My Favorite Bunny Rescues

Happy Easter!

Today I want to share three of my favorite bunny rescues just for fun!!!

If you missed the update on our office from yesterday, here is a link for you - we FINALLY got the permit to rebuild our roof!!!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIpLQpKzPH8/

If you want to see our Paddington celebrating the holiday, here he is in a very cute little video:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DImBa3tpd4C

Happy Easter!

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

Abandoned dog bites Loreta even though she offered her cheeseburger. 😄

Poor Loreta takes another bite and yet continues coming to work. 😄 

We got very lucky on this rescue because this dog didn't trust anyone except for Gustavo, who fed her daily. Luckily, he agreed to become a Hope For Paws volunteer that day, and he helped us accomplish the mission.

I blocked the stairs to prevent Sassy from making a crazy attempt to escape, and Loreta moved forward to secure her with her Lucky Leash.

If your dog doesn't have a Lucky Leash yet, today is a great day to get him or her one:
 

💝

Sassy continued to her foster home with our friends at L.A. Animal Rescue, and she is now ready for adoption. To apply to adopt her, please visit: https://www.LAAnimalRescue.org

Last week, our Paddington invited Sassy to see tulips in full bloom, so please make sure to watch the video until the end. Afterwards, they spent some time together and shared stories about their lives before they were rescued.
 

Paddington watched the editing process on the screen, and he was barking orders through the screen. 😄

Some of you may have missed what happened to our office. A reckless driver crashed into our office, and in her path, she also hit a fire hydrant. All the water from the fire hydrant landed on our roof until it eventually collapsed.

The situation here is quite difficult and pretty depressing. We still haven't gotten approval to rebuild the roof - it's challenging with permits, especially after the disaster we had with the fires here in Los Angeles just two weeks before the destruction of our office.

For now, we took all the walls and the ceiling down. We had to remove all the cabinets because they suffered from severe water damage, we sent all the destroyed electronics for recycling, and sent everything that survived to storage until construction is completed. We continue drying everything (which is challenging since we don't have a roof - in the picture below, you can see sunlight passing through). 😓
 

Luckily, most of our work is on the streets and then continues in the different hospitals we work with, so thanks to your support, more animals are being rescued.

I really appreciate your support, and if you haven't done so yet, I hope you will join us with a small recurring donation.

❤️

Have a great day!

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

Their mom went to search for food and never returned. 😿😿😿

Kitten season is here early because we don't have a winter this year. Homeless cats have to cross dangerous roads in search of food, and many don't make it back to their babies…

Office update: as many of you know, our office was destroyed last month and we lost everything - computers, cameras, rescue equipment - a total disaster.

We still don't have a roof, and it's just a nightmare to look up and see the sky, especially knowing rain might be coming this weekend. We also have a wall that partially collapsed, so it's a structural issue that will take time to fix. Between engineers, plans, permits, and finding workers after the fires we had here, things are quite challenging here in California.

We're still working to recover a lot of the data (videos we filmed and never got to edit). A few people asked if we don't have everything backed up to a cloud, and the answer is that these videos require a lot of space, and it would cost too much money to store all these terabytes in the cloud and there is no justification for that - this was a freak accident, and hopefully it will never happen again.

Meanwhile, we continue working because there are many sad cases out there, and thanks to your support, we are their only hope.


If you can, please join us today with a $5 recurring donation.
 

Thanks!


We are already working on the next video, so stay tuned. 😊

We are almost at 5.5 million subscribers on YouTube - please help us get there by clicking here:
http://www.youtube.com/HopeForPaws

Have a great weekend!

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

German Shepherd Stuck in the L.A. River

Just two days before the Hope For Paws office was destroyed, we received a text about a German Shepherd stuck in the L.A. River for many days. The closest entry point to this segment of the L.A. River was many miles away, but as soon as Cesar spotted him and threw food down, Cobra stayed at the same location.

Loreta Frankonyte told our little Paddington (who doesn't like to stay alone) that this was important and that she had to go with me. Being a rescued dog himself, he understands that, and today, he asks that you watch his Valentine's Day video: https://www.instagram.com/xoxopaddington 💞

Just two days before the rescue, I bought a hand winch, and it was just perfect for this rescue because lifting him without it would have been a nightmare! 🥵

After going down to the river, I had to walk towards the dog and hope he wouldn't bolt and run for miles. 

I don't want to give the story away... it's best to just watch.

The timing of this rescue was perfect because heavy rains started in Los Angeles last week, and the river is now full of water! This place gets flooded really fast!

Cobra did have an old collar that used to have an Apple AirTag on it, but the AirTag was long gone, and because he doesn't have a microchip, I had no way to track his owners (I looked at all the websites available for finding lost pets, and couldn't find him anywhere).

Please share this video, so maybe we can help him find his way back home. 🥹

Meanwhile, our friends at LA Animal Rescue offered to foster him until we figure it out, but you are more than welcome to fill out an adoption application for him. Chances are, the owner will never appear... I've been doing this for a long time now, and it's so rare that they do show up: https://www.LAAnimalRescue.org 

He is a really happy dog, playful, cool with other dogs - just a perfect German Shepherd!

It's Valentine's Day, and I hope you will show Hope For Paws some love with a small donation. 

If you haven't seen what happened to our office, you can see it here - a complete disaster: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1E8Hqa2SCA/ 

We're working to rebuild after we lost everything! Computers, cameras, equipment, and furniture. 😢

If you can, please join us today with a small donation: https://www.HopeForPaws.org/donate

Thank you so much for supporting us and for helping us save so many lives. 💖

Eldad

p.s. Click here to watch my favorite Hope For Paws River Rescues.
 

Click here to watch my favorite Hope For Paws German Shepherd Rescues.
 


Blog | Hope For Paws

A GPS tracker on an injured dog led us to a den full of puppies! 🛰️🐕

What do you think, should I hire Rebecca??? The credit for the clever idea that saved this whole family belongs to Rebecca Walker. She is a school teacher, but when she spotted Sherlock and Olivia searching for food, she felt that Olivia was hiding babies somewhere. 

Rebecca couldn't touch Olivia, who was pretty shy, but Sherlock was friendly and enjoyed human contact. Rebecca had an idea, and she placed an Apple Airtag on him, but because this was in a rural area, there were not enough signals to mark his location. She then ordered a GPS tracker, and that did the trick! She found the location, and even though Hope For Paws is located 4 hours south of that location, she reached out to us for help.

I needed a name for the computer in order for pain meds to be prescribed. I figured since smart detective work was needed here, he should have this name. 😊 

I arrived at the rescue location the night before the actual rescue because he needed pain medication for his injured leg. Rebecca didn't think it would be a good idea for me to approach the den (it was completely dark there in the middle of nowhere), and she was concerned the family would move the puppies to a new location. I agreed, handed her the medication, and drove away. Rebecca gave Sherlock the medication so he could sleep pain-free that night. 

The following day, Katie, Kai, Rebecca, and I met at the rescue location to save the whole family. True Disney fans would know how the name Olivia came up, and the babies... well, they were all born in an agricultural area, so we named the SEVEN FEMALES: Strawbery 🍓, Lemon 🍋, Kiwi 🥝, Mango 🥭, Peaches 🍑, Cherry 🍒, and Clementine 🍊. The ONLY BOY was named Banana 🍌. 😄 

Rescues like this are possible only thanks to our supporters, who enable us to drive these long distances with all the needed equipment and get all of them the best medical care. Sherlock had orthopedic surgery for his dislocated hip, and he feels great! Olivia was spayed, and the puppies will all be fixed as soon as they are old enough. 

If you are not a Hope For Paws member yet, please join us today with a small donation so that together, we can save many more lives. 💗💗💗💗💗
 

💝

For some reason, our TikTok account is not working yet (the APP thinks our account was created in Canada, so it still has that ban). While I hope it will be fixed soon, here is a link to our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeforpawsrescue/reels/

To apply to adopt Sherlock, Olivia, or one of the puppies, please contact our friends at L.A. Animal Rescue: https://www.LAAnimalRescue.org

Thank you so much for helping us save these special dogs.

Oh, before I forget - I can't hire Rebecca because I already asked, but her biggest passion is teaching kids. 😊👍

Thank you so much for supporting Hope For Paws. 💝

Eldad



 


Blog | Hope For Paws

Puppy fell 60ft down into a water well!!!

This was one of the most challenging rescues of my life!!! 😰

After a full day of work here in Los Angeles, I received a call about a critical emergency - all the way on the border between California and Oregon!


You can skip reading the blog, and I will just ask that you join us today with a special end-of-year donation so we can continue saving lives. Your donation today will be DOUBLED and could be TRIPLED!
 

Your Gift Will Be Matched 💝


Cory Mitcham texted me this picture to the Hope For Paws emergency line:
 


She told me about a puppy who fell down a water well in Macdoel, California (population: 143 people). I was in my car (after completing another rescue) and was on my way to CARES, so I asked her to please get me the contact information for the people on the ground there who could tell me more about this situation.

I quickly learned from David Scott and Jovahny Vazquez that the puppy had fallen into the water well three days ago and that all rescue attempts had failed! The local Fire Department also joined the effort but said they had no way to save the puppy's life.

Cory, who has been following my work for 20 years now, remembered seeing the rescue video of Jessie, and she figured that I should be able to save him.
 


Jovahny, who was there for three days, kept throwing food down and with his sister tried every trick they could think of. Over the phone, he told me that he estimates the well to be about 100-110 feet deep!!! I was really worried about the 110 ft. option because my sewer camera can only go down 100 ft. 

He then told me that local farmers decided to kill the puppy that evening and end his misery. I told him: DO NOT let them shoot or drown the puppy and that I am on my way (it's a 650-mile drive or 1,000 kilometers after I've been working for 12 hours that day already).

Jovahny, who lost all hope at this point, tried to discourage me from coming all this way; he didn't want me to waste my time. I told him I was the only hope for this puppy and shared Jessie's video with him just to increase his confidence in my abilities. The one thing I asked him to do was to meet me at the location and assist me.

The drive was so long!!! By midnight, I reached Sacramento, and I had to pull over and sleep for one hour just so that I could drive the next five hours safely. By 6:30 A.M., I reached the rescue location—a remote location in farmland—no address, just a pin on the map. 


Unlike Jessie's rescue - this one was much tougher! The well was deeper, and I had this bulky water pump going all the way down! I called the puppy, but I didn't hear a sound… this was not a good start.

It is important to know that in the past year, we had two more calls about kittens in wells - one in Ohio that ended with the kitten freezing to death a couple of hours before I got there, and another one I did with Loreta where the kitten drowned just 20 minutes before we got to the location (in Northern California). 😢😢 


I lowered my sewer camera and was relieved to see that the well was “only” 60ft deep and that the puppy was alive!!! I had no idea if all his bones were broken, but I knew I had to move fast because it was extremely cold down there and every breath may be his last.
 


Jovahny joined me, and we worked together to try to save the puppy!!! The puppy was not very responsive, it was extremely cold down there, and, I struggled to get the loop around his neck.
 

After 3.5 LONG hours, I finally managed to get the loop around the puppy's neck!!! (I was really hoping to get it around his torso, but that was not possible). I warned Jovahny that it was possible the puppy would die during this attempt from strangulation but explained that we had no other choice.
 


I pulled him as quickly as possible… It took 1 minute and 5 seconds to pull Jessie (the kitten), as he got stuck along the way, but I managed to bring the puppy up in 32 seconds!!!
 


We immediately removed the loop from around his neck - PHEW!!!!!!!!!!! 😅👍

I decided to name the puppy from the well - Wellington

I immediately gave him some sugar water with a syringe, and even though I was equipped with an IV to give him fluids, I determined it wasn't urgently necessary and elected to follow Jovahny to Klamath Falls in Oregon, where his sister, Jocelyn Vazquez alerted the team at Pet Medical Center to expected our arrival. They quickly gave him fluids, pain killers, X-rayed him, and discovered that NOTHING was broken; he suffered from minor head trauma and some soft tissue pain, but within an hour, we were both in a motel for a much-needed NAP! 


I can't stress this enough - this baby would have been dead without our supporters!!! 💝💝💝

Driving 1,300 miles/2,000km (round trip) is like driving from Tijuana, Mexico, across the United States, all the way to Vancouver, Canada!!! It is exhausting, dangerous, and expensive, and I can do it only when we have funds for missions like this.

If you are not a Hope For Paws member yet - please join us today! A small donation from many new members will help us save these precious lives. If you donate today, your donation will be DOUBLE, and it could be TRIPLED!

❤️

The happy news is that Jovahny's mom and dad decided to adopt Wellington, and I went to visit them over the weekend. This kid is now 7 months old, weighs 65 pounds, and is still growing!!!


This video is dedicated to Harold E. Hafliger II, who loved Hope For Paws and recently passed away. His caretaker, Amanda Dunlap, shared with me that they would always watch Hope For Paws rescue videos together. ❤️

Harold recently passed away and left a generous donation to Hope For Paws in his will, and we are honored to carry out his legacy.

Amazingly, Harold is from Klamath Falls - the same town where Wellington found his loving forever home! If Harold was still alive, he would have lived just 12 minutes away from Wellington. I am so sad he missed him by a couple of months, but I know he enjoys watching him from above. 🤗

Please don't forget to make a plan for your pets this year. We partnered with FreeWill so you can create your own Will / Living-Trust for FREE and ensure your pets will always be protected.
 

His family just started an Instagram page for him and if you'll follow him, you'll keep seeing him as he grows: https://www.instagram.com/wellingtonthegreat_

Thank you so much for being a part of our team and for enabling me to go on these missions.

Have an amazing 2025!!!

Eldad

 


Blog | Hope For Paws

Homeless dog was scared of fireworks.

Rocket was homeless and needed medical care. She is such a sensitive girl, and when kids started playing with fireworks, she got really scared and hid under a car.

Her recovery took a while, but thanks to our supporters, she is now doing incredibly well!

Guest starring in this video is our Champ. His rescue video is NOT for everybody - his injury is severe, and for most people, it is hard to watch. (Please do not watch this one with your kids).
 

We named her Rocket after receiving a crypto donation, and it reminded me of Moon and her puppies from this video:
 

If you would like to donate crypto to Hope For Paws, please click here:

If you will join us today or tomorrow, your donation will be DOUBLED and could be TRIPLED here (there is another exciting video here as well):
 

Your donation will also be DOUBLED if you send us an end-of-year donation via check to:

🐶 Hope For Paws 😺
3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd #140
Studio City, CA 91604

Tomorrow morning, I will post an EPIC rescue video - the grand finale for 2024!!! 

Thank you so much for supporting Hope For Paws and for making all these rescues possible - it is just amazing what you have helped us accomplish! ❤️❤️❤️

Happy New Year!

Eldad
 


Blog | Hope For Paws

A beautiful dog abandoned in a park 😰

It's amazing how often we're called to save abandoned dogs. Luckily for Rowlf, Mary Chatman spotted him, texted the Hope For Paws rescue line, and Katie immediately rushed to the rescue location. 

Holiday Matching Campaign

Mary Chatman has been our eyes and ears in the South Central area for over a decade! She called us about so many animals - some of them are the most famous Hope For Paws dogs ever!

Back in 2012, Hope For Paws really struggled to stay alive. I posted Fiona's video in 2011, but it didn't do very well. In 2012, I decided to re-edit her rescue video, I posted it again, and sure enough, that version went viral and everything changed! We were able to reach many new supporters, and this one dog changed the lives of tens of thousands of animals over the years.

Yara was another special dog we rescued thanks to Mary. Her rescue video begins with a phone call between Mary and I - it was a dangerous rescue right by the freeway and could have gone wrong in so many ways. 😰

To complete this mission successfully, I had to call Loreta and ask her to join me - it was just impossible to do this one alone.

Earlier this year, Mary called us about two dogs living under a trailer. The timing of this rescue was so amazing because just a few hours later, one of them had given birth to five little puppies:

Right before the 4th of July, she called us about Patriot:

The most recent one was the rescue of Maggie Mae where you actually get to see Mary do the rescue herself:

I hope all these videos are a good reminder to the importance of having Hope For Paws on the ground every day!

Thank you so much for helping us save so many lives. 💝

Eldad
 


Blog | Hope For Paws

Two dogs were victims of a hit-and-run

Hello Hope For Paws supporter,

It is your generosity that helps us save homeless animals and get them to surgery as quickly as possible. Adam and Chester were both victims of hit-and-run accidents (different locations).

Adam waited for three days for someone to call for help. Just 15 minutes away from that location, Chester was actually seen getting hit by a car by my friend Mary, and she sprung into action.

Their recovery is so beautiful to watch, and I hope you will consider a special holiday gift so we can save more animals in need before the holidays.

Become our hero! 💝

If you missed Grace's, Tuna's, Biscuit's and Kenneth's rescue videos from earlier this week, here they are for you:
 

Thank you so much for helping us save these animals, provide them with medical care, and place them in foster homes until their final destination in a loving forever home.

Have a happy holiday season! We will be there the whole time - the animals need us 365 days a year.

Eldad

 


Blog | Hope For Paws

Homeless people shared their food with homeless dogs ❤️🤗

Samson and Delilah (3-legged dog) lived on the streets and needed our help. Luckily, Maria knew to text Hope For Paws, so I rushed over. It was so special to see Samson loving the woman who fed him.

As I was getting ready to place my Lucky Leash around him, Maria told me she had found a three-legged dog a few days earlier and asked if I could take her too. 

These two dogs thrive in their foster home and it is just so amazing to see them playing together! Please watch the video until the end.

Thanksgiving is almost here, and I just wanted you to know I am thankful for your support and for enabling us to save so many animals.

We have a matching campaign for the holiday and I hope you can join our team 🙏

 

Your Gift Will Be Doubled

Blog | Hope For Paws

A homeless dog was hit by a car and collapsed at a nearby park

Magnolia was hit by a car and managed to get to a nearby park, where she collapsed. Luckily for her, Mindy Allen spotted her and reached out to me. The picture she sent was concerning, and I was really concerned about the severity of her injury.

I rushed her to CARES, where medical treatment began right away. Nothing was broken, but she was in pain. Treatment included painkillers, laser therapy, massages, and acupuncture.  I had to leave town as all of this was happening, and I was just amazed by the incredible recovery I got to see just 5 days later! 

It's almost Thanksgiving, and we have a critical life-saving Matching Campaign. Please join us today and help us save many more animals.

