2014
Fifi
was left outside in the cold and heat and found covered in mud constantly but a concerned neighbor took pity on her and contacted us. We were able to get the owners to relinquish her and she went into a wonderful foster home. They fell in love and took this sweet senior corgi mix in forever....sadly, she passed away within the year and we are all broken hearted and miss her sweet face greatly! Rest in Peace little Fifi...you WERE loved!
Jethro
What a ball of energy! He is the poster child for animals displaced due to foreclosure! His family was devastated to lose him but his foster Mom went above and beyond to make sure this little boy found the very best home. He is a working dog and luckily was adopted by horse people. Jethro travels with them to horse shows and makes sure all of the horses behave! He is the typical herding dog!! We wish you love and happiness always Jet!!
Banjo
The owner of this cute guy was a truck driver and Banjo was not doing well on the road. He turned to us to place Banjo and we did just that...in two days he was snatched up! He is a gorgeous boy and wants his former Dad to know he has a great new life now and he is very thankful to him for seeing to that! His new Mom and Dad really love him and so do his human brothers and sisters.... Best wishes always little Banjo boy!
Bailey and her brother were dumped by their family in a high kill shelterl, Sadly they were seperated and would never see each other again, The saddest oart is that Bailey was blind and her brother was her eyes. After we learned that the shelter deemed her unadoptable, we stopped at nothing to get her out of there. She was fostered by the same people who brought her to our attention, This family fell in love with her and could not bear to let her go. Bailey finally knew unconditional love and felt what it was like to be appreciated and respected. This family even tracked down the family that adopted her brother so that Bailey could see him again byt fate would deal Bailey another cruel blow when, at the last second, the family of her brother inexplicably backed out of the visit, This was cruel and sensless of them. The two were inseperable and poor Bailey never fot to say Goodbye to her brother, She has since gone on to be with God and I know she is grateful that her human family was there for her in her time of need and despair, The cruelty imparted on animals by humans is sometimes difficult to comprehend, Bailey we love you and miss you and someday you and your brother will be together again over Rainbow Bridge.
Ebbie
was a KYPP recipient and we were honored to have made this sweet girls life a little bit better before her passing. She was loved by her family but they were not able to afford her the basic care she needed to stay comfortable and healthy, so they turned to RTR for assistance. Sadly she fell ill late one evening and before RTR and the family could get her to the ER she passed away. We will greatly miss her and though we never met her in person, we know she was a real sweetheart due to the way her family loved her.
Cassie was pulled from LCAS and was suffering from cherry eye. We had her surgery to remove it and she was as good as new! Cassie did not last long in foster care, she was adopted to a man who drove across the state to meet her and then waited patiently for us to deliver her for the site visit and approval process. He was very patient and kind while waiting to adopt her. She is happily ever after now thanks to her foster who asked RTR to pull her and cared for her while she found a home.
Chance was found under someones house starved and covered in mange, He was just a tiny thing and was so helpless, After they contacted RTR we agreed to pay for his vetting and start trying to find him a home. While we were getting him healthy the family who found him fell in love and could not bear to part with him, so he was adopted by them and has found his place in the sun! We are so happy to help people like this who get involved and do not ignore the helpless innocent animals that are thrown away like garbage by humans who have no idea what love is. Shari we are honored to know you and Chance is LUCKY to have found you!
Max is one of RTR’s KYPP recipients. Having an injury to his leg that was crippling left him in pain and unable to walk comfortably. His family loves him so much and did the right thing for him by seeking out assistance for him to see a vet. Animal Clinic of Leesburg assisted with his care and after surgery to repair something torn in his leg, Max is back to his sweet energetic self. Rescue is not just about saving ‘homeless’ dogs but is actually about saving ‘helpless’ dogs who are suffering no matter what the circumstances.
Chief's owner had a life change and needed to place him asap. We were full and could not even afford to board another dog so we shared with all of our email and facebook followers. One of our dearest supporters and friends stepped in to assist us in boarding Chief the VERY DAY HE WAS TO BE DROPPED OFF AT ANIMAL SERVICES....We are eternally grateful to her and as it would happen, she never allowed RTR to pay any money toward his boarding fees but instead donated the costs to our rescue. To top it off she went on to ADOPT Chief and they are madly in love!!! We are so grateul to you P for taking this sweet boy in for us!
