This is the place where we're reminded just how wonderful living with a companion animal can be - and the joys and pains of helping animals who are homeless or in great medical need.

    If you have adopted an AnimaLovers' companion and would like to let us know how well your new family member is doing, please send us your love story.  <Contact Us>

Jake

...my husband Terry and I adopted an AnimaLovers' kitty cat, now named Jake. Jake's paws are the size of a young lion's and his fluffy tail at least as long as his body. I think he has a substantial amount of Main Coon in him. Having lost my "lifetime" cat Oliver to kidney failure some months before, I didn't think I was ready to bring a new kitty into our home. But, I went..."just to meet him" late last spring. Then about 9 months old, he was already bigger than any cat I'd ever had. Resting his back paws in my lap, he stretched his body up my chest and put his big paws around my neck. The rest is history. We have two more wonderful cats, Farley (15) and Chester (12) both with health issues. Jake's youthful exuberance has been a welcome breath of fresh air in our Chesapeake bayside home.

Here is a picture of Jake perched on the raised ledge behind my computer. In the photograph to his left is Farley (15) and Oliver, who passed away a year and a half ago... We love them all!

Joyce

Token

Dear AnimaLovers,

I adopted a cat named Biggie from you about 1-1/2 years ago. We have changed his name to Token because Biggie didn't seem like a good name for such a small cat. We came up with the name Token because he is our treasure token. When we brought him home he immediately adjusted to his surroundings, and now his best friend is our Boxer named Lula. He was the perfect addition to our family.

When he first came home he was a little shy around new people, but now he is the first one to greet anyone to our home. He will immediately jump on their laps to be pet really quick and then he looks for their jacket because he thinks it is his new bed. The only bad habit he has is that he thinks my house plants are his own personal jungle that he can run through and tackle, but it is hard to get mad at him because when he does it, it is the cutest thing I have ever seen.

I just want to say thank you again for the greatest addition to our home.

~Cyndi

Sky Kitty

Dear AnimaLovers,

    We adopted Sky Kitty from you a few years ago. She was about 2 years old.

    Wanted to let you know that she is a beautiful, sweet little cat, absolutely no trouble at all. I couldn't understand why she hadn't been adopted much sooner. As from her papers it looked as though she had been at the shelter for most of her life.

    Her only problem is that she is so cuddly looking everyone wants to pick her up and hug her and she doesn't like this at all. She does NOT want to be hugged. But she loves to be stroked and rub against you.

    With Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season,

                        Emilias & Geraldine

Jasper & Klaxon

Jasper & Klaxon

Dear AnimaLovers,

    On June 17, 2007 my family and I thought we would take a browse around the PetsMart store in Latham. Having lost both our dog and cat (of more than 10 years each) the past winter we missed having a pet and decided we were ready to adopt a new kitty. It only took a few minutes for us to spot two beautiful cats we loved. The problem was, which one to adopt? We were very fortunate that a wonderful lady by the name of Veronica happened to be representing AnimaLovers that day because she convinced us that maybe we didn't have to choose between the two. Apparently the two cats we were interested in, seemed to have befriended each other. How could we separate such good friends? Less than an hour later we left with two new family members by names of Jasper and Klaxon. What a wonderful decision we made that day!

    Jasper took to our home immediately. Undoubtedly the most playful, unique cat we have ever known, Jasper provides us with constant entertainment. He loves to play with anything that moves and is very comfortable with our two young boys. Jasper loves to be held like a baby and is the only cat we have ever known to love his belly scratched. Aside from sleeping in our beds at night, his favorite place to "cat nap" is on the of the cage of our two frongs. If only he could get in there! Jasper is our flopsy, mopsy, rag doll, hair bag!

    Klaxon took a few more days than Jasper did to acclimate to his new surroundings, but has become a "mom's kitty." Not as playful as Jasper and much more cautious, Klaxon is a lover. He always follows me to bed at night and sleeps all night long cuddled next to me. He is always the first to greet me in the morning when I am getting ready for work. You see a little black & white paw poking around under the bathroom door, signaling he is awake and ready to be loved. What a sweet, beautiful, loving cat!

