In Kalispell, Mont., people know one person to call about cats in need. More

Reaching a milestone is no accident. More

A starting light flashes red and then yellow like a drag race, but the sound of engines is nowhere to be heard. Instead the arena is filled with barks, howls and yelps — a deafening roar emanating from the tense bodies of dogs ready for action. The light turns green and a one-eyed Border Collie named Shae’s Wink takes off at a full sprint easily clearing the four hurdles along her route. More

'Fandango' wanted to run, but the blue American Pit Bull Terrier kept falling down. Despite the stray's energy and exuberance, his hind legs buckled beneath him, splaying out and sending him to the dusty Decatur, Ga., ground. More

As a U.S. Army infantryman in Iraq, Danny Scheurer was in constant danger. For almost every move Scheurer made in the field, a German Shepherd Dog was nearby. A specially trained military K-9 gave Scheurer confidence each time he went out on patrol that he would return. More

Four former cardiac patients who traded the treadmill for workouts walking stray and homeless dogs at their local shelter have gained as much as they give — and then some — in the novel program. Best of all, the dogs they walk are getting adopted quicker, thanks to the socialization, training and exercise they receive.

More

In the tiny village of Aniak — located on the bank of the Kuskokwim River in a remote part of western Alaska, accessible only by plane or boat —- rescuing abused and abandoned dogs is nothing short of challenging. More

Twenty-five years after founding NoVa Rottweiler Rescue League, Judy Marion finds herself in a predicament. Every day she receives calls from owners wanting to surrender their dogs, yet she has fewer than 10 foster families. A stretch of unsuccessful fundraising and adoption events hasn’t helped either. More

Tough economic times often translate into families and individuals who can no longer afford to keep their pets. Dog and cat families are both affected, but when owners give up their cats, they are more likely to face uncertainty whether their cat will find a new home, say cat rescue experts. More

When the sun sets over the Sandia Mountains, they turn bright pink, the color of the inside of a ripe watermelon. Locals say that’s how the mountains got their name: Sandia means watermelon in Spanish. That’s also how Watermelon Mountain Ranch Animal Center, New Mexico’s largest no-kill shelter, got its name. More

The sign on the front of the building reads “Cat Adoptions.” More

When two cat-passionate young women, who also happen to be trained veterinary technicians, learned that a local animal sanctuary was closing and that the fate of 17 resident cats was in limbo, they took the cats home with them. More

Going once, going twice, auction fundraisers loaded with tickets to events, museums and galleries, plus numerous donated items, are helping nonprofit rescue organizations refuel their coffers. Anything is possible when it comes to an auction. Experience is the ticket in determining what works best. More

Yvette Huesler waited anxiously in her driveway for the arrival of 10 Pembroke Welsh Corgis that had been rescued from a puppy mill breeder in Iowa. More

A small motorboat with a disaster rescue crew from Best Friends Animal Society quietly glides through the flooded town of Oakville, Iowa. It’s the fifth day of a weeklong mission in the rural farming community to find pets left behind after the Mississippi River overflowed, submerging area homes and businesses. More

Chinese Shar-Pei Wins ‘Doing More for Pets’ Contest More

Jim Wiesmueller and his rescued Beagle, “Millie,” faithfully patrol the halls of Innova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia each week, performing what many people would consider small miracles. The petite tricolor hound comforts the terminally ill, encourages the weak to regain strength and elicits physical movement from nearly comatose patients. More

The healing power of pets through the Delta Society’s Pet Partners program will soon be experienced by more people in nursing homes, hospitals and schools around the world, thanks to a donation from Nestlé Purina PetCare. More

In the lush green backyard of Susan Mautz and her husband, Grant Wheatley, among the lilac and honeysuckle bushes, a restless dog lived in their garden. More

At the foot of a picturesque hill in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Dutch Amish country sits a bright, cheery kennel. It is flanked by spacious fenced exercise and play yards, training areas, a charming retail shop, snack bar, and most importantly, lots of happy Golden Retrievers. More

On a crisp, fall day at Purina Farms outside St. Louis, a dog-enthusiastic crowd has gathered for the National Finals of the Purina® Incredible Dog Challenge® . Gentle, rolling hills just starting to turn the vibrant red and orange colors of autumn set the backdrop. More

When Siri Zwemke started her search 10 years ago for a Siamese cat to adopt, the teacher of hearing-impaired students had no idea that her quest would lead to a new vocation. More

Tramping through the hemlock forest at sunrise when the morning light sparkles through the trees or standing on a hill overlooking a pasture of brilliant yellow and dark purple wildflowers, it’s easy to forget the purpose of Glen Highland Farm. That is until you hear the happy barking. More

