hours day after day. His supposed guardians felt it was “good for his “constitution”. Without street smarts he was in grave danger. A Good Samaritan watched out for him and took him home time and time again. Each time, they gruffly told her to take him upstairs and shut him in the bathroom. Finally they said, “We don’t want him. Take him!”. Their indifference was his good fortune. Love and gentleness nurtured Opie into a more social pooch. He was full of pent up energy and made up for lost time. Surprisingly, this cute, youngster waited for his forever home for more than a year. At last, a qualified adopter applied to adopt him, convinced that no one had adopted him because fate was in play. They had been looking at his online listing for quite a while and really wanted him, but they hesitated to introduce a newcomer to their elderly dog. Finally the time was right, and the family adopted Opie along with a lab puppy who became his great friend. Opie is safe now in the arms of a loving family, learning from his baby brother not to fear things that go bump in the night.
Bella is a sweet wigglebutt who wants only to give and get love. She was evidence in a court case. Neglect left her needy for attention and medical care. She endured treatment for heartworm disease, keeping still and quiet in her crate nearly 24/7 for three months. She is eager to please and came through with flying colors. Today Bella is a bundle of energy - happy to play and willing to provide sweet doggie kisses to anyone who wants. The shine has come back into her eyes and she is ready to enjoy life in a forever home of her own.
Freckles has had a heck of a time! He is a handsome fella with a serious yet loving expression that speaks of the difficult cards he has been dealt along with so many other pitties. Freckles has shown that he can endure and come out a winner, with professional obedience training helping him show his innate sweetness. All he needs now is his forever family that promises safety and love for the rest of his life.
Teddy was as a teeny kitten with gorgeous eyes who could fit into the palm of one hand. A homeless man found him alone under a rose bush, covered head to toe in flea droppings. The bath towel turned black with dead fleas after we applied a tiny drop of Advantage. Two days of combing and a mountain of flea poop laden fur later he was clean and fluffy and feeling much better. After spending several evenings on a harness in my lap surrounded by dogs, he came into his own as a happy, playful, silly kitten. His antics around the adult cats caused chagrin, spitting and lots of hisses but eventually he charmed even them. Today he is safe and loved in a forever home with newlyweds and a cat named Adolph because of his little mustache. Teddy Rosevelt and Adolph…
Pixie was stinky, unkempt, bony and in pain when a kindhearted person took her in. Her dribbling bloody urine from a huge kidney stone probably caused someone to dump her, when her problem was easily solvable with surgery. With gentle re-orientation to a pain free world of safety and kindness, she was ready for the forever family who adopted her. She is the apple of their eyes. We don’t mind that they spoil her.
Kimmy is a pretty, precocious silver tabby/dilute tortie kitty. She loves being loved and loving her people in return. Tabbies are a dime a dozen and not so easy to rehome, and Tortoiseshells don’t have it much easier. However, Kimmy had an extra strike against her. A lifetime of upper respiratory infections scarred her nasal cavities, causing excess tears to course down her little face instead of being absorbed by her body. She lived with perpetually wet cheeks. Many consultations and treatment options including surgery couldn’t guarantee improvement, so we decided to spare her the misery of recovery. We didn’t mind wiping away her tears and hoped someone out there would’t mind either. We patiently waited for that special adopter while she entertained and endeared herself to us. After two years at Silver Rescue, she is now in her own safe, loving forever home.
Ruby Oh sweet Ruby! She was abused by neighborhood punks who wanted to see just how much they could hurt her. It took a Good Samaritan several days to get Ruby to trust her enough to be brought to safety. She settled in to the rescue after being spayed and getting the medical care she needed. She was sweetly shy, quiet and gentle, and gradually learned to trust humans and her foster siblings. She loved playing mom to young puppies. Ruby was a treasure and we are sad that she did not live long enough to find her forever home. We are comforted knowing that we were able to give her comfort and safety for a little while. She was happy and loved completely.