    Thank you so much to PetsMart, AnimaLovers and especially Veronica for providing our family the opportunity to adopt Jasper and Klaxon. They have both become very important to us and it is hard to believe they have only been with us for five months because they fin in as if they have been here for years. We were lucky enough to find the perfect fit for our family and look forward to many happy years together.

    Happy Holidays and Thank You!

                        Ingrid, David, Max, Ethan, Jasper and Klaxon

                        November 2007

Max, Abby & Penny (aka Sisco, Season & Summer) Updated 9/07

We've had our babies a little over a year now, and they have grown into healthy, happy cats. Max is still the 'talker', Penny is still the 'hunter', and Abby is still 'the timid one'. It's amazing how they keep their personalities from day one. And they are such GOOD, GOOD cats! They are loving, playful, and so well behaved. I thank Ed every day for having us go back and get Penny. Some of our friends can't remember their names, so they always ask "How are Riley, Emma, & the Beatles?". I can't imagine a day without any of them. And whenever we go out (to a party, etc.) we always can't wait to get home to our 5 precious kitties. There's nothing as priceless as the unconditional love of a beautiful animal - no, FIVE beautiful animals!

Robin, Ed, Riley, Emma, Max, Abby, & Penny (& angel Cinder)

Penelope (Nellie)

I never thought Penelope would find a home. It was over a year and a half that she was a foster cat in my home. My friend Dave was looking for a cat to go with his new puppy, Remy, and gave Penelope a try. What a happy ending for Nellie!! Remy is obviously a good friend, too!! These are the pictures to prove it!! Thanks, Dave, for taking a full grown cat instead of the kitten you were thinking about!!!

                    Marta

Leah & Lucy (aka Splish & Splash)

We adopted Leah and Lucy, (renamed Splish and Splash by our 4 year old, Zoe), and they have worked out better than we could have ever hoped for, in fact they are purrrrrrfect.  Splish and Splash came home with us 2 months ago and we could not imagine life without them. If they're not chasing each other through the house with our rabbit Bunzai or playing chase the string with Zoe then they are most likely sitting in our laps soaking up all the love they can, and believe me they are both Love Bugs. They sleep on our bed and when it's time for Zoe to get up for school they jump up on Zoe's bunk bed knowing it's time to get her up and get their morning loving. Splish and Splash are home forever and for this we thank you.

                  Scott, Gina, Zoe, Splish, Splash and Bunzai

Kodoe (aka Patty)

    I adopted Kodoe (aka: Patty) in August 2005. She has been a great, lively addition to my home. Its great coming home to her furry face everyday. She greets me at the door, always very talkative - telling me about her day and I tell her about mine, as she always meows back, making a comment about everything I say to her. At night she will curl up in bed next to me, during the day she will sit in her favorite window and "talk" to the birds, and at night when I relax and watch TV, she will always make her presence be known and insist on playing a game of fetch with her favorite toys - milk tabs!

    Thank you so much for letting me be able to adopt this lively kitten, who has now grown up to be a little lady! I know when the time is right and I want to make an addition to my kitty family, I will come back to your organization and adopt another furry bundle of joy!

    Thank You!

                                    Carrie

Mabel

We adopted Mabel this year, and we are so glad we adopted her. She is doing well, and she and Astrid (our other cat) get along. Astrid enjoys having the new companion to chase around. Mabel loves playing, particularly with the laser pointer. She is sweet and loving. Thank you for letting us adopt her!

                                        Melissa & Mark

Raymond (aka Will)

    HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! 

    I wanted you all to see where one of your "rescues" now rests his head :)  

    You called him "Will" & he came home to us in July.  His name is now Raymond (as in "Everyone Loves Raymond") but we also call him Ray-Ray & Crazy Rayzee! 

    He is a total JOY! & a cuddle-bug & a major mischief maker & Makooshla (his canine sister) & I adore him.    

