I loved my family, and they loved me. They would have parties with tons of great food and shiny beads. Every day was an adventure with my family and I had loads of fun. Then the big storm came. My whole family seemed gloomy as they packed the car. That made me miserable and confused. I wasn’t sure why they were packing, so I went over to them and then, they petted me and said good bye for the last time. Then, as the rain started, they just drove away. I tried to catch them, but they were gone. I had no friends left; my neighbors left just like my family, and I was almost totally alone in this strange, wild new world.
That night, the winds became horrific. The house shook. I cried in the basement, scared and alone for the first time. I woke up in a deep puddle of water. It rained from the floor above, and I was cold. I got up and walked out of the basement, only to find the roof partially gone. The rain poured in, making it almost impossible to walk on the slippery floors. Sparks flew from the television and appliances as the water hit them. “I want my family” I whimpered. I was lost for the first time. I went into a closet and slept through the rest of the storm. The next day the whole basement was flooded with saltwater and a few dead fish. The streets were underwater, and the smell was horrendous. I waded along to find something to eat, and there were only a few stray dogs that were left. The rest had either fled or died. The ones that were left were just as frightened as me. We went for days without food. Then, we found a big building with a little food left in it, and we fought for what little was there; I found a dead rat, which turned out to be the last meal I ate for a long time.
One day I awoke to a surprising scene, the lights were bright, and the noise was loud as I was taken away in a helicopter. “Where am I?” “Am I going back to my family?” I asked myself. I tried to move, but I was tied down. I howled, and the dog lying next to me howled too. I wasn’t feeling well, but I hadn’t for the past few days. When we landed they gave me some food. I was happy. But then they took me and put me in a cage too small to move and I did not have any food for a few days after that. I didn’t like those people; they were mean to me. I missed my old family. Then one day, my new family brought me to a new room, where there were a bunch of angry dogs. That made me scared. I started barking with them. One dog was taken into the room next to us, and he did not come out. Then they took another one in, and he did not come out.
That happened all day until the two people came out for the last time for that day. They left us there, no food or water until the next morning. The next morning, they picked up my cage and started to bring me into the room of no return when suddenly a man rushed through the door. “Don’t kill him! Stop!” He cried. He was the nicest man I have ever met. He saved my life from those mean people at the old house. He brought me back to the North Shore Animal league, where I have spent most of my life; those years I spent there have been the happiest that I can remember. On the trip to the shelter, the nice man who saved me (who I found out later was named Oscar) gave me my name, Hurricane Charlie, and gave me more food than I could have dreamed of.
When we got back to the shelter, I was put with a whole bunch of other puppies and dogs to spend the night. The next day I found out why I hadn’t been feeling well; I was in the late stages of kidney failure and I had heart worm. That got me nervous. I did not know what that diagnosis meant (let alone what a diagnosis is), but it didn’t sound like something I wanted. It took a long time, countless hours and many new modified diets to help get me back to a normal pup. When I first got there I had felt as though I would never be a normal puppy. It is as though I left a part of me back in the big storm. I became defensive around my fellow canines when it came to feeding and play time. When they came near me, I felt as though they would take my food or hurt me. I kept having flash backs to the old shelter. But Oscar never gave up. He helped me to become trusting and loyal again.
I eventually recovered almost fully from my kidney failure and Heartworm, but never quite got rid of them completely. I needed another loving family to take care of me, like the one I had back at my old home. I missed them terribly, but they had left me, and I was in good care now. But as I got older, I did need to settle down in a smaller environment. I waited forever, and people came to visit me, but none took me home. I was worried that I would never find another family. Then, one day a big family, with young kids, and big kids came in all excited to see me and my friends. “This could be it!” I thought. “I could get adopted!” I wagged my tail in excitement, and the younger kids came dashing over. “Well, looks like we might have found a new friend for you, kids.” said the dad. Over walked Oscar and he recounted the story to them. As they heard of my unusual past, they cried as they heard of all the horrible things I endured. It truly was a poignant moment for us all, and it was then that I knew I had found a home.
Now, I have been adopted and made many new friends. My new family takes me to the park every September to frolic in the changing leaves and to throw the red flying disks to me and my new friends. I’ll miss Oscar; the hero who taught me to trust again, who helped me find my new home, and who helped me get through my horrendous ordeal. I’m still on my modified diet, and I still am scared of the big storms, but my new friends and family are there to guide me back to the life of a normal dog. I’m old now, and my future looks bright but short. There were just so many things I wanted to do when I was that young pup that I couldn’t, and now I look back with sorrow to see where those dreams went, but also with optimism. For one thing, I would never have found a family as loving as the one I do now, I never would have met Oscar, and my life would have no more meaning than that of an average dog. But now, there is a story behind me. I symbolize what it means to survive, and I show that no matter how bleak things look, there is always a way out. The North Shore Animal League showed me that.
Before my time comes to head to that big bone in the sky, I would like to finish my life’s To-Do list: I wish to make a full recovery from my kidney failure, which still ails me today, and to meet my original family one last time, to thank them for such a wonderful puppy-hood, and for me to make my new family happy. If I can complete those tasks, I know I have done something worthwhile.
I have led an exciting life, from the frolicking in the park to my near death experiences in both the big storm and the bad house, and from the rescue by Oscar, to the day I met my new family. My To-Do list is slowly being completed, and as the years roll by I grow older. Now I must be going, for the family calls…
- Sean Wright