Squeaky toys and friendly voices greet a new pack of dogs that have just arrived at the Pennsylvania prison. The attention is a bit overwhelming, but definitely pleasant. Most of the dogs have never experienced anything quite like it. More

"Tai Tai" is a 5-year-old Akita who has been through the revolving door of the rescue system for most of her life. In 2002, Tai Tai was bought by a Florida man as a companion for his elderly Akita. Unbeknownst to this man, Akitas can exhibit dog aggression and sometimes do not get along with other Akitas. The elderly Akita did not appreciate Tai Tai’s youthful exuberance, and the 16-week-old puppy was turned over to Akita Rescue Society of Florida (ARSF) in Clearwater. More

Every day is a Jellicle Ball at Catman2 Shelter & Adoption Center in Cullowhee, N.C. Just like in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical "Cats," old cats, fat cats, slinky cats, mischievous and magical cats come out to play, to bask in the warm sun, to celebrate life. More

“Violet,” a 2-year-old Ibizan Hound, was in bad shape when she first arrived at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) in Walnut Creek, Calif. Abandoned on a busy road, the stray dog was pregnant and sick, struggling with kennel cough and distemper. More

It was a blistering summer afternoon in Piedmont, Okla. Dennis and Jesse McGee were cooling down after a run on the country roads outside of Oklahoma City. While crossing a bridge, the father and son heard whimpers that sounded like pleas for help coming from below. Fifteen feet below two Weimaraner puppies huddled together in the dry creek bed. More

Frightened and mistrustful children and adults are not uncommon to Kerry Lauer who works as a rape and abuse counselor. But she’ll never forget how her rescue dog, “Alice,” helped one father deal with the aftermath of his little boy’s molestation by an older relative. More

An exceptionally high number of kittens, particularly newborns, rescued this year by Piece of Heaven Kitten Shelter in Hamburg, N.Y., have taken a toll on primary caregiver Marcia Gerwitz. Orphaned newborn kittens entail bottle-feeding every two hours, late at night, all night, early in the morning, all day long. More

Downtown Reading, Pa., had a problem. Feral cats were eating out of dumpsters and going into abandoned houses and garages, endangering not only themselves but also threatening to spread disease. More and more cats seemed to appear overnight. More

Rescue dogs, some of the worst cases, learn basic obedience through a special training program at Triple Crown Dog Academy. Not only do the dogs start behaving better, they also help student trainers learn to communicate with dogs. More

When rescuers found a Rottweiler lying next to a road seemingly waiting to die, they took him to a shelter for evaluation and called Denise Novak. They knew if anyone could help the dog, Novak, a founding officer of Save 1 Pet dog rescue in Olive Branch, Miss., could. More

The little Shetland Sheepdog would not eat, drink or move. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, with none of the sparkle usually seen in Shelties. Her bowed head and bent body radiated abject fear. Her apprehensive expression and suspicious demeanor reflected a lifetime of deprivation and abuse. Her odds of finding a forever home were nil unless someone could help her emerge from this traumatized state. But who would be willing to try rehabilitating such a troubled dog? Certainly not Janice Mitchell — or so Mitchell thought. More

Gail Orth-Aikmus has a passion for helping others whether they have two legs or four. More

Whether to allow the adoption of a dog or cat to a new home over the holidays presents a quandary for many rescue organizations. Fearful of the risk that a new owner is acting on a whim or planning to give the pet as a gift, some rescuers forbid all holiday adoptions. Others consider adoptions on a case-by-case basis, while yet others conduct business as usual and allow adoptions.   More

Rally to Rescue National Spokeswoman Speaks Out 
When Rally to Rescue national spokeswoman Deborah Cooper decided to get involved in rescuing Chinese Shar-Pei 15 years ago, little did she know that it would become one of the most important missions of her life. More

Pet rescuer Rebecca Kornblum had lots of experience working with cats with physical disabilities, but when she met a paraplegic cat named “Danny,” she learned a whole new meaning to living with a disabled feline. More

A second chance is what Jill Widlits gave “Nina,” a 7-month-old Border Collie who had been adopted and then returned to the Oregon Humane Society in Portland when her owner didn’t have time for her. After a short while at the shelter, Nina failed the temperament test when she snapped at the worker trying to scan her for a microchip. “She was being forced to deal with too much before she was ready,” Widlits says. More

Knock on Grace Acosta’s door at her home in Miami, and you are likely to get a friendly greeting from a medley of canines. Five pooches are rescue mixes, one is a Rottweiler rescue, and six are Rottweilers from her own breeding.
  
Nearly every dog that goes into the Gulfstream Guardian Angel Rottweiler Rescue makes a stop at Grace’s home. “We have very few foster homes,” explains the assistant high school principal. “It hurts the rescue group because we end up paying boarding fees at a veterinary clinic.” More