    Thank you all for saving him & for letting us be his family.

                                        Colleen & Mackooshla  XO

Anisette

This is a picture of Anisette [aka Midnight].  I adopted her in January 2005.  Just wanted to let you know she is doing well.  She has toys in every room in the house.  Thank you for letting me adopt her.

Tina

Holly

    ...We got her at Thanksgiving.  We have a doggie door and fenced in yard for her.  The first summer she started walking around and around in circles in the yard.  She made a perfect circle in the dirt.  My husband had a huge load of garden pebbles brought into her area and we spent a few hours raking them out.  Now she enjoys sunning herself on her beach.

    I don't know if anyone has ever seen a dog smile, but Holly does.  She has friends who come to visit just so she will smile at them.  She has brought such joy to our lives.  Thank you Animalovers for rescuing her!

Barbara

Noah (aka Gabby)

Dear AnimaLovers,

    It has been a month since Noah (aka "Gabby") came to live with us, but he is already part of our family. It only took three days before he was bounding around the house with our other talker, "Molly"...where you find one, you'll find the other. Noah is already comfortable in his new home. He spends most of his time eating, talking to everyone, chasing his tail, and snoozing on his favorite sofa. We're so happy he's here. We'd not only like to thank Animal Lovers, but the wonderful Volunteers who matched our personality to the perfect cat!

    Thank you,

Maria, Paul, and "Molly"

Duke - A 10th Anniversary Love Story

    Your ad for the 10th Annual Fall Festival in the most recent issue of the Companion brought us back to the Festival we visited at Collins Park in Scotia. We read about it in the Gazette and decided to drop over just to see the animal blessings. We had lost our big Golden about six months previously and really weren't ready for another at that time. We just wanted to be around animals. When we pulled into a parking space, directly in front of us among a few pets and people was this "glowing" dog who appeared to be a good sized Golden Retriever. I told Elaine that I sure would like to meet that dog!

    Well, it turns out that Duke was a rescued Retriever mix who had been with Marlene's family and was ready to be adopted. We met him, petted him, walked him . . . hugged him, and decided that now was the time to replace Big Mac.

    It has been ten years, ten wonderful years, with this fellow who attached himself to our physical bodies and our hearts. He goes everywhere with us in our RV and is a wonderful traveler. He has "introduced" us to many fine people in our walks around campgrounds and in our daily walks at home.

    Thanks to all the volunteers who continue your fine work and especially to Marlene who did a fine job of screening us, including a home visit prior to placement and, a surprise visit several weeks after the adoption.

Sincerely,

Richard & Elaine, Saranac Lake

Mimi

Dear AnimaLovers,

    My name is Diana... I was in the Latham Pet Smart on April 25,2005 and adopted Mimi...

    I wanted to let you know how well she is doing. I went to my vet 2 days later as you asked and she came through with flying colors...

    I brought her home to my 2 others and, as usual, it took some time for everyone to get accustomed to each other but it took them about 2 weeks and they are running and playing with each other now. She fit in as though she had been here her whole life.

    They are all very happy. I have built an 8 foot screen house for them outside my bedroom window made of thick metal mesh they can't scratch through, a huge cat house/scratch pole, wall stairs, and a front window cat shelf -they can sit in the window and watch outside.

    I give them the best food... Hopefully you all experience success stories like mine. I couldn't be happier with her and I can tell she is happy here, too.

Thank you,

Diana

Holly

Hi - My name is Holly. I was adopted by my parents from AnimaLovers. Mom said you can't have me back but she and her fellow workers save their deposit cans and bottles and all of us would like to help another "baby" find a home with the donation Mom is sending.

Jack (aka Smokey)

Jack turns five this week and I wanted to celebrate the occasion by remembering his roots. We recently moved to Chicago and now live a block and a half from Lake Michigan, where he loves to run and play with his doggie friends. Thank you for bringing us together.

