I foster animals all the time. I have 5 dogs, but that doesn't stop me. Where I live, people if the dont want an animal, they set them out either beside the road or at a trush dump. When I see an animal that has been abandoned, I feel so sorry for the animal...that I bring the animal home. I clean the animal up and feed it. I keep the animal until I can find the animal a GREAT home. It is a wonderful feeling when you save an unwanted animal, when you can find the animal a loving home. When you can take an animal off the street and change it's life, makes everything worth wild. It gives you the feeling that you have made a difference. You have helped an animal, while at the same time, giving a family a joy like no other.

I totally agree, helping animals really does make you feel awsome. I enjoy it.

Yeah, it's the best feeling in the world. I just wish that there was more people out there in this world who cared as much as we do.

Hello
My name is Wendy Humphrey.
I am with the San Diego Division of:
Canine Rescue Coalition, Inc.
A Mastiff Rescue.
I have been involved with Large Breed Rescues since 1993.
My rescue friends have been trying to get me to post a poem about rescue on the Animal Planet.
I am submiting this poem in hopes it will bring the much needed awareness of the millions of sweet, loving, innocent animals each year who are suffering! There are millions dailey who are
abused,tortured,starved,abandoned,dumped, slaughtered,exploited & simply forgotten.

Well here it is:

Tail tucked tight between your legs,
Confusion in your eyes -
I know it's hard to understand
That someone hears your cries.
When loneliness is all you know
and pain is all you feel -
When no one can be trusted,
And hunger's all too real.
That's the time the Lord sees you
And lets you know He's there.
That's when He sends His messengers -
with hearts that love and care.
Yes, rescuers are angels -
you cannot see their wings,
They keep them neatly folded
as they do their caring things.
With medicines to make you strong,
and assiting you to learn,
that hugs are never wrong.
The perfect place then must be found -
A home where you can live
Secure and safe and happy -
With joy to get and give.
When you reach your Forever Home,
Your place to feel where you'll be whole,
Your Rescue Angel winks and leaves,
To save another soul.


Bless you all who protect and love animals.
I am doing all I can to put an end to the cries & suffering worldwide.
You can make a difference!
Wendy Humphrey
San Diego
wendyk9rescue@yahoo.com

Thank you all for all you do for the animals!

All my cats are FIV+. My adopted and fostered cats are the light of my life. I just dont know what I would do without them in my life. The fosters move on to their "forever homes" and I know that they are well cared for. My three are truely my best friends. I know if I am not feeling well, Socks will check on me. Blackie is my most affectionate kitty by far...but he isnt a lap cat (Blackie was also my first foster cat) Abby is feral, but she still shows me that she loves me, even if she will not let me touch her yet.

My 3 fosters, Duke (scared of all other cats), Bruno (doesnt like other cats either) and little Jim (who is going to his new home in a few days) are all great, they just need to find their own homes.

I hope that more people open their hearts and adopt or foster kitties (dogs or whatever). There are so many homeless animals that just need a loving home.

Hello Wendy. My name is Angela. I noted that you are involved with a Mastiff rescue organization. I have recently become interested in the breed as I am considering a new pet since the passing of my 12 yo Rottie, Shasha, a year ago. Despite all of the negative publicity the rottweiler breed receives, Sasha was the best dog I have ever owned and was WONDERFUL with my 5 children and their friends. She was my BIG baby and I miss her.

I have read information about the mastiff breed on the AKC site and other sources and aside from their massive size and drool, I am reading that they are excellent family pets.

I live in a fairly large house with my husband and 14 yo son, but my infant grandsons visit routinely. I may also consider other pets at a later time.

I would be extremely greatful for any information sources that you can direct me to on the breed and if you are aware of any mastiff rescues in Illinois or breeders that you may be able to direct me to, I would love to get to know the breed up close and personal before making my final decision.

i KNOW IT FEELS so great and i hope all your hard work pays off!