Thank you so much,

Eldad 
 

Plese join our year end matching campaign ❤️

Blog | Hope For Paws

Abandoned Pit Bull hid under a car for a whole day and wouldn't move 🥺

I was worried that Paris may be injured because of her behavior... I approached slowly, she retreated, and then... well, you'll have to watch and see what happened. 


(I will tell you that the video ends with the French National Anthem AND a French Kiss, so you know it will be happy). 💙🤍❤️💋 

I'm sure you noticed that we have been posting many more videos lately, and it's all thanks to you!!! Every life saved is because of you, and I can't thank you enough for standing by us and believing in our mission. Together, we are changing the world, one rescue at a time. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

If you are not a Hope For Paws member yet, please join our team today: https://www.HopeForPaws.org/donate 

Our address has changed recently, so if you would like to send a card, a toy, or a check donation, here is the new address: 

Hope For Paws
3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd #140
Studio City, CA 91604

Also, did you know that OCTOBER is known as CARtober? So many people have an old vehicle in their driveway or on their property, vehicles that you'll never use or will probably never get around to fixing. Did you know you can donate your car and help us save more lives? We partnered with an organization named CARS and they will pick up any kind of vehicle, working or not, will give you a tax deduction for your donation, and will send Hope For Paws the check. Pickup from your place is done in all 50 states: https://www.hopeforpaws.org/donate-your-vehicle ❤️

Our friends at L.A. Animal Rescue, who connected me with Krissie and Ashley, offered to foster Paris, and they will handle her adoption. To apply to adopt her, please visit: https://www.LAAnimalRescue.org

Please share this video with your family and friends.

Thank you so much!

Eldad

p.s. Paris got to meet Champ (both rescued during the Olympic Games). Champ's rescue video resulted in us losing many followers who couldn't handle seeing his terrible injury. This video is tough to watch and is NOT for kids!!! Please do not invite them to watch it. Here is the link: https://www.hopeforpaws.org/blog/Champs_rescue_video - if you decide to watch, please subscribe to our channel and help us grow. Champ is still looking for a loving forever home, so I really need to get more eyes on him. Thank you!!! ❤️
 


Blog | Hope For Paws

Abandoned desert dog had to fight for her life every day! 🌵🐶🐍

G.I. Jane survived only thanks to the kindness of nurse Erica Tagalicud and the veteran G.I. Joes, who left food for her.

It's a busy day here, so the whole story is in this video, but the most important thing right now is to find G.I. Jane a foster home or a loving forever home.

She LOVES dogs and is still a little nervous about people, but we're making progress every day, but of course, being in a home environment will speed things up.
 

Our friends at Maison Sûre will handle her adoption. To apply to adopt her, please visit: https://www.MaisonSureLA.org 

A few people asked, so here is our mailing address again for donations by check:

Hope For Paws

3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd #140

Studio City, CA 91604
 
Thank you so much for sending us on these missions.

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

Senior dog with a terrible injury almost lost hope. His recovery was amazing! 💙

Milton is so grateful that someone knew to contact Hope For Paws and ask for help.
 

I found Milton under a car with an infected wound that was full of maggots. He had a large tumor and a bladder stone and also suffered from pneumonia. 

We are so lucky to have the loving medical team at CARES that takes care of our rescues and nurses them back to health.

For the cost of a cup of coffee, YOU can be a part of this life-saving effort - please join us. 🙏❤️
 

Our mailing address changed recently, so if you would like to send a donation via check, here it is for you:

Hope For Paws 💌
Laurel Canyon Blvd #140
Studio City, CA 91604

Our friends at Maison Sûre are fostering Milton and they will handle his adoption. To apply to adopt him, please visit: https://www.MaisonSureLA.org

They are also fostering Mickey and Minnie who are looking for their forever home:
 

Last but not least, they are looking for a loving forever home for Champ (This video is not easy to watch! Definitely NOT for children as it shows a horrible injury).

His recovery is just amazing, so if you don't want to see the medical stuff, just skip to the end (the 8-minute mark) to see him happy and playful.
 

Thank you so much for your support and for helping us save all these lives. 💝

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

Champ suffered a terrible injury and recovered beautifully! Viewer Discretion Advised.

Today’s rescue video is so important to me… it's a special story of recovery and hope.

My dad (who passed away last year) was injured in a terrible accident when he was 17 years old and spent a whole year in a hospital bed. The doctors told him he would never be able to walk again, but my dad told them, “I will soon dance!” 

Through hard work with physical therapists (67 years ago!), he was able to walk, tie his shoes with just one hand (the other was not functional), have six children, and live a long and healthy life. 😊 

Like my dad, Champ also suffered a terrible injury (it's possible his leg got stuck in a machine, an electrical gate, or maybe he was hit by one of the trains passing in this area). 

Rich Lujan, who reached out to Hope For Paws, informed me that after reviewing the security camera footage, he saw Champ at the refinery at 10 PM, walking on all four legs. However, by the time he found him at 5 AM, Champ only had three legs. 😰 

I rushed to the location immediately and approached slowly - an injured animal can be dangerous! 

Champ, like the champ that he is, allowed me to comfort him, secure him, and get him to CARES. 

Our ability to do rescues like this completely depends on your support. If you can, please join us with a $5 recurring donation that will send us on many more rescue missions.

Champ's behavior throughout his recovery was absolutely amazing and inspiring. According to Google, between 1-2 million people go through amputations every year around the world! It's a traumatic event, and I hope Champ will inspire through his story and show how recovery and happiness are possible.

Please share this video with family and friends - we all know a veteran who was injured, someone who was seriously injured in an accident, or someone who lost a limb due to sickness. 

The amazing team at CARES - an emergency trauma doctor, a board-certified surgeon, a rehab doctor, and, of course, the supportive team of technicians, all worked around the clock to help him fully recover. 

The story doesn't end here - Champ is now looking for a foster home or a loving forever home. 

Our friends at Maison Sûre (who receive our rescue alerts and notified me about Champ early in the morning) will handle his adoption. To apply to adopt Champ, please visit: https://www.MaisonSureLA.org 

To apply to foster Champ, please click here: https://www.HopeForPaws.org/foster 

Thank you so much to all our supporters for helping us change his life!

Eldad
 


Blog | Hope For Paws

Dog with an embedded collar lived under a car with another dog and a cat. 😰

Someone put a string around Mickey's neck when he was a puppy, and as he grew, the string got embedded deeper and deeper in his flesh. 😰

I was told that Mickey had a friend with him (Minnie), but when I arrived at the rescue location in Central California, I was approached my Mortimer, a cat who lived under a car with them. Luckily, I always carry an extra trap for cats - just in case I come across a cat in need, and Mortimer definitely seemed sick to me. (I suspected FIV, and sadly, I was correct). 

Mickey was really nervous, so I knew I must capture him first. He was very scared of people, and it took a while until I was able to get him exactly where I wanted him. (You will have to watch the video to see how that worked). 

Next up it was Minnie who was also nervous, but she really liked my cheeseburger. After I secured her, she freaked out! Minnie probably never had a leash around her, so she panicked! 

While dealing with Minnie, Mortimer grabbed my cheeseburger, and that was not good because now he had no reason to walk into my trap. I used a very unusual method to get him, and I am very lucky I didn't get injured! 

After the rescue, I had a long drive to CARES. The doctor had already left for the day after a long day of surgeries, but she came back for Mickey. 

Rescues like this require long drives, time, patience, improvisation, and a lot of money for medical care. When you donate to Hope For Paws, you have a part in every one of these rescues!!! We want to do more, but we need to grow our team of supporters. Please join us today with a small donation.

💝

Our friends at Maison Sûre offered to foster Mickey and Minnie until we can find them a loving forever home! To apply to adopt this beautiful couple, please visit: https://www.MaisonSureLA.org 

Our friends at Sante D'Or offered to foster Mortimer in a home with another cat with FIV. It is important to note that cats with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) can live a long and healthy life, often comparable to that of an uninfected cat. Many FIV-positive cats live for many years, sometimes even their full natural lifespan, especially if they receive good care, including regular veterinary check-ups, a balanced diet, and being kept indoors to minimize the risk of infections. With proper management, the quality of life for an FIV-positive cat can remain high for many years. 

If you would like to adopt Mortimer, please visit them at: https://www.SanteDOr.org 

Thank you so much for watching our video until the end - The footage there is so special; a true love story. 💘💘

If you missed our other Disney family rescue, please watch it here:

Thank you so much for supporting our rescue efforts and sending us daily rescue missions.

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

Homeless dog got hit by a car and couldn't move for three days!!! 😰

The full story of Shazam is inside this video, but today, we have to talk about a bigger problem!

The problem is that it's harder for people to share our video, and as a result, not enough people know about us, and this delays our arrival to rescues like this that should be handled MUCH FASTER! I don't really know what the solution is, and I would love to have your input. How do I change that so animals won't have to suffer for so long??? 

Meanwhile, not reaching as many people as we used to also affects our ability to raise funds for these animals, so if you can, please join the Hope For Paws team as a member and help us save more lives.

💝

After Loreta Frankonyte and I got Shazam, he continued for a long recovery period, and he is now ready for adoption. Our friends at LA Animal Rescue have been working with him, and he will need someone who will help him overcome his initial shyness. To apply to adopt him, please contact them directly: https://www.LAAnimalRescue.org or if you know someone who would love to adopt him, please send this video to them.

Last thing - August is MAKE A WILL (Living Trust) MONTH, and this is critical for the safety of your pets. Life is so fragile, and one of our missions is to help as many people as possible to have a written plan - a legally valid document that will protect your dogs and cats.

Hope For Paws paid the license for you to create this document for FREE, so please take a few minutes to learn more about it here:

❤️

Thank you so much for your support!!!

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

Kittens with unusual deformities are safe thanks to a Good Samaritan. ❤️

A Good Samaritan opened his door and allowed a cat to walk in, and give birth in his apartment. Mambo delivered 6 beautiful babies - Samba, Rumba, Bachata, Jive, Paso Doble, and Tango.

Two of the kittens have a deformity, but that doesn't stop them from being so cute! They will need surgery when they grow up a little bit, so if you would like to help us with that, please make a small donation here:

💝

I saw this footage yesterday for the first time and asked about Greg and if there is any way we can assist him, as his living condition is NOT OK! I was told he refused to go to the hospital until this family was safe, and the next day, he was hospitalized. I am unsure if he will return to this apartment, but I am waiting to hear back. 

If anyone would like to assist in cleaning/painting his place (assuming he would be willing to accept help), please let me know. He lives about 45 minutes south of Los Angeles (Wilmington). Here is the link to reach out to us - it would be so cool to really do something to improve his life:

Thank you!

If you would like to adopt one of these cute kittens or their cute mom, please visit our friends at Kitten Rescue: https://www.KittenRescue.org 

Thank you so much! 

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

Tofu didn't want our cheeseburger, and almost bit our volunteer! 😬

Tofu was abandoned after being mistreated for a long time. She didn't trust humans; she didn't believe our bacon cheeseburger trick - she just wanted to get away.

Luckily for her, we were prepared for this scenario, so Malanie Hjerrild, Katie McKittrick, and I managed to secure her together. I really wanted to win Tofu's trust at the rescue location, but she wasn't willing to surrender, so I decided not to risk it and dealt with her back at CARES (which took less than a minute). It's a beautiful transformation so please watch until the end.

Tofu is now in a foster home with our friends at I Stand With My Pack, so if you would like to adopt her, please contact them directly: https://www.IStandWithMyPack.org 🥰

They have many other cute dogs for adoption, so check them out.

Thank you so much!

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

The WORST INJURY I have ever seen - GRAPHIC CONTENT! +18

DO NOT CLICK if you're not prepared to see a terrible injury!

I have been around for a while; I have seen many injuries, but this one gets the gold medal for being the worst! 🥇😰

This post is going to be unlike anything I have ever shared, and it is probably too much for many people, so it's totally OK to click out or click here to send us a small donation to help us cover Champ's medical care.
 

Champ's medical fund ❤️


Hope For Paws has been working with Maison Sûre, and we're sharing the emergency alert mailbox. Sabine Roseman was the first to spot this email and called me early in the morning. I told her I'd be in the car in 2 minutes and head out. The rescue location was quite unusual - an oil refinery, a secure location, and I'm not sure how the dog got there. 
 


I have never seen an injury like this. I wasn't sure how the dog would react or how much pain he would be in, so I moved very slowly to assure him that I was there to help him. 
 


I placed the Lucky Leash around him so I would have some control in case he got scared and wanted to run away. 
 


I was amazed by how calm he was and how he surrendered to accepting help. Right away, I knew I would name him CHAMP! 🏆 
 


Rich Lujan, the kind man who emailed Hope For Paws offered to assist me, and together we picked Champ up and placed him on the soft Hope For Paws blanket
 


Working together, we lifted him to the Hope For Paws rescue vehicle so I could get him to CARES ASAP. 
 


As soon as I arrived at the hospital, the whole medical team was waiting for me outside with a gurney. 
 


The one thing we had to do before starting treatment was to weigh him so the correct dosage of medication could be prescribed. I then witnessed one of the most incredible things I have ever seen - Champ wagged his tail!!! He was happy to be at CARES with so many loving hands on him right away. ❤️ 
 


After the weigh-in, Champ was immediately sedated and intubated so treatment could begin. 
 


He was very dirty, so we placed him on the wet table and had to wash his whole body quickly - this would help prevent further infection.
 


Dr. Elena Morino, our ER trauma doctor, worked with the team to stop the bleeding as they cleaned the wound. 
 


I have no idea how an injury like this one occurred—he didn't have any symptoms of a dog who was hit by a car, and my guess is that his leg got caught in a machine or maybe an electrical gate. Security footage from an oil refinery showed Champ walking on all four legs the night before at 10 PM, but when he was found at 5 AM the next day, one leg was missing! There are also railroad tracks there, so no one knows - the missing leg couldn't be found.

This injury makes me think of many soldiers who were injured in battles and people who were critically injured in car/work accidents. The road to recovery is very challenging for these people - I know it because this hit close to home, especially for our Katie McKittrick, who has a personal experience with this after her brother lost his leg in a car accident. I was a little nervous about her joining in on the medical aspect of this, and I suggested she should stay away, but she handled it really well even though I know it wasn't simple for her to re-live this experience again.

If you know someone who was injured like this, please hug them - they have been through a tough challenge in life. ❤️ 
 


Dr. Mishka Williams was there next to do the surgery and remove the remaining piece of his leg so he could begin the process of healing. 
 


Please keep Champ in your thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery. This guy has been through quite a lot, and with your support, his life is going to be amazing!

If you can, please join us with a small donation. It is quite amazing to me that the average donation to Hope For Paws is $12, and that with so many people participating, we can do so much! 

Of course, we would love to do even more, so please join our team today, or invite a friend or a family member to join us too so together we can change the world of so many of these animals. 
 

💝


If you would like to foster Champ or another Hope For Paws dog, please fill out our foster application (This is, of course, for people in the Los Angeles area). Our friends at Maison Sûre will reach out and help facilitate that. 🥰 
 

🐕


You may live far away from us, but please visit one of the adoption events this weekend and ask how you can become a foster parent - it really helps organizations all over the world save more lives.

I am hoping that Champ will very soon be able to sit on the couch and cheer the teams in the Paralympic games!

Please drive safely and patiently this weekend. ❤️

Thank you so much for your support!

Eldad

 


Blog | Hope For Paws

Rescuing animals in deep sleep.

Imagine being a homeless dog… you are in a constant struggle to find a safe spot to sleep, in constant look for food and water, you are always in a state of fear from cars, fireworks, or coyotes who are searching for their next meal - it's really a nightmare.

I wanted to share some videos where I used their exhaustion to my advantage and surprised these dogs in their sleep! This method can be very dangerous - especially with larger dogs who may overreact.

The little dog in today's new video was quite nervous, so I had to be quiet and complete the mission without waking him up.


The next one didn't want anything to do with me, so I had to send Loreta forward for this dangerous mission:
 


On this one, I was joined by Hope For Paws' Board of Director and a good friend of mine, Jaime Ray Newman:
 


This senior dog lived by the freeway for 7 months and he was mostly deaf, so that was pretty easy:
 


Surprising a sleeping German Shepherd can be very dangerous:
 


Surprising a sleeping Pit Bull can also be very dangerous:
 


Some senior dogs have no fight left in them, and they are happy to be saved:
 


But some seniors will fight (and bite):
 


This senior tried to bite but failed:
 


This puppy slept by the railroad tracks, and I managed to surprise him too:
 

All these dogs, EXCEPT for the first one, have already found their loving forever homes! If you would like to adopt Patriot, please contact our friends at Maison Sûre.

To see Melanie Flindt Hjerrild training dogs, please click here - I have never seen anything like this: https://www.instagram.com/melandthemutts/reels/

Lastly, if you would like to help us save more dogs like the dogs in these videos, please help us with a small donation here:

Thanks!

Thank you so much for watching our videos and sharing your favorite ones with your friends.

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

Dog with NO EYES abandoned on the side of the road! PLEASE HELP HER!!!

As soon as I received a message with the text above, I got into the #HopeForPaws rescue vehicle and drove up north.

Your gift helps dogs like Dahlia receive a second chance 💝

A one-hundred-pound nervous dog that can't see you may overcompensate and react in a dangerous way.

Dahlia was so nervous, so I worried about that (especially because I was alone there), and I was also worried about the possibility of her running into traffic or disappearing in the orchards.

I had to work quickly and quietly so she wouldn't get scared and leave the area. I used soccer nets, my plastic fences, and the Hope For Paws rescue vehicle to build a large trap for her. The plan worked ALMOST perfectly! 😄

I didn't bring the metal trap into the enclosure because I feared that the noise would scare her, so that turned out to be a problem. I don't want to give the whole story away - it's best to watch the video and see what happened. The ending was MUCH BETTER than I expected going into this rescue! ❤️

It is only thanks to our supporters that we can complete rescues like this. I don't think there is anything in this world you can buy for $5 that will give you more joy than knowing you were a part of something like this - look how happy she is by the end of this video. 🥰🥰🥰

If you can, please join the Hope For Paws team with a life-saving donation.

We recently partnered with Maison Sûre (Safe House in French), and they are amazing! They notified me about Dahlia, and in the past few weeks, we have saved the lives of a few animals who wouldn't have survived without our collaboration.

