We can't ignore the voices of suffering!
It is when suffering finds a voice...
H. G. Wells, The Island of Doctor Moreau
LET US TELL YOU THE STORIES OF OUR FOUR-LEGGED FAMILY MEMBERS
Leo was about 6 weeks old when he came to us. Scarlett was picking up our car from our mechanic and this dirty little kitten jumped into the open door and climbed onto her lap. He was covered with dirt and grease but purring his little head off. She tried to find out where he came from but no one claimed him. She brought him home and we had to give him a very thorough bath to get all the gunk out of his fur. Through it all, he just kept purring. He grew into a very handsome long haired cat and had a long happy life.
Axl and Sasha were our brother and sister Borzoi. We got Axl at 8 months of age - before we started Charli's Angels Pet Refuge. When Axl was 4 years old, his breeder called us and asked us if we would take his sister Sasha into our home. The people who had her could not keep her anymore. A family member with Alzheimer's would alway open the door and let her out into the street. They lived in a city and were terrified Sasha would be hit by a car. Sasha and Axl had not seen each other in over 3 years but they knew each other instantly! They spent all their time together, running, playing, eating and sleeping. They always slept with their legs entwined. You could never be sure where one dog started and the other began. They loved to run in the fields behind our house when I took them for walks. People always stopped to admire them when we took them anywhere. They were a beautiful pair of dogs. Axl died at 13 and his sister at 15. That's a long time for big dogs but it still was not long enough for us.
K.C. was our German Shepherd/Akita mix. We adopted him at three months and we were his fourth owners. His turbulent puppyhood left him permanently neurotic! He was very hyper but also very intelligent, beautiful, loyal, and sweet. He injured his tail and had to have it cropped. We had a German Shepherd with a stubby tail!
Rosie was our English Bulldog. She came from a pet store. She had pneumonia and was a very sick little baby. She was not even allowed to play because it caused her breathing problems. It took a long time for her to be healthy and strong - as healthy as a bulldog can be. Most bulldogs are prone to breathing problems and skin problems. She grew up to be a true bulldog! She was stubborn as a mule, but sweet as can be. She loved attention and thought that she was the center of the world. (And we thought so, too.)
Cal was a lab/pit bull mix. He was about the sweetest, most adorable puppy we ever saw. He came from a place where the people were mass breeding dogs. They had twenty puppies at one time. Cal had kennel cough when we rescued him. He had all the traits of a pit bull terrier but we managed to direct him into loving to retreive (the lab side of him). The only problem was he could not get enough of playing fetch. He would go on for hours if we let him. His whole life was fetch. He displayed the single-minded determination of the terrier at play time. It always kept us in shape.
Sparky was our beagle mix. She came to us when she was eleven years old. Her people were moving and decided that Sparky would not be happy living in the city. They didn't care what happened to her. No one wanted her because she was a "nasty" dog who snapped at other dogs and even people if she felt like it. We worked with her until she became a happy, relaxed dog. She died at 17 and a half. She slept a lot the last few months of her life and sometimes she would forget where she was going but she still had bright eyes and that happy beagle smile. We had to carry her upstairs to bed at night and back down again in the morning. When she walked around the house, she looked like the Pied Piper because all the cats loved her and followed her around just waiting for a chance to rub all over her. She was the only dog that they did this to. Poor Sparky would stand there with a pained look on her face with three or four cats rubbing on her at once! Our biggest cat, Jonny, adored her and he was devastated when she died. He would walk around crying and would not let any of our other cats sleep with him. He did not get over Sparky until Pepper came in to our lives.
Spanky, Darla and Alfalfa were thrown out of a car on a cold October night. By pure luck I was driving by right as they were being thrown out. They were just 5 week old kittens, and it was so cold out! I managed to get Darla and Spanky right away but 'Falfa wouldn't come near me! He hid in the brush and would not let us near him. After trying to get him for hours, we had to leave him overnight. We left a cat carrier hoping he would go into it to keep warm. We heard foxes and owls in the woods. We didn't know if he'd survive but he managed to stay hidden and safe! We finally got him the next morning, and the 3 of them lived a warm, safe life with us for many years.
We were feeding orphan kittens and when we turned around this was the sight that met our eyes. We call this picture Demon Cats! Just look at those glowing eyes!!!
