Zaras List

They brought the litter of kittens out from under Juvenile Hall in Orange County . Animal Control said they would be feral (wild) cats and had to be euthanized. They were barely 5 weeks old. There were 8 kittens. After some convincing, their execution was put off for 8 hours. If homes could be secured then they had a chance to live. Seven homes were located and one lone kitten was left to go to the gas chamber. He was hidden in a bag and escaped with a staff member to avoid a certain death. He's now 7 years old. His name is Hoffa. Jimmy Hoffa that is.

He was left behind a warehouse in a dumpster and he was barely four weeks old. Some workers found him and brought him into the office. Fast forward three and half years. He sleeps in the bed under the covers. He is the king of the house. His name is Pork Chop

As a puppy he was mislabeled as a Chow and no one wanted him. "They are cute and friendly as puppies but grow up to be vicious animals" or so they said. He's now almost 2. Beware of the Chow/Aussie. He may, after all, lick you death. His name is Chowder.

Less than two hours after being in our rescue he bit me. He was a keeper. He should wear a sign at all times that reads, "My looks are deceiving. Cute but.." He couldn't go to the home we had arranged b/c despite being told that he was current on shots and in perfectly good health, it was revealed he had serious allergies, problems with knees and a huge hernia. Plus, after a vet examination it was discovered he had bruised and healed broken ribs revealing that someone had mistreated him. We were told he was a purebred Shih Tzu. Beware to the buyers of this breeder or petshop. He's purebred Mutt with Shih Tzu. He's my shadow and though he's not the perfect dog, he's perfect for me. He's perfectly loved and cared for and has the home he always deserved. See me driving? See him in the seat next to me. See me in my office? See him under my chair. See me. See him. He sleeps on the pillow next to me with at least some part of him always touching me throughout the night. His name is Tobasco. Spicy, tangy. That's him.

His name came by default. He looked so much like his "brother" who was here already. His name is Junior.

It was November and after a very long kitten season he came into the rescue. He was 11 weeks old. His donation was $75 and person after person complained how high the donation was b/c after all he's not purebred. They didn't see him. They didn't see his personality. Their loss. He's a Chocolate Point Siamese Ragdoll mix. He talks and follows you around like a puppy. He wakes up in the middle of the night if the toddler in the house is crying and he immediately alerts the family. He sleeps with that little girl and she holds him tight like a stuffed animal and he never flinches. Nope he's not a purebred. His name is Thailer.

The Best for Last...

She's 2 years old. Her mom loves animals and so does she now. She'll grow up with a legacy and in an "extended" family that cared enough to give of their time, energy and heart to save the lives of animals who would otherwise die. She'll know the value of caring for the animals in our community and of giving of herself. "Schindler had his list and now Zara has her list."