-Antonia Mancini

English Teacher

Holy Trinity Diocesan High School

Humane Educator
North Shore Animal League America

I was born in an alley with no one around; a puppy abandoned at birth. I was feeling hungry and started looking around for something to eat. I had no name, no family, and worst of all, no food. It seems I had to leave this alley and try to find my family, my friends, and a new home but I couldn’t because I could not walk yet. Just as I was trying to walk, some tall and scary man picked me up and put me in a cage. I was scared at first but realized that the man who put me in the cage wanted to take care of me so they gave me a home, if only for a little while. They said they would euthanize me so I got really scared and hope that wouldn’t have to happen because I really wanted to be in a loving home with loving people to take care of me. I would sometimes feel sad and think this was the end but I would also say to myself this can’t be the end I really wish someone would take me in their loving home. A few days later, the pet shelter said they were going to euthanize me but I got rescued by some people from the North Shore Animal League. I feel like this is a very loving home and already the doctors are looking at me and telling me that they save sick puppies who would normally be dead right now. They nurse them back to health so I can be adopted and put into a loving family that will continue to care for me for the rest of my life. I was so happy I was rescued; it shows that people care about sick puppies like me and it shows that they won’t abandon me like my parents did and there are a lot of good people who will give me a lot more attention then when I was on the street and in the pet shelter.
I am in the doctor’s office and for some reason they call me Bradley. I never had a name before but to me I felt like an individual. While I was in the doctor’s office they were giving me tests to test for illness and it seems they tell me I have a disease called Pneumonia. Pneumonia is a disease of the lung that is caused from inhaling bacteria and other bad organisms into your lungs.(www.medicinenet.com) The North Shore Animal League said I had a chronic case of pneumonia and said I would have to be monitored the rest of my life. This saddens me because I like to run around, feel energetic, and play around with my family but how could I do it if I had these terrible conditions? The answer to this was I would have to take an inhaler to help me breath and to be monitored my medical professionals for the rest of my life. The monitoring was to monitor my collapsed lung lope and to treat it so it would not become any worse then it already is. After the doctors said I was ready to be adopted, I was so happy and thankful that I was rescued from that awful pet shelter and able to live a normal life. The Animal League said they were going to screen my possible adopters to find the one best suited for my characteristics and personality. Just because dogs look the same doesn’t mean we have the same personality. This proved to be a long process but I pray and hope my new family would really like me and take care of me like I always dreamed. A loving family finally adopted me and I easily fit into it. I felt great for the first time in a while and I connected with all the members of my new family. For me, these are going to be the best days of my life.
I have gotten all that I could have wanted but I really would like to fix all the damage that I have suffered as a result of living on the street. I want to fix my collapsed lung lope which could hopefully done by a lung transplant and I have hope that the doctors can do it so I won’t have to be monitored as much anymore. If people can support me enough, then maybe the North Shore Animal League can do it which would be helpful to my family and friends so they don’t have to see me suffer while I run around and play. I also wish that there was a cure for Pneumonia so I could completely be cured of it and then maybe I won’t be wheezing or coughing a lot. In the future, I will thank the doctors by living my life to the fullest with my family and being a good, happy, and loving dog.
I feel I wouldn’t have gotten all the care I needed if it wasn’t for everyone in the North Shore Animal League so I greatly thank you all for your care and generosity. My family is wonderful and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. They always take care of me and give me all the love possible. I feel that my story will have an effect on dogs across America and this shows the suffering of the dogs that are left on the street. I ask that you continue to save us from the bad people that throw us away. From my journeys beginning to its end, it has been a long road to walk. This is a story of reflection to write down all that I have been through since I was abandoned on the street.
- Michael DiGiacomo

