Some of our Favorite Stories
Animal Rescue – it’s no easy task when it’s done right. It’s exhausting, emotionally draining, and it’s riddled with heart-breaking tragedy. But we don’t stop because we know we are needed. These are just a few of the stories that keep us going because we know if we didn’t keep moving ahead, these stories would all have different endings.
Stevie - blind kitties do remarkably well.
Stevie
We found Stevie in 2013 living as part of a feral cat colony on a large property in coyote country. When we found him, he was already blind and in a lot of pain. We knew this guy would not last long in the environment due to his condition. Even though he was semi-feral, he knew we were there to help him. We were able to take him in and provide the surgery he needed to remove his eyes so that he would no longer be in pain. The best part of Stevie's story is that we tamed him to be a wonderful kitty, and he was adopted into a loving forever home where he is now living out a great life as an indoor kitty!!!
Peggy as we found her and after her remarkable recovery!
Peggy
In early 2016, we received a phone call from a gentleman who takes care of a feral colony in El Cajon. A kitten had climbed into a car engine, and when the car was started, her leg had been caught in the fan. We drove to assess the situation. When we saw her, we knew she needed immediate medical attention. Her leg had been completely severed between her shoulder and her elbow. Our vets decided she needed to have the leg amputated, and she was able to undergo surgery right away. Peggy recovered beautifully and has been adopted into a wonderful, loving home!!
Shadow before surgery.
Shadow with her new family.
Shadow
Shadow was found by a volunteer chained in a yard in Mexico to be used as a breeding dog by a backyard breeder. She had severe glaucoma in both eyes (which is genetic but the breeder didn't mind). We took Shadow into our care and brought her stateside for immediate medical attention. Shadow had to have both eyes removed to relieve her from the lifetime of pain she had been enduring.
You may have noticed something unusual about Shadow – she is a dog! Although we focus on cats, we know that we are able to step in where other rescues can't. Sometimes we come across situations we just can't turn our backs on.
Shadow made a great recovery and found her forever family. Today, she is living a happy and carefree life in Colorado. Her owners tell us she loves the snow!
The fish tank litter
This litter of kittens was born and lived in an empty fish tank. They had never seen a litter box or a dry bed. When we finally convinced their keeper to let us take them, they were covered in mange, fleas, urine and feces. Their fur was falling off in chunks. This photo is half an hour after we rescued them - washing off the filth. Dori, Nemo, Coral, Bubbles and Marlin all found loving forever homes and are now beloved pets.
Amber and Aundrea pulling kittens out of a roof. There are not a lot of rescues that would do this - we don't hesitate.
roof top rescue
In 2013, we received a phone call from a homeowner who was concerned about a litter of kittens that had been born on his roof. The feral mother had found a hole in the fascia but the kittens were getting too big to fit in the space. They had started moving around and were in danger of falling. Our volunteers, along with the help of the homeowner, tore off the fascia board in order to rescue the litter of 6 kittens. The mother cat was fixed and returned to live out her life, and all 6 kittens were taken into our rescue. Once the kittens were ready, they all found their forever homes and are happy family members to this day!!
Panda after he disembarked the plane, getting a cuddle break from Anita, our Texas transporter.
panda The Traveler
Panda was the beloved companion and best friend of a homeless man, Steve, who passed away suddenly. When Steve died, Panda was left alone on the streets. We received a panicked call from a friend of Steve's sister, Dorothea, in Florida. We knew we had to get Panda to his Aunt Dorothea. We thought Panda might be tricky to catch, but when Josh arrived at the empty lot and called out his name, Panda came running. This was a huge effort of loving ECAR volunteers across the country, and we got Panda to Texas relay race style. All it took was a chain of people who cared enough to get this little cat home. We think Steve would be thankful for all the people who reached out to make sure Panda was safe. We are thankful for Dorothea's friend, Dottie, who knew who to call.
Scooter, obviously happy to be back with his owner.
Scooter
We received a frantic call from the daughter of an elderly couple living in La Jolla. Their parents' 10-year-old indoor only cat, Scooter, had gotten out of the house. There were some feral cats living on the property, including some moms with kittens. The moms were not letting Scooter anywhere near the yard. We got all the cats and kittens fixed and got Scooter back into the arms of his owner. We received a text with this photo that said, "My dad's name is Dr. Sun Lee. He just turned 94 on June 2 so this is a great bday and Father's Day gift to have Scooter back. It's a happy home at the Lee's today. You and your peeps are awesome."