he ’ s the German shepherd in the window .’ I looked and here this big dog with big beady eyes staring at me whining and waging his tail . Some time passed as the Coroner ’ s Office had to respond , and I decided him . Not gonna let this dog see the inside of the pound . I gave the family my number said I ’ ll take Bud if you can ’ t find him a home . The next day we picked him up after my shift . First thing he does is jump on my wife and licks her on the mouth . She gaged a little , but we knew he was family at that point . Now here we are , he still hogging the whole sofa and thinks he ’ s a 75lbs lap dog but wouldn ’ t trade him for the world .”
Jim Phillips : “ Our European Cream Golden Retriever , Big Blue , ( as well as the rest of the litter ) was flown to Denver International Airport where we met him . It was arranged through reputable , licensed breeders . He came here at less than 10 weeks old from Ukraine , where his parents had been champions .”
Shernetta Vaught : “ I cut the collar off Baby Sista which was way too tight . She would come and eat and leave . After I done that , she brought her suitcase and moved in . Been here ever since . She was happy to get rid of the collar . It hurt her little neck . She is a happy and beautiful little girl . And I named her Baby Sista .”
Lynn Santee : “ We won her at the school fall festival . My daughter was in kindergarten and put 3 $ 1 tickets in the bucket to win and she did , and we went to the animal shelter to get her . My daughter picked her out . She ’ s a Main Coon , so we lucked out there . Been with us now for 7 years . Lovesy is the best !!! And quick note , she ’ s never had a litter box . She ’ s like a dog in the sense [ she ] goes to the door to let her out to use the bathroom . She ’ s definitely 1 in a million cat .”
Ian Ries : “ Mine was dumped at a vet ’ s office with her kittens . Her kittens were adopted out and mama was the only one left . I couldn ’ t say no .”
Erin McCoy Dunaway : “ I got word that a lady in Richmond had a litter of pups that were going to be taken to the pound if no one wanted them . When I got there , a little black and white pup ran up to me , and it was an instant connection . Our Lily will be 11 in October and she is a spoiled and loved old lady .”
Ashleigh Saylor : “ My 15-year-old pup I got for Christmas that belonged to my papaw that passed away , and my 2-year-old pup I got from a church friend , both are my babies .”
Laura Rutherford Phelps : “ I met my sweet little dog Jax at Dr . Jonathan and Ranae Ruby ’ s house about 6 years ago . It was an instant connection . They had rescued him but I believe in my heart he was destined for me . He loves me unconditionally and I love him the same .”
Joedda Rainwater : “ I went to a wedding and a friend of my husband started showing pictures of the puppies he had . I took one and my son took the rest . Best dog ever !”
Shanda Marcum Lockard : “ Our little dog , Zoey , found US , about a month before we lost our little chi-weenie , Buddy , to cancer . ( He was 14 .) Zoey was rescued from a neglectful / abusive situation , and we couldn ’ t love her more ! She truly is like a child to us ! We love and enjoy her so very much !! She ’ s so full of personality and sass !! She came to us right at the exact moment we needed her .”
Misty Turner : “ Our Baxter was found wandering down a busy highway , we were unable to locate an owner so we took him in and made him part of our family . Peanut started out as a foster . He stayed with us for months with no potential adopters in sight . After much discussion we decided to adopt him ourselves . We may be biased but we think we have the “ goodest ” boys in the world .”
Tonya Wallace Taylor : “ My sweet boy found me ! He was a scared shy puppy hiding in the shadows of the yard . Now ? He ’ s a big baby that knocks on the door when he wants a treat !”
Manda Singleton : “ Gizzy , the lone survivor from 3 abandoned kittens in a work shed raised on droppers and bottles . And now she ’ s a demon cat ( bobcat / Maine coon ) who thinks she ’ s the rule of the roost , and actually is ... Ollie , service animal , fur child , and been a part of the family even since before we actually met him .”
Sheila Hansford : “ I lost my 15-year-oldcat Rascal to a terminal disease . Two weeks later a friend in Tennessee sent a photo of a cat that just lost its elderly owner . She was 14 years old and so lost without her constant companion . She had a caretaker come once a day to feed and cleanup . I felt it was meant for me to care for her , even though I hesitated to take her due to her age . I realized that she needed to live her best life - so I brought her to Somerset . When her caretaker sent her previous vet paperwork , I discovered her name is Angelina Jolie - but I call her Angie . This decision has definitely been a WIN / WIN .”
April 2023 SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky • 45