I was born in Babylon, and lived with the Irish family that had brought my mom with them. However, they were moving back to Ireland, and could not take my four siblings, my mother and I with them. We were all deposited off at the Babylon municipal shelter. It was there that my family was all adopted away, while I remained, being too scrawny and frail. After quite some time, the shelter deemed me un-adoptable, and planned to put me to sleep! We had all watched in terror as the old and sickly dogs in the cages nearby dragged from their dens, yelping and crying for mercy, only to be brought into the back room, where they were never seen again. That could not and would happen to me!
It was then that I was miraculously rescued by the saints from the North Shore Animal League. An employee named Steve had stopped by, and unbeknownst to me, he planned on saving some animals the shelter couldn’t take care of. The other dogs said that this guy saved animals from this shelter, so I tried to get his attention by wagging my tail, running around, and looking cute. I was so relieved when he was so impressed by my spunky attitude that he brought me out of my cage, and into the van going to the league. It was there that he had me evaluated by their veterinarian, and it was thanks to the Animal League that my condition was discovered and proper precautions and care could be provided to me.
Currently, I reside within the paradise that is the North Shore Animal League. I love to hang out and play with the humans, because who gets tired of playing and being pet? The other day, a family came by to adopt a dog; although they couldn’t take me home, I spent over an hour just playing with the kids. We played fetch and I sat, rolled over and begged for treats, but it was all too soon over. If only I had been physically able to go home with them! However, apparently I am eternally doomed to stay at the league, and will never have a family, because no one wants to adopt me.

I’ve been here for far too long and life is becoming placid. I am thinking about taking some risks, and enjoying the thrills provided by sneaking around. Something to eat other than the medication and special food that tastes rancid would be nice. They said it was the only thing they could afford, because they just can’t pay for decent food.
Hmm…..Maybe I’ll raid the staff room one day. I’m sure something good is in there, as I always see the humans go there to eat.
No matter how much time I have to live, the League still takes care of me. The staff always tries to keep me as comfortable and happy, and a play date every so often doesn’t hurt. My condition is never allowed to rule my life; I try my hardest to be just as good as any other dog, if not better. My heart is 3x times larger than normal, and it just means I can love you even more!
-Cristian Mendoza