As soon as Dahlia was medically cleared at CARES, they found her an amazing foster home where she made many new friends. Her eyes healed so beautifully, and she is now READY for her loving forever home. Will you please share her story with your friends?

If you're ready to adopt the sweetest Cane Corso, please fill out an adoption application for Dahlia. ⬅️

Thank you so much!!!

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

Relaxing videos for dogs and cats. 🐶💝😺

Yesterday, I got to see our rescued poodle enjoying classical music - it went from being mesmerized by the beautiful intense music, and continued to falling asleep and it all happened within 1 minute and 24 seconds here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9P0T82pFRD/

Paddington would also love for your dogs and cats to have an amazing audiovisual experience, so today, I'm sharing a video for them.


and here is one for the cats. 😻
 

Please leave these videos on for your dogs and cats while you're at work - it will help them relax, and it will help us save lives as we will get more watch-time on our channel.

Thank you so much!

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

Hidden treasure found behind piles of trash 🙀🙀

Happy 4th of July! Smoochy and Squishmallow are both safe this holiday! 😻😻

So many cats end up on the streets, cats who want to be loved but are dumped like yesterday's trash. Of course, new ones are then born on the streets, and many don't survive. 😿

We're working to prevent a lot of pain and suffering, and with your help, we'll be able to do much more.  Please join us with a $5 monthly donation here:

If you would like to adopt these cuties, please contact our friend at Let Them Be Little Rescue here: https://www.LTBLRescue.org

Tonight, fireworks will scare so many animals - please keep them at home, keep them safe, and leave this video on to help them calm down:

Thank you so much!!!

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

This video will save lives!

This video is different from our usual rescue content, but it's an important one as the 4th of July approaches. 🧨

We are still a week away from the holiday, but all around the city people are playing with fireworks (even in the middle of the day), causing panic and distress to dogs, cats, and wild animals. 😓

Music can have a profoundly calming effect on dogs and cats. The sudden loud noises and bright flashes of fireworks can cause anxiety and fear in pets, leading to behaviors such as hiding, trembling, panting, or excessive barking. Playing soothing music with a slow tempo and gentle melodies can help mask the sound of fireworks, providing a sense of normalcy and security. Research has shown that relaxing music can lower heart rates and reduce stress-related behaviors in animals. By creating a peaceful auditory environment, music can significantly alleviate the distress pets feel during fireworks, helping them remain calm and relaxed.

Please leave the TV on with this video every day when you leave for work. It will play for 10 hours and will help your pets relax and maybe even enjoy the show.

Recently, I was asked to watch a cat while a friend of mine and her husband had to leave town for a couple of days. In an attempt to entertain CleaCatra, I shared some nature shows with her on my iPad, and she really enjoyed them. You can see her here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8xAZk3pche/

Letting this video play for 10 hours will increase the watch time on our channel, help us grow, and introduce us to new audiences. With the new hospital, we are able to do so much more, but it's all very expensive! This is a great way to help us save more lives, it will also help your pets, and it's FREE! 😊👍

To double the impact, you can also open this video in a separate tab on your computer and let it run all day, knowing you're actively helping us! You should skip over every once in a while to enjoy some of the beautiful footage we put together in this video—there are no loops of footage—every second there is unique!

Thank you so much!

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

It's scary that people around us are capable of this!

This is so upsetting... I don't understand how someone can just abandon a blind dog on the street to fend for himself and just drive away!!! 😡🤬

As I prepared to clean him up, my brain couldn't even think of a good name for him, so I posted his picture on Instagram. I saw hundreds of great name suggestions that I added to my list, but one name kept repeating itself many times—Gandalf!

If you're not following @HopeForPawsRescue on Instagram yet, please join us and help us raise awareness on that platform: https://www.instagram.com/hopeforpawsrescue/

Loreta brought over to CARES a nice dinner she cooked for Paddington, and after he ate, I spent the next couple of hours grooming, bathing, and comforting him.

He is blind, mostly deaf, and has a few tumors, broken teeth, and bladder stones. Thanks to you, he is receiving the best medical treatment at CARES, and we will just have to see how he is doing. I always struggle with sharing these horrible stories because I don't want to scare people away with sad stories. A few weeks ago, Loreta and I rescued another abandoned senior dog, Bosley. 

Sadly, he passed away a week after his rescue. 😞

I am still debating if I should post his sad video - I know you're coming here for HOPE, but the reality is rough, and this is the sadness we have to deal with over here.

I want you to know that your donations are greatly appreciated because they help prevent so much pain and suffering. We really couldn't have done this without you!

I will keep you posted on Gandalf, and I hope we can find a special family to foster him. I'm working on expanding our ability to accept fosters, so if you're interested, please let me know.

Thank you so much!

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

Injured dog with a broken pelvis is so resilient! How do you explain her behavior??? 😱

For my birthday, I wanted to share this cute rescue video. Ricardo, the Good Samaritan who found her and fed her, took a barrel, cut it in half, and created a shelter for her while seeking help.

She looked like a turtle with her head peeping out, so I decided to name her Turtllini. 🥰

When I arrived at the rescue location, I wasn't told she was injured, and I couldn't even tell. She was a happy little dog who just wanted to be loved. Before seeing the doctor, I wanted to give her a bath, and right away I noticed that she was limping in a way that indicated to me that either her leg or her pelvis was broken.

This rescue, as simple as it was, is an important reminder to the presence of Hope For Paws on the ground with a medical team that can help these animals. Thank you Dr. Antonio Pedraza for another perfect fix - I am so happy she healed so nicely.

Yesterday, we celebrated Hope For Paws' 16th anniversary, and we still have a matching campaign where your donations can be DOUBLED or TRIPLED!

Please watch this video until the end so you can answer my question there… it's an interesting one to think about. 🐶😊💝😸

All I want is to be able to do more, and with your help we can do more now that the new CARES is open! Today is the first major surgery day, and by the end of this week we will complete at least 20 surgeries!

If every person here would be able to help us recruit just one family member or a friend who loves animals to join our team with a recurring donation, we could do twice as much work!

Thank you so much for all the anniversary and birthday wishes, and cards!!!

Our new mailing address:

Hope For Paws
3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd #140
Studio City, CA 91604

I really appreciate your support and I am so excited for everything we're about to accomplish together! ❤️

If you missed yesterday's rescue video, you can find it here: https://www.hopeforpaws.org/campaigns/sweet-sixteen

Have an amazing day!

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

Pregnant dog rescued hours before giving birth!!!

Today we are celebrating Hope For Paws' Sweet 16 and for this celebration, I have a special video for you:

Double/Triple your gift ❤️


In perfect timing for this celebration of 16 years of Hope For Paws, the new CARES just opened, and we already have a bunch of surgeries scheduled for tomorrow! This hospital is SEVEN TIMES larger than the first CARES, which means it can help us save many more lives! If you didn't watch the BIG REVEAL with the first look at this amazing hospital, here it is for you:
 

Every Hope For Paws supporter contributed to the existence of this amazing place, and you should be really proud!!! I am just amazed by how many people came together to help us accomplish this mission—it has been a long-time dream, and I really appreciate your continued support!

For today's celebration, we have TWO matching campaigns where your donation can be DOUBLED or TRIPLED!

Recently, Lawrence Wergey, a Hope For Paws supporter, passed away and left a legacy gift for our organization. In his Will, he asked that we will continue raising awareness about making plans for your pets should anything unexpected happen to you. He also left funds to DOUBLE all your one-time donations!

Another Hope For Paws supporter recently lost her beloved dog Suki, so in her honor, she offered to TRIPLE your recurring donations!

Your gift will be matched!

Shelby and M'Lynn lived under an abandoned RV, ate trash, and did their best to survive. A Good Samaritan was referred to us by Mary Chatman, who contacted us about many animals in need. 

Shortly after the rescue, M'Lynn was adopted by Chris and Michele Gentry. Hope For Paws super fans would know their names because they adopted some of the most famous dogs in Hope For Paws' history! 

Fiona:

Alice:

Abby:

Katie McKittrick and I worked together to secure both of them, quickly groomed them, checked by the doctor, and rushed them to Katie's home so the babies could be born in a clean, safe, and quiet place. Even though Shelby was malnourished, her first five puppies were all large and healthy - Annelle, Truvy, Spud, Clairee, and Drum. Sadly, little Magnolia, the runt, was born small and deformed, and she passed away. 😢 

The rest of the family thrived and continued to their foster home. It was so amazing to see them play just a few weeks after they were born!!!

Today's Matching Campaign for Hope For Paws' 16th anniversary is so important for our operation! This week alone, 20 surgeries will be performed at CARES, and this is just the first week - the "soft opening" 😄 

Thank you so much for supporting our efforts! We really appreciate you and love you! 💝

Eldad

p.s. tomorrow (totally by chance) I'll be celebrating my 49th birthday, so I will have another rescue video for you - I'll see you again in 24 hours!


Blog | Hope For Paws

Hope For Paws is taking it to the next level thanks to YOU! ❤️

Other than telling you about the largest event in Hope For Paws' history, I will just ask you to watch this video. As you're watching, you should feel so proud of yourself for being a part of this life-saving mission because none of this would have been possible without you! ❤️

Imagine a place where every injured or sick homeless animal finds hope and healing, a place where animals receive love and care for the first time in their lives.

Hope For Paws and the medical team at CARES teamed up to build this place. The first hospital was just 1,000 square feet, and we have outgrown it very fast (but it carried us through COVID-19). Eventually, we ran out of the lease, the hospital was sold to a new owner, and he had to move out. The second hospital was 2,500 square feet, and we have outgrown it, too, as the demand for our help kept increasing. 

The new hospital (I call it CARES 3.0) should do the work for many years to come. It is a 7,000-square-foot surgical hospital (which makes it one of the largest in Los Angeles); it has multiple surgical suites and a fantastic medical team!

Your donations transformed this vision into reality by supporting Hope For Paws. You are the lifeline for these voiceless creatures, and with your help, we can provide critical medical care, surgeries, vaccinations, and rehabilitation for animals who have nowhere else to turn. By contributing, you are not only helping to mend broken bodies but also giving these animals a chance to find loving homes.

If you’re already a supporter of Hope For Paws, THANK YOU for being part of this amazing effort!!!

As I was filming this video, it occurred to me that our current supporters can help us save twice as many animals at zero cost! All you have to do is convince just one family member or a friend to join you in supporting a mission you love.

Imagine if 10,000 donors became 20,000 donors! As far as the space to do double the work - we can easily do that, but this will require another vet, more technicians, more X-rays, more blood tests, more medical supplies, more food, etc.

Can you think of one person who loves animals and would love to be a part of this, too? 🥰

On June 11th, we will celebrate Hope For Paws' Sweet 16. If you're not a member yet, I hope you will join us today with a recurring donation to support this massive operation so we can continue working month after month, focusing on actual rescuing and less on fundraising! (As a token of appreciation, we will send you a Lucky Leash).

❤️❤️❤️

Thank you so much!!! I am so excited to share with you many new rescue stories!!!

Eldad




.


Blog | Hope For Paws

Frightened kittens were happy to be rescued by Hope For Paws - life is good now! 😻

Kitten season is here, and thanks to the support of our supporters, we can change the lives of so many! Most of these kittens would have died in less than two years (that's the average lifespan of a feral cat).

We really want as many people as possible to be a part of this change, so I would love for YOU to join us too with a $5 recurring donation so you can keep sending us on rescues - month after month!

Thank you ❤️

In 8 days, we will celebrate Hope For Paws' Sweet 16 anniversary, and we have exciting news coming up! If you're not on our email list yet, you can click here to join:

Thank you!

Have an amazing week!

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

Dehydrated and sick kittens didn't have the energy to fight! Kitten season is here and we need you!

It's kitten season, and we are working to assist so many families like the Ironwork family.

The new CARES is about to open in a few weeks, and with your help, we will grow our TNR program to reduce the suffering of so many cats and kittens. Every surgery costs about $100 so for example, to spay/neuter 200 cats will cost $20,000!!!  I really hope you can join us today with a small recurring donation so we can fix as many animals as possible.

Thank you ❤️

Of course, all the cats we rescue require medical treatment - primarily for upper respiratory and eye infections, and that's expensive, too. I really appreciate your support in helping them heal and find loving forever homes. Our friends at Kitty Bungalow are working nonstop, too, to help so many cats and kittens. Please check out all the cuties and apply to adopt them here: https://www.KittyBungalow.org

If you missed the rescue videos of Murphy, Mallory and the 7 puppies, here they are for you:

and…

Thank you so much for watching and sharing our videos and for supporting Hope For Paws! 💝

Eldad


Blog | Hope For Paws

Abandoned Husky and puppies rescued just in time! 😰👍

Imagine how Mallory's and puppies' lives would have turned out if people like you had not supported #HopeForPaws and we had not been called to rescues like this.

Mallory was rescued just hours before going into labor. Katie and Alex secured gained her trust, drove her back to Los Angeles, took her to the vet, cleaned her up, and dried her with the soft Hope For Paws towels. A few hours later, Mallory gave birth to seven cute puppies on the warm Hope For Paws blankets. 🤗

The last batch of blankets was sold out, so we ordered a new batch, and this time, we added the towels, too!!! We use these towels daily to dry the animals we bathe, and we love them!

If you will order a blanket or a towel, we will send you a Lucky Leash as a gift as a small thank you for your support! (Don't forget to select the leash size that would be perfect for your dog).

Thank you!

Thank you so much for supporting our efforts!

Eldad

p.s. here is the link for Paddington's Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/xoxopaddington - funny stuff there by Loreta. 💝


Puppies Saved from a Desert | Hope For Paws

Puppies born in a desert town - their mom almost got me!!! 😬

This rescue sent me on a long drive to the desert to save Disney and her puppies.

Classical music fans - I hope you will enjoy the "Four Seasons of Rescue" with music by Antonio Vivaldi.

The Four Seasons was composed exactly 300 years ago (1723)!! I love classical music and earlier this year I was at the Hollywood Bowl where I got to listen to this concert - a night at the Hollywood Bowl with classical music is my favorite way to spend an evening and relax.

Vivaldi started his concert with an infectiously happy theme of Spring, but our story doesn't begin in a happy place... Disney was abandoned and then gave birth to three little puppies under an olive tree. As temperatures were falling, their future was uncertain, so I decided to start this rescue video with the music representing AUTUMN

Once I gathered my equipment, the music changed to WINTER... it's a bit darker and stressful. Disney was protecting her puppies, but she also needed my food so she could provide them with milk. The music worked really well with the emotions and intensity of this rescue! Disney almost got me, but I saw that bite coming a split second before the attempt was made... did you see it too? 

Once we arrived back in Los Angeles, the music changed again - now it is SPRING when things took a beautiful turn, and everybody got a nice warm bath. The family can rest for the first time, knowing they are safe with us. 

The last part of the video was filmed a few weeks later, so I skipped to SUMMER when it was time for FUN! Pluto, Dug, and Goofy have grown a little. They still need their mom, but they are starting to play and test their new teeth on my fingers. OUCH! 😅 

I'm sure most of you know PLUTO and GOOFY, and if you're wondering who DUG is, you should definitely watch the movie "UP" by Disney/Pixar. ❤️ 

It has been a while since I edited a video, but Justin is still recovering from his terrible motorcycle accident, and Rachael just had a beautiful baby, so I hope you will enjoy my work even though I'm at bit rusty. I know it's a bit long, but I didn't want to chop the music in a way that would make Vivaldi sad. 😊 

Thank you so much for supporting Hope For Paws and for understanding why we slowed down a bit with video productions. We're still filming our rescues, but it will take me a little longer to edit them as my priority is the work on the streets. 

Please join our end-of-year fundraising campaign and help us save more lives this winter... it is cold outside, and we're trying to get to as many as we can:

❤️❤️❤️

The puppies are now 6 weeks old, and very soon, they will be ready for adoption, and so will their mom. To apply to adopt them, please contact our friends at Pal Rescue:

Thank you!

If you can't adopt at the moment, here are a few ways to support our rescue: 

Donate and become a Hope For Paws member: https://www.hopeforpaws.org/donate 


Write your Will/Living Trust for FREE to protect your pet and consider leaving a legacy donation to Hope For Paws: https://www.hopeforpaws.org/support_us/with/planned-giving 


Donate stocks to Hope For Paws: https://www.hopeforpaws.org/support_us/with/stock-gifts 


Donate via your Donor Advised Fund (DAF) - learn about tax advantages here: https://www.hopeforpaws.org/support_us/with/donor-advised-fund 


Donate Cryptocurrency: https://www.hopeforpaws.org/support_us/with/cryptocurrencies 


Check if your company will match your donation: https://www.hopeforpaws.org/corporate-giving 


Donate your old car, motorcycle, or RV to help us save lives (in all 50 states): https://www.hopeforpaws.org/donate-your-vehicle 


Donate in honor of someone you love or as a gift: https://www.hopeforpaws.org/give_a_gift 


Buy a needed item from our Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2LZGBKKGWU5QC?ref_=abls_nvfly_yl 


Get the Lucky Leash of Hope: https://www.hopeforpaws.org/lucky_leash 

Thank you so much!!! Happy Happy Happy New Year!!! 

Eldad


Pitbull Needs Home for Christmas | Hope For Paws

Homeless Pit Bull would LOVE to have a home for Christmas! 💝

Clara was abandoned after she was used for breeding. She was scared, sad, and very smart to find refuge under a house of a kind woman.

The woman believed Clara had puppies under her house, so she fed her while searching for help. She discovered #HopeForPaws and reached out.

For this rescue, I asked Katie McKittrick and Idan Reik to join me. I knew the property had many ways in and out, and we had to work together quickly to secure it. All of a sudden, the woman spotted Clara as she crawled under the house. Knowing she was somewhat contained, I decided to do another round of checking to make sure everything was secured perfectly. It took me a second to realize that Clara did more of the work for us on this rescue. ❤️

I was able to tell right away that she was not a nursing mom - she wasn't lactating anymore, and I figured that if there were puppies under the house, they would have been old enough to explore in search of food. Of course, I still crawled under the house and there were no puppies there.

We named her Clara after the little girl from The Nutcracker, and it was so beautiful to see her transform in just three days.

A couple of generous donors asked us to do a matching campaign for the holiday where they will match up to $30,000!!! These funds are needed for the medical care of so many animals we help.

