Oscar (Formerly known as Boz)

I adopted Oscar/Boz from the APR in the winter of 07. He is very loving and sweet. His favorite thing is to get belly rubs and treats. We love each other very much!

Luke (formerly Aiden) and Rocco (formerly Petey)

Rocco and Luke wanted to let you know that they are now brothers and LOVE their forever home in Athens, Georgia. Rocco left APR is Oct of 2007, and Luke in Feb of 2008.

They miss you guys, and said you took great care of them, but they REALLY love it here. Thanks for all that you do!

Sincerely,

Scott S., Eric V., Rocco Vaughn-Simpson, & Luke Vaughn-Simpson.

Ashley

I just wanted to let you know how grateful we are for the work that you do.

We came to APR 10 months ago to start the long process of looking for a dog to bring home as a family pet. That same day we came home with Ashley. She was almost a year old and very, very shy. My daughter wanted a dog ever since we can remember but the timing wasn't right and we were terrified of getting a dog that wouldn't be a right fit for our family.

Ashley has been an incredible addition to our family. We took all the tips that the interviewer from APR gave and used them. I don't remember her name, but she was incredibly helpful and really set us up for a positive adoption experience. Once Ashley got comfortable in our home we noticed some behavior issues that started to become worrisome (e.g., biting the kids). We took her to Powers Ferry Animal Hospital (an APR recommendation) and the vet recommended we take her to K-9 Coach in Smyrna (also an APR recommendation).

We set up an appointment for a consultation with a trainer right away. The trainer spent close to an hour with us, gave us handouts, tips and demonstrations of what to do...and refused to charge us because he said it was a consultation. We implemented the recommendations right away and I am glad to say that we have not had any issues since.

Ashley is not only a joy to our family but to everyone she meets. She is truly a treasure and I can't thank you enough for helping rescue her and helping us adopt her. You set us up for success from the beginning.

Thanks again.

Luisa & Jon W.

Toby (formerly Keelo)

When Johnny saw little KEELO, now TOBY, he smiled and smiled and smiled. The sweet little thing went right to him, and rode on his lap in the wheelchair...They are now napping in the recliner.. a perfect match.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Very Grateful
Kelly S.

P.S. Otis our "special needs" kitty wants to chase Toby's tail; Felix doesn't have one of those!!!

Mao (formerly Prissy) and Xiaoping (formerly Yahtzee)

Prissy and Yahtzee, currently Mao and Xiaoping, but possibly soon to be Ink and Spot...

Thanks to you all for bringing mom, daughter and me together! We're getting along splendidly. I think that an industrial loft is some kind of cat heaven. Lots of places to perch, look out, and run around. Mao races down the stairs when I come home, rolling on her back and rubbing her face in greetings. Xiaoping plays it more cool - most of the time. She watches intently much of what I do and remains just out of arms' reach - except for night time when she and Mao curl up on the bed, often using that time to clean each other, with Xiaoping usually nestling on top of me some time around dawn. Xiaoping also likes to sing on occasion. They love racing up and down the stairs, after each other or after me when they think it's mealtime. Perching on chairs or ledges is another great pasttime, as the photos show. It's been a very happy six weeks since we first moved in together!

Best wishes!

Stephen

Hailey (formerly Jinxy)

This is Hailey. I believe that her name was Jinxy when she was with you guys. My ex-girlfriend adopted her in July of 2008 from Atlanta Pet Rescue, and she lives with me now in Smyrna. I think that she came from the Cobb County animal shelter. She's a good dog, and it's amazing to see the change in her personality and behavior since she's been adopted.

Thanks again.

Michael B.

Sassy... Sissy??? Sassy Peaches!!!!!

