Come to Their Rescue

For longtime animal lover Yasmine A., having pets around the house is a must. Which is why she decided to become a foster caregiver for the ASPCA in 2019. Every animal that came through Yasmine’s door was special to her, but there was something extra special about Kibbeh and Rupert.

Kibbeh’s Story

 Kibbeh, a one-year-old black and white cat, was Yasmine’s fourth foster animal through the ASPCA.

Kibbeh came to the ASPCA as a stray in 2019. After a few medical exams, it was determined that Kibbeh was born with multiple congenital changes in his right eye causing him both discomfort and blindness. In order to take away the pain he was in, the decision was made to remove his right eye. On top of this, the veterinarian noticed that he had an eye condition in his left eye in which part of his eyelid did not completely form as well as abnormally directed hairs by his eyelid which caused irritation. To correct both of these, Kibbeh underwent surgery.

While Kibbeh was recovering from his surgeries, he was placed with a foster caregiver, Yasmine, until he could be placed with an adopter.

 During his foster period, Kibbeh and Yasmine had gotten along so well, Yasmine knew she had to adopt him. Yasmine and her partner David’s previous cat, a 19-year-old named Hamilton, passed away a few years ago, and they finally felt ready to adopt a new furry friend.

Sometimes there are animals you click with from the moment you meet them. For Yasmine, Kibbeh was one of those animals.

“[Kibbeh] took to us immediately when we were fostering him during multiple eye surgeries and throughout his healing process,” says Yasmine. “He has taught us about resiliency and trust.”

In February of 2020, Yasmine made it official and adopted Kibbeh.

 “He is very trusting of humans,” says Yasmine, who attributes his friendly nature to the care he got at the ASPCA while battling his medical issues. “While he only has one eye now, he is full of energy, loves the outdoors (always on a leash) and watching birds eat at the bird feeder through the window.”

After Kibbeh settled into his new home, Yasmine continued to foster and soon met a foster dog that touched her heart like Kibbeh did.

Rupert’s Story

 Rupert, like many of the animals we care for at the ASPCA, didn’t have the easiest life before he came to us. After being surrendered to the ASPCA Adoption Center, Rupert was briefly adopted but then returned.. Unfortunately, due to some behavioral issues, including separation anxiety, Rupert became a bit harder to place than some of the other animals at the Adoption Center. In fact, he became one of our long stay animals as he spent four months looking for an adopter.

While waiting to find the right fit, Rupert was able to live with a foster caregiver who could help him feel comfortable living in a home and work on being the best version of himself.

This wonderful foster who would change Rupert’s life, as you may have guessed, was Yasmine.

“We decided to foster a dog during COVID since we were working from home,” Yasmine explains. “We weren’t sure if we had the capacity or energy to adopt a dog and thought fostering would help us know if we were ready to adopt.”

 During their time together, which ended up being close to four months, Yasmine and Rupert grew close. Rupert also made amazing progress with his separation anxiety, something he’d been previously struggling with.

“When we saw how much progress he was making in such a short amount of time, it was hard to give him up.”

However, Yasmine still felt unsure about if she was ready to take on Rupert’s separation anxiety issues completely. But she tells us that with the support of the ASPCA team, Rupert came a long way, and that once he was more settled in their home, they could see what a great dog he is.

Knowing that Rupert and Kibbeh got along, their fate was sealed. What Yasmine once believed to be a temporary situation, became a home for Rupert. Yasmine officially adopted him in November of 2020.

Two is Better Than One

Since becoming a family, Rupert and Kibbeh have adjusted to their new lives together. According to Yasmine, the two have gotten more and more comfortable with each other with each passing day. Rupert has started to allow Kibbeh to sit by his food bowl and Kibbeh has begun to allow Rupert to sniff him more often. They have their own, self-assigned sleeping spots as they do not yet cuddle, but it’s looking as though they may get comfortable enough with each other to do so eventually. In fact, Rupert loves to “borrow” Kibbeh’s toys!

“Kibbeh loves the backyard and meeting the neighbors. Rupert loves (most) of the dogs that he meets on his daily walks in the neighborhood and is a bit of a celebrity since he carries his stuffed car—given to him by the ASPCA—with him on all of his walks.”