Thank you ❤️

For Christmas, I wanted to share a few other Christmas videos we posted. This one is one of my favorites… it was challenging, took a long time to accomplish, Loreta took multiple bites, but it just shows how we never ever give up!

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The next one is from last Christmas - a dog who was neglected and needed a Christmas Miracle:

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The next one is Norman's rescue who found his loving forever home just in time for Christmas! He is so lucky to be alive!!!

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This super cute video of a father and son is so special.

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For this rescue, we needed the help of the Long Beach Fire Department - it was EPIC!!!

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Last, but not least, we have Christmas kittens too:

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I hope you will enjoy all of them and that you will share your favorite with your family and friends.

Thank you so much for helping us save so many lives!

Eldad, Loreta, Katie, Chris and Justin.


German Shepherd Tries to Revive Her Baby | Hope For Paws

German Shepherd tries to revive her baby and wouldn't let us get close 💔🌺

The story of Kailani is heartbreaking… seeing her trying to revive her puppy was so sad.

Situations like this can be quite dangerous as a protective mother can behave aggressively, and then my team knows to call me to handle the situation. Working slowly, with a cheeseburger in my hand, I was able to slowly approach her, I used the trap as a barrier to protect myself, but I still didn't feel confident to just put a leash around her.

I almost never use a catch-pole, but for everybody's safety, I made an exception. It's important to understand that my gentle snare easily bends, and then I have no way to defend myself. Having a pole that protects me from a serious bite also gives me the confidence to approach faster and come into contact with the dog so she understands that I am there to help her.

A few people noticed a little whine as I was making sure there were no other puppies. The one thing you can't see in the video is that there were two dogs inside the house who were a little anxious about our presence. We always check thoroughly so no one is left behind.

The more interesting part of this video is the documentation of the next 24 hours and Kailani's behavior as she processed the death of her puppies.

In some extreme cases, distressed mothers would eat their newborns. This happened with Bethany, but I just never shared that story… at the time I thought it would scare people away from adopting her.

Bethany knew she was not in a proper condition to raise puppies and even with medical help, it took a long time.

As you can imagine, medical care for cases like this costs a lot of money, and I hope you will join our team today as a member.

Her video is quite old, but it's still one of my favorites. She was adopted a long time ago and lives happily with her moms. ❤️❤️

Thank you so much for supporting Hope For Paws!

Eldad


Storm Drain Kittens Found | Hope For Paws

Lion kings and queens born in a storm drain - Loreta left screaming! 😱🙀

The circle of life (on the streets) ended when #HopeForPaws arrived at the rescue location.

So many kittens are born in storm drains, and as winter creeps in, these locations are extremely dangerous for these babies who are unable to get out of them.

Luckily, people know to call Hope For Paws, and we find ourselves crawling into these places quite often. Capturing their feral mom proved to be quite challenging, and it took two months until our rescue partner was able to trap her, get her spayed, vaccinated, and released. As you will see towards the end of the video, there is a well-taken-care-of cat colony in the area.

We save many kittens from terrible situations, and we can only do it thanks to your support! Please join us today with a life-saving donation:

Thank you ❤️

Here are a couple more of my favorite cat rescue videos:

It is pretty amazing to know there are so many cat lovers out there! These three videos alone have more than 55 MILLION views!

Thank you so much for supporting Hope For Paws!

Eldad


Dog Left Behind By Freeway | Hope For Paws

Dog left behind by a homeless person by the freeway - she didn't move! 😢

Brenda was so sad when her person disappeared. I will never know the circumstances for her owner's disappearance... maybe hospitalization, arrest, or even death.

One thing I know for sure is that she was loyal and loved. She is a very cool Newfoundland, probably mixed with a Bernese Mountain Dog. Like all Newfies, she loves water and enjoys nice bubble baths. ❤️

She loves to play with toys and with other dogs - it was so cool to watch her coming out of her shell.

If you are not a Hope For Paws supporter yet, I really hope you will join us today and help us save more lives. As a small thank you, I will send you our Lucky Leash. 🌺

Thank you!

Brenda reminded me of Everest - a dog Loreta and I rescued a while ago:

Brenda is now in her foster home with our friends at L.A. Animal Rescue. To apply to adopt her, please contact them directly at: https://www.LAAR.org

Thank you so much!

Eldad


Soda Pop Kitten Family | Hope For Paws

Soda Pop (feisty) Family - watch these instincts!!! 🙀

Yikes! Even I was nervous watching Katie accomplish this rescue! 🙀

This kitten season doesn't seem to end - just more and more and more kittens!

This Soda Pop Family reminded me of two dogs I rescued a few years ago with my friend Vanessa Enriquez:

I am having a hard time getting Google to update our new mailing address, so if you happen to know ANYONE at Google, I would LOVE your assistance with it! 😊😊😊

Please update your records:

Hope For Paws
3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd #140
Studio City, CA 91604

We love receiving your cards, letters, and stories about the animals that impacted your life.

If you are not a Hope For Paws member, please join us today with a small donation. We will get your donation to work right away!

Thank you!

Thank you so much for sharing our story with your family and friends. If every person could convince just ONE friend or family member to join us, we could save twice as many animals this year.

We will do the crawling in sewers, we will take the bites and scratches, and all we ask for is funds for the medical care of these animals.

Have an amazing day!

Eldad


Animal abandoned and Locked In a Cage | Hope For Paws

Abandoned, and then locked in a cage 24/7!

Today is National Cheeseburger Day! We have used cheeseburgers for many years now to gain the trust of thousands of homeless and abandoned dogs, and it helped save us from painful bites.

I would LOVE for everybody to contribute just one cheeseburger to our Cheeseburger Fund: https://www.HopeForPaws.org/donate - These cheeseburgers help us establish trust with these homeless animals because they realize right away that we come in peace.

We don't feed the dogs cheeseburgers here - their rescue day is a special day, sometimes it's a little scary, and these cheeseburgers help keep me and my team safe. Bronx reminds me of Buddha from this video with more than 12 MILLION views:

I hope you will enjoy both videos and help us buy the next cheeseburger this holiday ❤️ 

Happy National Cheeseburger Day! 🍔 🍔 🍔

Eldad


Homeless Dog in Trash Pile | Hope For Paws

OH WOW!!! Look at them!!!

For many years now, Miley (who recently passed away 😞) held the second-place position on our YouTube channel with her incredible transformation:

Today, the Lion Kings and Queens will take over that second spot and then will challenge a bunch of puppies to claim the top spot!

Also, these kittens are trying to sneak into the TOP 10, and with your help, they can make it there today!

All super cool rescue videos tomorrow I will post a new one - more of a medical case, so it will be interesting to see if you're interested in that.

Thank you!

If you haven't subscribed to our channel yet, please click here - it's 100% FREE!

FREE! 💞

Do you prefer dog rescue videos over cat rescue videos? (or the other way around).

Please let me know on our Facebook page - I am so curious:
https://www.facebook.com/HopeForPawsCalifornia

Thank you so much!

Eldad


Old Dog Waits for Help | Hope For Paws

Older injured dog waited patiently for someone to call Hope For Paws

An older, injured dog waited patiently for someone to call Hope For Paws. Luckily for him, a Hope For Paws fan named Phillip spotted him in a gas station and texted me.

MarMar searched for a safe spot to hide, and even though it was very noisy there, he knew it would be hard for anyone to harm him there. I tried to clean the sound with the video editing software, but it didn't really work. It is a little annoying to watch, but it will give you the feeling of what life on the streets is like for these homeless/abandoned dogs.

This older guy was so ready to be rescued and start his new life! He allowed me to pick him up and get him the medical care he needed.

After a bath and a visit to the hospital, he spent a few days with Katie where he started coming out of his shell - it is so beautiful to see dogs recover so well with the help of other dogs.

Become a Member Today ❤️

Our friends at SAFE Rescue Team offered to foster him and find him a loving forever home. 

Thank you so much for helping us make it all happen 🥰

Eldad


Hope for Maui | Hope For Paws

Hope For Maui after the fire disaster 😔

This story begins 23 years ago in Hollywood, California. I used to run a computer company, and one day I met Moriah Diamond, who used to design websites, and we became friends. Back in the year 2000, I wasn't involved in the animal rescue world - I was still trying to figure out my future here in the United States. Everything changed one day when Moriah found two orphan kittens, took them home, and called to ask for my help. We bottle-fed them and took care of them until they were ready for adoption. This seemingly minor event changed the course of my life! I started volunteering with rescue organizations, and eventually, it led to the creation of Hope For Paws! 🐶❤️😺

A few years later, Moriah moved to Maui, Hawaii where she met her husband Sam.

Fast forward to December 2021, Moriah shared with me that she has a dream of opening the first Cat Cafe in Maui and she asked for my advice on that. Moriah and Sam invited me over for dinner in a beautiful place near Iao-Valley.

I listened to their dream about opening Cat Cafe Maui, and my rescue brain was thinking right away - this is a fantastic opportunity to help the community there and help many of the island cats. I suggested right away - let's create Maui Cat Rescue, and the cats they rescue will be at the cat cafe.

For the next few days, we sat together and worked on a serious plan on how to develop something like this in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

After putting everything on paper, we quickly started looking for a good location. We spotted a couple of places that we quickly ruled out, and then we found the location at the Queen Ka'ahumanu Center in Kahului. We looked at every possible detail, I remember going to a senior living facility to borrow a wheelchair just to make sure that it would be able to pass through the doors so people with disabilities would be able to enjoy the company of these rescued cats.

100% is for Maui Cat Rescue

Construction started quickly, and a few months after our initial meeting, Maui Cat Rescue was formed as a 501C-3 nonprofit cat rescue organization, and Cat Cafe Maui opened! 😻

This place is just magical and always full of rescued cats and people who help socialize them in preparation for their adoption.

There are three large TV screens that always show Hope For Paws rescue videos, and it's always so cute to see cats watching these rescues.

I am happy people watch our rescue videos there - raising awareness is so important!

This place brings so much joy to locals and tourists, and if you want to see many more updates, you can visit their Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/catcafemaui/

Sadly, last week, disaster struck Maui and the beautiful city of Lahaina. So many people lost their lives, their family members, their homes, their pets, and their jobs. 😔

Moriah asked me to come to Maui and help, but I knew I wouldn't be able to access the disaster area for many days. FEMA and the National Guard blocked the way to Lahaina as they are handled the rescue and recovery missions.

Instead of rushing over and feeling helpless, I asked her to hire someone local to assist her, and I promised that Hope For Paws would help with that cost. She hired a young woman who managed to escape with her cat, but she lost her home and her workplace to the fire. Moriah gave her a job and invited her to live with her and Sam in their guest bedroom - for me, this is how communities are at their best! 💞

Yesterday was the first day Moriah was able to reach some areas of Lahaina, where she met a local feeder who manages a few feral cat colonies. She took lots of food and water with her, she witnessed some horrible things and I prefer not sharing these images - it's just too sad.

Moriah is already there today with traps in an effort to capture people's pets, and with your support, we can provide her with all the supplies she will need to assist the homeless island cats and also the pets affected by the fire. This is not something that can be solved with two or three trips - there is a large area to cover there.

Please donate $10 and help us help Maui Cat Rescue do the work on the ground there.

Please Donate Today

While FEMA, the National Guard, and the local community in Maui are still assessing this devastating situation, I hope we can help in reducing the suffering of animals over there and help reunite families with their lots pets. 

A lot of food is needed because so many birds rush to the feeding stations, and by the time it's quiet and cats feel safe to come out of their hiding spots, a lot of it is gone.

Thank you so much for all your gifts for these animals. 💝

Eldad


Crafting a Will for Your Pets | Hope For Paws

Securing Your Legacy: Crafting a Will with Care and Including Your Beloved Pets.

This is the most important blog post for you and for your pets! Please watch the video below to really have a look at the problem and then read how Hope For Paws can help your pets. 😺❤️🐶

Our pets are more than just animals; they're cherished members of our families, providing unconditional love and companionship throughout their lives. As responsible pet owners, it's our duty to ensure their well-being, even when we're no longer around. One crucial way to secure their future is by writing a will and crafting a solid plan for their care.

(Interesting fact I just learned: on average, 160,000 people pass away every day worldwide!)

When it comes to securing your pets' future, a well-written will is your guiding light. It's more than just a legal document; it's a testament to the connection you share with your furry friends. Just like you would include your loved ones in your will, your pets deserve the same consideration.

By explicitly stating who will take care of your pets after you're gone, you're giving them the gift of continuity and stability - especially at this terrible moment when they lost the person they loved the most - YOU!

Whether it's a trusted friend, family member, or even a rescue organization you trust, make sure the person or organization you choose understands the commitment and responsibility involved. Many people assume their family members will care for their pets, but sadly, our experience shows this is just not true.

Hope For Paws wants to help as many people as possible to make these plans so we wouldn't have to respond to so many of these emergency calls. Our partners at FreeWill enable every person to write their own legally valid Will for FREE! 

The whole process will only take 15-20 minutes of your time, giving you the peace of mind you deserve, knowing your pets will be safe. I would love for you to start the process right now (just put 1 minute into it) and then they will send you a reminder to complete it (maybe over the weekend when you have a few free moments). Many people think a Will is for “older people,” but sadly, we all lost young family members or friends due to illness or accidents. 😔

The Will you create today has a special section for your pets, and here are a few things to consider:

1. Choosing a Guardian - Selecting a guardian for your pets is one of the most important decisions you'll make in your estate planning. This person should not only be willing to take on the responsibility but also have the means to provide for your pets' physical, emotional, and medical needs. Consider someone who knows your pets well, understands their personalities, and can offer a loving and stable environment. Remember, your pets are unique individuals with distinct personalities and needs. The guardian should be someone who shares your values, understands your pets' quirks, and is genuinely invested in their well-being.

2. Transparency and Communication - Once you've chosen a guardian, open communication is vital. Share all the essential information about your pets – their routines, medical history, dietary preferences, and any special habits. This knowledge will help smoothen the transition for your pets and enable their new caretaker to step into their role more seamlessly. Also, please leave instructions with your veterinarian to share all the medical information with that guardian (A note should be made on their computer system).

3. Allocating Resources - A financial plan for your pets is another crucial aspect of your will. Please designate funds in your will to cover their daily needs, medical expenses, grooming, and other requirements. This not only ensures their well-being but also showcases your commitment to their continued happiness.

4. Backup plan (This is very important) - As life evolves, so do circumstances. A guardian you picked today may not be able to assist in the future, so it's very important to have a secondary guardian who is just as committed.

I received emails from people telling me they don't have a family member or a friend who could take their pets, and Hope For Paws can assist in cases like this. If you don't have a guardian for your pets or if you would like for Hope For Paws to be your backup plan, please email me your phone number and I will find the time to call you to discuss this.

We're here to help 😺❤️🐶

Please start the email with “Hello Eldad,” and the email will be directed straight to my mailbox. 😊

Please start the process right now by clicking here. If needed, you can complete the documents later. 

Also, please share this post with anyone you know who has a pet - we want to help as many people and pets as possible. ❤️

Thank you so much!

Eldad


Saving Labrador from Drowning | Hope For Paws

I had to snare this Shepherd / Labrador in the water so he wouldn't drown! 👻

This rescue took an unexpected turn! From a hot, dry, desert rescue to a cold, wet, water rescue!

I headed north to this rescue after receiving a call from Daniel Eppard about an abandoned dog in Central California. He spent a long time trying to gain his trust, but had no luck. 

When I asked him about the exact location, he told me it was next to the National 9 Inn hotel right off the I-5 Freeway. I decided to call the hotel manager to get more details, and he was super helpful! 

I waited for 6 hours for Ghost to appear, and when I finally saw him, I knew this was not going to be easy! I was so lucky to meet Jan (a guest at the hotel) and Samantha (who works at the hotel) - they both made this rescue possible with their amazing assistance. ❤️❤️

When I texted Loreta to tell her that I finally got him, it didn't even look like a rescue photo. 😄

Please join today as a member so we can save more lives, and I will send you our beloved Lucky Leash as a small thank-you gift.

To adopt Ghost, please contact our friends at L.A. Animal Rescue:

To adopt Casper, the friendly kitten ghost, please contact our friends at Cats At The Studios:

Thank you so much for helping us accomplish all these missions!

Have a great and safe weekend!

Eldad


Starving, Sick, Homeless Dog | Hope For Paws

Starving, sick, homeless dog transforms into something amazing just in time for Eldad's birthday! 😊

Someone neglected Dino for a long time for him to end up in this condition 😥

Double Your Gift Today 🙏

Loreta and I just completed the rescue of a dog who was hit by a car, and as we were driving to the hospital, a text was sent to the Hope For Paws emergency line with Dino's picture and an address. Totally by chance, we were just seven minutes away from his location, so we quickly detoured. The injured dog in our car was hit a few days before his rescue, and I figured I could quickly outrun this little dinosaur 😄

I don't want to share too much because I want you to enjoy this video, but the cool thing is that Loreta and I got to revisit Dino a few days ago, and the difference in him is just incredible! He doesn't even look like the same dog.

Over the weekend, we celebrated Hope For Paws' 15th Anniversary (June 11th), and also by chance, it happened that my birthday is the following day after Hope For Paws (June 12th).

I want to thank you so much for giving me the gift of the opportunity to do this work every day of my life! Last night Loreta and I rescued another sad little dog off the streets who didn't want any human contact, but was too exhausted to fight us - I will post his video soon. ❤️ 

To celebrate, all donations this week will be matched, so this is a great opportunity to DOUBLE your gift! We are more than halfway there! ❤️

Meanwhile, I've added the other two videos I posted over the weekend below: Gremlin and Falkor! 

Please join our Hope For Paws Instagram page to see videos you may have missed along the way.

Join HFP on IG Today!

Tomorrow I will post another special blog (I was hoping to do it yesterday, but got busy with rescue work).

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes!

Eldad


Dog Survives in Desert | Hope For Paws

Cocker Spaniel with an embedded BARBED WIRE survives in the desert for 7 months! 😨

Can you imagine carrying this painful thing on you without the ability to remove it? 😣

Falkor lived in the desert for at least seven months and took refuge on a property of a construction company. Lupe Alcala who owns a taco truck fed him but could never get close. She sent me some videos of him running into the night and told me it will be very difficult to get him.