Previous to the North Shore Animal League I lived in the multifarious state of Louisiana with my brother and Mom. We stayed in a barren yard by the state park which is beneficial, because that is where my brother and I spent most of our free time playing tag and hide and go seek. When we awoke one morning it was exceedingly humid and sunny. It was so excruciating my brother and I leaped into a nearby lake to cool off. Afterwards we dried off frantically, shaking left and right, and I made my way to the Café Marigny on Frenchman St. where they always show their generosity by giving me and my family free food. We appreciated this deed a great deal because we had no money or means of getting food. After we ate, it began to rain. In order to recede from the rain and stay dry, we ran the distance back to the tent we found lying around in the yard that we live in. In the morning, my brother and I woke up early and went to go and play outside in the park. We played hide and go seek and, traditionally, yours truly volunteered to be the first to hide. Knowing how superior my brother was at this game I tried hard to think of places where he wouldn’t find me. As soon as he turned around, he gave out shrieks which made me aware of how much time was left for me to find a hiding place. While quickly run out of his radius I accidentally tripped into a pile of dark brown, cool mud and got it all over me. I swiftly got back on all fours and ran outside the park because I knew he would never find me or even look there. I started to slow down because of the arid air outside and ran out of breath. Then sped up because he was getting closer and I sensed movement behind me and felt the urge not to turn around. Slowly pausing in place from exhaustion I dropped to the floor and tucked my head into my arms. While in my “hiding place” a protracted shrug was felt on my shoulder, but angrily stayed there because I was found and acted as if I was invisible by not moving a muscle. But to my demise, I was discovered. While slowly looking up with hesitation to my surprise, it wasn’t my brother it was a young boy who is twice my height and size. He looked on as if I was a stray attempting to brush off the mud that covered me. He noticed that I was too exhausted to run away, so he picked me up and carried me away from the lot. I worryingly looked back and anticipated the once despised idea of coming into contact with my brother because we were playing hide and seek and I didn’t want to be found, but the game is long over and right about now I wanted to be found. The unknown boy consistently looks down at me and murmured noises I was unable to comprehend. When strength is finally gained and energy is replenished I attempt to break free of his grasp but when I am able to escape we are in the confines of his room. I am powerless and unable to leave so he quickly grabs me and lowers me carefully into the tub. He removes the shower head from its holder and rinses the dirt and grime from my body. He dries me off and he feeds me and I begin to trust him and appreciate his hospitality. It has been about 3 days and he continues to considerably take care of me and when we hear foot steps coming from the steps outside of his room he’s instructed me to rush under the bed and not make a sound. The next day, when he went to the store I looked on sadly as he left the room and accidentally tripped over the smoke alarm plugged in the wall and cracked it in half. Surprisingly, no alarm sounded when it broke and he quickly picked up the two jagged egged pieces that were on the ground and nonchalantly placed it in the garbage by the door. I sat down for about an hour. But then suddenly the door opened I rushed to greet him but to my surprise it wasn’t him! My heart began to frantically race as I realized it was his father his eyes grew larger and his face blanched because of the fact that he hated dogs. When the boy finally got back, his dad assertively pushed me out of the room and I went downstairs as I heard the strident screams peering through the walls and the cracks in the door. I heard my stomach growl, so I went into the kitchen and saw food that was on the counter. While being urged on by my stomach’s growling, I jumped up to the counter and pulled over the Tupperware full of pasta. The towel on the hook towered over and fell onto the burner on the stove which lit the towel ablaze and frightened me. I rushed into the living room and orange, red and yellow flames begin to flicker around me, smoke fills the room and pours into my lungs. The smoke becomes so unbearable I start to bark uncontrollably in order to warn others and save myself. However, it becomes difficult to tolerate so I lunge out the window with my last bit of energy and collapse onto the cold, soft green grass and lie down helplessly from exhaustion. All I can remember is waking up feeling strain against my chest and coughing without restriction.

When I woke up fully I felt better than I had. I awoke in a nearby shelter in Louisiana that I had been placed in by the fire department. As time passed I was able to do my favorite thing which is to run around and play, but the limit I felt on my chest and in my breathing came back to haunt me whenever I did this and caused me to wheeze and cough uncontrollably. All of a sudden this condition began to worsen and it became inevitable that I would have to undergo a life saving surgery on the collapsed lobe of my lung and the shelter where I was, was solvent in my medical needs so the employees arranged for me to be sent to the North Shore Animal League of New York. I was disappointed that I was leaving yet thrilled that I would be able to acquire sufficient medical care. The employees of the NSAL did try to comfort me in man ways but it didn’t help to the full degree. After the surgery my condition began to improve, I am able to run around a few minutes out of each day but the fact that I can’t run and play fetch longer greatly saddens me. The League has put me on antibiotics in order to lessen the influence of my respiratory infection on the energy I have and the fluency of my breathing. They also hit gently on my chest in order to help me cough up mucus trapped in my lungs. Despite the chronic pneumonia that occurs I try to shrug it off and continue to live my life to the best of my ability. As I grew closer to the NSAL began to refer to me as Bradley and I grew to like it, they were very caring and gentle. Now they have put me in the hands of a great family. They are just as warm as the people from the NSAL and they direct an inhaler with a cone over my nose to help regulate my breathing which couldn’t make me happier because I am able to run, play, and be as energetic as my conditions allow me.

