Operation Rescue

I am a HUGE advocate of rescuing animals and have been known for taking in more rescues than I probably should.
Let's take this topic to task. In your life time of being a pet owner/ great companion, tell us how many of your furry (or not furry) friends are rescues and give a brief description of their discovery and rescue. I'll start.

I have four cats that are rescues (counting our little one who just moved on to her next journey).

Tonks. Petite, black & white, female, 8 years old (passed less than two weeks ago due to an inoperable tumor):
She was part of a litter that was at an estate sale where a friend of our encountered her. The litter was two weeks old and she was one of two still needing a home. The people trying to home them said if they couldn't find a home they would be sacked and tossed in the river. My son asked if he could bring Tonks home and we said yes (the other one found a home too). She had a great life while she was here.

Piper. Part bengal, part tabby, female, 6 years old. I was heading to my car one evening when I heard a cat crying out. It sounded like it was in my neighbors garbage can so I went to let it out. As I reached for the lid, it cried out again but it came from below my feet. I looked down and in the storm drain I saw a kitten. I yanked the grate off and tried to grab her but she ran into the pipe. My wife called the city and 3 days and 5 city workers later, they were able to get her out. We named her Piper for obvious reasons.

Scooter. Black & white, female, 4 years old. I was walking into our local Fred Meyer store when I came across a black and white cat. She started rubbing all over my legs and flopping around on my feet. So totally approachable. I called my wife and told her I was bringing home another lost kitty, but that she wasn't staying. Got her home, cleaned her up and she's still with us to this day!

Snow. Creamy white with black highlights and black ears. Female. Two years old. I was walking out of Fred Meyers one evening when I heard a kitten meowing. I looked over at the fuel station and saw someone holding a kitten. I went home and told my wife and she made me go back down and get her. When we got her from the attendant we found out that someone had left her in a box in one of the stalls. She was two weeks old and covered with fleas. My daughter held the box with her in it as we rushed home. Her and my wife bathed her in dawn dish soap to get rid of the fleas (3 days later she was flea free). From there she was bottle fed and coddled by my wife until she was able to function on her own. She is with us still today, happy and healthy.

All of our girls are spayed, including Tandy (10 year old female Maine coon) and Kiki (8 year old, female part bengal, part tabby) (who came to us through adoptive means) and all are living the good life.

I seem to have a theme as of late, every 2 years I find a kitten in need of rescue at Fred Meyers. If my math is correct, I'm about due to cross paths with another cat who needs a home.

Please share your rescue stories. It's so cool to see someone make a positive impact in a rescues life.

I've rescued four cats from kill shelters.

Wesley & Lucy - we asked the shelter to give us the names of the two cats closest to being PTS and adopted them.   We did this even though Wesley was too scared to come out of his cage and meet us and Lucy scratched my daughter while we were meeting her.  It didn't matter, we were going to save their lives no matter what.  They were wonderful cats.  Wesley turned out to be extremely outgoing and friendly and Lucy never scratched anyone again.     Both were showered with love and affection and they returned it in kind.  

 Wesley lived to be 19 and Lucy to be 17.

Milo & Daphne - while going through a divorce, my then husband decided to be spiteful and told me he was going to fight me for Wesley and Lucy (although they were my cats).  Our daughter was living with me and really needed to have cats to help her cope with depression.  I didn't really have time to wait for a court case so we trotted back down to the kill shelter and adopted Milo and Daphne.  At that point, my ex suddenly announced that Wesley and Lucy had to go so I ended up living in two rooms with my daughter and four cats for almost a year.  Milo was about 6 months and I adopted him because he really chose me - reaching out to me from the volunteer's arms and snuggling up under my chin. I was instantly in love.  We chose Daphne because she was 14 and semi-feral so her odds of getting adopted were very slim.  Milo was total sweetheart while Daphne remained a bit stand-offish.  The only time she would let me touch her was when I was lying on my back and she could stretch out on my stomach and watch my face.

Milo lived to be14 and Daphne to be 16.

I adopted Chula and Paul, who are my current roommates and family members, after reading about them right here on TCS.

Great stories, @millcats66  !  Those are some lucky little kittens.  

Three of our cats came from a kill shelter.  They're almost 8 years old now--two siblings, Rico and Zoe, and then a third, Ozzy, almost the same age, who was about to be put down because he'd been in the shelter for too long with no interest in him.  

Then a friend died and we took in her four orphan cats--Travis, Jake, Hannah and Molly.  They were all older, aged 10 to 17, and with various health problems.  Their chances of being adopted out were almost zero.  Three of those kitties have passed on now but we still have Hannah from that bunch--she'll be 14 this year--so we still have four kitties.

Thanks! @Betsygee. I love cats/kittens and truly love to hear about those who have been rescued/saved and given the opportunity to have a chance at life in a home where they can be loved and cherished as the should be.