Mary and Jack

Updated:

Today is Jack's seventh birthday and I wanted to send you an update. We are both thriving in Chicago. Jack has several doggie friends, with whom he runs and plays at the beach. He also is regularly invited over to his dog walkers' house (high school boys who live in our building) just to hang out. He is becoming more grey around his muzzle, but is often mistaken for a three-year old because of his energy and enthusiasm. Jack is the sweetheart of the building and I am thrilled that it is with me that he has found his forever home.

                            Mary

Morgan (aka Sunshine)

Hello! I just wanted to let you know that Morgan (formerly Sunsine) has adjusted so very well. She truly is our dog. She takes up half the king size bed each night and loves to destroy feather pillows. I think she is related to Houdini because she can escape into the upstairs of the house during the day very easily. She prefers to go behind the bar and has had a nip or two of vodka. But, we do love her and we thank you for filling the void left in our lives when our Black Lab Elvis died in Septmeber. She loves the snow and we are lookign forward to taking her up to our camp in the Adirondacks this summer and seeing how well she can swim.  Thank you again.  You have been wonderful!

Carol

Update:  Just to update you, we had a party here with 60 people this past weekend. We called it Morgan's debutante ball. She was loved by all and did she play in the snow. She has now had play dates with another dog and she has become loved by our family and friends. THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!

Teddy

My mom had adopted Teddy a while ago and ever since then I've fallen in love with him. He is a very lively dog, you wouldn't even believe it. When we first met him we thought he was a calm dog, boy we were wrong. He brings a smile to my face every time I see him. He fits right into the family too. Sometimes he will plop down right in front of us because he wants our attention. He gets more than enough attention. We just wanted to let you know that Teddy is doing great here in our home. We also wanted to let you know that he is very loved and he always will be!

Brittany
 

Gladys - aka Princess Roo

    I must say Gladys is one of the very best cats we have ever been owned by.  She is our little dog.  Of course she still has her own place, because she is that kind of girl.

    When we are out in the yard working in the gardens or just working about the house, she is always there.  She never missed a picnic and she loves people, kids and lots of loving.  She enjoys her own place, because there is always someone downstairs with her, if not watching TV, doing laundry or working in the woodshop.  She is a very special lady.

    She tips the scales at 18 lbs., but Dr. Bart says "most cats with her type of disorder are overweight".  We control her food so she doesn't overeat - we call her our 3X girl.  Her life is just what every kitty should have.  We really do love her bunches and we are so very thankful she got the chance to own us.

Oneida's Rescue Story - Click here for UPDATE!

    Cheryl came to Animal Lovers looking for help. She works at Oneida Middle School in Schenectady and had recently seen a cat walking near the outside of the school. She said she believed the cat was pregnant and was concerned for her welfare. Cheryl asked if there was any way we could help. I told her that if she could catch the cat, AnimaLovers would provide her with whatever care was needed. Cheryl spent the weekend walking around the school and the neighborhood looking for the cat, but was unable to find her.

    The next day I decided to take a drive over there and help with the search. I walked around the school and the neighborhood, and looked in every place I could think of. Finally, I walked in between two fences which were covered with weeds (I thought it was poison ivy, but went in anyway). Lo and behold, there she was - just sitting there as if to say "What took you so long?” I took her to the vet and learned that she was very healthy (except for fleas) and very pregnant. I took her home with me and gave her food (and lots of it), warmed her up and gave her a box and blankets to have her babies in. I named her Oneida after the place where she was found. Only four days after I met Oneida, she gave birth to 4 kittens.

    I've been sending pictures of Oneida and her kittens to Cheryl, who then shared them with the school staff. Everyone at school was excited at this successful rescue effort. The school has decided to collect donations there to help AnimaLovers help others like Oneida and her kittens and we thank them so much for that.

    Stay tuned for updates on Oneida and her kittens……………

Rena Ost

    P.S. - If you would like to help AnimaLovers with Oneida and all the other wonderful animals we rescue <click here>!