In my future I would like to continue living with the family I am with now. Though as nervous as I might be, I would like to undergo a surgery that would cure me of the sharp, blistering pain that I go through everyday and be able to live a normal life without pain or suffering. Walter Anderson once said “Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have – life itself.” This is how I am able to go on and live my life and be the loving warm dog that everyone that I have met knows me to be, I am Bradley.
-Lanier Mason

My first owner was very mean and abusive. He had found me one day walking outside in front of his house. He was a different kind of person, he didn’t have much money or food for that matter. I’m surprised he even had a house. I thought to myself, why I should have to be with this kind of man. Then I decided to leave and find a new home again and that’s what I did. I began roaming the streets looking for a place to go. My conscience was saying any place was better than the place I was in. One day a man pulled up next to me in a fancy new car, picked me up, and put me in the car as if he was abducting me. He looked like a really nice guy. He was all dressed up and looked like he had an abundance of money. We stopped at a pet store and he bought plenty of things for me. As we pulled on to his block all I could see was his house from a far distance. It wasn’t a house, it was a mansion.

When we went into his house it seemed like life would be perfect here. I was wrong. We started walking down stairs in to a basement. It was very dark. Then we moved further in and he hit a switch. When he hit the switch the whole basement was illuminated. There were cages all around with dogs in them. In the middle was a huge ring with seats all around them and he said, “This is your new home now.” He picked me up and put me in one of the empty cages. As he put me in I began to feel really tired and ended up falling asleep. The next morning I woke to yelling, screaming men and women. My eyes opened and it was very bright. I could see two dogs growling at each other in the ring. The next thing I knew they were fighting like there was no tomorrow. They were basically fighting for there lives. Some weird guy came up to my cage and said, “You better get ready your next.” I began to cry. Five minutes later my cage was opened and I was put into the ring. I was sitting waiting to see who I was up against. My eyes widened as I saw them pick the dog. It was a 7 month old pit-bull that looked like it was 7 years old. The bell went off and the pit-bull started charging at me. Of course I moved out of the way and he slammed into the side of the ring. The next thing I know I leaped on top of him and started biting him. They pulled me off him and said I won. I don’t know what came over me to do that. Something like that has never happened to me before, I guess it was the fact that I had to protect myself. Soon there was going to be another fight between me and a very big dog. When the guy went to pick me up and put in the ring I tried to bite him so I couldn’t be put in. That didn’t work. Now I was sitting in the ring waiting for the other dog. I see another guy bringing over a dog but I could not see the dog because it was a cage with a blanket over it. He put the cage in the ring, took the blanket off. Staring me down was huge a rottweiler. This dog was four times the size of me. I thought to myself “why would they put this dog up against me.” As soon as they rang the bell the dog was right top of me hitting and biting every part of my body. My life had started to flash right before my eyes Thoughts were going through my head saying I might die right here and right now. How could this happen to me, a little innocent homeless dog? The bell had rang again to end the match. When they pulled the rottweiler off of me I realized that I couldn’t move my right front paw. When I tried to get up I just kept falling. Finally I was picked up and thrown into my cage. My body was hurting all over. The pain was so unbearable I passed out. When I had woke up there were cops all over the house, taking the dogs out and the guys that were running the dog fight were all on the ground in handcuffs. I was ecstatic. When one of the cops saw me they took me right out of the house and ran me to the vet. I think it was called the North Shore Animal League. They fixed all my wounds and put a cast my right front paw. I was smiling when I got there because I knew I would be safe there.