I had to drive for 2 hours on a Sunday to get to the rescue location, and because it required a long drive, I decided just to set up a trap and get him this way. I spent 6 hours waiting for him, but he wouldn't come out of his hiding spot (it is already extremely hot out in the desert). As it got cooler, I came up with an idea and it worked! 💡

Lupe had no idea that he had barbed wire embedded in his coat, but I am so happy I decided to bring a large trap because he wouldn't have been able to walk into my smaller trap.

I tried removing the barbed wire in the desert and even took a risk by taking him out of the trap (something I would normally never do), but I wasn't able to remove it without the risk of injuring him. I decided that two more hours wouldn't make a big difference so I rushed back so I can do it safely with Loreta.

With proper tools, Loreta was able to shave his hair close to the skin and remove that terrible piece of metal.

Falkor felt immediate relief and allowed us to work and shave his matted coat.

A few days later he had surgery done to fix his cherry eye, he had a dental cleaning, and just look at him now:

Falkor is fostered by our friends at L.A. Animal Rescue, and he is now looking for his forever home!

To apply to adopt him, please fill out an adoption application here.

We named him Falkor after The Luck Dragon from one of my favorite childhood movies - The Neverending Story (1984).

Today, June 11, 2023, Hope For Paws is celebrating 15 years!!! I am so amazed by the support we received over the years, and I really hope you will help me continue for many many many more years! I really appreciate the opportunity you have all given me to do this work for so many years.

If you haven't joined us yet, today is a GREAT DAY to do it because your donation today will be DOUBLED thanks to a generous donor who will be matching your donation.

Thank you so much!

Eldad


A Kitten in the River | Hope For Paws

Fireworks were thrown at us while trying to save a lonely kitten who was crying for help 😿

I don't understand why anyone would do something like this! 🤬

When we received a text about this kitten in the L.A. River, Loreta Frankonyte and I immediately rushed over to the location. We immediately heard the little kitten, and as we were evaluating the situation, a firework scared the kitten deeper into the pipe. We spent 8 hours in the river, waiting patiently for the kitten to walk into our trap, but even when he did, he somehow knew how to avoid the mechanism that would trap him. 

Around 11 P.M, we left the location and planned on coming early the following day. Home Depot here opens at 5 A.M, and I was right there to buy a new piece of rescue equipment - a dryer vent cleaner!

This new piece of equipment is just brilliant for saving kittens from pipes, and I am so happy I thought about it! 😉👍

I don't want to share more because I want you to enjoy this video.

This weekend (Sunday), we will celebrate Hope For Paws' 15th anniversary!!! If you are already a Hope For Paws member - THANK YOU!!! We love having you as part of our team, and I hope every story like this is making you a prouder supporter. ❤️

If you are NOT a member yet, today is a GREAT DAY to join us because your donations this week will be MATCHED, so every dollar you donate will be DOUBLED!

I will post new videos every day in the coming days to celebrate this anniversary and also my birthday (Monday). 

It is so cool that by chance, Hope For Paws was founded just a day before my birthday.

Thank you so much for being a part of our team and for sharing our rescue videos!

Eldad


Homeless German Shepard | Hope For Paws

Homeless German Shepherd mother screams for help 🥺

Today it's Mother's Day, and for me, it's the first one since my mom passed away.

My mom, Giselle, was born in Germany, so I named this German Shepherd mother after her in her honor. ❤️

Today we all celebrate moms - the ones who are with us and those who are not. The job of a mom is a tough one, just like it was for Giselle, who had given birth to 8 puppies out on the streets of Compton. 

Giselle got to see five of her babies being taken away by people, and then she got to see one get hit by a car and die. The last two puppies, Ophelia and Philomena, never allowed Loreta Frankonyte or me to pet them... they cautiously approached to take food from us, and then they would retreat.

In cases like this, it is critical to get the most challenging dog first (the mom) and only then get the babies. As you can see in this video, we could have had the babies very quickly, but I couldn't risk spooking the mom and losing her forever. 

On day 2 of this rescue, Loreta and I arrived in two separate cars; we brought ALL our equipment, spent a couple of hours setting up this rescue, and then it DID NOT go as expected!!! 😄

I don't want to share more because I want you to enjoy this video.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there ❤️❤️❤️

Eldad


Kittens Locked in Apartment | Hope For Paws

Their owner collapsed and left them alone in this world! 😢😢

After Hades' and Jupiter's owner collapsed and was hospitalized, they found themselves locked in the apartment for a whole week without food or water!

When we got the call on the HopeForPaws line, we were told that the owner's family was giving us just an hour to get them out, or else they are just letting them out to the street. 

Loreta Frankonyte and I rushed over there immediately. We knew they were trapped in the past (so they wouldn't walk into a trap again), and because of the time crunch, we had to actively catch them and get out of there. The smell in the unit was awful; we all had to wear masks - it's just amazing they survived! By the end of the video, you'll see a beautiful transformation for both of them.

Most people, especially younger people, think there is no reason to write a Will/Living Trust and make a plan for their family members and their pets. Hades' and Jupiter's owner is only 40 years old, and he is never coming back 😰 

To ensure that something like this doesn't EVER happen to your pets, Hope For Paws partnered with Free Will to help you write your own legally valid will/Living Trust, FOR FREE! You can read more about it here and complete the whole process in 15-20 minutes: https://www.hopeforpaws.org/blog/who-will-take-care-of-your-pets-when-you-cannot 

Life is so fragile, and we are responsible for keeping our family members safe in case something unexpected happens.

❤️

Please let us know if you need help with that or if you have any questions by contacting us here: https://www.HopeForPaws.org/contact_us/category/general 

If the email says "Hello Eldad", it will automatically go to my mailbox 😉 
(The next few days will be extremely busy, but I will get to all of them in early January 2025).

I hope you have seen Norman's video - it's another example of how we help animals and people, too. I know some people don't have anyone who would take their pets, and then we should talk to set up a plan together.

Please start the process right now - give it 3 minutes, and you can complete it over the weekend: https://www.FreeWill.com/HopeForPaws

Thank you so much!

Eldad


Dogs Stick Together to the End | Hope For Paws

Homeless Labrador and her Shepherd friend stick together until the end 🥺

Roxy (the Labrador mix) and Chloe (the Shepherd mix) lived together by the railroad tracks for AT LEAST four years, terrified of humans, and survived only thanks to Carolina Morales, who fed them since 2019!!! 

When Carolina noticed a visible decline in Chloe's health, she knew she had to do something. Luckily she found the Hope For Paws rescue videos on YouTube, so she emailed us about this challenging situation. 

When dealing with two terrified dogs who depend on each other, I don't like using traps because if one dog sees the other dog trapped, I may lose one forever, and it's just not a chance I am willing to take. Yes, these rescues are stressful, but it beats dying alone on the streets - especially with Chloe's condition that deteriorated very quickly 😢

I can't imagine how much worse and more traumatic it would have been if we got the call just a week later.

Please be a HERO for homeless animals and help us save more of them. 

Thank you so much 🙏

Your donation today will send us on the next rescue mission. ❤️


Please help us find Roxy a loving forever home by sharing her story. She needs someone who will love, hug, and give her the best life.

To adopt her, please contact our friends at: https://www.TheLittleRedDog.org

Thank you so much for your support!

Eldad

https://www.HopeForPaws.org


Tricky Dog Rescue | Hope For Paws

Dog made us believe it was over and then bites Loreta multiple times!!!

Trojan was spotted by USC students Eden Weinblut and Lindsay Gibson, and they knew he needed help.

He was very hungry, but he was too scared to allow them to help him.
Loreta Frankonyte and I headed out right away; we were told that Lindsay was keeping an eye on him, and Eden was also heading toward the rescue location.

This rescue was tricky - a lot of students around, a nervous dog, a huge campus, noisy construction, and in an effort to keep him around, Lindsay kept feeding him, so by the time we got there, he wasn't really hungry anymore. Loreta rushed to the campus cafeteria to get a fresh cheeseburger - I hoped he wouldn't be able to resist that. 

The actual capture went smoothly, a simple textbook rescue 🤓👍

What we didn't know is that this Trojan horse was waiting for us to let our guard down so he could escape. In his first attempt to escape, he knocked Loreta to the ground, but she got back on her feet and managed to get a Lucky Leash around him (did you already get your own Lucky Leash?). Then he tried to trick us so we would let our guard down again, and when that didn't work, he tackled Loreta again and bit her multiple times - it cost her an arm and a leg (with puncture wounds).

Loreta (as you know) doesn't stop because of a bite and she managed to get him again. We had to change our tactics because this Trojan from USC knew he had to Fight on! Unfortunately, because he was fighting us, the snare and the leash got tangled and disrupted his ability to breathe. I almost made it to the building when he collapsed and Loreta quickly rearranged the leash around his neck so he wouldn't faint. Meanwhile, Eden and Lindsay ran all the way across the campus to the Hope For Paws rescue vehicle and got a large cage so we can secure him.

It was really cool to recruit two new rescuers on the spot and have them work so well with us!

If you can't volunteer with a rescue, please help us with a small donation 🙏 
 

Thank you ❤️

The rest of the story is so interesting…

Trojan had such a sad look in his eyes, but I just didn't know what he was trying to tell me. He didn't have a collar; he didn't have a microchip, and every search online for someone who may be looking for him failed.

Loreta and I cleaned him up, but I didn't rush him to the hospital right away… he stayed with me for the rest of the day because I knew he needed some time to decompress. At CARES, he received medical treatment, and from there, he continued to his foster home with Foxy and the Hounds (their founder, Terri Fox, was the one who called me and told me about him).

It is very unusual for a rescued dog to be as sad as he was for two weeks, but then he got a lucky break! Lindsay Gibson (who joined us on this rescue) found out that he has an owner who is looking for him! 

We then learned that kids played with fireworks in the neighborhood. Trojan (whose real name is Frost) got so scared, he jumped over the fence and ran for his life!!! He ran so far that he didn't know how to get back home, and amazingly, he didn't get hit by a car (if you know downtown L.A, you know traffic is always busy).

Trojan found a safe haven at the safe USC campus where kind students shared their lunches and dinners with him, and the vegetation provided cover during the cold nights.

If it wasn't for Lindsay, the reunion would have never happened, and this brings me to the important lesson of microchipping your pets, and always having a collar with a name tag on. 4th of July is just around the corner, and you never want to be a part of the statistic of people who lost their pets and never found them again.

Please, please, please make it a priority to visit your vet and get it done, and on the way home, get your furbaby a new collar with a new name tag 😊

Oh, and Loreta is OK - she healed nicely and she will have a bunch of cool photos on her Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/xoxoloreta/

Thank you so much!

Eldad


Abused Dog Rescued on Euthanization Day | Hope For Paws

Abused dog rescued the day she was scheduled to be euthanized.

Yesterday was another sad day for me… my little Chase passed away 😔

Chase was abused for three years, and then she was dumped at the South Central Shelter. She was scheduled to be euthanized because no one could handle her. Back then, most of our rescues came from shelters, and I always gravitated toward the medical or behavioral cases - I always wanted to help those who I knew no one would take home. 

When I got to the shelter on a Saturday afternoon, I asked, “Is there anyone in the medical room I should meet?”. One of the Animal Control officers said, “Yes!!!” and the rest is history.

At the time, Hope For Paws was only an 18-month-old organization, and we participated in a competition by Chase Bank for a grand prize/donation of $25,000!!! Thousands of people from all over the world voted for Hope For Paws, and we won!!! This donation doubled our budget, and it was a huge step toward the growth of this little organization. As a token of appreciation to the bank for their generous donation, I named her Chase 😊

We didn't plan to adopt Chase. We already had 2 dogs, 4 cats + a bunch of fostered dogs, and the thought was that we would rehabilitate her and find her a home. Chase became a part of the family, and because of her past, we just couldn't imagine putting her through another change in her life. She was so happy with us, so she stayed for 8421 more days which is a little more than 13 years ❤️

She was a little dog with a HUGE personality, and she was saved and got to live an amazing life thanks to our supporters!

Thank you Chase for so many laughs, and so many kisses.

I will never forget you ❤️

Eldad


Smartest Homeless Dog Evades Capture | Hope For Paws

The smartest homeless dog evades us. Loreta used Spider-woman's superpower to save Superman! 🕸️🦸‍♂️

This rescue seems short, but Superman evaded our attempts for 2 hours which is very unusual for us! We had to be careful because we didn't want to risk losing him, so we didn't do anything aggressive. When an opportunity presented itself, we tried to corner him, but he managed to escape from us by flying away at top speed! We then knew we were going to name him Superman (as soon as we could get him).

Toward the end of the rescue, Loreta deployed her Spiderwoman superpower, and with her web, she got him!

We are in crisis mode here - Amazon Smile canceled their program, and we lost almost 43,000 of you who supported us through this amazing program that changed so many lives!!! 😿 

I wanted to ask you to be a SUPERHERO/SUPERHEROINE for animals like SUPERMAN and join us with a $5 monthly donation. As you can imagine, losing 43,000 supporters overnight has a huge impact on so many animals - it's thousands of dollars for surgeries dogs and cats we rescue desperately need.

Our friends at SAFE Rescue Team are fostering Superman, and it is so cool to receive video updates of this little guy who is just thriving!

To apply to adopt him or many of their other cute dogs, please visit them at: https://www.SafeRescueTeam.org

For the cost of a cup of coffee, you can help us save dogs like Dino (above) ☕

A few days ago, Loreta and I were on a rescue of another superhero we named SHAZAM.  He was hit by a car and couldn't move for 3 days until someone finally called Hope For Paws

On our way to the hospital, we received a text about Dino, and looking at my GPS, I saw we were just 5 minutes away, so we quickly detoured. We were told no one could get him, but I figured we could outrun this sick little dog.

Dino may look like a puppy, but he is actually an adult who has been starving for a long time. As a result of starvation, his immune system collapsed, demodectic mange mites took over his body, and he lost most of his hair 😰

We rushed to CARES, where the medical team immediately started treatment on both Dino and Shazam!

The rescue videos of both dogs will be posted as soon as they completed their medical recovery, and this may take a while.

As a thank you for your support, I wanted to share another superhero video: SPIDERMAN!

Thank you so much for supporting us and for helping us make all these rescues possible 🙏

Eldad


Junkyard Dog Gets Lucky Break | Hope For Paws

Dog lived in a junkyard his whole life 😰 finally gets a lucky break 🍀⚡

Everybody at the junkyard loved Flash, they loved seeing him, feeding him, and petting him, but no one loved him enough to take him home. Luckily, one employee got worried about him because of another major storm that was coming through and called #HopeForPaws for help. Loreta Frankonyte and I headed out right away, and we filmed this rescue for you ❤️

It was so amazing to see the change in him as soon as we cleaned him up and offered him to roll on the couch - he is really one lucky dog 🐶🍀😊

This week we rescued animals from all kinds of weird situations, the hospital is completely full, and it leaves very little time for creating videos and making Facebook posts, but we will catch up and share all the stories soon.

We would LOVE for you to help us make another dog or cat LUCKY to be rescued by us, so please join this St. Patrick's Day Fundraiser today.

Change someone's luck 🐶🍀😺

Flash is now in his foster home with our friends at Foxy And The Hounds and he LOVES it there! He gets to feel safe, warm, and he gets to be a pet who plays with other dog and enjoys every day of his life!

The only thing he needs now is a loving forever home, so if you would like to adopt him, please contact them directly: https://www.FoxyAndTheHounds.org

Thank you so much!!!

Eldad


Homeless Dog Doesn't Trust Humans | Hope For Paws

Homeless dog didn't trust humans who tried to help her for months!!!

Ziva survived for many months thanks to workers who fed her, built her housing, and did everything in their power to help her. Luckily, one of them finally discovered the Hope For Paws rescue videos and called us for help.

Katie McKittrick and Alex Babcock headed out and transformed this dog in the most beautiful way... make sure to watch this one until the end 😊

Rescues like this require long drives, patience, and thanks to your support, we can provide so many animals with the medical care they need. If you are not a Hope For Paws member yet, please join us today and we will send you our Lucky Leash: https://www.HopeForPaws.org/Lucky_Leash ❤️

Thank you ❤️

Ziva is now fostered by our friends at L.A. Animal Rescue. To fill an application for her adoption, please visit: https://www.LAAnimalRescue.org

Thank you so much!

Eldad


Dangerous Freeway Rescue | Hope For Paws

DANGEROUS freeway rescue!

This video is dedicated to my friend Norman Weldon who loved Hope For Paws.

🎅🎅🎅 Your support sends us on these rescue missions. 🎅🎅🎅

Help us save more lives 🙏

For Christmas, I wanted to share the story of Norman because it's a perfect example of how we will do whatever it takes to save a life. As soon as I received the call about a dog who was hit by a car on the I-710 Long Beach Freeway, I rushed over to the rescue location. It was a weekend, so traffic was somewhat lighter, but that made the situation even more dangerous because people were driving faster while he was lying motionless on the side of the highway!

It took me over an hour to reach the location where the dog was last seen, and after a quick glance, the dog seemed to be lifeless. Norman was lying in the left lane, and there was only a narrow shoulder, so I couldn’t pull over safely. I drove another mile until I reached the closest exit, at which point Loreta called to check in on me because she knows how dangerous these missions are. I told her that I thought Norman was dead, but I was not going to leave until I was absolutely certain there wasn’t a beating heart inside his body. I assured her I would find the closest police station to get help with stopping traffic on the freeway.

I rushed to the police station, and I was amazed that no one was there! The only thing in the lobby was a telephone with instructions to call the police. I tried the number, was left on hold for a couple of minutes, and decided to hang up and walk around to the back parking lot to see if I could find an officer. The police station and parking lot were empty, so I knew that I was on my own. 

Minutes later, I was back driving on the left lane of the freeway, and as I got closer to the location of the dog, I slowed down because I needed the vehicles behind me to slow down as well. When I spotted the dog the second time, I pulled over as much as I could and used my car to block a portion of the left lane. As I walked toward Norman, I couldn’t believe it when he lifted his head! This could have turned out to be a complete nightmare - a scared dog could have run into oncoming traffic, been hit by a car again, or caused a major accident.

Every rescue like this could be my last, but this is my passion, and I will do anything for these animals. I managed to secure Norman, quickly evaluate his condition, and return safely to the car. At CARES, he was x-rayed, and it was determined he suffered from a fractured pelvis. My hope is that you will watch Norman’s rescue video and share it with family and friends this holiday season.

The name Norman was given to him in honor of an older gentleman who loved and supported Hope For Paws for a long time. Norman and I became friends, and earlier this year, he shared with me that he was dying.

