St. Louis Pet Rescue is AMAZING! A group of dedicated fosters and volunteers giving their time freely with no financial compensation. They are all about the pets. Rarely tooting their own horn, I can not say enough about this group. Pulling from high kill shelters and perilous conditions if a pet is lucky enough to land with this group they truly have a safety net for life! As a foster, volunteer and adopter, I can tell you this group is filled with shining stars flying under the radar, super hero's. Their job is not 9-5 but all encompassing. Very compassionate and caring. Going above and beyond to ensure the health and wellness of the pets they rescue and adopt. If you are looking to add a pet to your home please look at St. Louis Pet Rescue. When you open your home to adopt a pet, another in need of rescue is able to be saved. You save 2!
St. Louis Pet Rescue is a wonderful organization. They take in the abandoned, the unwanted and the ones that have been neglected. They make sure that their health needs are met and their shots are up-to-date. Then they find a temporary home for them. I want to say a special thanks to the wonderful people who Foster the animals from Pet Rescue. These are very special people that volunteer their time and share there homes, out of the goodness of their heart. Anyone who is going to adopt should consider adopting a pet from Pet Rescue. Or better yet...adopt two!
I have been fostering for about 20 years now, moved over to St Louis Pet Rescue about five years go to support a smaller St. Louis group. They sure try to take in ever animal they can, and can afford, even allowing me to bring in a few animals I found when we were full. All volunteers and pulling from kill shelters, it never ends! People ask me all the time, don't you get attached, want to keep them all - how can I do it? MY question back, IS HOW can you not!?! I'm always on to the next cat or dog within days of adoption, and the one I had before now has a great home instead of being on the street, starving and reproducing. My latest in the photo, at over five years old, was just adopted last week!
We adopted Chip who was a foster since he was born! We were able to visit him and see pictures until we were able to bring him home thanks to his AMAZING foster family! Chip has been a great addition to our family and we couldn't say enough things to explain just how wonderful St.Louis Pet Rescue has been!
I'm a foster, volunteer and have adopted from St Louis Pet Rescue. Our family was looking for a way to give more than just adopting another pet. We've been working with STLPR for 2 years and love it! The volunteers are dedicated to helping pets as much as they possibly can.
Stl pet rescue was amazing we got 2 little kittens from them about 2 years ago. They made it very smooth to get the kitties! Would definitely recommend going through them if you're looking for a dog or a cat.
As a volunteer for both STLPR and JCAC Rescue Warriors, I am truly blessed. STLPR has risen to the occasion multiple times to take on the hard cases, the needy, the homeless, and the impossible cats from JCAC. I am in absolute awe of all of the fosters and volunteers. I love going every Friday to PetCo and interacting with the cats, giving them fresh food and water, along with cleaning their litter boxes. Without this amazing group, I know too well just how many lives would be lost at JCAC alone. Thank you STLPR! And to the other volunteers keep up the good work!
I have adopted and fostered with STL Pet Rescue. The organization puts on weekly adoption events and does everything in its power to rescue animals, no matter how much time it takes to get an animal adopted. Most, if not all, of the adoptable animals have been placed in foster homes prior to adoption, so they are social/ potty trained/ everything else they need to be a great pet.
I have been fostering through St Louis Pet Rescue for almost 2 years. I have had the pleasure of fostering some amazing cats. I would recommend volunteering for them. The people are great and you are helping the animals that are abandoned, surrendered, or in awful situations. I never realized how much I could contribute in life until I started to help the voiceless.
I adopted a few cats from St Louis Pet Rescue. They have been amazing cats. The adoption process was easy and thorough. You can really tell the foster mom really loved their fosters. I adopted 2 American Bobtails and a Turkish Van mix. They have been such great cats. My one cat, Morty, have been a great emotional support cat. When I'm down he knows how to make my day better.
WOW - no need to go anywhere else!! I had NO idea how difficult it would be to find a kitten with low-allergen traits. I searched ALL over the internet and wrote and wrote and called and drove and got nowhere fast. Then I happened to write to St. Louis Pet Rescue, hoping to hear back from them within a day or two (most places have a very difficult time responding quickly, I learned). They wrote back within an hour or so, and then I heard from the Foster Mommy within an hour of THAT!