On January 2nd 2010 we drove over 500 miles from Palm Bay, FL to APR to pick up "Sissy"... her name was Sassy, but APR switched it due to another Sassy already up for adoption. We had spoken with the staff via phone, had an excellent recommendation from our vet and were experienced rescuers and Pekingese owners... but we were not approved. So, we took a big chance on driving all that way, paying for hotels and meals to be, possibly, denied. We did not care, we saw that beautiful face on petfinder.org and new she was the one to heal our broken hearts.
You see, on Thanksgiving Day ,7 years to the day we got her, Our baby girl China, unexpectedly curled up in her favorite corner (near the AC intake where the wind would blow across her precious face) and passed on. I frantically tried to revive her, but her little body had simply had enough. At 12 years old, and having suffered in the puppy mill for 5 years, and the past 7 with us, her time with us was finished. She was, for the past 10 days, recovering from a herniated disc in her back... at least that is what we had thought. We kept her medicated and comfortable per the Dr's instructions... she didn't suffer much.
As I write this, I still cannot hold back the tears. China was an integral part of this family, and we were devastated. We shared 7 years of wonder. I learned how much a puppy can teach you. She was endlessly patient and loving. Whenever we were sad, or sick, she was always there to make us better.... it was simply her instinct. And the house seemed empty without her.... and her brother Mufasa was very lonely.
We switched her name back to Sassy.. it seemed more fitting... and added Peaches. So she was now Sassy Peaches!!!!! She is a bundle of energy and was a healing force immediately. She has boundless energy and it is infectious. Mufasa is still wanting China back, but he loves Sassy Peaches and the two are becoming inseparable. She knows that China left some big shoes to fill, and she seems determined to fill them!

Thanks to all the amazing people at APR for the wonderful work that they do. There is a special place in Heaven for you guys!!!! Thanks for giving us the privilege of loving this little ball of joy. Sassy Peaches says she loves you guys too!!!!

ANGUS

i'm so sorry to read about angus. he was such a sweet boy. yes, i'm crying right now, but i know that james did everything in his power to make a better life for angus and i know he knew he was loved.

~leslie caylor

Sadie (aka Daisy)

My fiance and I had been looking for the perfect puppy for months, and last Saturday, we finally found her. Sadie was hanging out in the small dogs area and just kept wagging her tail and looking around. One of the volunteers picked her up, and Sadie (formerly known as Daisy) kept giving her kisses. I instantly fell in love with her sweet demeanor, and it didn't take my fiance long to realize how wonderful she was. She has only been with us for a short time, but we feel so lucky to have picked out such a wonderful companion. Not only is she incredibly sweet, but she is already housetrained and VERY smart! It seems like all she wants to do is please us, and she does a wonderful job doing so! Thank you so much for our sweet little puppy -- we couldn't be happier with the care APR gave her, and I know she is happy with her new family.

BOOBER

I adopted Boober 3 years ago next week. He will be 4 years old in May and he is the LOVE of my life. I fell in love with Boober the very first time I saw his picture on APR and knew I had to have him. He is the best companion and always by my side. He has brought so much joy to my life and I hope he would say the same about me. I am always gauranteed to be greeted with tons of kisses!

He is still an only dog, but he loves to go play with his canine aunt and uncle. He also loves to go visit his great grandparents for some geriatric therapy!

He has brought so much joy to my life (and others) and I don't know what I would do without my precious baby boy!

K. Lewis

Sweet Sasha

We adopted Sasha in May of 2008. Thanks to APR, Sasha was rescued from a kill shelter in Alabama, and we were the family so blessed to adopt her. When we first met her, she was very afraid. It didn't take long before she warmed up, and she knew how loved she was, and that we would never let anything happen to her. She is truly the sweetest, most loving dog I have ever known. When we go out, even for a very short time, the minute we walk in the door, she has the most shrill bark for about 5 min......its as though she is saying, "I'm so happy you're home...I've missed you sooooo much!" Thank you APR for saving our girl. She is our 'Sweet Sasha'.

Jim and Carrie

PETUNIA

Petunia (formerly Olivia ) has been with us since June 2009. When we adopted her it was thought she was a Maltipoo. As a Christmas gift to ourselves we had her DNA analyzed and found that she is really 2/5 Bichon Frise, 2/5 Lhasa Apso and 1/5 White West Highland Terrier.

She is still the sweetest, most obedient, loving dog we have ever had. She is also a great hot water bottle on cold winter nights.

When we took her home she was rail thin, now, since we spoil her, the vet wants her on a diet. No dog has loved to eat more than Petunia. She dances with joy, on tip toe, when she sees the kitchen light switched on at feeding time.

Thank you for saving her life.

J and C Kern

MILEY

I adopted Miley (and opted not to change her name - too cute!) in May 2009, and I couldn't ask for a better dog. I lived alone before I adopted Miley, and while becoming a dog owner was a challenging transition, now I can't imagine not coming home to her. Miley is wonderful - the sweetest dog I've ever met. She's high-energy, loves to play and go on long walks, and has taken quite a liking to wearing sweaters! She has such a sweet temperment - she's never met a stranger, and my neighors love her. Her first birthday was in December, and I love her more every day.