I also fostercats and kittensI must begetting near 100 fosters by now and I am proud to say they all went to good homes. Except one. When I got Scooter andhis sister they were almost feral. She came around nicely and was adopted to a good home. He justnever got used to humans and being handled. It broke my heart eveytime I would pick him up to hold him and see the terror in his eyes. As he would not be held or handled we adopted him and he just fit his name. He would scoot so fast when you tried to pick him up. Last July 4th he panicked when the fireworks began in the neighborhood. When I opened the door to let our 2 large dogs bolt in he scooted out. I could not get him to bring him in no matter what I tried. He stayed around the yard for a few days then dissapeared. As we live next door to a large park with a big pack of coyotes, we have assumed that they were his demise. We did learn a good lesson from this. A good responsible foster home has to make the right decisions some times. Now before I get jumped on our HS shelter can get 50 to 60 cats and kittens in a day. Subtract the few who are just too sick or injured that still leaves a lot of animals. I thought a lot about just how many were put down while I was trying to save just one. He was not totally unhappy here he got along with the other cats and out 2 very large dogs and would be in the same room with us but just not where we could touch or handle him.

My Abby is about the same as your Scooter. I can "catch" her when I need to, but otherwise... She loves it here, she gets along with all the other cats, both our cats and the fosters. Abby knows that she is loved, she comes up to me when she wants food or when it is play/treat time. But as much as I want to, I know that I can not touch her, or she will run. I keep hoping that she will come around.

We are so careful here with the doors. My first cat Socks, is a master escape artist. If we are not careful, he will make a break for it. We generally use the garage as our main enterance, and there are three doors between Socks and the outside. But during summer it will be a bit more interesting as the back door and the sunporch will be very popular with the younger 2 leggeds in the house. I hope that we do not have any issues with him getting out, we have coy-dogs here and I would worry myself to death if he got out.

I was just thinking about my fosters...I have now gotten to 10...I have a ways to go till I get to where you are.

Hello Animal Lover 3737
I just read your reply to my post back in Dec.06
I am so sorry for the delay.
I made an attempt to e-mail you, but I was unable to.
Either your e-mail is blocked or I am doing something wrong!
Here is my e-mail address..PLEASE feel free to contact me.
wendyk9resq@yahoo.com
sycuanbigdogresq@yahoo.com

I can answer your questions and I will help you find a wonderful Rottie or Mastiff to adopt.
There are many wonderful dogs just waiting to become a member of your loving family!
Please keep in touch.
Thank you for choosing RESCUE!
Wendy Humphrey
San Diego, Ca.
Mastiff/Large Breed Rescue

I think it is great what all of you are doing to help these sweet and loving aniamls. I just sit and think about how people breed and sell animals with only one thing in their minds... their-selves! Why sell animals when you could give them away to a great home?
I walk into a pet store and see all these little puppies and kittens behind glass. They get no human interaction, which can not be good for young animals development. They paw at the glass when they see you, just wanting you to pick them up, play with them, and love them. You can just see the sadness in their eyes. It breaks my heart and if I could I would buy all the puppies and kittens and find them great homes.
I hope and pray that all of you keep up your great work. Not only are you making an animals life better, but you are making someone's life happier. You are giving the animal and the person a best friend! And maybe we all can change people's out-look on life. We can be a GREAT role-modle!

I found this poem on the internet and I wanted to share it with you.

A dog sits waiting in the cold autumn sun --
too faithful to leave, too frightened to run.
He's been there for days now
with nothing to do
but sit by the road, waiting for you.

He can't understand why you left him that day;
he thought you and he were stopping to play.
He's sure you'll come back,
and that's why he stays --
how long will he suffer? How many more days?

His legs have grown weak, his throat's parched and dry;
he's sick now from hunger
and he falls, with a sigh.
He lays down his head, and he closes his eyes --
I *wish* you could see
how a waiting dog dies!

I think that anybody that has ever been charged w/cruelity to animals should have to write and recite that poem daily at a differant animal shelter while doing his or her community service
work at the same shelter's
That is the most moving ,powerful things I have ever read.
The first time I read it I had to stop for a min. and compose myself.
I love all animals but I'm a dog lover thru and thru.I have never seen one that I did'nt want to take home with me.Big or little,clean or dirty,heinze 57 or pure breed it don't matter I love them all.