Welcome to our rescue blog
This little guy is a real charmer. He’s a little shy to start with but once he warms up he’s a real snuggler . He loves to curl up and sleep on his foster Dad’s lap. Sawyer gets along well with other cats and small, quiet dogs too. This little guy really needs the love of a forever home.
If you’re interested in learning more about Sawyer, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.
My name is Bella and I am a gorgeous Boxer mix. No kids, cats or dogs inside my house, I could get jealous, territorial, or protective. BUT, I’m great going on walks – not dog aggressive and I love every human, big or small, that I meet along the way. (I’m a kisser and I will even try to kiss strangers!) My best friend has neighboring dogs and when I visit her, I don’t mind them. I’m about as playful as they come. I love, love, love to fetch a ball, so get your throwing arm ready! But don’t worry if you get tired, just have a seat, because I will always return the ball right into your hand! I’ll quit when I get tired, but I’ll throw the ball into your lap when I’m ready to play again. (I’m sooo smart! And housebroken! I’ll whine a little so you’ll know that I need to go potty.)
I’ve been living in a kennel/shelter for years and my best friend is worried about me. She knows that I get the best care possible (I’m a shelter favorite – everybody loves me), but I want to be in a home! I light up like a firefly when she comes to take me to her house, but then she sees the sorrow, sadness and depression in my eyes and body language when she takes me back to my kennel. Please save me. I will be your loving best friend for life.
If you’re interested in Bella, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.
What a beauty! The spunky girl of the group, Eloise can be found climbing a plastic bag on the door knob. She gets her name from the little girl in the Eloise movies.
If you’re interested in learning more about Eloise, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.
Hi, my name is Rilee Ruckles. One thing you must know about me is that I LOVE water! I love to run into creeks and swim and play! I would love to have a pool of my own when the weather allows for it. I also love to go on long walks and love to play fetch! I know how to sit, lay, shake, and catch treats! I am very dog selective, in my foster home I get along great with the male husky, and a very submissive female, but I’m not so great with some of the smaller dogs, and I’m a little too curious about the cats. I would like to be the top dog, but maybe if I click with the right family, all will be well. I would do best with children 8+ as sometimes I like to jump on my people when I’m excited! I love to snuggle, I’m very affectionate and love to give my people kisses!! I would do best with someone who knows about Huskies and know that sometimes we dig if we get bored, and that I can be an escape artist if given the chance. At least a six-foot fence is needed. Luckily, if you decide you want me to join your family, I come with a six week obedience class. I hope to find my forever family soon!
If you’re interested in Rilee, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.
Annie is a sweet and loving two-year-old looking for her forever home – and when you hear her story, you will understand that this pretty girl deserves nothing but the best from here on out. In early 2014, Last Hope was called in to help with a serious hoarding case. What likely started as one woman’s good intentions to help stray and abandoned cats quickly got out of control as unaltered cats bred and produced one litter after another. By the time Last Hope intervened, there were more than 50 cats in the home –most in need of spay/neuter and vaccinations, many sick and malnourished. Our Annie was one of those cats.
She arrived at Last Hope very pregnant, and missing an eye – no one knows what happened. She had her kittens within a few days and was very protective of them as she struggled to adjust to a strange, new environment. She was transferred to Kitty City and she really started to come out of her shell, gaining confidence and becoming more social and loving under the care of volunteers. When Kitty City lost their building in December, Annie came back to Last Hope.
All of her kittens have been adopted, but she is still waiting for someone to see how special she is. Annie has become much more social over the last year. She is very affectionate and loves to rub up against you for some attention. She loves having her ears rubbed and scratched and will happily climb into your lap for more pets. She is good with children and other cats, but would also be fine as an only pet – she would like to have you all to herself! She is looking for a family that can see what a sweet and beautiful girl she is – she doesn’t let her missing eye hold her back and it shouldn’t hold you back, either! Please give this young, healthy, loving girl a chance – she has her whole life ahead of her and she wants to share it with you.
If you’re interested in Annie, please complete an application HERE or send an email to adoptions@adopthope.org.
In January of 2015 we made the decision that it was time for us to open our home to a second dog. We had the time and resources to do so and our dog, Annie, needed a canine companion. We believe strongly in adopting rescues so we began our search on dog rescue websites in Cedar Rapids.
We came across Lily at Last Hope Animal Rescue. She was an American Eskimo mix who had been rescued in Florida where she was found wondering as a stray. She was transported from Florida to Cedar Rapids into the loving and caring arms of the incredible people at Last Hope. She was fostered for a year by Donna Williams who taught Lily that humans can be caring and loving.
We met Lily at a home visit and immediately fell in love with her. She was a sweet, gentle soul and we knew she was meant to be part of our family. Lily moved into our home in late January of 2015.