The man I interviewed with at APR said that he had a knack for pairing up the right pets with the right owners - and he was completely on point. Miley was the first dog he showed me, and that sealed the deal for me. She brings joy to every day! THANK YOU, APR!

-Erin

CLIFFORD

Dear Atlanta Pet Rescue,

We just wanted to send you an email to "Thank You" for giving Clifford the opportunity to have a second chance!! It will be a week tomorrow (Saturday) since Clifford has entered our lives. He is such a sweet boy! We kept his name Clifford because we thought it fit him. He may not be big in size but he has a big heart. We are thankful every day to have him in our lives! After a week he has shown his funny side. He is quite the character. He always puts a smile on our face!

The girls are counting down the days until they can have a lot of fun with him (we are waiting out 6 weeks for him to recover from heartworms). You can tell he wants to run around and have a good time. :-) As for now, they don't mind giving him a lot of loving! He has become their TV and Nap buddy. He loves to sleep in the girls room for bedtime.

Thank you again for being there for Clifford and the other animals that are looking for a second chance. We also would like to thank Clifford's sponsors: Christine C. and Tamara S. and the counselors that assisted us on Saturday, January 30. We are also very grateful for their support!!

Best regards,
The Szymoniak Family

Ziggy

We came looking for a small dog and Ziggy was the first one we met. Karen, a very nice lady that interviewed us was not very sure it was the right match at first. My youngest son was not very happy that Ziggy was not allowing us to pet him. Well I decided that we would keep him and I felt that he would eventually get confortable around us. I think the pictures will say it all. This is the same day we brought him home. Please ensure Karen see these pictures. I want her to be sure this was a good choice.

Wally Dog!

Wally (also know as Walter, Walrus, Walty, Snuffy, Scruffy, and a myriad of other names) came to us two and a half years ago. He christened our home by breaking through the screen porch door...little did we know he was just creating a very convenient doggy door! He has since become a wonderful companion to fellow rescue, Bud, human baby brother, Wils, and all the rest of the family. Our family wouldn't be complete without our snuggly, scruffy, muddy-pawed pal. Thanks Atlanta Pet Rescue!

Arthur

Our family lost its Dashund, Moose about 3 years ago. Moose had been part of our family for 10 years. I decided it was time for another daschund. My kids scoured web sites, but no one ever looked like he belonged with us. Then Arthur showed up! It was love at first sight. When I went to adopt him at the shelter another person came for him to, I thought I was not going to bring Arthur home. But the other family's daschund did not get along with Arthur, and home he came to Duluth! He has been an absolute joy. He has the best personality and it just never seems like he was not part of our family. He has only been here for 4 days but it seems like we have had him forever. He is wonderful, fun, sweet and an absolute joy!

Jacoby

Jacoby was very shy and I didnt know if he going to come out of his shell. So I took him home as a foster parent and 9 days in he still didn't show any signs of wanting to be buddies. On day 10 he decided he was interested in a friend and now he follows me all around the house. He is so glad when I get home at night and he settles into his predictable routine.... 1) pet me for 10 minutes, 2) let me play with my toys now for a couple hours and run around the house like a crazy cat, 3) let me take a break from that now so you can pet me some more, 4) I'll take a nap now while you watch tv for a while, then I will stay up late tonight to play some more. I wanted a cat that would spend time with me and he has fit the bill. And he is a handsome cat too. Thanks APR.

Millie the Amazing Mutt

We adopted MIllie (formerly JoJo) from the Atlanta Pet Rescue in August 2008. Since that time she has become quite famous. Millie went to Canine Good Citizen training and then passed her Happy Tails Pet Therapy test. Millie is now one of the dog stars that visit the North Fulton Hospital Rehab facility and Piedmont Hospital Rehab facility. She is a good dog doing great work! The patients love her because she is a team member that is small enough to sit on their laps, (she weighs 9 pounds) . When she is with them, and being cuddled, you can see her happiness, that the world revolves around her. All the pet therapy dogs have business cards that the patients collect and hers says "MIllie the Amazing Mutt."