Norman asked for my personal assistance with finding his beloved cat Nini a loving forever home. He didn't have family or friends, and he didn't want Nini to be thrown out to the streets or be left at the shelter to die.

A month before he passed away, he asked me to come over and take Nini because he was no longer able to care for her. I drove to his small apartment, and we spent some time together. Norman told me about all the things Nini loved, and after he said his goodbyes, Nini and I continued to the hospital and then to her foster home. Two weeks later, I went to visit my mom (which turned out to be my last visit with her), and while I was away, I kept sending Norman smoothies (he suffered from throat cancer which made it impossible for him to eat). A few days later, he passed away peacefully, knowing Hope For Paws made sure his cat was safe and loved.

Norman Jr. continued to his foster home with our friends at The Animal Rescue Mission. They are new partners of Hope For Paws, and I hope you will check out all the dogs they have for adoption here: https://www.theanimalrescuemission.org

Our medical partner CARES is expanding to help us save more animals.

Norman, just like all the animals we rescue, was taken to CARES (California Animal Rescue Emergency Services) for medical treatment. Over the past year, CARES hired a second full-time surgeon along with a second full-time medical team, so we now have a hospital available to us 24 hours a day and seven days a week. This is a big step forward for Hope For Paws that will help us to double the number of lives that we save each year!

Over 95% of the animals that we provide medical care for at CARES do not have a rescue video. Most animals come to us badly injured, requiring expensive surgeries or are in need of treatment for every possible disease out there. After the animals have been discharged from CARES, they all continue to foster homes for their physical and emotional recovery in preparation for adoption.

More animals than ever before will need Hope For Paws help in the New Year 

We’re seeing an increase in the number of neglected and homeless animals on the streets. At the same time, shelters are overcrowded because of an increase in the number of abandoned animals. It's important to understand that animals suffering from medical problems within the shelter system are at the highest risk of being killed. We are committed to helping these animals get out of the shelter and giving them a second chance that begins with the best medical care. 

It is unacceptable to me, as I know it is unacceptable to you, that a dog or a cat be killed because of a broken leg.

If you haven't done so already, please take a minute to join us as a member.

Thank you!

My holiday wish is that every Hope For Paws supporter will help us recruit one friend to join us as a member so we can double our impact

This rescue reminds me of PD's rescue where I was able to get assistance from the LAPD. I know they are swamped with work, and I am always trying to get assistance to do these rescues safely.

Another rescue I accomplished with the police:

And of course, I also rescue cats on the freeway:

Like you, I value animals in my life, and I know that together, we can make a real difference for so many animals in need.

Thank you so much for your support!

Eldad

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Dog Neglected for Two Years | Hope For Paws

A dog was neglected for two years and finally someone called Hope For Paws

Your gift goes straight to work helping us save animals

Last week I received an unusual call about a dog on a property that has been neglected for a very long time. In general, cases like this must be handled by Animal Control because, in the state of California, animals are considered “property”, and we, as a rescue organization, do not have the legal authority to come and take someone's dog - that would get us in trouble for stealing someone's property.

Of course, we could have contacted Animal Control, but we feared that they would come, take her to the shelter, and she would be labeled as an “Evidence Dog” in a cruelty case. In our experience, this process can take months, and with Christmas just a few days away, Loreta Frankonyte and I needed to figure out a way around all that 😎😎

Please watch until the end because her complete transformation in just 3 days will amaze you!

Here are a few pictures to show the incredible transformation that happened in her life thanks to your incredible support!

This is the image that was texted to the Hope For Paws emergency line.

Loreta Frankonyte and Katie McKittrick handled the grooming while I filmed the process for you, and also figured out how to do Facebook LIVE with our supporters on our Facebook Page, and then we did an Instagram LIVE with our supporters on our Instagram page - if you're not following us yet, it's definitely time… it's almost 2023 ❤️😊

Pretty amazing - almost the whole coat in one piece. The coat smelled awful, feces couldn't reach the ground so it got stuck to the coat, and so did urine… just NOT OK!

It is so weird to me that she was obviously well-fed, but that's all her owners did for her… I just don't understand it.

Noelle was amazed by the turn of events in the past two hours!

Ready for the first bath of her life!!!

After a bath, Noelle felt so much better, and three days later, she was a completely different dog yet again!!!

I really hope you will share her story so we can find her a loving forever home! Our friends at Foxy and the Hounds are fostering her, so if you would like to adopt her, please contact them directly: www.FoxyAndTheHounds.org

This story reminds me of Abby's rescue that we did not too far from where we found Noelle - it was another Christmas Miracle 🎅

If you love our work, and if you would love for us to continue saving lives and share these amazing stories with you, please join us today as a Hope For Paws member 🙏

Donate a cheeseburger every month

Please MAKE SURE to be back on Sunday, Christmas Day, for the EPIC video of Norman!!!

He appeared to be dead on the freeway, but I wasn't leaving until I made sure there was no beating heart inside of his body.

Please stay safe and healthy.

Merry Christmas!!! 

Eldad

p.s. LOOK, there is a SHARE BUTTON right below this text - please introduce an animal lover you know to our work ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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Sad and Abandoned Dog | Hope For Paws

An abandoned dog was so sad and confused - he didn't know how to handle this situation 😰

Gizmo had no idea what to do - he felt betrayed and lost after he was abandoned in an industrial area. Luckily, Rafael Ramirez knew to call Hope For Paws for help, so Katie McKittrick and Alex Babcock headed out right away.

There is a growing number of animals that are abandoned on the streets and in city/county shelters, and it's just terrible. We are trying our best to get as many as possible, but it all depends on our ability to pay our huge vet bills.

Yesterday I was reading through Facebook comments where people are sharing how they are struggling financially to care for their own pets. This of course, makes me nervous because I know it means bad news for homeless animals, as we can't operate at full speed without your support.

The only thing that gives me HOPE is the large number of people who love Hope For Paws!  If every person would support us with $5 or $10 a month, we should be OK.  It is so cold outside, temperature last night dropped to 37°F (3°C) and we really want to save as many animals as possible.

If you join us today as a member, I will send you our famous Lucky Leash! 🌺🌺🌺

Thank you ❤️

Thank you so much!!!

Eldad


Giving Tuesday Rescue | Hope For Paws

#GivingTuesday weird and funny rescue 🤪🤷‍♂️🥰 + SPECIAL OFFER

It's #GivingTuesday and today we can change many lives together with a special MATCHING CAMPAIGN I created here: https://tiltify.com/hope-for-paws/giving-tuesday-matching-campaign - every dollar you donate, will be doubled up to $25,000 $50,000 by two amazing supporters ❤️ 

Every gift will be doubled up to $50,000

With the rising cost of veterinary care and the growing number of animals that need our help, our work is twice as hard and we really need your support today - please click DONATE here and help us reach the goal: https://tiltify.com/hope-for-paws/giving-tuesday-matching-campaign 

IMPORTANT CHALLENGE for SUPER FANS with some FREE TIME - Today, YOU can take it to the NEXT LEVEL, get rewarded and receive a Hope For Paws BLANKET or a TOWEL, or a LUCKY LEASH, or ALL THREE!!! You will also gain a very important LIFE SKILL - a professional skill!

This challenge will require TIME and EFFORT, so if you're up for it, please read below the video, and if not, please skip to the beautiful picture of beautiful Bella and read more about her 🥰 

It is important to me that you understand that setting up this project will probably take 20-30 minutes!!! The idea here is for you to set up a fundraising campaign, ask your family and friends to support Hope For Paws, and the more funds you raise for the animals, the better your gift will be 🎁🎁🎁

When you click on this link: https://tiltify.com/hope-for-paws/giving-tuesday-matching-campaign - you will see TWO OPTIONS: 
1. DONATE 
2. START FUNDRAISING 
 
Please choose the option to START FUNDRAISING, then click on CREATE AN ACCOUNT to create your own Tiltify fundraiser for Hope For Paws.  You will have to use your REAL EMAIL ADDRESS because you will have to verify your account at the end in order to publish your campaign. 

After creating the account, you will need to pick a USER NAME, write a short bio, and load a picture that your family and friends will recognize - maybe it's a picture of your smile, or maybe it's a picture of your pet pig 😊🐷

Next, you'll give your campaign a name, and write a few words about Hope For Paws. Making it personal will increase your chances of succeeding ❤️ 

➡️➡️➡️ If I didn't lose you yet, it's AMAZING!!! 😅👍 

On the next page, you will have 3 options: Live Stream, YouTube, or Image
The easiest thing is to click on YouTube and post your favorite Hope For Paws video. You can see ALL of them here: https://www.youtube.com/@hopeforpaws/videos (or you can just click on "Use cause YouTube video"). 

On the next page, you will be asked to SET UP A GOAL for your fundraiser. 

🎁 You can select any amount, but here the "FUNDRAISER PERKS" come into play!!! 🎁 
If you raise $100, I will send you a Lucky Leash. 
If you raise $250, I will send you a Hope For Paws towel. 
If you raise $500, I will send you a Hope For Paws blanket. 
If you raise $1,000, I will send you a package with ALL 3 items!!! 

You CAN'T change the goal once you started a campaign, so think about all the people you could call or email, think about all your contacts on social media who you could ask to participate in this life-saving campaign so you'll be successful in getting the perk you want. If you have 50 Facebook friends and you can convince each one to donate just $10 each, you'll reach the $500 mark and you will get our Hope For Paws blanket - it's really an amazingly soft and warm blanket!!! 

➡️➡️➡️Are you still with me??? Perfect!!! 😂😂😂 

Next step, you will need to verify your email (DON'T close the Tiltify window), just check the email in a different tab or window, and click to verify. 

Back to Tiltify, you will now have to click PUBLISH CAMPAIGN and NOW, the real work begins!!! 

You will have a link to the campaign (Make sure it says "PUBLISHED"), and then you can share it via Email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Don't worry, the process for your family and friends is EASY - just a name, a credit card, and a donation amount. You will see your bar fill up as you're heading toward your desired PERK! Right now, NO ONE has our TOWELS or BLANKETS... you will be one of the first people in the world to have it ❤️❤️❤️ 

If at any point you closed a window by accident, just go to the main page again, use your username and password, and you'll be able to see your dashboard.

If you're stuck at any point, you can email me via this form and I'll be on the lookout for any questions as I just went through the process myself (twice!): https://www.hopeforpaws.org/contact_us/category/donations If you will find that you're REALLY GOOD at this, there are amazing employment opportunities for you out there!!! I wish I had a full-time fundraiser - it would have freed me to do so many more rescues!!! My whole life revolves around saving animals. This work uses 90% of the time I am awake (and I don't sleep much). Rescuing, veterinary appointments, working on videos, emails, phone calls, fundraising, and many more tasks to make sure this machine continues to work 24/7/365. 

Thank you so much for reading all this, and if you will actually do it, this would be AMAZING!!! 
I really hope to give away 1000 blankets, 1000 towels, and 1000 Lucky Leashes 🐶❤️😺 

Good luck!!!

Annabelle Martinez contacted me about this beautiful Bella who was abandoned just 200 yards from where I rescued Miley many years ago - I knew that spot as if I was there yesterday!

There is almost no way you don't know Miley's story, but here is the video for you:

Annabelle told me Bella was so scared and wouldn't let anyone near her. I rushed over and this turned out to be one of the cutest rescues EVER! 🥰

After this rescue, I realized I was missing two sets of plastic fencing, so I posted them on our Hope For Paws Amazon Wishlist, and our amazing supporters made sure this problem will never happen again.

Our friends at Much Love fostered Bella and just reported that she was adopted! Don't you worry, they still have many other amazing dogs for adoption here: https://www.MuchLove.org ❤️❤️❤️

If you would like to get your own Lucky Leash, please click here: https://www.HopeForPaws.org/Lucky_Leash

Thank you so much for your support! ❤️

Eldad

p.s. if you're not following us on Instagram yet, here is the link for you: https://www.instagram.com/hopeforpawsrescue/


Loreta's Top Ten Rescues | Hope For Paws

Loreta's Top 10 Rescues

Hello my dear friends,

Hope you’ve been well. I have been away in Lithuania for a few months spending some much-needed quality time with my dad and mom (she lives in Spain so she came for a short visit also).  I just got back to LA, and have insane jetlag, so what do I do at 3 AM while being wide awake next to my precious poodle Paddington? I decided to write about my all-time top ten favorite rescue stories that I love for so many different reasons and hope you’ll watch them again through my heart and eyes:

1. FIONA. Like many of you, this was the first Hope For Paws video I ever saw. I cried like a baby, I was so touched by these two amazing human beings Eldad and Audrey. I watched that video over and over and cried each time for little Fiona. Never did I think that one day I will be part of this incredible organization. I thought that can only happen in a dream. Fast forward 10 years later, I am with Hope For Paws, Eldad is my better half and Audrey has become my best friend and my soul sister. Fiona sadly has passed away three years ago on my birthday, but she had the most incredible home with my dear friends Michele and Chris Gentry. Fiona also got to welcome to her perfect family my two other favorite rescued babies Alice and Abby. Rest In Peace sweet Fifi, your beautiful rescue story changed the lives of thousands of animals and touched the hearts of millions of people around the globe. You will forever be my superhero doggie and you will always be the Hope For Paws Angel. ❤️I love you ❤️

2. ALICE aka SUFI 💖. Alice was my Fiona. It was the first time I ever saw a dog in such horrific condition but with such a strong spirit and will to fight and live. When I met her on the rescue, my heart broke into a million pieces. How can anyone do to her what they did and leave her like this??? All I wanted to do was take her home and give her all the love in the world and keep her safe. I’ll never forget that moment when we had to leave her at the hospital, and as I was walking away she screamed for me, it was so heart-wrenching that I couldn’t yet take her home as she needed to be hospitalized for many serious health issues. We had such a strong connection and she knew that I would be there for her. Several days later I took her home and fostered her for several weeks until she was ready to join her new sisters Fiona and Bella and her incredible new parents Michele and Chris Gentry. 

Alice recently passed away, but she got to live a dream life. I will never forget you my sweet girl, you changed me, you changed all of us for the better. You are the perfect example of living in the moment and loving unconditionally. Tears are falling down my face as I share these incredible stories with you. In her video, you’ll see my babies Bonnie and Coco who also passed away in the last 2-3 years. So special to be able to have these rescue stories that will live forever with our beloved pets. 

3. WASHINGTON. I will forever have scars on my hand to remind me of this very special boy. In true poodle nature, he was a fighter. He was badly injured and didn’t trust anyone. Eldad warned me not to grab him, but we had so many things going against us on this rescue that if we lost him in that desert area full of coyotes, he wouldn’t have made it another night. His injury also needed immediate care or he would have gotten sepsis. We were running out of time so I did what I felt I had to do. This was my first serious bite, he wouldn’t let go of my hand (and neither would I) and the pain was excruciating! But a few moments later, he realized that we were there to help and he wagged his tail!!! 

Of course, we took him to the hospital first, and then it was my turn to be rescued (Urgent Care 🤦). Washington had surgery and healed perfectly without having to lose his badly injured paw. He is such a happy boy now!!! All is forgiven and as I always say, it was worth it and I’d do it all over again even if they bite me. Trust me, the bites didn’t end there, but this rescue taught me that I don’t let go even if I am in pain and that gave me a huge confidence boost for many rescues to come. I still don’t let go. 😂

4. ABBY 🌺. Abby didn’t feel a kind human touch for almost two years, if ever, now that I think about it. Someone captured her previously and kept her in a cage for 2 months. She managed to escape, but she no longer trusted humans. When Eldad, JoAnn, and I arrived on the rescue scene, we were told this will be very challenging and will take a long time. Abby was so matted that she didn’t even look like a dog. She had dreads all the way to the ground, you couldn’t see her face or her paws, and she was so overgrown that she didn’t even have flees as they couldn’t get to the skin through that insane matting. I was so eager to rescue her and shave her. What a relief that would be for her little body. This time to avoid a bite I followed Eldad’s instructions (sort of) to gain her trust patiently, feed her, and hopefully, she would come to me on her terms. Well, I was so scared to lose her, that I just grabbed her when the moment felt right. I guess I didn’t follow his guidance fully, but I followed my heart. 

I know that when I listen to my gut feeling, things go the right way for me. I ended up fostering Abby with Eldad and Bonnie. But guess who opened their hearts and home to her? Fiona, Alice, Michele and Chris Gentry. ❤️❤️❤️

5. JESSIE! Oh my that was the most stressful rescue ever!!! Jessie fell 45 feet deep into a tiny water well pipe in South Carolina. He was stuck there for four days before we were called for help. At this point, a kitten with no food, no water, and freezing cold normally wouldn’t survive, but that’s the miracle of Jessie. Being so far away Eldad and I had insane anxiety levels. We had no idea if we would make it in time. We took the red-eye flight in hopes that Jessie would still be alive (very unlikely at this point). We had our incredible Hope For Paws followers suggest lots of rescue techniques as this was a first one for us. I guess when you have such a strong and huge group of people routing for Jessie, that powerful energy of love is what kept little Jessie alive. 

Our dear friend Kimberly was waiting for us on the ground and she recruited an amazing plumber to assist us. This is not Kimberly's first rodeo with Hope For Paws - she also assisted Eldad with Shaggy, and assisted us with Hermione.

Eldad became an even bigger hero to me that day. He did something that was truly impossible that’s why this entire rescue mission was just one big miracle! I won’t give too much away because I want you to see and feel what we felt, but my dad who is our biggest believer told us not to go. He said it would be impossible to get Jessie out of the ground. Well, to Eldad impossible is what makes him who he is! 💞

6. NAPOLEON. What in the world is a little kitten doing in a fast lane of a crazy busy LA freeway??? Did someone throw him out the window and left him to die? Many times as we see such horrors being caused by people, we also saw how the entire Los Angeles main freeway came to a complete stop in order to help us achieve this very dangerous and life-threatening rescue. My parents were very upset with me. If you closely watch what happens just after we get the kitten rescued, you’ll see a car driving at insane speed on that fast lane. Yup, we dodged death this time and are so glad that no accident happened. Some people were angry at us and we understand that. We tried to have the police help us with this rescue, but we had no luck getting help and this kitten could have been killed any moment now. Imagine driving to a rescue and not knowing if he will be alive or if you’ll find a dead baby. The stress levels are insane and you just want to help!!! 

