Frieda was brought to us by a kind woman who had been seeing her around her neighborhood, obviously stray and having to fend for herself. When she noticed that she was pregnant, she decided that she couldn't let her give birth on the streets. We agreed to take her, and when she was able to catch her, she brought her right over.

We took her to the vet shortly after she was surrendered and had her tested for FeLV and FHIV and she tested negative for both, which is great news for both her and her kittens! She is extremely friendly and grateful to be indoors, she has no desire to leave the room she's being kept in and just loves to cuddle and play as much as you'll let her.

She gave birth only days after she was surrendered. The kittens had a bit of a rough start but grew up to be wonderful and healthy. They're now available for adoption!

Now that she's finished being a mom and has been spayed, Frieda herself is also available for adoption! She's an amazing cat who loves to cuddle and has a fantastic personality.  We love her a lot and would keep her ourselves if it wasn't for our territorial resident cat Pepper!

Birch is a Common Boa Constrictor who was surrendered by her owner on May 24th 2008. We were shocked by her condition and made her a veterinary appointment with the best herp vet in the area, Dr.kwantis  at the Park Veterinary Clinic.

She is suffering from Anorexia (she hasn't eaten for a year) most likely caused merely by the fact that she's not feeling well. She has Oral Stomatitis (Mouth Rot) and is stuck beneath 3 or 4 old layers of skin that hadn't shed. She is severely dehydrated and severely pale. The old skin had layered up on her eyes as well and after a few soaks we were able to pull off two layers from her eyes, but they're still cloudy and they may be permanently damaged. Dr.Kwantis believes that Birch was at one point in much better condition and that recent husbandry is likely the cause of her current state.

He gave her a very thorough mouth and throat exam and palpated her entire body to check for an enlarged heart or tumours. He also checked her very carefully for mites as he was concerned about areas of inflamed scales and the fact that she is very pale, something that is usually attributed to mites. He found nothing, but she received a shot of Ivermectin anyways. If we notice any mites in her bath water, we'll give her a second treatment. She is now on antibiotics via injection which she receives every second day. We are continuing to soak her regularly and will try to feed her once she appears to be feeling a little better.

 

Mickey is a 1.5 year old Lhasa Apso who was used as a breeding/guard dog in his old home and not taught any manners or taught his place in the "pack". He developed some aggression problems and was going to be euthanized. We took him in because we felt he needed a chance to have his behavior corrected before taking such drastic measures. We had him neutered, micro-chipped, and had surgery performed to correct his "Cherry Eyes" and now he is going to some good friends of ours, Bonnie and Morgan, who have dedicated their large property and lives/money to rescuing and rehabilitating difficult dogs. He has come a long way during his few weeks here and we feel he will improve even more under their care. He is very sweet and playful most of the time, but has some bad habits and coping methods which need to be worked on. If necessary, he will have a permanent home with Bonnie and Morgan.

  Poor Johnny was found as a stray in the summer of 2008. The family that surrendered him had been feeding him at their cottage for months, and there are many stray dogs living in packs in the area. The day came that they could no longer leave him there, and asked if we had space. We were glad to take him. He went straight to the groomers to be shaved, he was extremely matted and was filthy and smelly! He was later neutered and microchipped. He had a deformed ear that our vet feels was injured at one point and healed badly, and an ex-ray showed that he had a broken tail that no longer had feeling. He may have to have his tail removed in the future. He is a very friendly dog, great with people of all ages and other dogs/cats. He needed a bit of work with his house training, but after a few months we found him an amazing family in Calgary with another shiztu/cross to keep him company. They drove to Edmonton to meet and adopt him, and he got along beautifully with their dog Colby. His new family is thrilled with him and he has fit into their household wonderfully.

Four gorgeous red hens were surrendered by an elderly man's family. He had passed away, and his beloved pet hens had no where else to go. We were able to keep them for a short period before finding them a fantastic home where they will be able to live out their entire natural lives in a large pen with a large heated coop, and plenty of other chickens. They are extremely friendly and personable hens, and they love cooked food (their new home cooks daily for their hens, so they're lucky!) and fruits. They're very curious and hate being confined to a small area, they get bored easily. Their new environment is perfect for them and we're thrilled that they found a great home and that we were able to put their late owner's family's minds at rest.

 We were recently contacted by a compassionate individual who had been caring for a stray cat around her house for over a year. She had recently begun to suspect she was pregnant, and didn't want her to have her kittens on the street. She contacted us, and we agreed to take her in. The woman trapped her and took her to our vet, The Southside Animal Hospital. We had her tested for FIV and Feleuk, and fortunately she tested negative! That means that all of her kittens are negative as well.

We got her just in time. Three days after arriving, Maya had four big, healthy, adorable kittens! Two are pure black, one is a unique silvery cream color, and one resembles her. She is a very good and attentive mom and doesn't mind people handling her kittens.

It was originally thought that Maya was feral, but since she's arrived, we realize she must have just be scared on the streets; she's very friendly and sweet! So instead of being spayed and released like most ferals, we're going to have Maya spayed and vaccinated once her kittens are weaned, then find her a loving family of her very own.

For more pictures of Maya and her Kittens and to keep up to date with their growth, visit their page!

This little Munchkin's name is Jude, inspired by the Beatles song. His nickname (the name we used before we thought of his real one!) is Timmis. He was rescued from his breeders who were trying to get rid of him due to a deformity in his right leg.  They told us that their vet informed them that there was nothing they could do...to just let him live until he was in pain, then euthanize him. Our hearts broke for him, living outside in a shed, being discarded for reasons that weren't his fault. We had to take him in, to ensure that he got the care he needed to live a long and happy life...whether that meant amputation, a supportive splint, pain medication, or surgery.

