Adoption Success Stories
Unfortunately, many animals who find their way to Northeast Animal Shelter have unusual and often heartwrenching stories leading up to their rescue. But thanks to loving adoptive families, these stories have wonderful endings.
Here is a collection of our favorite stories.
Ruby
Ruby and her puppies had been dumped right outside a veterinary clinic – so close to the care they needed -- yet hours went by before a care worker found them and brought them in from the elements.
Once safely inside, the dogs were given food, water and immediate medical attention. It was then that the vet discovered that Ruby’s left hind leg had been broken long ago — most likely as the result of being hit by a car. Since then, Ruby has come a long way. Now her adoptive family says she is "the fastest Chihuahua in the neighborhood!"
Thirteen Puppies
"At 4 O'Clock all 13 puppies will be put down unless you send a transport."
In all her years at Northeast Animal Shelter, Betty had never received a call like this one. With so little time and so much at stake, she knew she had to act fast.
Read how Northeast Animal Shelter rescued them just in time ....
Cheryl
Doors slamming, strange faces, boxes everywhere -– Cheryl, a fluffy calico and her feline friends, Trudy and Vaughn, scrambled to keep out of the commotion. Then they saw the door close and heard the key turn in the lock.
Harley and Parents
Steve and Emily came to the Shelter hoping to adopt a puppy, but it was an older dog named Harley who immediately caught their eye.
Harley had come to our Shelter tired and hungry. His worn collar said “Harley,” but no one ever came looking for him. Read what happened when Steve and Emily took Harley to our Shelter's outdoor play yard ....
Harley
Harley, a 7-year-old cat, was brought to Northeast Animal Shelter by her owner when she could no longer take care of her. Being older cat and set in her ways, Harley had a hard time adjusting to life at the Shelter. But when Sara and David came looking to adopt a cat, everyone was in for a big surprise! Read more ....
Abby
Abby moved slowly from under one car to another, trying to brace herself against the summer heat. No one noticed her emaciated body, her distress, and that she was so exhausted she could hardly move. She was near the end of her days, until a man figured out her plight, fed her a can of tuna and brought her to our Shelter.
Read more about Abby's miraculous recovery ....
Dexter & Dusty
Dusty and Dexter’s tale began on a blustery New England night. Their mother -- weary, pregnant and homeless -- made her way down the snow-dusted streets of Billerica, MA in hopes of finding a warm place to escape the dreadful cold.
She managed to climb through a small opening in a garage door found a warm place where she gave birth to a litter of five kittens. But when the weather turned warmer, suddenly this warm place was no longer safe. Their new home began moving out of the garage and down the highway!
Click here to find out what happened next.
Beautiful
When Mary stepped outside for a breath of fresh air, she saw a pile of garbage move. A minute later, she was shocked to see a small dog cautiously approach her, with a piece of wire embedded in its chest. Mary knew this looked like a critical injury, so she dropped everything and took the dog to get help.
Gordon
Gordon had been a racing greyhound his entire life ... until he became too old to run. At that point he became worthless to his owners, but not to us. When his kidneys failed soon after he arrived at our Shelter, we arranged an emergency house call from our local vet.
Read how Gordon beat the odds.
Max
Max looked like an ordinary Shepherd mix. He was found in a cardboard box on the steps of a local church in New Mexico and might have been euthanized if we hadn't rescued him. That turned out to be a lucky thing, not only for Max but for Ed, the man whose life Max would save a few years later. Read how Max saved Ed's life ....
Nathaniel
Nathaniel, a one-year-old tabby, was side-swiped by a car and sitting on the pavement, in terrible pain. A cat in his position would not last long without help...but luckily, that's when Jean drove by in her van.
Buddy
Buddy, a sweet Shepherd mix, was born in Puerto Rico with the odds stacked against him. He had a congenital bone problem with his leg. When he walked, Buddy was grinding bone against bone.
He needed help, fast.
It was then that our rescue partner, the Save-A-Sato Foundation, found Buddy and took him in.
Sheba
Sheba was found foraging for food along the side of a roadway in Old San Juan ... and she was injured, too, from getting tangled with barbed wire. Given time, her injuries healed, but the tough life on the streets had taught Sheba to be aggressive toward other dogs. Could a loving adopter transform Sheba from a fearful street dog in Puerto Rico to a loving pet?
Read what happened when Sheba's adopter's pet parrot landed next to Sheba's snout ....
Simba
Simba was surrended to us because a family member was allergic to cats. He was a handsome cat, but his aggressive behavior made him difficult to place.
Simba was easily over-stimulated and he would sometimes bite. Was his over-eagerness and high activity level due to living in a cage for too long? Would time and patience unlock his true personality?
Maddy
For nearly seven months this sweet dog tried to keep up hope that there was a forever home waiting for her.
After being adopted once and then returned, Maddy deserved a second chance. And, at last it happened! Click here to find out how Maddy learned to share her forever home with her adoptive parents, their daughter, a doggy brother, two cats, two guinea pigs and a bunch of chickens and rabbits.
Pete
His full name is 'Three Feet Pete,' and I'm sure you can guess why. Losing a leg didn't stop this sweet dog from making the long trip from Puerto Rico to Northeast Animal Shelter.
Cupcake
As a writer for Northeast Animal Shelter, Carla was asked to write about Cupcake, a dog who had gone through some tough times and whose future health was uncertain. Cupcake was timid and sad, but Cupcake's spirit and resiliency kept Cupcake constantly in Carla's thoughts. Carla felt compelled to do something.
Read what Carla did, and why she feels Cupcake's transformation is a miracle.
Charlotte
During a wintery snowstorm, Charlotte was found wandering the street, barely alive. It was obvious the dark gray, long-haired cat desperately needed food and shelter immediately.
She arrived at Northeast Animal Shelter soaking wet, matted and starving. Despite her condition, Charlotte ....
Sundance
Like discarded trash, their crates lay upside down in a parking lot only a few miles from our Shelter. Inside, Butch and Sundance were found cowering... bodies battered and bruised. Sundance's leg was too damaged to save, but Sundance's spirit didn't keep him down for long.
Click here to learn about Sundance's surgery and his recovery ....
Hazel
After a long journey from Indiana, Hazel arrived at our Shelter, carrying a surprise ... she was pregnant and almost ready to give birth. Our staff took turns staying with the sweet Collie/Chow mix around the clock. Finally 8 pups were born, but Hazel had one more surprise.
Find out about Hazel's extra surprise ....
MB
Some animals are so downright loveable that it’s hard to understand how anyone could part with them. That’s just the kind of little kitten M.B. is. Yet not only did his original owners part with him, they abandoned him in a Dunkin Donuts box in a grocery store parking lot.
Read more about M.B. and why we gave her that name ....