I would never encourage anyone to do this without the proper help of the police, but the kind people of LA truly helped us by stopping and waited for us to get the little kitten safely. After this rescue we had the police help us several times and we are so grateful to them for keeping all of us safe on the roads. 

7. GERSHWIN. This was one of my very first (5 years ago) and more challenging rescues. Gershwin is a 110-pound dog who was abandoned in a desert on a very hot day. He kept running away from us, but he got tired, fell asleep, and then I sneaked up on him not knowing what this giant dog would do to me. For some laughs, watch his rescue story. All I can say is that being dragged on sewer water-soaked grass by this bear-sized dog is no fun for me but fun to watch for you. 😂

It is one of the best rescue stories we have. ❤️

8. MADDY: This is special to me because it shows how an angry, broken dog still has a chance to become a family dog through proper training and patience. Many times dogs like her are euthanized for no fault of their own. Maddy could have absolutely injured or killed us, but Eldad and I are always very calm on rescues, and with Eldad’s huge experience and resilience we were able to save this beautiful shepherd. Her transformation is incredible and we hope that many people will see how a broken dog just like a human can act out from fear, mistrust, abuse, and pain. We wouldn’t give up on a human being so we shouldn’t give up on a dog either. They all have a past and a story to tell.

9. MASIK. We always say do not chase a dog, don’t run after a dog and here we are going against our own advice! This was some crazy running marathon and I didn’t even believe I could snare him while running so fast! When I am on rescues with Eldad, I get so much confidence knowing that he is right here just in case I need him. So he said to run and I ran. 😂

It’s a must-watch rescue story!!! I don’t know if this can be repeated again or if I was just really lucky running on autopilot and adrenaline.

10. THE CANDY FAMILY. When I say to always trust your gut feeling, there is a reason why. We just finished a rescue, and I saw another dog at the nearby park. For some reason, I felt that she is hiding something so I followed her. Well, my instincts were right! She had puppies!!! Flee-ridden babies that were at risk of anemia and/or death. The person who was feeding her didn’t want us to take them. He believed that they would be better off living at this park and he would continue feeding them. After a few minutes of conversation in Spanish, he understood that not only do they need immediate medical help, but also deserve a better life than living on the streets with dangers lurking everywhere. 

Educating people in a kind and patient way is what we need in order to make them understand what these animals need and how they should live. I will forever be grateful to him for feeding the mom so she could feed her babies, but now their new life was about to begin. At the hospital, Eldad and I got to work on the puppies. We have never seen so many fleas!!! There were thousands and they were eating the puppies alive. This definitely is that feel-good rescue that I wanted to finish my top ten with. You’ll love it!!!

Exactly a year after their rescue, we were invited to a birthday party and a special reunion of this whole family.

As you can see, your donations have saved countless lives, but so many more are in need of our help. Only with your support can we continue saving these poor animals as the vet care costs have significantly increased this year. We will never stop doing our part, but we really need your continued support. It truly takes a huge and compassionate village to save each and every animal and so many more that you don’t see because they don’t have a video. Please donate to save another precious life in need.

Thank you!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support and for believing in our work.

With all my gratitude, 

xoxo Loreta 


Dog Thrown Down LA River | Hope For Paws

Breaking News: dog's owner died, and he was thrown down to the LA river 💔

One day, May Johnson glanced out her office window one day and saw a dog down in the L.A. River! She called Dennis Lake to figure out a plan to get help; May called the Fire Department, and Dennis called Animal Control, but they didn't get the help they hoped for. They saw the dog going into the tunnel (I didn't know that when I went on this rescue), Dennis waited for a long time to see if he comes out, but he didn't. 

Dennis went back to his office and looked at some satellite images to figure out how to get to the dog, and then Animal Control called back and said they will be back the next day.

The following morning, Animal Control still didn't show up, and Eowyn Mishawn found Hope For Paws on YouTube and she texted me the first clip you'll see on this video:

Most people tend to think that if they die unexpectedly, their family or friends will take care of their pets, but our experience shows it's just NOT TRUE! Please, please, please don't leave this to a chance! #HopeForPaws teamed up with #FreeWill to enable everybody to write their own Will for FREE here: https://www.FreeWill.com/HopeForPaws ❤️

Imagine your dog or cat in a terrible situation like Nico's situation and there is nothing you can do about it because you're already gone!

I know that for the past couple of years I keep asking people to do this because this is happening again and again. The whole process will take just 20 minutes, you can click here, start now, and complete it later this week when you have some free time.

Nico had a microchip, so we were able to figure out who his owner was, and we learned that he passed away. We were able to connect with this man's two daughters who didn't care about their father's dog (they claimed they didn't even know to tell us his name). 

Thousands of people already created their Will, and I really hope you will do it too. It is the holiday, so many families are together, so it's a great time to have a conversation about it, make a plan, and then have a legally valid will in writing

I would recommend creating a backup plan as well because people's situations do change, and I am definitely open to having Hope For Paws as a last resort - just email me, and we can definitely talk about it.  I just helped a really nice man who just passed away... I will talk about him in a video that is coming up soon.

If you would like to discuss this with me, please click on "Contact us" here: https://www.HopeForPaws.org 
If you will start the email with "Hello Eldad" it will automatically come into my mailbox 😊

This story has a happy ending, and we need to ensure that something terrible like this doesn't happen to your pets.  There is another blog on this subject: Who will take care of your pets when you cannot?

Thank you so much!

Eldad


Cave Rescue | Hope For Paws

CAVE rescue with lots of puppies, and a bonus dog who read my mind!!!

This rescue video is quite long, so I won't write too many words 😊
 

The coolest thing about this rescue is that with 9 dogs, it required a major collaboration!

Hope For Paws (Katie, Alex, and myself) accomplished the actual rescue (3-hour long drive in every direction, crawling, cleaning, handling everything medical) https://www.HopeForPaws.org

PAL Rescue (Freddy Kelly) called us about this family and fostered the mom and puppies until they were weaned.  Once the puppies didn't need their mom anymore and were spayed/neutered, they continued fostering 4 of the babies: Fang, Macloud, Norton, and Wolfie. To apply to adopt them, please visit: https://www.PALRescue.org

Foxy And The Hounds (Terri Fox) offered to foster mama Starshine and babies: Bimba, Janezy, and Ronnie. To apply to adopt them, please visit: https://www.FoxyAndTheHounds.org

The Animal Rescue Mission (Shira Astrof) took on the mission of rehabilitating Shay and did an incredible job! To apply to adopt her (the dog, not Shira), please visit: https://www.TheAnimalRescueMission.org

Hope For Paws Supporters (you, yes YOU) who watch our videos, donate when possible, add us to Amazon Smile, and help us pay for the medical care of all these animals - we really appreciate your support!

If you are not a Hope For Paws member yet, please join us today and I will send you a Lucky Leash: https://www.HopeForPaws.org/Lucky_Leash

We couldn't accomplish all these missions without your support, and with more supporters, we will be able to do even more!

(This photo looks like we're rescuing on Mars)

Please join us.

This rescue reminded me of our most popular rescue video EVER!

I hope you will enjoy both videos ❤️

Thank you so much for your support!

Eldad


Saving Destiny | Hope For Paws

I thought her jaw was broken, but it turned to be something else! 😮

I have no idea what Destiny's destiny would have been if Nataly didn't know our Hope For Paws videos and didn't know to call me for help… chances are it wouldn't have been anything good for a terrified dog like her.

It is so cool to me that I was able to recruit Nataly and her mom to quickly become Hope For Paws volunteers, and together we completed this mission successfully.

The name Destiny was given to her by one of our supporters and if you would like to suggest a name for one of our upcoming rescues, you can do it here:

Thank you!

I know I have been asking a lot about this recently, but in order for us to continue at the speed we're going and at the same time deal with a significant increase in veterinary cost, I really need to try and get as many people as possible to ask Amazon to support Hope For Paws.  It will take just two clicks, and it will cost you absolutely nothing.

Click here.

When you ask Amazon to support us, every time you make a purchase, Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase to us.

This means that when you buy something for $100 on Amazon, Hope For Paws gets a 50-cent donation.  This is not a lot of money of course, but this is exactly why we need A LOT of people to join for it to have an impact that will help us pay for surgeries. CARES is completely full with our animals, and we just sent over 2 dogs who were hit by cars and another dog with major trauma to her head.  

I calculated that in average, every supporter like this adds about $6 a year, so every 1000 people will help us pay for about 2 major surgeries.

Another way to support us is to become a member and if you'll do it today, we will send you a Lucky Leash as a small thank you.

Destiny required a long rehabilitation process with our friends at Foxy And The Hounds. The rescue took place back in July, and only now we were able to film her happy.

This journey is not over yet for Destiny because now we need to find her a loving forever home. If you would like to meet her, please contact her foster mama, Terri Fox here: https://www.FoxyAndTheHounds.org

You can also fill an application, and Terri will call you back:

Destiny

Please share this blog post and help us find her a loving forever home.

Thanks,

Eldad


Never Grab a Homeless Dog by the Leg | Hope For Paws

NEVER grab a homeless dog by the leg - it's dangerous!

Hope For Paws received an urgent text from our friends at L.A. Animal Rescue about an abandoned Pit Bull who took refuge in a junkyard.

Grabbing an unknown homeless dog by the leg and it doesn't matter if it's a Pit Bull, a Labrador, or a Chihuahua is just a bad idea, but I am obviously experienced and I knew she was not going to bite me 😊

Karina suffers from heartworm which is a fatal disease in pets if left untreated. It is caused by foot-long worms (heartworms) that live in the heart, lungs, and associated blood vessels of affected pets, causing severe lung disease, heart failure, and damage to other organs in the body. It is absolutely curable, but it takes a few months to get to full recovery.  If you would like to see what it actually looks like, please click here.

Having heartworm doesn't mean she can't get adopted - she is a total sweetie, great with dogs and cats, and we will continue paying for her treatment until she is 100% healthy.

To fill out an adoption application, please click here: https://www.HopeForPaws.org/animal_adoptions/details/karina

Support our Medical Fund ❤️

The rescue of Karina and her meeting with Peeka and Boo reminded me of a very special short film by Pixar called KitBull - it is a MUST SEE, a super special video, and it's only a few minutes long.

The past couple of months have been quite challenging with fundraising and it causes me a lot of stress. CARES is completely full and we just can't slow down… it's cold outside, it's been raining for two days, and the animals need our help.

If you are not a Hope For Paws member yet, please consider becoming a member today. 

 

Become a Member Today ❤️

Hermione, who also suffered from heartworm is the next one to enter the exclusive 10,000,000 views club (there are only 32 members and with your help, she can be number 33).

Thank you so much for watching our videos, for donating, and for helping us make all these rescues happen ❤️❤️❤️

We have many more exciting videos coming up, so please subscribe to our channel - it helps us financially too as YouTube gives us a few dollars for every couple of thousands of views.

Catch every video on YouTube

Another way to help us FOR FREE is to ask Amazon to support Hope For Paws by clicking here: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/26-2869386

Thank you so much!!!

Eldad


International Rescue | Hope For Paws

International rescue - Canada and Egypt.

Today I have two rescues - one of a Canadian citizen, and one of an Egyptian citizen - both involving injuries due to the negligence of people who are fishing and leaving their fishing lines and hooks behind.

The first rescue of the Egyptian Goose required a kayak, a net, help from a Good Samaritan who joined Loreta Frankonyte and me, and A LOT of determination to accomplish this mission as the sun was beating us (especially Loreta).  Rod has experience in helping injured birds and we worked really well together.

Thank you so much!

For the second rescue of a Canada Goose, I was accompanied by Judith Sanchez who assisted me in this cool rescue. I have never done anything like this before, and I was a little nervous as I was told I could break a few fingers this way 😳

Judith continues to update me as this Goose she named Goosita keeps coming to visit her and showing her healing process - she is completely healthy and not limping anymore!

Thank you so much for helping us save so many animals!

This week I will post 3 new dog rescue videos with 11 dogs!!!

Please click here to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel and this way you will never miss a video again.

Thank you so much!

Eldad


Halloween Rescue | Hope For Paws

Peeka and Boo - Halloween Rescue 👻

This rescue is really cool! A call on the Hope For Paws emergency line came in from Yesenia and Walter and they told me the craziest story. Walter's sister was been driving her car to work, and all of a sudden she realized she has kittens inside her engine!! She pulled over immediately, and two terrified kittens ran out of her engine!! One kitten ran down an alley, and one kitten ran down a storm drain. She followed the kitten who ran down the alley, called Yesenia and Walter, and together they rescued Peeka. Rescuing Boo was a much greater challenge! They tried every trick in the book for 14 HOURS until they finally called #HopeForPaws for help.

It is SCARY how EASY it is for you to help us save lives!!! If you have an Amazon account, you can simply ask Amazon to support Hope For Paws at NO COST TO YOU.

Just one click here: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/26-2869386 and another one to approve, and you are all set! Amazon will donate 0.5% of every purchase you make, it will cost you nothing, and it will help us save lives 🐶 ❤️ 😺

2 clicks to save a life.

Peeka and Boo were adopted together and this is just a perfect ending to a story that could have gone terribly wrong!

Thank you so much for supporting us and for sharing this post with your family and friends.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Eldad


Kitten Inside Engine | Hope For Paws

A man drives for miles with a kitten inside his engine 🙀🙀🙀

When my friend Rene Ruston from START Rescue texted me on the Hope For Paws line, she told me that a man drove his car for many miles without realizing he had a kitten in his engine. Luckily, one of her volunteers heard the meows of the terrified kitten and the rest of the story is in this video:

The coolest moment when looking at the footage after the rescue was seeing Gilbert, one of the KIA mechanics who helped me save her so touched by the look of the little baby safe with us.

Thank you!

Right after the rescue, Derek (the other technician), filled out an adoption application and you can see Kia sleeping comfortably in his bed by clicking here. If you are not following Hope For Paws on Instagram yet, you can do it by clicking here.

Many years ago, START Rescue called me about a homeless dog named Rosie. The video I filmed that day is still one of my favorites of all time… I just knew in my gut that there was so much more to her story:

I hope you enjoyed this oldie-but-goodie video 😊

Eldad


Abandoned Dog in Firefighter Facility | Hope For Paws

Abandoned dog in a firefighters' training facility is covered with soot and ash

A few days ago I received a text from a retired firefighter named Rudy who is also a Hope For Paws supporter 👨‍🚒❤️🐶

He told me about a dog who took refuge in a training facility for firefighters, and he asked for my help.

I rushed over immediately, and even though I told Rudy he didn't have to wait for me (it was a 45-minute long drive for me to get there), he stayed with the dog until my arrival.

The little dog was nervous, wouldn't come close to me, and every time I moved, she retreated to the burnt couch where she spent her nights, and when I got too close, she crawled under the cars that were parked so close to each other and made it difficult for me to move quickly.

I knew I would have to gain her trust and have her come to me and with help from a cheeseburger, I was able to accomplish a pretty smooth rescue 😊

Her transformation is so satisfying to watch - from a scared dog to a happy dog, and from a super dirty dog, to a super clean dog 🥰

Please become a member today ❤️

Waka is fostered by our friends at Wags and Walks and if you would like to adopt this super special happy girl, please contact them directly here: https://www.WagsAndWalks.org - they always have so many other cute dogs for adoption, so please check them out.

You can also fill out an adoption application for Waka here.

Learn more about adopting today!

I decided to name her Waka after a dog that belongs to an 8-year-old girl named Íris from Portugal who named her cat “Jessie” after our famous Jessie from the video below 😻

I wanted to thank you all again for the letters, emails, cards, and sweet messages on Facebook and Instagram after my mom's passing a few days ago.  I thought I'll be able to deal with it (or not deal with it) by drowning myself in work, but that's not working so I will have to take a few days off to digest this event.

I will continue posting more videos - we filmed so many and I'll work on a new one today.

Thank you so much for all the love ❤️

Eldad

 


Injured Street Cat Surrenders to Love | Hope For Paws

Petey - injured street cat surrenders to being loved.

Hello again,

Petey lived on the streets and just by looking at him, you can tell he had a pretty rough life. To make things a little worse, he was injured and needed medical care.

The rescue itself was very quick, but that's not the most beautiful part of this video - it's the transformation that was just so beautiful to watch - you'll get goosebumps by the end of the video 🥰
 

I want to share a quick update because many of you asked: I went to the cardiologist, did a whole battery of tests and I am currently wearing a heart monitor (24/7) for a whole week. It will record everything that is going on inside, and next week I'll have to do an MRI and another ultrasound to rule out serious problems. I really appreciate all the sweet emails and letters sent to me - Thank you ❤️❤️❤️

I know this is all caused by stress as a result of the work here. Just so it's clear - the rescues are not stressful at all (this is the part I enjoy the most), but it's having to raise enough funds to pay for all these animals. It's important to understand that we have 3 doctors, working full time with an additional staff of 25 technicians and they spend 100% of their time taking care of animals that Hope For Paws is financially responsible for - this is all they do. Of course, we also work with specialty hospitals (cardiology, ophthalmology, and complex orthopedic surgeries).

We help so many more animals than you get to see, but I am just too busy to post about every surgical case we get from the shelter. As you can imagine, every surgery costs thousands of dollars! Yesterday we got a dog with a broken pelvis, today a dog with a broken leg, and more are coming.

One great way to help take the stress away from me at NO COST TO YOU is to ask Amazon to support Hope For Paws ❤️🐶🙏😺🙏❤️
 

Thank you for assigning Hope For Paws to receive funds from Amazon Smile 🙏

Amazon has a program called Amazon Smile where every time you shop on Amazon, Hope For Paws receives a small donation from your purchase. It is 100% free for you, and these small gifts add up to make a huge difference every month. I would love for you to ask Amazon to give the donation to Hope For Paws just by clicking here: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/26-2869386 

With the rising cost of veterinary care, we can't leave any funds on the table... it either goes to Amazon (I think they have enough money), or it goes to rescuing animals 😊👍

Please take 5 seconds to do this for the animals and for me.

Thank you so much! 🙏❤️🙏

Eldad
 


Kittens Nursing on Dead Mom | Hope For Paws

Kittens nursing on their dead mom for two days 😿😿

Mercy (the mom) was there until the last moment of her life and she kept her family together even after her death until someone finally called Hope For Paws ❤️

These stories are sad, but it's important to me that we share some of the uncomfortable things we see because this is what we're dealing with on a daily basis, and I want more people to know that action is needed immediately in situations like this. 