Lucy was a stray that someone noticed in their neighborhood during their rush to work. Later the same day after arriving back home they reaiized that she was still there helpless and alone. so they decided to take action. Just as they were going to her aid Lucy was almost hit by a car right before their eyes. Lucy collapsed in the middle of the road, not from being hit but because she was so weak, she was giving up on life! The kind human ran to her aid but, when talking to her, Lucy merely raised her head to look would lie it right back down with no hope of mercy. To Lucy's surprise, this human did have mercy and she took Lucy in, vetted her and contacted RTR to help place her in a loving home. We did just that and Now look at her! Just a lesson to NEVER GIVE UP! RTR was fortunate to find a kind soul that would foster and once they spent three days with this sweet dog....they made her a permanent part of their family!! Foster failure at its best:) We gladly give up our fosters if it means finding a forever home for one of our lost souls! Enjoy your life Lucy...you deserve it:) On behalf of Lucy, Ruff Times would like to thank Karly for being her angel of mercy!
Buddy was a very beaten up stray who was starving and wounded, his earlobes were even torn. The tears were very precise and we suspect hunters. A very sweet young girl who has a young daughter took a chance and brought Buddy into her home, she then contacted us for assistance. We vetted him while she fostered and within 3 weeks, Buddy had interest from a man who loves dogs and actually has two that look like Buddy's twins. They met and the rest is history. Buddy has a 13 year old sister, a 7 year old brother and a cat that he did not bargain for but has come to REPSECT! His Dad is a Fire Chief in his local town and Buddy has 5 acres to frolic and play on with his brother and sister.
Just a sidenote to people who hunt (and many of my very own family members do) there is no reason to rip the tags out of your dogs ears and set them loose to starve, or shoot them in a field. There are local and national rescues who will take these dogs in. I implore you to find a better way of ridding yourselves of the dogs who serve you so well in your hunting endeavors. Animal Control is less cruel than starving in the woods. Shame on anyone who does this!
Charlie is a former KYPP recipient of RTR. His family purchased 2 pups (Charlie and Daisy) from a very unscrupulous breeder and after having found out they had never been given shots, the dogs were showing signs of sickness. The family contacted RTR and we paid for the dogs to have all shots. Our caveot was mandatory spay and neuter once the pups were old enough but when that time came, the family ignored our calls and allowed them to have pups!! One year later they called us asking for help with Charlie and Daisy's pups and we again ran to their aid. Subsequently the family sold off the pups and DAISY (again ignoring RTR and our rules for assistance) but after the loss of their home the family contacted us one last time desperately needing to get Charlie out of the hot van that had become his home in the sweltering heat of central Florida's mid May weather, RTR was able to step in and place Charlie in a boarding facility until we secured a foster. This foster fell madly in love with this boy and eventualy became his permanent home. Now, for Charlie....... life is but dream!!! He swims in his swimming pool and tears up his crate while Mom and Dad are at work and he helps his little Jack Russell brothers and sisters get into food on the counter that they cannot reach, ultimatley sharing the spoils until they are all sick! Ha ha ! We are so happy for Charlie and his little brothers and sister!
Blue Boy (the poster child for WHY YOU SHOULD MICROCHIP) living the life with his new best friend Zoe! We were sad to see him go but he's now got the life and love he deserves!! After being found in front of Family Dollar in Eustis on New Years Day begging for food, Blue Boys rescuer contacted RTR to assist her with vetting and placing him. We knew from the phone conversation that he was not in a 'perfect' situation but we knew that the woman cared enough to save him and (having only 2 rooms for dogs to live in) we had no place to keep him. The 'foster by default' proved not to be as careful as we had instructed her to be and allowed him to be stolen right from under her nose just two days after we had him neutered and microchipped. RTR had to post rewards and deal with 'thugs' and the police in order to get him back to safety. That diligence on the part of RTR along with his newly implanted microchip has enabled Blue Boy to beat all odds.
Rex was at RTR a very long time for such a tiny and sweet dog. In fact, as you see in the pic, we actually made him 'office administrator'. He would oversee all of the work being done...so as to earn his keep. lol Rex finally moved on to bigger and better things and was ultimately adopted by a wonderful lady who has allowed him to retire from his administration duties at RTR! We miss our little office administrator!