Lily had some physical challenges. When she was rescued she had a flea infestation that had caused her to lose much of her fur. In addition, she had lost most of her hearing. We took her to our veterinarian, Dr. Nathan Hein at Heartland Animal Clinic, for a complete checkup. Dr. Hein discovered that she had cataracts in her left eye and thus had very little sight in that eye. He also found that she had broken both of her rear legs at some point and neither healed properly so they did not bend normally. Finally, she had nerve damage in her shoulders that caused her to have balance issues on slippery surfaces such as hardwood floors and ceramic tile. It was estimated that Lily was about 10 years old when she moved into our home.
It would have been easy for Lily to give up on life because of her physical challenges and her prior life in Florida. Instead Lily had an indomitable, unbeatable spirit and a strong will to live. She woke every morning with a smile on her face and pushed herself up out of bed to start her day. She was an inspiration to us.
Lily couldn’t play fetch or run in the yard but she never passed up an opportunity to go for a walk with us and enjoy time sniffing the deer trails in our neighborhood. She loved to snuggle with us on the sofa, a good ear scratch and rides in the car. She was a delight to have in our daily lives.
Unfortunately time and her physical issues caught up with Lily in December. She began to have trouble standing and walking. We were able to help her through the use of a Help them Up Harness but after the Holidays she took a major turn for the worse and she passed away on January 5th, 2016.
We lost a friend, a companion we loved dearly. Our only regret with Lily is that we did not get to have her in our family for a longer period of time. We will miss and love Lily for the rest of our lives.
We would like to thank the rescuers in Florida who found Lily and took her in, Last Hope Animal Rescue for fostering Lily and finding a home for her. Thank you to the wonderful people at Heartland Animal Clinic who treated Lily with such compassion and helped us extend her life. A big thank you to the staff at Apple Creek Kennels who cared for Lily when we traveled; they loved and spoiled her on each of her visits.
We wanted to tell Lily’s story for several reasons. First to honor her life, she is an amazing soul that the world will miss. Second, to encourage everyone to consider adopting rescue animals, there are many wonderful animals like Lily that need loving homes. Third, if you can’t adopt an animal consider supporting groups like Last Hope Animal Rescue with a financial donation. They selflessly do incredible work for animals in need.
My name is Bordeaux and I am a 2 year old boxer mix. I am 80 pounds of love! I am very good on a leash and I love walks. I know sit, down and shake and I truly enjoy belly rubs. I am house trained and crate trained. I am looking for a home that will give me love and attention and lots of snuggles. I would do best in a home where I am the only dog, and I am not sure about cats.. but I would love to have a family with lots of kids to play with me! I am willing to please and would love to find my forever home. Will you please give me a chance?
If you’re interested in Bordeaux, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.
Leonard is currently living with his brother in a foster home. He doesn’t have a sad sad story to tell in fact he might be rather spoiled. But he is such a good little boy, he doesn’t know his name is suppose to be Leonard so you will be able to call him whatever you like. His foster Mom just nicknamed him Pretty Boy. Pretty boy is a typical kitten who loves to play with cat toys and anything else that catches his attention. When he gets tired he looks for a nice soft lap to go to sleep on. Or if you have a computer he will crawl up there and sleep on your desk to keep you company while you do your work. He gets along with the three cats and dog that live at his foster home. Pretty boy and his brother all deserve a good forever home, they start purring as soon as they see you and wait for their turn to get some attention and loving.
If you’re interested in Leonard, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.
Hi, I’m Duke! I am a charming, happy, Red Heeler mix approximately one year old. I do excellent walking on a leash; I love to go for walks. I also love car rides, stuffed animals, and playing in a fenced in back yard. I am house broken. I do well with other dogs, and I would love a home with other dogs to help give me some confidence. I am very intelligent so I am very easily trained. I know what sit and stay mean, but I could use some more training to work on those commands and anything else you want to teach me. I should be around kids who are older than 14 until I get better at my commands. I love to run and play; I have a whole lot of energy! I’m just transitioning out of my puppy stage! I also love to cuddle, give kisses and be loved by my human companion. I am very lovey! I am very cautious of new people. I really prefer to come check you out first, and I really rather you don’t pet me until I know you will treat me with kindness. I can’t tell my friends at Last Hope what happened to me before I came to stay with them, but all they know is that it takes me a while to trust people. Once I know I can trust someone, I am full of love and kisses! I am a very loyal companion and I just want to please my human companion! I can’t wait to find my forever home. I hope you will give me a chance to show you how much love I have to give!
Hi, my name is Missy. I am an older, laid-back girl. I enjoy spending my day curled up in a chair and soaking up any petting I get. I also like to play too. No toys no problem! I will chase my own tail for minutes on end. It really amuses the humans I live with. I get along with my foster sister and brothers. I like boys more than girls, but I still get along with my foster sister. I wasn’t sure about dogs at first, but I have been around them enough now that they don’t bother me. I live with a tiny human and I have gotten used to her too. I like it when she gently pets me and I especially like it when she gives me treats! I enjoy talking to humans, and they always hear me because I have a loud, but cute meow. I love being petted and don’t mind getting my nails trimmed.
If you’re interested in Missy, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.