Samantha had licked her body raw due to a flea infection. Sickness and stress caused her to lose weight. Proper flea control and descent food slowly healed her wounded body and brought her weight to a healthy level. It took longer to heal her depressed spirit. Eventually she began to venture out of her crate and meet the other cats. She is a sweet but typically opinionated Tonkinese who soon put her room mates in their places. We soon realized that she would need a special home, and she found it! She will celebrate the new year as the much-loved, healthy, spoiled kitty of her forever family.
Lil’ Bit is our Christmas miracle girl of the story above. Such a slender little dog didn’t belong alone outside in a nearby park. She likely was dumped because of her disability, and we were prepared to keep her for life. She is so cute she had quite a few admirers, but they lost interest once they understood she is a “special needs” dog. She became a fixture at the rescue and became best friends with Babe, a small brindle pit bull with attitude. “C’mon it’s time to go play.” Every day she grabbed his ear in her sharp little teeth and dragged him down the stairs to the yard, growling, yipping and yapping all the way while he whined and squeaked in pain and delight all the way to the door. He never got tired of it. She had him wrapped him around her tiny paws and she was the apple of his eye. It was a little sad to break up that love affair, but letting her go to her perfect new forever home was nothing but pure joy.
Jack was passed around from hand to hand like a piece of furniture instead of the sweet fluffy giant he was when his companion of many years decided she no longer wanted him. We first placed him after rescuing him eight years ago with what we thought was a great family. Nothing could have prepared us for their no longer wanting him. When he returned to the rescue last year, he was understandably confused after having been betrayed not once but twice, but we found him just as remembered: the consummate love bug. He brought with him some skin issues, which responded to medication and frequent bathing, and on October 4 he joined who we were sure was his ideal forever guardian. Just three days after his joyful homecoming, he began coughing and showing signs of discomfort. We thought he had a cold. Imagine our shock when we learn he had advanced lymphoma, which had spread, to his lungs. He was given a week to live. Under the circumstances, many adopters would have returned him to the rescue and asked for a refund of the adoption fee. His new mom showed her love by seeing him through to the end. Jack fooled us: with what he had left, he enjoyed his life to the fullest. He loved holding paws, and exactly a month after his adoption he succumbed to his illness with his mom lying by his side holding his paw. Jack was loved by many and is sorely missed. We are grateful for the devotion and compassion of his last guardian who put all of her energy into loving and caring for him during the last month of his life. Rest in peace, sweet Jack.
Miss Freckles was left homeless when her dad died and her mom went to a nursing home. She and her siblings were just pups when a kind man saved them from a terrible fate as bait dogs in dog fighting ring. This lucky girl grew into a knockout and her personality matched her looks. It didn’t take but a few months before her perfect family came along: in addition to Miss Freckles, they have adopted cats and two adopted human children. Sweet!
Paprika had not been in our care for quite some time, but she deserves an honorable mention having survived the hell of being unwanted and living on for 20 years. As a kitten, she was adopted from the New York ASPCA by an elderly woman. When her person died, Paprika and her two adoptive siblings were abandoned in the house with a bag of food and a bowl of water. Paprika’s roommates died of starvation, but Paprika stayed alive on sheer willpower and the last bit of water in the toilet. She was near death when she was rescued. Paprika was then adopted by a young couple who took her only because no one else wanted her. She was something of a plain Jane, and who wants adult cats anyway! Eventually the couple moved to Tennessee and one day they were done: Paprika had to go. That’s when she joined us. She loved all humans, but hated other cats. She would literally stomp through the house like a little bulldozer, scattering the other Silver Rescue cats out of the way. She eventually learned to tolerate them, and the tortoishell single-minded determination that ruled her life and fueled her survival always made us smile. She had been declawed and had a bit of an odd gait - we believe because of the declawing. She had beautiful bone structure but it was hidden by her Tortie markings. She was passed over repeatedly in favor of prettier kittens, and the older she got, the more her chances for a home of her own dwindled. Finally, Paprika got a break when friends adopted her and gave her the spoiled life of a princess. She lacked for nothing as a well-loved cat in a home of her own. When she became old and sick, she was hand fed. The last years of her life could not have been better. Her death this year left a gaping hole in our hearts. She now occupies a special place in her parents’ beautiful garden.
We couldn't have done it without you. Thank you!
We couldn't have done it without you. Thank you!