To Read Jude's Story, View His Picture Slideshow, and Learn More About His Condition, Please Visit:

              
Jude's Page

Sabra was transferred to The McDonald Family Animal Rescue by the City of Edmonton Animal Control during a time period in which the Edmonton Humane Society was full. A very sweet and loving bunny, we were determined to help her live a long, comfortable life. She struggles with chronic abscesses and required the dedication of her loving vets to help her through it.

Hades the wild caught Argentinean Tegu had to undergo two surgeries to first remove a rock from his belly and then to repair the damage it had caused. To read his dairy detailing his arrival to the rescue, his medical condition, and his road to recovery, please visit:

Purchased from a puppy mill by a money hungry uncaring man, Kiera has never been part of a loving family. She was kept in the man's work shop, where the employees did their best to make up for her owners' lack of interest. She was bred twice to another Miniature American Eskimo, and likely made her owner a fair bit of money. She wasn't provided with any veterinary care, despite all that he had put her through and all that she had been forced to give him. The condition of her teeth and gums deteriorated, and eating hard food became a painful struggle for her, and she's only four years old.

Losing all interest five months ago, her owner banished her to the outdoors at his acreage and stopped caring for her, aside from the occaisional handful of kibble. When the employees that had tried so hard to care for her found out how she was being treated, they began their fight to try and save her.

To  read Kiera's Story visit:  Kiera's Page

During the last provincial election, I (Devon McDonald) took a temporary job as a "Poll-Cat" for the NDP Party. I went door to door, surveying voters in various areas of the city. One day, I was polling for Brian Mason, and knocked on the door of a downtown apartment. When the man greeted us, a darling three week old black and white fluffball stumbled forward. Curiosity took over, and I asked if it was a new kitten, or if he had the rest of the litter. He invited us in, and told us that the kittens were his, but that he needed to get rid of them; he was moving the next day, being evicted, and planned to leave them in the backyard. I immediatley offered to take them, and I helped him hunt down three of the five kittens. Apparantly, the mother and two other kittens were already outside, and no where to be seen. My polling partner and I left with three small kittens, deeply saddened by the lack of concern displayed by thier previous "caretaker".  We took them back to the campaign office, where the staff were happy to donate money to benefit the futures of the kittens.

The next day, while enjoying my day off, I got a call from the secretary at Brian Mason's campaign office. She had gotten a call from the man that had given up the kittens; he had found the mother and the remaining kittens, and he wanted them picked up immediatley. The secretary was kind enough to pick them up and bring them to the rescue, and she donated even more money towards their care!

The mother kitty was very dedicated and continued to raise her kittens. We had her spayed, and all of her kittens were adopted out to loving homes, most of which were Poll-cats that had fallen in love with them on the day of their rescue!

Rocky is a 13 year old Eastern Box Turtle, who has had a tough life. He was kept, for the majority of his years, in a dry aquarium lined with newspaper. He had a cardboard box to hide in, a pie plate to soak in, a diet lacking in adequate calcium and he wasn't provided with UVB lighting, which is required for proper Vitamin D3 and Calcium absorbtion. The high humidity levels that box turtles require to be healthy were impossible to keep in such an environment.

Due to these years of neglect, Rocky came to us in rough shape; his beak, which is supposed to be pointed, is noticabley broken and chipped. He is missing all of his toes on his back left foot, most likely due to the conditions being so dry,  and the bottom of his shell was noticeably dry and cracked. The edge of his shell is soft to the touch, rather then hard, due to lack of calcium.

Gone are the days of newspaper and cardboard, for Rocky. He now lives in a large enclosure with deep Peat moss and spaghnum moss to burrow in. He has a large water pan to soak in, silk plants and real logs to explore. During the hot days, he goes out into a large pen in the backyard, where he can explore through the grass, and soak up some natural sunlight. He also enjoys his modified pool,  nice and shallow, as Box Turtles aren't very good swimmers.

Finding a healthy diet that Rocky was able to eat with his broken beak was a challenge. He had difficulty eating earthworms and leafy greens, and most food ended up falling out of his mouth. He was able to eat larger , chunkier foods such as canteloupe and green beans, so I soaked some alfalfa and made him some "alfalfa balls". We bought some Wellness White Fish and Sweet Potato Canned dog food and Natural Choice Vegetarian Canned dog food, and rolled mixed vegetables, box turtle pellets, collard greens, and dandelion into some bite size balls, and it was a hit! Now Rocky is eating steadily, has gained a lot of energy and weight , and his shell is hardening up with proper calcium supplementation and lighting. After over a decade of neglect and disrespect, Rockys life is finally looking up!

Keia suffered a great deal before she came to us. Her owners contacted us, begging us to take her in because they had to move and couldn't take her. When she arrived, she was matted and filthy. She smelled like beer, urine, and feces, and her fur was so tightly matted that we couldn't get our fingers through her fur to her skin. Her stomach was in the same shape, and her tail, which naturally stood, was matted to the back of her leg.

Keia was terrified when she arrived, shaking and whining. She peed whenever we approached her, or bent to touch her. She was contstantly "watching her back", dodging our hands and running at the slightest noise. After talking to some friends of the previous owners, we learned some disturbing details about Keia's past. Her owners were rarely home, so she wasn't properly trained and her care was neglected. She was tied up in the kitchen, and forced to eat and defecate in the same small area. When she barked for attention, she was kicked and thrown into the closet. The whites of her eyes were clouded and showed signs of head trauma.

After a good grooming, and a few months of training, love, and socializing Keia turned out to be a loving, playful dog that loves life! She has finally gotten over her past, and her new family will ensure her future is bright and full of love, to the end of her days.