All Creatures July/Aug 2021

I’M POSTING THIS FOR A FRIEND, the message read. Her uncle passed away and left his 14-year-old dog, Ricky, behind. Can anyone take her in? I looked at the photo of an older Lab mix with soft eyes, my heart sinking. Did she understand what had happened? Was she scared? The post was hard to ignore, even more so because it popped up in my neighborhood Facebook group. Ricky was close by and needed help. “Look at this dog,” I said to my husband, explaining the situation. I zoomed in on Ricky’s picture and looked at Dave. He knew what I was thinking. “That’s awful,” he said. “I wonder why the family can’t take her in.” I hadn’t thought of that. I read further and learned that Ricky couldn’t be…

When Emily Sebryk of Alberta, Canada, brought her nine-week-old mini Australian shepherd home, the first family member Robin met was her horse Teddy. The puppy was fascinated, trying to graze on grass and eat out of Teddy’s bucket. Robin nestled in Sebryk’s lap and quickly became accustomed to riding on Teddy’s back. Two years later, it’s still his favorite spot. Teddy puts her head down to greet Robin, and once Sebryk gives the command, Robin hops onto the horse’s back from a booster or bale of hay. “Robin wants to hang out with her all the time, and Teddy enjoys it,” says Sebryk, who has to pull Robin down at day’s end. “He never wants to leave his friend.” Can you blame him? Follow them on Instagram @robinhoodtheaussie.…

Marlena, Cat Foster Rescuing and fostering cats is part of who I am. It gives me the ability to create positive change in my Atlanta community and offer these cats all they deserve. I’ve been fostering since 2010 and have rescued more than 300 cats and kittens, including paraplegics, pregnant females and babies that need bottle feeding. I also cofounded the nonprofit Be Their Voice with a friend to raise more funds. We want to educate others about rescue and plan on opening a shelter one day! @fostercatsfordays Melissa, Groomer I started grooming on a whim 13 years ago. I worked office jobs here in California but had the urge to learn a trade. I began grooming by assisting other stylists and realized that the rewards…

ON EASTER SUNDAY 2004, I spotted an unfamiliar dog in our yard. The older chocolate Lab, named Bosco, belonged to neighbors who’d just moved into the farmhouse down the road. I told them Bosco was welcome to visit me whenever he wished. For the next three years, Bosco came over nearly every day. He would sit on my porch, bark just once, then patiently wait for me to let him inside. He was gentle and well-mannered, and I grew to love him. One day, I came across an ad for a music box—a green pickup truck with a chocolate Lab riding in the back. It played the song “Stand by Me.” I knew immediately that I needed to get it. I ordered it and planned to give it to Bosco’s…

IF YOU’RE DRIVING down Winchester Road in St. Matthews, Kentucky, you’ll see an unusual sign: “Caution: Squirrel crossing.” Pamela Jo Craig, concerned citizen and self-proclaimed squirrel lover, enjoys watching the bushy-tailed rodents scamper through her front yard. Pamela has always adored these small creatures—she even had a squirrel figurine attached to her wedding bouquet. But she was worried about the cars speeding by. One day, after witnessing yet another near-miss, Pamela knew she had to do something to help her little friends. She just wanted people to slow down a bit, maybe make them laugh. What she didn’t expect was the reaction from her neighbors. “I put the signs up,” she says, “but someone else drew a crosswalk with chalk in front of my house. Then, the next morning, it…

IN JULY 2019, Penny Layne fostered two female dogs and their 17 puppies for Pet Search Rescue in Washington, Pennsylvania. One litter needed to be bottle-fed every two hours, around the clock. She recruited 54 volunteers to help. One of them, Hanna Harshell, made fleece blankets for each mom and puppy to take to their adoptive homes. What’s even more special about the blankets is that Hanna prayed as she made them, asking God to watch over the animals. She even prayed for another volunteer’s dog who was having a leg amputated. “It was such a special idea,” says Penny, who lives in the Pittsburgh area. “The volunteers suggested we make blankets for all injured, ill and recuperating animals. Hanna taught me how to make them, and we both taught…