The Rhoades (foster parents) are SO kind, patient, great teachers, and great foster parents: our 5-month old Siamese was potty-trained, scratching-post trained, healthy and happy. Kitten was spayed, shots up to date (and home visit a few days later for a final injection of a series!), and chipped! Can't say enough about these foster parents who did everything they could to accommodate my needs to surprise our girl for Christmas. If the rest of the foster parents and staff at STLPR are HALF as good as the Rhoades, i would STILL recommend them with 5-stars.
Thank you thank you thank you STLPR, for saving these adorable kittens AND for having the Rhoades on your team! I know where I'm going if we ever add to our Kitty Family or which way I'll point if anyone ever asks me for input.
We had tried for weeks to adopt a kitten before Christmas. After several inquiries or left messages with no call backs from other agencies or shelters we came across STL pet rescue. I inquired about a kitten and was immediately contacted by her foster mom. She spoke with me by phone for over 45 minutes to learn about our family and tell me about her kitten GeeGee. She also called our references to make sure that she was being adopted into a home that would care for her and love her. We met a few days later at Petco and have loved her ever since! She is an amazing cat. She is a Manx torbie. She is super playful and loves playing fetch. Even though she is an inside cat we can tell she is a great hunter by the way she attempts to catch the moths at the deck door each night or our hands and feet under the covers. We’ve also seen her catch a fly out of the air! Her favorite part of the day is the morning when we wake up and she speaks to us and flops over wanting us to rub her belly and love on her. If we are gone, once we get home she will hear the garage door and be waiting right inside the door to greet us. She loves us each uniquely and saves something special for each of us. GeeGee is an amazing kitty and we are so thankful for STL pet rescue and Anna for saving her and connecting her with us.
Decided one day that I wanted a kitten so I went through the link to petfinder though....either petco or petsmart, not sure the two are almost exactly the same in any case. Played around with that for awhile before finding a cute little tuxedo manx, sent an inquiry as to the status of the kitten. He was available! Last one of his litter to be adopted. I was directed to an adoption event occurring at whatever the store was. Was so excited I showed up 45min early just to be absolutely sure no one would get him first. After filling out some simple paperwork and paying a nominal fee I acquired Bernie a 17week old manx kitten. I was very impressed by how well socialized he was. He was accepted by my other cats almost instantly. He is now around 8-9 mo and has grown to 12lbs! He's HUGE!
I went to adopt a cat from a different shelter and after a run around due to paperwork being misplaced and another family adopting the cat I was leary. I looked for about another month and fell in love with a picture of a beautiful Manx Tortie kitten. After many emails and texts messages between the foster mom and I we adopted the beauty and she is a sweetheart. So glad we missed out on the first one so that we were available to adopt our new family member
St. Louis Pet Rescue does take in even the most difficult cases that need more than just the normal vetting to get them adopted. They are constantly trying to raise money to pay these over and above vet care for these special needs cats. They are really all about the animals.
Previous Stories
A CAT NAMED PRECIOUS…
THE PURRRFECT NAME by Barb V., foster
Precious is just that… a precious kitty boy with lots of love to give whose face was deformed at birth. He loves life and gives back all of the love he receives.
I found him at a sanctuary in Iowa where I had driven to take two felv/fiv positive cats to live out their life. I stayed overnight to drive back the next morning. During the early evening, I went downstairs to interact with the cats in this large room. Precious caught my eye. He followed me around and wanted me to pick him up. When I did he immediately gave me hugs and rubbed my face with his. He also had a huge snot ball hanging in his nose and a slight Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) that needed to be treated. At that moment I decided I couldn’t leave him there. I knew he deserved a home and loving family to live out his life.
Precious came home to be my foster kitty. He loves other cats and follows me around when he wants attention. When I scoop litter boxes in my foster cat room, he jumps into my lap at every opportunity when I kneel. I love this kitty boy with all of my heart.
