Another kind animal advocate in Santa Fe, NM shared her rescue story with me and it is compelling.  Linda recounts how she came to adopt beautiful Tiva after this pup had a terrible start to her young life:
    In Linda's words: This is my Tiva, who arrived in my life when she was less than one year old. I had been assisting a woman, Terry, in Burns Flat, Oklahoma, by transporting dogs that she often pulled from the local animal shelter because they had a policy of euthanizing pets after only three days. The idea was to transfer these animals to other shelters, some in New Mexico, that would give them a second chance by try placing them in new homes. Terry said that this pup had been thrown out of a pickup truck on the very dangerous I-40 ​interstate, but the people in a car in back of this truck stopped to pick her up. 

​
  The cute little guest-star for these and other cards was our neighbor, and sometimes house guest over a period of four years while we lived in Maryland. Her family lived just across from us and we were all good friends. The three children desperately wanted a puppy and they often found reasons to come over to play with our dogs, but one child was thought to be "allergic" to dogs. Mom, Stacey, researched "allergy-proof" dogs and found that Bichons, poodles, and a few other breeds should be safe. (This is because these type of dogs have very little dander which causes allergic reactions. Frequent bathing also helps.)

       This is another kitten that was saved by dear friends Linda and Jim, who split their time between Santa Fe, NM and Montana where the rescue took place. Linda wrote a great story about how she captured this little critter, so I am posting it in her own words:
​    One summer afternoon while trying to pull out a very prolific and noxious weed from our 6 acres outside of Helena, Montana, I spotted a tiny black kitten.  I immediately panicked thinking of this little creature trying to survive in the forest, abound with predators.  

   These two Yorkies were rescued by Mary Lou - a long time animal advocate who, up until her adoption of Wilson, always adopted cats! Wilson was very tiny, very frightened and probably about eight years old when he was found wandering the streets of St. George, Utah, in the winter of 2011 by a local rescue group. He was not neutered and in terrible health - especially his teeth. He had most likely been a puppy mill dog judging from his behavior and condition.

​  Dawn and her husband Peter have made it a practice to adopt their pets for nearly twenty years. When they relocated to Santa Fe from New York, they brought Tessa, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that they had adopted from a breed rescue, but they were very open to finding a second dog to keep Tessa company. When they met Phoebe, they knew that she was a perfect fit for their family.
​   Phoebe, a two year old Maltipoo, had faced a rough start in her young life. She and another dog were being “housed” 24/7 on an outdoor balcony in Albuquerque, NM. They had been terribly neglected, ​​​malnourished and ignored. A caring delivery person knew of the situation and reported the owners to Argos, A Shelter Dog Rescue, a well respected local non-profit. ​

   These two beautiful cats, R.J. and Kelly, were rescued together with their 2 siblings (below) by Lynda, a kind and dedicated animal advocate. The four week old kittens were found in a filthy box in the wee hours of the morning by a vet tech friend who had heard them weakly crying for help after they had been abandoned in front of a vet's office. Kittens this age should never be separated from their mother who feeds them around the clock and keeps them warm.
   Lynda already had two older cats, but she agreed to adopt the two females the following week, knowing how much care they would need, but always willing to help the helpless.

  Angel is also our own rescued pup. We adopted her in Maryland from a group of volunteers who routinely visited one of the local Baltimore County shelters to pick up dogs and cats that they could re-home.  Originally, Angel had been purchased at a pet store and was given as a surprise Christmas gift by a well-meaning grandparent to a busy family with three small children and two working parents. Sadly, pets given as surprise gifts can feel more like a burden than a joy to a family that is already stressed for time. This loving little puppy found herself homeless only 8 months later and her prospects didn't look good.