I plan on being in a great home with great people. But so far my luck has not been that great. Nobody has shown any interest in me. They keep looking at other dogs and adopting them. The people there had told me that hopefully soon somebody would come, adopt me and I would be put in a very good and happy home. I hope they are right because I want to start my life over with a great family.
- Ricky VanAllen

It’s been said that you don’t remember anything when you’re first born but for me it’s the opposite. I remember pretty much everything that has happened to me because it was the worst experience I’ve ever had to go through. I had been living in my owner’s basement for about two months and I could already tell that my life was going to be harder than I ever expected and hoped for. There were about nine dogs including myself trapped in that small basement. All of us were being starved to almost the point of death. Our owner was always so preoccupied with his own life that we were never taken care of. He was barely home, but whenever he was it wasn’t for very long. He never gave us the time of day. I knew he couldn’t just permanently forget about me and the rest of the dogs because the house reeked. I don’t understand why he didn’t take care of us anymore, because at first when I was born I remember him always feeding me, petting me, playing with me, and bathing me, but times have drastically changed. It would be much easier if my mother was still alive but she died giving birth to me and my siblings. I don’t remember her very well, but I know she always comforted me when I needed it. It went from me being spoiled to me being completely ignored by my owner. Sometimes we all wondered if he just picked up and left us all behind. Other times there were weeks that passed by when we weren’t let out of our cages. We were all starving and tired of lying in our cages for so such a long time. We wanted to break loose, but we knew we couldn’t because he locked every single of one our cages. At this point I realized I was being neglected. I knew he didn’t care if I died right there and then. We got the idea he only cared about us when we were younger because we were the cutest things. Now that we got older he just shoves us aside and pretends we were never born.
One day I heard our owner’s foot steps coming down the stairs. He seemed in a decent mood compared to other days. We all got so excited to see him that we started barking and wagging our tails. He didn’t come downstairs for us, he came down to grab the things he needed and quickly ran back upstairs. Not after long we heard a door slam shut. That was the last I ever heard from him. I had no idea what was going on but I remember being terrified and aching for food. I was too weak to care or try to do something about it. I was getting so frustrated with being starved, not taken care of, or even looked at.

Sometimes during the nights I would wake up because the sound of my stomach growling so loud. This happened frequently. I started to bark and the rest of the dogs joined me. Weeks passed and I was getting more fragile then ever. I was losing all hope. Nothing seemed to be going right in my life. There was nothing to look forward to. Suddenly I heard a woman’s voice. My ears started to perk up and I somehow managed to lift myself up from lying down. The woman came towards me because I was the only one awake. I think she realized how upset I was so she took me out of my cage and held me in her arms for a while. It felt so good to be loved especially since I was as frail as I was. She told me that everything would be okay once I got out of here. More and more people began to come downstairs into the basement. People questioned how they got here and she just told them how neighbors were complaining about the noisy barking in the middle of the night. They looked at each the dogs and asked if they could have one. The woman made them sign papers and make sure they get the nutrients, shots, and everything they needed to survive. She told me not to worry how no one had asked to keep me for themselves because she set me aside from the rest of the dogs. She put a sign on my cage saying, “Not for Sale!” The woman had bigger plans for me then I would’ve pictured in all my life. Every day I would wish someone would come and save me when I was going through that tragic experience. I had finally gotten my wish. I know that you have to go through the bad in order for things to get better. And for me my future was starting to look brighter from here.

The woman took me to a place I never heard of. It’s called the North Shore Animal League. So far they’ve been taking great care of me and make sure I eat well. It’s harder for me to eat compared to the rest of the dogs there since I’ve been starved for so long. I only weigh 24 pounds when really I would weigh 50 to 60 pounds. My whole body is extremely thin and I haven’t grown very much because my growth has been stunted due to starvation.

