The Ones Who Made It Home & the Ones Still Waiting Behind Rescue Walls

Lately, we’ve been celebrating a few deeply special adoptions. Cashew, now Kirby Cash, went from a confused little soul in our lobby to being wrapped in love, spoiled with custom treats and a cozy setup. Mitzi finally let go of the heartbreak of being left behind, and now she’s settling into a new life filled with warmth and consistency. Bitty, whose former guardian was ill and couldn’t care for her anymore, is now learning new tricks, sleeping in a real bed, and being adored like she always should have been.

These are the moments we live for. They’re what keep us going. But the truth is – without the people who stepped up for them, they could still be here. Waiting. Watching the door. With so many animals in need and so few open arms, every adoption feels like a miracle.

For every Cashew, Mitzi, or Bitty who makes it home, there are dozens still holding on. Some have been here for months. Some for years. We see it in their eyes. That longing. That quiet hope that today might be the day. And too often, it isn’t. The wait stretches on. And on. And on.

We are overrun with need. The calls, the emails, the walk-ins with stories that leave your heart aching and your hands shaking. Animals abandoned, neglected, discarded like trash. They’re left behind in moves, after deaths, after relationships end, or simply because someone didn’t feel like trying anymore. It’s relentless. And the system is breaking.

The truth is this is a people problem. People abandoning. People ignoring. People looking the other way. And yet, people are the solution too. Every adoption, every donation, every share of a post – it’s a lifeline. But it takes more. More people willing to stay committed. More people willing to speak up. More people seeing animals not as property, but as beings – full of love, trust, and the same aching desire for home as any one of us.

So, what are we going to do? What are we going to change?

Because the answer can’t just be to wait for the next crisis. The answer has to be better community. More compassion. And more people showing up – not just in moments of inspiration, but with sustained, stubborn, daily care.

Until then, we’ll keep fighting. We’ll keep celebrating the ones who make it out. And we’ll keep crying over the ones still waiting.

But we dream of the day where no animal has to wait so long to feel safe. Help us get there.