 Since finding not one but two foster fortunes and adopting Kibbeh and Rupert, Yasmine has also learned to appreciate her neighborhood more as she now gets to interact with people she normally wouldn’t.

“It’s not only people who walk their dogs, but people who want to meet Rupert and learn about his stuffed car!”

Harder to place animals like Kibbeh and Rupert are just looking for someone to give them the love they deserve. It is thanks to loving fosters and adopters, like Yasmine, that make second chances for animals like these possible.

Second chances happen every day at the ASPCA—cruelty victims become beloved family pets, homeless animals settle into new digs, and so many are finally given the love they deserve. Rescue dogs are so much more than their pasts or their breed, and we are so fortunate to be able to make so many happy endings possible for deserving animals.

“Adoption is about gaining trust and loving them,” says Byron M., a recent ASPCA adopter. “From my limited experience there are all different types of rescue animals, and they make very loyal and great pets. It’s not so much about the breed as it is about personalities matching.”

For Byron, the experience of adopting a rescued pit bull-mix has been rewarding to say the least. And for his gal Soba, her second chance was a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet her perfect family.

From Difficult Beginnings

Last October we met Soba, a dog who was truly ready to start over after being brought to the ASPCA alongside 27 other dogs in relation to suspected dogfighting. Following the rescue, we provided medical care and sheltering for the dogs, whose journeys had only just begun, while the criminal investigation continued.

Upon intake, Soba showed that she was a social, friendly gal, though she remained shy and fearful of new situations or experiences. For dogfighting victims and animals who come from suspected cruelty, this type of behavior isn’t uncommon since their experience with the outside world may be limited. Though Soba had some fears to overcome, we never doubted that the right adopter would come along and show her that the real world isn’t such a scary place, and that the love and care of a family could make all the difference.

Byron M. and his wife lost their dog of 12 years in early February. While grieving this loss, Byron felt that they didn’t have the time to bring a new dog into their family given his work schedule. But then, the pandemic hit NYC, changing everything for millions of us. With he and his wife suddenly experiencing more time at home, Byron decided they should visit the ASPCA Adoption Center and find a new furry friend.

Byron tells us that he initially had his eye on another adoptable dog, but soon found himself charmed by Soba. “We decided on Soba because she was the most active and had a ‘take me home face’,” he explains. “She was the only dog not laying there watching people. She had her tail wagging when I walked by, and when we did the meet-and-greet she came and said hi to me and my wife—that’s when I knew we would take her.”

Byron and his wife officially adopted Soba in March, but their journey to becoming a family didn’t stop there.

Adjusting to Life Outside of the Shelter

Though they knew initially that Soba would take some time to warm up, following her adoption, Byron soon discovered just how scary new things were to Soba. “When we went to leave, she did not like the sliding doors,” Byron says. “That was my first clue she might have some life to experience.”

And after going home with her new family, Soba began to experience lots of new things that life had to offer. Fortunately, Byron was by her side every step of the way to help her overcome her fears and gain her confidence in her new home.

“She was afraid of entering new buildings, apartments, elevators and cars, but little by little she trusted us and started to get rid of those fears,” he tells us. “We used to live in an apartment on the 5th floor and we had to take the stairs until she got comfortable using the elevator, it took a little while but eventually she was fine to ride the elevator. Same case with the car—her first ride was awful. She shook the whole trip and couldn’t relax, but now she can’t wait for a car ride because she knows it is an adventure every time.”

Byron and his wife worked with Soba every day, little by little, to help Soba blossom into the happy dog she is today. Byron also adds that as her fears started to leave her, Soba’s confidence and trust in herself grew as well. She has traveled the East Coast with her pet parents, from Maine to Georgia, and also to Wisconsin and Oklahoma.

Loving Soba for Who She Is

Soba’s life now is full of quality time with her pet parents, trips to the dog park, camping trips and adventures! Byron and his wife dote on her and feel lucky to have her as a part of their family.

“She’s just enjoying life,” Byron says. “We camp a lot and she enjoys to hike with us. We also recently moved to Jersey City and our neighborhood has a beautiful dog park.”

Far from her beginnings, Soba proves that love, patience and understanding go a long way. Her second chance at the life she deserves is one that we hope to see for many more dogs like her.

 “Soba is an awesome dog, We couldn’t have asked for a better dog,” Byron says. “Her transformation has been huge.”