Even though we lost her brother Sam, last year at the age of 18, which is quite old for a 50 pound dog, Millie helped us through our grief. We cannot thank the rescue group enough for bringing her from a high kill shelter into not only our lives but the lives of so many other people. Our Happy Tail Organization will visit over 100 facilities and over 4000 patients each month.

Thank you for doing such great work, i hope we can adopt another dog soon so Millie can have a brother again.

Nancy and Richard Alterman

Trixie and Baylee (formerly Bayo)

We adopted Trixie and Baylee on December 29, 2009 and they immediately made themselves at home. They love lounging around together, as you can see by the pictures. They have been such a joy to have around and we are so happy that we were able to adopt two sweet and affectionate kittens such as these two. We couldn't have asked for better kittens!!

Buddy

A Christmas photo of Buddy, my dog, that I adopted from Atlanta Pet Rescue on December the 9th, 2006. His name was then: Beau.

Phoebe

Phoebe and her forever Daddies just celebrated their one year anniversary on November 18th, 2009!
On a cool and damp Saturday morning we made our first trip to Atlanta Pet Rescue on or around September 5th, 2008. We had just lost two of our cats within 5 months of each other; one 18 and the other one 19 years old. We only went there to try and donate a few items that we no longer needed.
I remember the morning visit to Atlanta Pet Rescue very, very well. It was a difficult visit holding back tears and feeling guilty for looking at other cats. The gravitation of the cat room pulled us in, it was just to take a peek, one little harmless peek. Just an hour before, we had both threatened each other, no more animals for a while as we needed to grieve. Before I realized what had happened upon entering the cat room, I was suddenly attacked by what felt like was a very sharp and precise machete on my left arm, to my surprise this swat came from an angry but beautiful Calico feline so appropriately called Francie, the crankie Calico. I just remembered thinking what a little witch (among other names), no wonder you are here? After we learned a little bit about her, I thought to myself you need to change your attitude or you'll never get a home Missy. My partner decided to be brave and try to pet her up in one of the beds, he quickly pulled back a bleeding thumb
and I could not quit laughing. "I told you," I said. We looked at a few other cats and left for the day; me with a bleeding left fore arm, and him with a tooth wound to his thumb.
Not too much was said about Francie the cranky Calico, other than she is a little feisty. About a month later, we took another Saturday trip to Atlanta Pet Rescue and met Lyndel, we went back in the cat room and there was Francie. We had learned she had been there for a year and a half, well it is no wonder I thought to myself? Once again we looked around and left the cat room with puncture wounds. On our way out, Lyndel said she was the only one that could pet her and we learned another volunteer had gotten a swipe across his bald head and other volunteers spoke up by saying she does not discriminate, she bites everyone.
We both travel frequently and are like ships that pass in the night. We were getting transferred to Denver, the house was on the market and our lives were too chaotic. Greg called me one morning and said; do you know what I am thinking about? Off the cuff, I said that crankie Calico named Francie? He replied with a surprised yes and we could not believe the mental telepathy between us. He was traveling home on Friday as we were commuting from Denver to Atlanta and back and suggested we take a ride to Atlanta pet Rescue on Saturday just to try and take a another peek at this Francie girl.
Another Saturday and another trip back to Atlanta Pet Rescue, both saying we really needed a cat like we needed a hole in our heads. We walked back in the cat room and I got swiped and bitten, Greg got bitten twice. Francie, was up on the top cages, like a wild cat waiting to attack. Greg is 6'8 and could easily stand up to see her eye to eye. He went back for more when he tried to touch her paw and got a bite on the other hand. He had about a 10 minute conversation with her, just Greg and Francie as she intently starred him down while I walked around loving on the other kittens. We left convinced we just couldn't take Francie. Our other babies were complete love bugs, this Francie was just not making any head way with me.
The next Saturday, we are back at Atlanta Pet Rescue, Francie is still there; no surprise to either of us. I had learned my lesson to just ignore her but Greg went back for more and pulled back another bloody hand. They had yet another conversation, just Francie and Greg. I was just happy not to be wounded again, as the last bite really hurt and was sore for a good week. Greg suggested we fill out an application, I moved with the flow as I thought we would get two kittens and since he is the planner and organizer of the relationship, I wasn't surprised the application was in progress and if we bonded with someone we could get them that day or any Saturday we were there.