I was looking for the perfect home for him, and I found it. I received several calls from people who wanted to adopt him. One of the inquiries was from a woman who already had a special needs cat with cerebellar hypoplasia (trouble with fine motor skills and coordination). After making all appropriate checks on her application and meeting her, I knew it was the absolute best place for Precious. An extremely happy ending for
a very special kitty!
I have now adopted two cats through St Louis Pet Rescue, from two different “foster moms.” A wonderful experience. I love the careful screening and concerns that the cats will be placed in a good and caring home. I was given advice, personal stories about each cat and I could not be happier.
A great organization which I will continue to support.
We had a great experience adopting our sweet cat Bernie. The volunteers were most helpful and informative. The process was thorough but easily accomplished. You could tell that they have the best interest of the pets at heart.
Adopting our cat from this program was as easy as could be. We filled out ge application and picked up our girl the next day! The cats foster mom also gave us her personal number in order to contact her with any issues. Our cat was not eating the first day we had her, and all I had to do was shoot a text to her foster mom and she replied with a solution that worked. Thanks!!
I recently adopted two sibling kittens from STL Pet Rescue and I was thrilled with the process! As with any pet adoption, the process was thorough, but I was glad that the foster families worked so hard to make sure the cats would be well taken care of and were healthy enough for me to take them home. We are so in love with our new pets and if we ever decide to adopt again, we will definitely work with STL Pet Rescue!
Our family adopted a one year old kitten, named Lulu, in February 2017. She was a bit on the grumpy side, only interacting with the house mom, and doing so rather aggressively (lots of ankle and arm/hand nipping!). After talking to the vet, we decided to find a buddy for Lulu, in hopes of making her a happier kitty. We adopted Jerry (black and white kitty) from STL Pet Rescue and over the next week, introduced the cats to one another. Lulu’s hissing and growling suggested this may not work…but with lots of coaching from the STL Pet Rescue team, the kitties met and quickly became friends. Now, they wrestle and snuggle throughout the day and night. Lulu is so happy – seeking attention from everyone and she has done so in a non-aggressive manner; and Jerry is the cutest cuddle bug, with a sweet meow. They are a perfect pair and we simply adore them together. Thanks STL Pet Rescue!
A HUGE thanks to Debbie and Kaitlyn Brame and to all who volunteer for St. Louis Pet Rescue. I love my kittens Blizzard and Snow! I could tell Debbie and Kaitlyn truly care for the cats and kittens they foster. The adoption process went really well. Debbie and Kaitlyn were thorough and made sure Blizzard and Snow would be a great match for me and more importantly be happy and well taken care of in their forever home. I could not thank Debbie and Kaitlyn and the St. Louis Pet Rescue enough. I would definitely reccomend this rescue.
We had an amazing experience with St Louis Pet Rescue! Everyone was very knowledgeable and you can tell the foster babies are in the best hands. Their fosters come to you healthy, happy, and well socialized. Our adopted kitties are the sweetest and funniest little creatures. We feel so lucky to have gotten to work with STLPR!
St Louis Pet Rescue is a fantastic organization. The volunteers really care about animals and go out of their way to provide the best care for their animals. They carefully screen people who are seeking to adopt to ensure the animal is a good fit for the home and it will be the pet's new furever home. We were looking to adopt a pair of kittens for my son and we stumbled across the cutest pair (a black male and his sister a beautiful tortie) . My son loves his kitties so much, but I have always been partial to orange tabbies. With encouragement from my husband, we contacted the foster family and let them know we were interested in an orange tabby kitten, preferably a male. Coincidentally, she had three that were not quite ready for adoption, but would be soon. Long story short, we now have four kitties, all within a couple months of each other and our home is full of joy, scampering paws and tinkering bells. Please consider donating to STLPR or adopting an animal from this organization.