Ellie had a Mom who adored her but was also a new single parent. The costs of a child and a dog were just too much for her at her young age. Though it was heartbreaking, she chose to give Ellie a chance at a better life. She contacted RTR and we immediately took little Ellie in...two short days later a volunteer came to visit the rescue, took one look at Ellie and well.....lets just say Ellie is living the life now! She has two brother dogs and a kitty to play with. Her Mom and Dad dote on both her and her newly adopted brother Shaggy, whom they also adopted from RTR. Ellie wants to thank her original Mom for giving her a chance at finding a home where she could get the care and love she deserves. This was a selfless act of love on her part!
Lily was found by the same kind human who found Chance and Sia that you will see elsewhere on our site. This little girl was almost starved to death. We vetted her and made sure she was loved until her family came along. Her she is with her human sisters and her canine sister. She has a great family who dotes on her every need. Thanks again to the wonderful person who found her as a tiny stray and made her life better and thanks to the family who loves her unconditionally!
Pepper aka Charlie was callously dumped at an adoption event of all places! They handed his leash to someone and walked away. One of RTR's volunteers was stuck and did not have the heart to take him to AC. She took him home and we, of course, backed her and made him part of the rescue. Kudos to her for doing the RIGHT thing! Pepper is now called Charlie and as you can see he has a great Mom and a great Big Sister. We feel at RTR that all of our dogs are amazing but Pepper is in a really close race with Blue Boys as being the BEST dog we have EVER rescued!
Red was one of our KYPP recipients. A facebook message that was a desperate plea caught our eye and after going to visit Red, we immediately took him to the ER. This horrible mass seen hanging from his chest area appeared to be an organ and was horrifying. The vet found it to be a tumor that had swelled and burst. This poor dog had endured months of agony. The family reached out to several rescues and no one would help. Their 12 year old son even ealked to a vet to beg them to help Red and no one would listen. GRROSWF saw Red on our facebook post asking for money to allow for the surgery he needed and they agreed to take Red in. He is seen here with his surgeon and with the foster that GRROSWF provided him. We did not get to handle his adoption but we made SURE that he is in the best of hands and we stopped his suffering in its tracks. His family was devastated but knew that allowing him to find a home where he could get the care he needed was the most loving thing they could do for him. I hope that rescues will reralize that when people beg for help regarding medical care, it is at least prudent to look into the circumstances. Had someone done so earlier Red might not have suffered so much needless pain.
Scooby
If you can believe it no one wanted this adorable little guy. We were notified that the family moved away and left him and the neighbor was trying to keep him safe but would have to take him to AC if we could not take him. A foster agreed to take him in and after one night informed us that we were not getting him back....foster failures are the BEST!
Sam was a lost soul and no one would claim this beautiful boy. When the search for the owner was exhausted, RTR was contacted to help place him. The wonderful people who took him off the streets fell in love and fostered him until he could find the perfect home. A family with a larger female version of Sam came calling and now Sam and Big Sis, Georgia, have been best buds since! We love and miss him but we know he is in the best of hands!! Thanks to the wonderful fosters for saving this boy!!
Peanut was found running loose and sadly it was discovered that she was blind. RTR agreed to assist in finding her a forever home who would love her in spite of her disability and we did just that. Now Peanut is loved and cared for by a wonderful Mom and she will never have to worry again about being lost or afraid.
Sia's story is extremely sad...she was a starving little stray that wandered into the yard of a sometimes foster for RTR. They tried to return her to her rightful owner but upon doing so, found that the owner felt she was sick so she quit feeding her and set her loose to die!!!!!! After learning of this we contacted AC and took poor Sia directly to the ER in the hopes of saving her. She seemed to bounce back from the starvation and was recovering well but just a week or so in, her body began to have seizures and the affects of the starvation had taken its toll on her to the point of no return. Sia would die while the vet tried valianlty to save her. This was devastating to all involved and we will never forget this little angel and her fight to find help before she starved to death. Her case shows the extreme ignorance and cruelty of humans and how we MUST get involved when we see negelct imparted on innocent animals by our very own neighbors!
Zorro was found by a good samaritan who wanted us to place him in a loving home. After fostering him for a bit, the good samaritan realized she could never part with him...we really did not do anything for Zorro but we wanted to share his story like all of the others at RTR.