A golden glow...

Wrangler

Photo by: Joyce Hubler, Desert Hills, Arizona

"Wrangler came to me through Rescue A Golden of Arizona. Wrangler's owner had recently gotten married and his wife did not like dogs. The new wife was going to have Wrangler euthanized that day and the husband called Rescue begging us to take him. Wrangler came to me as a foster dog and I had no intention of adopting him. Within an hour he had stolen my heart and became my Best Friend. He is so smart and so willing to please. With just a few agility lessons under our belt, Wrangler received his AKC Agility Title. He is the best dog in the world."

My future's so bright, I gotta wear shades!

Maxine

Photo by: Clarice Butterworth, Toms River, New Jersey

Clarice writes: "When Maxine isn't playing the role of 'wealthy heiress', she's a Therapy Dog, who visits cancer patients at our local hospital every week. Maxine was rescued by the Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue in Pa., and adopted by me in 2002."

I recommend tickling your prey before eviscerating them.

Zena

Photo by: Joy Leftow, New York, New York

Joy took in Zena when she noticed a homeless woman showing her to people. Zena was "only about 10 days to 2 weeks old, kind of looked like a little mouse." After nursing her to health, Joy gave Zena to "a nice Brazilian lady...who had left her kitty back home in Brazil with her mother." Joy named her Zena "because she was certainly a survivor and a warrior."

Daily Winner, November 8

The "star"-ling of the show

Tyler Bird

Photo by: Douglas Lawrence, Pacific City, Oregon

Lately we've received a number of, errr, "unusual" pets--many with wonderful stories of survival, strength and love. For example, meet Tyler the rainbow starling.

Doug writes, "Tyler Bird fell out of its nest shortly after birth. He was nursed to health, and has survived to his present age of 3.5 years. Like some other bird species, he is capable of talking, and has acquired quite a vocabulary of words and sounds. Among his favorites is to mimic the sound of the telephone, and the theme song of the 60's "Andy Griffith" television show. This was a wild bird at birth, who was rescued, and has become very much the domesticated pet as any other. From time to time he is let out of his cage, and is allowed to fly about the house, with not the slightest desire to leave his situation. He dines on small dog food, and copious amounts of water. He lives with four dogs and five cats very pleasantly!"

Paw-purr-ee selection, November 2

Trust me, if we smush our snouts close together like this, we'll get treats!

Benjie and Lucky

Photo by: Regina Galvin, Windham, New Hampshire

Regina writes, "I adopted a Boston Terrier in May. A month after we had her, to our surprise, she gave birth to two puppies. They were full bred Boston Terriers also, as we knew who the male dog was. This is a picture of the pups. They were six weeks old at the time. Their names are Benjie and Lucky, a male and female."

Weekly Winner, Week 6
Week 6 Daily Winner, October 23

Thank goodness for nine lives and kind souls!

Thomasina

Photo by: Deb Usmanu, Cohoes, New York

This story brought a tear to at least one judge's eye! Shares Deb, "Thomasina is a true story of what love can do. She is an elderly kitty who was found this past winter by roadmen frozen in a puddle of water. She had no home and suffers from severe diabetes and neuropathy from long term neglect. The roadmen pretty much gave her up for dead, but with the dedication of the staff of the Guilderland Animal Hospital, they pulled her through. I have been fortunate enough to have her in my life. When I saw her picture at the animal hospital I had to ask about her. They said she needed a home and my heart melted after hearing her story. With love and affection she has kept our hearts a glow. She enjoys supervising her other rescued brother and two sisters and never has to worry again about not being able to have sweet dreams and love. "

What a wonderful story!

Honorable Mention, Week 6
Week 6 Daily Winner, October 20

That warm water feels gooood. Hey - wait a minute!

Mouse, Ziggy and Sophie

Photo by: Robin Wilson, Hawley, Pennsylvania

WHEN RACCOONS ATTACK! "Saint Robin" went to great lengths to rescues these sisters, now five months. Says Robin, "Their mom was rescued as she was giving birth to them and their two brothers, Jack and CB, from raccoons who were circling her. We brought her in, she had the kittens, and they have been in the house ever since. Mom has been spayed, judged healthy and has adapted to living with four senior cats. The babies are another story, but so far there have been no serious confrontations with the seniors. A good time is had by all!

Weekly Winner, Week 5
Daily Winner, October 18

What? Kennel? Ha, you're real funny there, pal.

Rocky, Hurricane Katrina adoptee

Photo by: Katarina DiChiara, Lexington, Kentucky

Paw-purr-ee selection, October 10

I’ll never be bitter with a friend from my litter.

Impy and Sparks

Photo by: Laura and Mark Robichek, Sunnyvale, California

This one is painfully cute--it's as if the boys can't get enough paws around each other. The Robicheks write, "Impy and Sparks were are brothers that we adopted from an animal shelter. They couldn't be happier!"

Daily Winner, October 9

BFF: Best friends forever!

Portia and Jolly Rogers

Photo by: Brianna Ewert, Bradenton, Florida

Brianna writes, "This is a photo of two pets we adopted through rescue homes. Portia the American Bulldog takes care of, and tolerates Jolly Rogers’ surprise attacks. It is very common to find them resting together after a hard day of play. At this point we believe that Roger thinks he is a dog."

Paw-purr-ee selection, October 9

A close call!

Lizzie Pearl

Photo by: Diane Vasseur, Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Diane writes: Lizzie Pearl is a "nearly-starved stray we took in the day before Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She has a sweet personality and was a welcomed addition to our family."

Paw-purr-ee selection, October 2.

Dog? Cat? Ha! A ferret's where it's at!

Pooh Bear

Photo by: Becky Watson, New Brighton, Pennsylvania

Sadly, Pooh Bear is no longer with us, but he "was the love of our life," says Becky. "He was such a gentle little man. He was forever making us laugh, he stole our hearts and in the end he pretty much took it with him. He is sorely missed here, but we have since fostered a little guy named Willy. Here is my picture of Pooh. Please enjoy as he was about 1.5 years old in this shot."

Daily Winner, September 28th

Maybe we should move away from that nuclear plant!

Frosty and Bandit

Photo by: Nancy Ellis, Mesa, Arizona

Frosty and Bandit are "purebred mutts from the pound" who love to sleep on top of each other. They "make the very best of friends."

Paw-purr-ee selection September 21st.

It's TUMMY time! Pbbbbbbbbbtttttttt!

Alex (Mr. Mom) and Ford

Photo by: Jane Nygaard, St. Louis Park, Minnesota

Jane, a founder and board member of Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota, Inc. submitted this picture of her rescued Golden Retriever Alex. His puppy friend is 10-day-old Ford, who was found in a trashcan along with his siblings--he was the only survivor. Alex took on the duties of cleaning and caring for Ford from the time he was two days old and weighed only one pound. Ford was bottle fed, and Alex licked and comforted him. Alex helped raise Ford and died recently at 13 years old. The two visited elementary schools for two years together to teach children about pet responsibilities.

Weekly Winner, Week 1
Daily Winner September 20th.

Who needs paws for pillows when you've got your sister?

Begonia and Mia

Photo by: Jane Tallman, Belington, West Virginia

"Cute as buttons, both of these rescued kittens bring joy to our lives," says Jane. Ours too!

Daily Winner on September 18th.