Our daughter is a responsible, kind, empathetic ten-year-old only child. She has been begging for a cat since our beloved Maine Coon passed away in 2013. We finally agreed in March of 2016 and went to an adoption event with St. Louis Pet Rescue. That's where she fell in love with Winston. Winston was an approximately six month old tuxedo cat that had been past by repeatedly by other children, presumably because he was accompanied by younger kittens and he was a bit older. We asked her to please look around and make certain that was the one she wanted, as there were plenty of other younger kittens. She humored us but came right back to Winston, who also came right up to her. She wanted to take him home that day, but as Debbie at St. Louis Pet Rescue explained, they had to check and verify our veterinary records and do an in-home inspection to make sure Winston was going to a loving environment. She was devastated but she understood. I think all of us grownups were thinking, "she's going to change her mind in the next few days while we wait and decide she wants a younger kitten". She did not. Debbie and her daughter did all necessary preparation and research. But they went a step further. They, knowing how much Charleigh already loved and wanted to care for Winston, brought him to us at our home! Debbie and I keep in regular contact, as she loves hearing Winston stories as much as I love telling them. He is Charleigh's best friend and she is his. You can usually find them curled up with a good book, or learning new tricks (Charleigh has taught him several tricks-including "jump", "high five", and "fist bump"!). She is greeted after school every single day with kisses and head-butts that practically knock her over and purrs so loud I can hear them from the next room. I highly recommend St. Louis Pet Rescue as it so evident in everything they do that they truly care for their animals and offer endless support for their adoptive parents. We can't imagine our lives without Winston and can't say enough wonderful things about this exceptional organization!
Sully came into my life when I really needed him. My mom had just passed away and shortly after, I lost my beloved Izzy. The year was filled with deep, deep sadness. I knew that I needed to adopt another fur baby to bring a little joy back into my life but wasn't sure if I was ready. I decided that it wouldn't hurt to look. I found St. Louis Pets Rescue on line and made an appointment to visit some cats in their foster home. Sully immediately climbed into my lap and nestled under my chin. His purrs were deafening. Still not convinced I was ready, I kept putting him down. He just kept following me around and crawling into my lap. It was very evident that he was meant to be mine. The volunteers at St. Louis Pet Rescue are amazing. It was very clear to me that their animals are well cared for and loved. They pour their hearts and souls into making sure that each and every rescue finds a loving, forever home. I think it is so important to adopt a reascued animal and I love the mission of this rescue group. I would highly recommend them.
September 29th 2016 we lost our 16 year old Siamese it was one of the worst days of our lives but we had peace in knowing he was no longer suffering. We decided we wanted to find a new furball to have in our home and start new memories with. We decided to find a rescue Siamese so we found one with St. Louis Pet Rescue and went for our visit we knew we wanted him the first time we saw him but he had a brother who he was pretty attached with so we went home talked about it and decided to take them both great decision. There is a little more chaos in our house now and they definitely keep things interesting but they are both sweet cats who we hope will be with us for a very long time. St. Louis Pet Rescue is a great organization and was awesome to deal with the whole time, we still speak with the foster family often and they even helped me with some strays I found at a rental home. I don't know how these people do it as it's a lot of challenging situations and thankless work much of the time they all are saints.
My daughter and I have been volunteering with this wonderful group of people for a year and a half now. It warms our hearts to help these sweet fur babies. Flash was adopted from our rescue 4 years ago and returned last year. She has the sweetest personality. We adopted her ourselves this month!
Last year, I lost a cat, Solomon, to cancer, he was 16 years old and we had been together since he was a kitten and through most of my adult life. He was my best friend and my rock. He was always my constant. When he passed in November, I was beyond devastated. I felt empty without him. My vet suggested fostering for St. Louis Pet Rescue. I thought maybe that would help being able to focus on cats that needed help and to be able to find their forever homes where someone could love them like I did my Solomon. I have fostered multiple cats and helped them find wonderful homes and it did indeed help start to heal my heart. I see how many animals are in need every single day and to be able to have a part in being someone that can change even one animals life, it is something that I am very grateful for. Those cats that I have fostered, I have changed their lives and saved them, but they have saved me just as much. Thank you to St. Louis Pet Rescue for all that you do. Having fostered, volunteered and also adopted from this rescue, I have seen first hand the difference that St. Louis Pet Rescue makes in so many animals lives. There are many wonderful, caring fosters and volunteers that contribute their lives and hearts to so many animals in need that might otherwise have no other option.