Oneida's Story - Continued & Updated

(From the Oneida Middle School)

Sick Stray Cat Saved By Oneida Teacher by John Alois

    On Columbus Day, October 11 a stray cat was found in between two fences outside of Oneida Middle School. The stray was so sick she could barely move and was very close to death. Around 10:00 AM on October 11 the stray was found by Oneida teacher Mrs.Friedman. Rena Ost who was with Mrs.Friedman, took the cat to a local no-kill [group] called AnimaLovers...  They named the stray Oneida after the school she was found near and after an examination the animal lovers discovered that Oneida was pregnant and going to have her kittens soon. Oneida had her kittens on Friday October 15 and all the kittens were completely healthy. She had three boys and one girl.

    The Oneida student council was honored to get the opportunity to name the kittens. We voted and got the names Mr. Inky for a black male that is very friendly and loves to play the door game were one can is one a side of the door and another is on the other side. Marble was the name picked for a white male with one green eye and one blue eye, that loves to cuddle and loves to play with toy mousses. Simba, a white male with two gray spots on his head loves to play rough with his siblings but is still lovable. Princess, the only girl, has gray fur, is very fluffy, loves her alone time and usually finds a quite spot to nap.

    AnimaLovers is a non-profit, [all volunteer rescue group] that pays for everything out of pocket and because of this Oneida Middle School is having a penny drive to raise money for Animal lovers. We will have a bucket in each homeroom and kids and teachers can put any loose change they might have, in the jar. We hope it really adds up! You can find Animal lovers on the web at www.Animalovers.org There you can find information on adopting the kittens or other animals and you can also find out how to help. All of the kittens, among other animals, are up for adoption and are looking for good homes that will spay or neuter the animals and keep them indoors.

Olive

    I was adopted in October 2002. When I arrived home I hid for two hours and then I was ready to start my new life. Immediately I checked out the litter box. I was afraid of brooms, strangers, and especially men and children. Also I would flinch if a hand got too close to my face. It was obvious to my new parents that I had been mistreated. It only took me a few days to train and break in my new parents, Gwen and Barry. We both love each other and we also are best friends. We drive to Florida because I would not be happy being shipped there or be boarded in a kennel. I also enjoy staying in motels when we travel. I spend summers in Lake Placid, winters in Florida and my main home in Delmar. I no longer am afraid of strangers but am still a little leery of children. I am very gentle and would never scratch or bite my parents, not even in play. I love to lie on my parents’ lap and watch TV, but my very favorite thing is to be brushed.

    I highly recommend being adopted from Animal Lovers. I am very grateful to Animal Lovers for taking care of me when I was homeless and most of all for finding me such a great home.

Zoe

    Just wanted to update you on Zoe (who was formerly Kayla adopted 12/02)... She has been with me now for a year and a half now and 21lbs later,... I cannot imagine my life without her (and the others of course). Zoe came into my life right after I lost my beloved Thor (my first rottie loss), my vet called me to tell me that Animalovers was going to be there and she knew of a rottie being turned in. Well I didn’t think I was interested in a female let alone an adult, but something dragged me out of my house and I went over and checked her out. She was thin and hyper, and really not interested in me, but I was hooked. After all the paperwork and her meeting my female rottie, the big day arrived I couldn’t wait! Zoe settled right in, it was a month or so of bouncing off the walls but she found her place, over the last year, she has had 2 separate knee surgeries, we have added another rescue Moses (in the center of the triplet pic, Zoe is on the left) who Zoe loves to torment.

    Zoe is a big mush, she loves to chase the chickens, llamas and goats that come up to her yard and hang out on the other side of the fence. She is also the biggest couch potato as well and her favorite spot at night is as close as she can possible get to me. She has definitely helped get me out of my doldrums when I needed it most, changed my impressions of acclimating mature dogs, and has deepened my love and admiration for the wonderful breed.

Tina

Remember - if you have a AnimaLovers' companion animal story you'd like to share with us, contact us.

The Animal Welfare League of the Greater Capital District, Inc.,  Albany, New York

Copyright ©2008 AnimaLovers.  All rights reserved.

Last Revised: Thursday, May 08, 2008 06:16 PM