On Sunday night, Greg just out of no man's land said "you know I saw a twinkle in her eye when I was talking to her"? I said who are you talking about? He said Francie. I said you are crazy and have lost your mind! He was convinced he saw that twinkle in her eye but could not explain it. By the way, I never ever saw even an inkling of this eye twinkle. By this time, I'm kind of familiar with her and she and I are cordial during visits. She has somehow managed to give me a soft spot in my heart, but Greg and her had their own love hate relationship and they were at least talking. I thought if we did get her she will at least be easy, you will never see her and she will just hide all the time. At the very least, she'd have a home and be safe. Oh geez, we are approved to adopt? It is getting too easy to get a cat in our house I thought to myself? After many more conversations we decided to adopt Francie after Thanksgiving. After we finally made the decision, I got a l
ittle excited and the soft spot in my heart was growing with excitement. I was up for the challenge, and she was after all a very gorgeous girl.
I headed out to Denver for a visit and a trip to Aspen. As we were walking through this beautiful city, we looked at each other and both agreed that we could not wait a few more weeks and immediately called Lyndel and said we are coming next weekend to pick up our Girl. One thing I knew is she hated it there at Atlanta Pet Rescue. We had one major request, her nails must be trimmed. Lyndel happily agreed when we arrived she would be all prettied up. As we think back on our visits, I believe Lyndel and others must have held their breath and I'm not sure anyone could really believe Francie the cranky Calico was going to a forever home, everyone seemed happy but reluctant I think that we would take her.
That was the longest week of my life. It was finally Saturday; we were up early and going to get our girl. We arrived, her nails were cut, trimmed and everyone welcomed us. We took our cute little family picture and away we went. I think she knew! She didn't bite or fuss for our family picture.
It was an emotional trip home; I think we both cried with just pure relief. The minute we got into the car, we changed her name to Phoebe (named after the very assertive and bitchy Phoebe Tyler from All My Children) and we think she looks like a Phoebe. On our way home, she let out two little meows. We promised her we would always keep her safe; give her fresh food, water and a clean litter box. Most of all we would love her and this was her forever home and forever family. We never had a what if it doesn't work out conversation.
Needless to say, she moved right in and adjusted to her new home within 30 minutes. She never ran and hid, just walked around with a little bit of attitude. We left her alone and let her explore. That night she completely surprised us and joined us in the bed and hasn't left since.
She loves her Red Bandana dry crunchies, will not eat any canned wet cat food or any other dry mixes to include people food. She is however partial to a bite of Costco roasted chicken here and there but only on her terms and not always when offered.
She loves her two water glasses in our master bathroom. Only drinks there and prefers them to be changed daily, sometimes twice daily. She has the nerve to sit and wait on us to refresh them.
She is the most lovable cat, follows us around like a puppy dog, tail is always up and always curled around over her back like a little monkey?
She loves our bed and always sleeps with us; she has migrated upwards to sleep around our necks and chest. The only problem is lights go out at midnight, but she doesn't turn her very loud motor box off until much later amongst her constantly being a bed hog.
She still doesn't like you to come at her face with your hands; something must have traumatized her maybe a small child with busy fingers, or all those hands at Pet Rescue. She no longer bites and has learned to play; if she does bite they are love bites. She loves to get her fur brushed and to bird and squirrel watch on our back deck, she has a little fountain out there where she drinks rippling water and loves it. It is safe and secure like a tree house and she is only out while supervised and doesn't always want to go out.
We cannot believe how incredibly lucky we got by taking a chance to invite her into our lives. She has helped us heal! We love her more than you can imagine, we rush home to be with our girl. She is so happy and well adjusted she is a different cat, nothing like what she was in Atlanta Pet Rescue.
Each and every day, she gets sweeter and we notice another positive personality change, she has become very verbal and now likes to talk.
The only thing that has changed is we're staying in Atlanta, we still travel for work and she has a cat nanny named Rebecca. She comes daily to check on our girl, they sit together on the sofa, Phoebe in Rebecca's lap, both watching CNN and Rebecca sipping a little scotch.
We would not take a million dollars for our girl. She is here to stay with her forever family in her forever home. She gets many kisses each and every day and is learning to like being held in our arms.
It is very appropriate as I sit here with our girl, Miss Phoebe. She is watching the computer screen and the cursor, almost like she can read and understands what I am doing. I think this is her paw of approval for everything everybody did to get her a forever home.
We thank you Atlanta Pet Rescue! This girl has us wrapped around her paw?
Stephen and Greg