All I really want now is to be happy, healthy, and safe. So far my stay at the north shore animal league had been going pretty well. I feel much safer then I ever had. I didn’t trust the man that was my owner. All of the people at North Shore tell the customers about me. They say my big brown puppy eyes tell a story that no one would want to hear. Who knows if he did ever did come back what he would do to me or the rest of the dogs if we were still trapped in that basement. It’s scary to think about but sometimes I try to picture what my life would be like if that woman never stepped a foot into that house. Now I don’t have to worry about being neglected or starved because I’m in good hands. It’s still hard for me to trust everyone but I believe they are only trying to help me back up on my paws again. I get excited when people pass by me. They never seem to ignore me, it feels amazing! I haven’t gotten this much attention in a while and I’m glad I’m receiving it now. It’s like they all say, “Better late than never.”
- Amanda Turano

However, I have a dazzling personality with many interests. My favorite shows are Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go! I love the talking animals in those shows because it makes it fun to watch. Besides from being considered so cute because of my small size, being a 2 ½ lb. kitten doesn’t have so many perks. Big kitties and doggies scare me because of their taunting size. Furthermore, I don’t eat mice or chase them around like other cats because I know how it feels like to be miniature and helpless. I may be tiny; however, the experiences and struggles I went through add up to the amount suffered in a lifetime.

I opened my eyes on a beautiful sun-drenched dawn on April 4, 2008 in Manhattan, NY a kitty dream house! Clearly nothing could go wrong! My mommy and daddy lived with these lovely people in their vast mansion where I was also kept But one sickening, gloomy night, the owner of the mansion inadvertently left the door open to the house and my dad left, never to return. The following day, when my mother found out my daddy was lost; she went to look for him and did not return either. I was only an infant kitty back; then therefore, my owner could not take care of me properly, so he decided to give me to the shelter. Not long after, I developed a condition called megaesophagus which was discovered soon after my parents vanished. Megaesophoagus means miniature kitten, and the doctors told me that it is a condition where my food does not go down properly. This disease makes me feel uncomfortable because of the way I am positioned while eating food. It also makes me feel very curious as to what will happen to me as time goes on, and sometimes makes me scared.

My owner left me at North Shore Animal League America Shelter, unable to provide further care for me. The animal shelter is not the same as home where I got all the attention; there are also other ailing animals here in desperate need of care too. I feel very appreciative after looking at all the other puppies and kitties, realizing that my condition is not that terrible. I’m going to require corrective operation to repair my condition of megaesophagus, which is an abnormality in one of my heart vessels that is pinching off my esophagus, preventing food from passing or staying down, if it does get through. I’m presently on this liquid diet, where it is required to consume tiny amounts of fluid numerous times a day. In order to eat, my diminutive body has to be held on two legs while intake, in addition having to stay put that way for about 30-45 minutes afterwards so that the food can make its way downward to my tummy. This very uncomfortable process of eating food makes me impatient to receive the surgery so I can get my health back.

The corrective megaesophagus surgery, in order to fix my disease, is a complicated procedure. Nevertheless, I believe my chances of healing are high; however I could use all the assist I can get. Fortunately the League has a striking plan where petite kitties and doggies like me can get the help we so frantically need. If by chance I do get receive this surgery all my dreams of being a happy kitten again will come true! I wait anxiously in the shelter every day, looking up at the big helpers talking to find out if I am going to be okay. Some days I feel hopeless going to bed at night all alone with no news of my surgery, but when I wake up to a new day, I feel there’s a chance of luck.

I always wished for a good owner who would love and worry for me, keeping me safe, never to leave me. I have high hopes for the future that one day the doctors will fix me and a wonderful owner will come and take me home, where everything will get better. I will try my best to be a patient, patient like Leona Lewis says “It’ll all get better in time.”
- Raida Shah

I don’t really remember everything that happened, but I do remember walking outside like I usually did. So I was walking and then I saw a ball on the other side of the street and I got hit by a car; then don’t know what happened. I woke up in a weird place where the people were touching me and feeling my legs and stomach. All I knew was that I was in pain. I felt like I should just give up because no one cared for me any way. So when the doctors found me, I was so scared because I never really had close encounters with people, and I was hurt.