Joey was advertised as a free kitten on Facebook. As a foster family, we always cringe when we see free kittens advertised because you never know what the crazy people out there will do with them. Joey was only about five weeks old when he was brought into St. Louis Pet Rescue and we started fostering him.
During his first week with us while he was in quarantine, he climbed his cage like a little monkey wanting to get out. After his quarantine was up, he was all over the house wrestling with our big cats and pouncing on them. Having been neutered and completing his series of FVRCP shots, Joey became available for adoption.
I'll never forget that dreadful day when we took him to Petco to be seen by prospective adopters. I bawled my eyes out the whole time, and my mon said, "Well I guess Joey will be another foster fail"!
Today I can't imagine my life without my Joey-bug. He's such a big ball of fluff. He loves to chase the laser light for exercise and then relax while laying on his back, and he has become quite good at the game of hide and seek as he races through the house to find me when I call his name. He wakes me up most mornings by licking my face telling me it's time to get up, and he is so good with all our new foster babies. I love my Joey so much! Thank you St. Louis Pet Rescue!! --Sarah
St. Louis Pet Rescue is a wonderful organization! I just adopted two kittens from them but have known of this fine rescue group for many years. Would highly recommend them if you are looking for a new cat or dog.
Having just lost my best furry friend in September of 2014, I was not looking for another cat quite yet. Walking into Petco late November with my mom, we stopped to take a look at the pets available for adoption. Immediately, my eyes fell on this little gray tabby. His foster mommy was opening his cage and getting ready to go home for the day. I politely asked to hold the scared little guy, and she replied with a huge smile but warned me he was petrified. I instantly fell in love! This little cat was a gray tabby with beautiful white markings. He had high white boots along his back legs with a white collar of fur. After holding him for a bit, I told my mom that he was the one. Vanna, the foster mommy, explained his story to me. He was rescued from Animal Control. His four paws had been burned, and he was extremely dehydrated when they found him in the middle of a grocery parking lot shivering from the cold. The little guy was 20 minutes away from being euthanized when Vanna was lucky enough to get there in time to save him.
She told us that all he does is hide under furniture at her house and doesn't show signs of play. She said, "he may never play". This broke my heart, and I was determined to give this little guy the best life possible.
After filling out the adoption paper work and waiting patiently, Vanna finally called to say he was ready for adoption! My family and I drove over to her house that night to bring him home and decided to name the little guy Jack (based off of Jack from the TV show, 24). Jack was a fighter in the TV show, and we were determined this little guy would be a fighter and overcome his past. With a lot of tender love and care, it took Jack all of three days to show little signs of play. Within two weeks, Jack was chasing string around the house.
We are approaching Jack's 1 year "got-me-day" anniversary, and I could list millions of reasons why I love this cat. He sleeps curled up next to my side every night, and every morning he wakes me up wanting out of my room at 6am. He howls in the middle of the night wanting to play and scratches at my blinds. He pounces at pipe-cleaner bugs I throw on my bed, and he loves to eat chicken! This little guy has brought a tremendous amount of joy to my life, and he was the best Christmas gift I ever received. I am so thankful Vanna and St. Louis Pet Rescue took a chance on this little guy and so thankful he has come to trust people again. There is no way Jack could even come close to replacing my furry friend I lost last year, but he sure is my best friend now!
Justin Smiles
by Foster Debbie Brame, November 9, 2016
This past summer I received a call from a young lady named Kalene inquiring about our foster kitten named Bear. Disheartened by previous inquires on several kittens whom had already been adopted, I had to add to Kalene’s disappointment by telling her that Bear along with his sister Cami already had an approved adopter; so I proceeded to ask my normal screening questions to see if she would be a potential good adopter for one of our future fosters. Satisfied with her responses, we chatted more about the type of kitten she was looking for, and it was then that Kalene commented,
“I’m looking for a kitten to bring joy into my boyfriend Justin’s life. Justin just turned twenty-six on June 27th, and this is the first birthday in two years he has celebrated outside of a hospital.”