I have never been to a place like this before. There were other dogs just like me, and some of them were getting a chance to go home with families. People were nice to me and gave me food and water so I didn’t have to do it myself like before. I also slept in a comfortable bed. When I woke up I looked around and saw that I was in a different area. I tried to run away because I was scared, but I quickly remembered that I was in an accident. I overheard the doctors saying that they couldn’t find my owners. Even though I couldn’t remember my owners, it made me remember that I’m not important and no one is there for me. The people had me doing exercises to get my legs better, but I don’t know why I have to wear this big ridiculous thing on my head. The big white thing around my neck is sort of itches my neck but I think it’s all a matter of time before it all gets better. My chest was hurting when I first came to the league, but after all the treatments my chest feels much better. The doctors told me that I had suffered from lung damage, but now I am okay.

I have been in the hospital for long time now. My leg is still broken but I am able to go for walks with the trainer. Even though I am going for walks like I used to, I will not be running across the streets for balls. Some families actually come in the shelter to visit me and think of adopting me. I was happy to hear that the tests will be over soon so maybe I will get adopted even quicker. I just don’t know how the family would be like, are they going to be mean, will they just hit me for no reason, or will I finally get a good home to live in.

Even though I have been involved in an accident and was severely injured, there is still hope for me. I’m walking again; people that work there love me, and my chances of getting adopted increases every single day. It was hard in the beginning but now I feel so much better thanks to my new friends at the North Shore. Right now I plan on working hard and staying healthy so I can take this cast off and be a regular dog again.
-Robert Taylor

It all started when my mother gave birth to a litter of puppies. Her cruel owners did not want to keep any of my brothers, sisters, or I. They let us go into the streets and we had to try and live on our own. Thankfully some generous person found me and brought me to a shelter. That was the last I ever saw of my brothers and sisters. If it was not for the person who picked me up, I probably would not be alive right now. It emotionally hurts to know that someone did not want to take care of me or give me a home to live in. Fortunately I was not living on my own for a while or else I would most likely have been hurt physically as well.

I was diagnosed with something called Pulmonic stenosis at the shelter Precious Friends in Tennessee. Pulmonic stenosis is heart disease where there is a narrowing of a pulmonary vessel that constricts blood flow. This pretty much means I don’t have enough blood flow to my lungs. I also have an upper respiratory infection, causing further stress inside my chest. Most days I feel like any other healthy dog, but others I feel sick as if I just don’t have any energy in me anymore. I was born in Tennessee and lived in an incredibly small and crowded shelter there. The workers there told me that I would eventually have to be moved to a bigger shelter so that I could get the proper care I needed to survive. They said that if an advanced shelter could not take me in I didn’t have much of a chance of being awake much longer. The thought of not being able to live my life made me extremely depressed but when I heard that a new shelter called North Shore Animal League America in New York could take me in, I felt so much healthier already!

North Shore Animal League America saved my life. It’s the largest animal rescue and adoption organization in the whole world. If it was not for them, my chances at living would have been extremely slim. At North Shore Animal League America I’m a member of “Help me Heal.” Help me heal is a program which takes care of an innumerable number of cats and dogs no matter what their sickness is. North Shore Animal League has the nicest people to help me, great food and has given me a second chance at life.

From now on it looks like I have a bright future ahead of me! When the surgery is finished I can start my new and happy “puppy life.” Every six months for the rest of my life I’ll have to get cardiograms to make sure everything is going well inside of me. I’ll also have to get heart medication in the future, which does not bother me though because at least I won’t be sick anymore. The only thing left that I need in my future is to have a home I can go to where people care about me.

My story has been filled with much heartbreak but thankfully that will end soon. After my stenosis surgery I will be just like any other puppy. Now all I need is for someone to adopt me!
- Melissa D’Esposito