Intrigued by her statement, I listened as Kalene shared Justin’s story over the phone with me. On the night of June 24, 2014, Justin was involved in a motorcycle accident in which he was pronounced dead at the scene. After police and paramedics called off the medical helicopter due to lack of finding a pulse, his friends who lived down the street pushed their way past the officers to get to Justin. Fighting to find any sign of life, they were able to detect a faint pulse in Justin’s foot, and paramedics quickly ordered the helicopter to turn back. Later at the hospital Justin’s diagnosis was incomplete quadriplegic at the C3, C5 and C7 level, meaning he did not completely destroy his spine at any level, which is why he has limited movement in his arms today. Justin was in the hospital from June 2014 till September 2015, and he has been hospitalized three additional times since.
It was Justin’s love for kittens and Kalene’s love for Justin that prompted her to search for “the kitten of our dreams”. I learned it had to be a male kitten, and Justin had a particular fondness for gray ones. Determined, I later shared Kalene and Justin’s story with my daughter Kaitlyn who fosters with me and told her we are going to find them a kitten. That evening we received a notice on facebook about a kitten needing rescue who was living in a woodpile behind a business on Loughborough Avenue. The business owners were planning on moving the wood the next day, and the kitten in the fuzzy picture looked gray! Dare we hope that it was a male? We quickly drove to the address at 9:00pm that night, walked to the back of the building, and sat out a can of food. Before we even had a chance to set a trap, this little ball of matted, gray fur came out from hiding to eat, and Kaitlyn just reached down and scooped him/her up. An hour later after bathing twice with blue Dawn dishsoap and removing numerous sticky gum balls from the fur, close examination confirmed that the kitten was indeed a male!
Excitedly, the next morning I texted a picture of the little guy whom we named Sid, and I immediately received a response from Kalene saying they were in love. Kalene called that afternoon and said she had just put Justin in his chair for the rest of the day and asked if they could please drive out to our house to meet Sid. Eightteen hours after being rescued from living a life under a woodpile, Sid sat contentedly in Justin’s lap in the middle of our driveway for thirty minutes purring the whole time and instantly stole both their hearts.
Do you believe in fate? I do. I truly believe it was fate that led Kalene to call me that summer day, and it was fate that brought the little woodpile kitten named Sid (now renamed Fabri) into our lives. Rescue saved Fabri from living a hard life outside, and in turn Fabri gave Justin a reason to smile again.
A final thought from Kalene:
“Fabri really did save us. He’s the best friend we could have ever asked for. He’s rotten, but he makes every second of every day brighter. He makes both of us laugh and smile every day. Seeing Justin smile is a beautiful thing. Thank you guys!!!”
"Deacon & Enid"
Deacon and Enid and their family were rescued from a “buy, sell, trade” Facebook page
stating that the owner needed help with “twisted leg kittens”. On the night of their
arrival in St. Louis from Cape Girardeau, all kittens received medical exams which
showed all to have upper respiratory infections, all were deemed underweight as was the momma cat Mollee, and two kittens were missing radial bones and joints in their forearms causing them to “army crawl”. The worst of these two we named Deacon, and the other we named Enid. The medical term for their condition is called Radial Agenesis. There is no therapy or treatment, however, the missing bones do not cause any pain. Deacon and Enid would just need to adapt and do things a little differently. For example, while sitting upright, both sit on their hind legs almost as if in a bunny stance. While in rescue, Deacon and Enid were not loved in spite of their physical disability but rather because of it, and this little family quickly became known as Mollee’s Miracle Babies.
Not all stories in rescue have happy endings, but Deacon and Enid’s story does. With extra
tender loving care and proper nutrition, all five kittens grew healthy enough for spay/neuter, and all five were adopted along with their mother Mollee. One kitten was paired with another kitten in rescue, and the remaining four siblings were adopted in pairs because our rescue strives to keep siblings together. Deacon and Enid, the two kittens with the missing radial bones/joints, were adopted together. Their adoptive family loves them to pieces, and are now thinking of taking on another special needs kitten whom I am sure both will welcome to the family albeit in their little unique kangaroo style.
I am so proud to be part of an organization that frequently takes in special needs kittens like Deacon and Enid and then takes the time needed to find them the perfect adoptive family!