If you haven't done so yet, and if you can, please join us today with a small donation on our website.
 

A $5 monthly donation from many of you will keep me and my team going forever.

It's Kitten Season | Hope For Paws

It's kitten season and your help is needed 😺😺😺

Kitten season is here and it is raining kittens. In the past 24 hours, we rescued 11 kittens, and many more are coming!

Every kitten season, rescues all over the world receive many calls for help as thousands and thousands of kittens are born in all kinds of weird places. A family of kittens Katie McKittrick rescued two days ago were born inside of an abandoned car. The temperature was 90 degrees outside which means that in the car it was at least 20 degrees hotter, the 3-day-old kittens were panting, so she had to get them out of there, and the attempt to capture the mom is still ongoing, but this mama is too smart for her own good 😰

Amazingly, as she was looking for the mom, she found another litter of 2-day-old kittens born inside of a different car!!! These stories almost sound unbelievable, but we have it on camera 😎👍

In the video below, JoAnn Wiltz got a call about a young cat who had given birth for the first time, and she wasn't sure how to handle that situation. The newborn kittens were scattered on the property, and without help, this story wouldn't have ended well.

The one thing that EVERY rescue out there needs is more foster families who are willing to take care of these babies until they are ready for adoption. Fostering kittens is so amazing, rewarding, and it's a lot of fun. I have been doing it myself from a very young age and I think it is so important from an educational standpoint - connecting young children to nature in the best way possible.

This coming weekend, there are going to be many adoption events all over and I would LOVE IT if you would visit them and offer to volunteer. Some kittens will come with their mom which is easier to handle, and some will require bottle feeding.

Help provide medical care for all of these babies

Ways to Help Hope for Paws | Hope For Paws

Ways to Help Hope For Paws

So many of you have asked how else could you help us save more lives and volunteer outside of California.

So many of you have asked how else could you help us save more lives and volunteer outside of California.

We are so grateful for your support and for wanting to do more for the animals we rescue. If you love dogs, cats, bunnies or any other type of animal, we'd love to have your join our family. There are so many ways you can help and the ideas below are a great way to get started and volunteer with Hope For Paws. 

First, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - this will help us reach many more people all over the world.

Your comments, questions and encouraging words of support not only help to motivate our team, but when you share our videos online, this is one of the most impactful ways you can help us reach more people and save lives. 

Please don't forget to help us by subscribing to our YouTube channel. When you are watching our videos, we receive ad revenue, and the funds go directly to pay for life saving surgeries. If you have not subscribed, please click here.

Do you know about Amazon Smile?

Every time you shop on Amazon, Hope For Paws can receive a small donation from your purchase through Amazon Smile. It is 100% free for you, and these small gifts add up to make a huge difference. Please click here to select Hope For Paws as your charity of choice and please don't forget to shop at Smile.Amazon.com

Help us name the next animal we rescue 

We are always looking for unique names for our the animals we rescue.  Please send us your favorite names here and you might get lucky and see your favorite names in one of our future videos.

We'd love to have you send us unique and special names for our animals. A special donor named this adorable Mom #Moon. Moon's puppies, Andromeda, Nebula, Supernova, Comet, Lynx, and her only son Crypto are all so cute and you'll love the photos at the end of the video. 

Write your own Will for FREE 

Every month, we are asked to help find loving forever homes to pets after their owners passed away unexpectedly and no instructions were left for their care. This is a gift from Hope For Paws to your pet - a way to ensure that your fur baby will never end up in a terrible situation or stuck in an animal shelter. You can read more about planned giving on our blog or skip straight ahead to creating your own legally valid will via our partner FreeWill.

Facebook Fundraiser 

If you have a birthday or any other special occasion and you’d like to raise money for Hope For Paws, please click here to start your own fundraising campaign - it will take just 20 seconds of your time.

Become a Hope For Paws member

By joining our family as a monthly donor, you'll help support the incredible rescues that we're able to accomplish every day. Our average monthly donation is $14 and every gift adds up to help pay for medical care before each animal finds a loving home.  We would LOVE for you to be a part of these rescues and an important part of every one of our videos! 

Later on this year, we will open an online store where you can get your own Lucky Leash of Hope and towels and blankets with the Hope For Paws logo. Millions of people have seen these on our rescue videos, and having additional funds will enable us to save even more lives.  Please add your name to the waiting list, and you'll be notified when they become available!

Download the Hope For Paws Mobile App

Please don't forget to download the Hope For Paws APP in the Apple App store or Google Play. Turning on your notifications will enable me and Eldad to text you when a new video is posted.

Finally, if you're like me, you will enjoy this playlist with our most popular rescues. I often watch these amazing and inspiring videos at the end of a long day. 

Please feel free to share this list with your family and friends. The more people that watch our videos, the more animals we can save. 

Thank you so much for your continued support and for being a super important part of our Hope For Paws family.

XOXO,

Loreta


When A Kitten Rescue Goes Wrong | Hope For Paws

When a kitten rescue goes wrong!!! 😰

A terrible accident turns this rescue into a nightmare.

When we received a call about a family of kittens living in a buried pipe in the middle of a large construction project in Los Angeles, we had no idea this would become one of our most stressful rescues ever. 

Please consider making a small gift that allows us to be ready for immediate action when emergencies occur.

The last CAT rescue video of 2021 is the most technically challenging Hope For Paws rescue - A LOT more than Jessie's rescue in the water well!

On this rescue, Loreta took multiple bites, and after that, a terrible accident turned this rescue into my worst nightmare!! Please don't worry and please don't skip this one - we figured it all out.

The lovely kittens are ready for adoption and are looking for their loving forever home. You can learn more about each of these loving cats on their adoption page

We're so lucky to have the cameras and equipment required to complete these types of complex rescues. Without your support, we would not have been able to safely complete these types of rescues. Thank you for watching our videos this year, commenting and sharing our rescues with friends and family. We love our work and can't wait to continue saving lives in 2022.  Happy New Year!


Coyotes, Graveyards, and Terrifying Heights | Hope For Paws

Coyotes, graveyards and terrifying heights!

This might be our most dangerous rescue yet: coyotes, graveyards, and terrifying heights!

This might be our most dangerous rescue yet: coyotes, graveyards, and terrifying heights!

We had quite the spooky rescue this summer when Cashmere found herself trapped in a graveyard patrolled by coyotes! Eldad and Loretta rushed to the scene but the graveyard was closed for the night by the time they arrived. In order to rescue Cashmere, the two had to squeeze under a rusty fence and drop down to the sewer where she was hiding. Initially, the team thought Cashmere couldn’t even see them, she was struggling to pick up pieces of hamburger they left her on the ground, but they took the opportunity to quickly get her into the gentle snare and make sure she couldn’t run away. 

Now, Eldad and Loretta were up for their biggest rescue yet: saving themselves!

To get down they had dropped over a sheer concrete wall and had no way to get back up. Eldad managed to “monkey” his way over the wall using the fence above and a single nail that stuck out of the concrete. From there, Loretta handed him Cashmere and she was safely secured in the Hope For Paws vehicle. Loretta spent ages trying to get out, Eldad even dropped the rescue fence down to give her some extra leverage but nothing was working! Luckily, some kind strangers came along and helped them out (after being told why two people were breaking out of a graveyard). 

With everyone safely in the car, the team took off to CARES where it was confirmed that Cashmere was in good health and could even see despite being over 15 years old. She received a nice warm bath and lots of treats before our friends at Lionel's Legacy took her in.

Cashmere had likely spent the last 15 years with a family who loved and cared for her, otherwise she wouldn’t have been so healthy when Hope For Paws found her. Sometimes, the unexpected happens and it’s important that what comes next for your pets is expected. We’ve partnered with Free Will, an organization that helps you make a will for free in less than 20 minutes, to make sure those who rely on you are looked after. Please take 20 minutes today and protect your pet for a lifetime!


Who Will Take Care of Your Pets | Hope For Paws

Who will take care of your pets when you cannot?

It may seem difficult to imagine that anyone could love your pets as much as you do. But what will happen to your animals when you can no longer care for them?

It may seem difficult to imagine that anyone could love your pets as much as you do. But what will happen to your animals when you can no longer care for them?

Our world has changed a lot in the past few weeks and it's important to be prepared and protect the ones you love: family members - humans and animals. Doing the work we do and listening to the sad calls for help, we know it is critical to think about who you would want to care for your animals should you be unable to do so.  We recently rescued a dog from a home, after the owner had passed away. The dog had been trapped in the house for days before we got the call... she was starving, dehydrated and also sad and scared.  In this case, she was lucky that someone knew to call Hope For Paws and we found her a loving forever home.  A few months ago, the same thing happened with a person who lived on a boat and passed away.  Loreta and I worked with the police, got the cat off the boat, took him to the hospital and shortly after found him an amazing home.

These experiences led us to partner with FreeWill a few months ago, and this service will enable you to secure the future of your pets should something unexpected would happen to you. Click here to get started and create your own Free Will
 

FreeWill provides you with an easy way to write a legally valid will online in just 20 minutes.  I know this can be a scary thing to think about, but life is so fragile and dealing with it for 20 minutes right now will give you peace of mind.  I completed my own will about a month ago, and it was really easy.  The service is 100% FREE for everyone, so please share the link with family and friends.  Currently, the service is available only to people in the U.S.A, but the legal team at FreeWill is working hard these days on expanding it to other countries.  For now, even if you don't live in the U.S, you can still start a conversation with your family and friends so there is a plan in place.

The first step of action is to pick two friends or family members who would be willing and able to care for your pets as emergency caregivers should something happen to you. They should have keys to your home, care and feeding instructions, and the name and contact information for your veterinarian. Once you have decided on two caregivers, you will want to let your neighbors and relatives know your emergency plan. You could also carry a card with the contact information in your wallet and post the information inside your door so emergency responders would be aware that you have a plan for your pets in need of care.

I really hope you find this gift from Hope For Paws to be useful, and with many more people knowing about this, we’re hoping to reduce the number of loved pets who end up in shelters with an unknown fate.

We will continue working through this because the animals need us and trust us.

Thank you so much for your support!

Eldad


Making Roadside Rescues Safer | Hope For Paws

Making roadside rescues safer

Roadside rescues can be dangerous for dogs and people but luckily with a few gadgets we can make it a lot safer

Roadside rescues can be dangerous for dogs and people but luckily with a few gadgets we can make it a lot safer

A long time supporter, Mary Chatman, who previously called us in to help Yara and Fiona (who's videos you can watch here and here), tipped us off about another dog in trouble. She’d seen a homeless dog in the neighborhood several times and finally tracked them down, cowering under a car. She called Hope for Paws and the team rolled in to rescue Ziggy.  

Even though this wasn’t as risky as one of their many highway rescues, Loretta and Eldad still came fully equipped to make sure everyone, Ziggy included, stayed safe. With so many crazy situations there isn’t always professional gear available so these rescues require the team to get creative! Eldad, Loretta, and Mary (who was able to help out) unloaded a plastic play fence from the Hope for Paws truck and encircled the parked car. With Ziggy protected from the dangerous street, Eldad steps in and helped Loretta loop one gentle leader, and then another around the dog’s neck, pulling him safely from under the car. Ziggy didn’t put up a fight, he was completely frozen and absolutely terrified. Eldad took the chance to check for any major injuries and realized how matted Ziggy was, it must have hurt to even move! It was definitely time to get him to CARES Animal Hospital. 

After a brief struggle to get a frightened Ziggy into the car, the team arrived at the hospital and the dematting process began. Two vet technicians got their clippers and began to cut off over a kilogram of matted hair. Afterwards, Ziggy looked like a completely different dog and went to his foster home with our partners at LA Animal Rescue. Next time we saw him, Ziggy not only looked like a different dog but acted like one too. The terrified, matted dog we found under the car was now running and playing with his foster home friends and more happily jumping around to show off his healthy new coat!


Opposites Attract | Hope For Paws

Opposites really do attract

Hudson and Lawrence spent months living on the streets 😱

By the time we found Hudson and Lawrence in the middle of a busy road, the two must have been on their own for months. Back to back in the middle of the street, the two relied only on each other, especially after Hudson lost one of his back legs. The two were frightened, especially of men, so Loreta had to take the lead on this rescue.

Please consider making a small gift which allows us to be ready for immediate action when emergencies occur.

With help from a kind neighbor, Eldad and Loreta discovered the perfect place to safely corral the two cautious dogs: a fenced front yard. Eldad went back to the car to get more supplies and keep from scaring the nervous pups, while Loreta began earning their trust with cheeseburgers funded by donations from our amazing supporters. It took ages for the two to follow the cheesy trail into the front yard but Eldad was ready and closed the gate behind them.

Being trapped didn’t make Hudson and Lawrence any less scared – in fact, it was quite the opposite! The two growled and snapped whenever the team got close and Hudson almost took a chunk out of Loreta’s hand instead of the cheeseburger! After sitting at a stand still, Lawrence was the first to accept help. Once he realized they weren’t in danger, he let Loreta loop a lucky leash around his neck and calmly got into a travel crate. Hudson was the complete opposite, but who can blame him with such a horrible injury? Eventually, the team managed to distract him long enough to get him into the carrier and then it was off to CARES!

At the animal hospital, Lawrence immediately softened up. Despite his mats and malnutrition, his tail was wagging as soon as he left the crate. He went around to make friends with all the staff and sat calmly for his first bath in ages. Again, Hudson was quite different. The injury that took his leg had already healed but there was bad tissue and bone fragments which must have been causing him a ton of pain and would need surgery to heal. To give him the best chance of recovery, it was time for a bath and a shave which, unlike Lawrence, Hudson did not enjoy. With a little sedation he was all cleaned up and went in for surgery the next day to remove the remaining portion of his leg and relieve all the pain it had been causing him. 

Hudson still had a long road to recovery, he had to completely relearn how to walk and to trust humans. Our friends at Foxy and the Hounds came in to save the day! They found an amazing foster home for Hudson AND Lawrence so the two could stick together and Hudson would have his trusted friend to watch his back while he recovered. Soon enough, the two pups were the happy, inseparable pair they were always meant to be! Complete with double tail wags!


Abandoned Dog Left Behind | Hope For Paws

An abandoned dog left behind

Hope For Paws got a text about an abandoned home in the Los Angeles area, and more importantly, an abandoned dog that had been left on the property.

As soon Eldad walked onto the property he spotted Kitty hiding out in the backyard. Kitty was extremely skittish and refused to come close to Eldad but, with a busy road and intense heat, she needed to get out of there. At first, Eldad tried to earn her trust with some food that nearby construction workers had left for her but Kitty took off running and almost went into the street! Luckily, the little escape artist snuck around the neighboring lot and back into the safety of her yard. Eldad knew he couldn’t risk something like that again. Running into the street is dangerous for any dog, but with one as tiny as Kitty, the risks are astronomical! Eldad unloaded his rescue fences and sectioned off the driveway, corralling Kitty into a smaller area of the yard. Slowly, he moved the fences in so the space was smaller and smaller but Kitty started to panic. She got so scared she started jumping around and shaking all over. Eldad had to catch her soon or she might hurt herself. In this extreme situation, Eldad decided it was best to use the net caught Kitty right away. Kitty was still very unhappy and even more unhappy when Eldad tried to put a leash on her. It wasn’t until she was free to roam in the safety of the Hope for Paws truck that Kitty started to calm down. 

From there, Kitty began her not so long journey to a new home. She stopped by CARE to be spayed, microchipped, and vaccinated then went to Tobie’s Small Dog Rescue to find her forever home. Kitty found her home (and some new friends) before we could even get this video out and the shaking escape artist turned into the little bundle of love and kisses she had always been!

We don’t know what happened to Kitty’s previous owners or why they left her behind, but it’s important to always be prepared. That’s why we’ve partnered with Free Will so you can write a will for free in under 20 minutes and protect the pets that you care so much about. It’s important to expect the unexpected and make sure those who rely on you are safe in any scenario.


Pitbull Full of Love | Hope For Paws

This pitbull was full of love

This pitbull was full of love and just waiting for someone to share it with.

Summer heat is no joke here in California. It’s important to keep your animals out of the heat and well hydrated, but what about animals without humans to look after them? 

Oxana was lucky that a kind samaritan spotted her back in June and had kept a close eye on her, giving her food and water when he could, but when the July heat hit he knew that Oxana was in serious danger so he called Hope For Paws. JoAnna and Katie arrived on scene, armed with hamburgers and gentle snares to get Oxana out of the heat. Only a few days before, she had let her long-time human friend pet her for the first time so the Hope For Paws team had no idea how she would react to complete strangers. 

At first, JoAnne tried to lure Oxana into a leash but the pitbull was terrified and backed away with her tail between her legs. The team decided to switch to a gentle snare and, using that, quickly caught Oxana mid-munching. Oxana was still scared, but within a couple minutes she crawled into JoAnne’s lap full of kisses and demanding attention. 

When the team left for the CARES Animal Hospital everyone had a huge smile on their face, Oxana included. At the hospital Oxana tried to befriend anyone who walked by and settled like an angle for her bath and clean up. Our partners at The Little Red Dog took her in right away and showed this little meatball all the love she deserved. 

There are so many stories like Oxana’s: dogs who are full of love but never have the chance to share it with anyone. Your support helps us make sure these dogs have that opportunity and end up in homes with as much love to give as they do.


Homeless Dog Living in Trash Pile | Hope For Paws

A homeless dog living in a trash pile

Miley had given up on herself but we wouldn’t give up on her...

After months of spotting a dog in the nearby junkyard, locals noticed that her health started to deteriorate rapidly so they made a call for help. 

By the time Eldad arrived, the dog was hard to distinguish from the junk around her. Clearly suffering from mange, she was covered in more patches of blotchy red skin and open sores than fur. It was a horrific site and we can’t imagine the amount of pain and suffering she’d faced over the last year. 

When Eldad approached her makeshift home of stained blankets and ripped mattresses, Miley barely moved. Usually, stray dogs -- especially sick or injured ones -- are cautious of strangers and bark or growl when first approached but Miley didn’t have any fight left. She had given up. 

The biggest struggle in getting Miley to safety was her own exhaustion.

She was too tired to get up but once coaxed onto her feet, she stumbled to her new resting place in the passenger seat of Eldad’s car. After a worryingly quiet ride, Miley arrived safely at the animal hospital and she stood calmly as staff checked her over. Mange wasn’t the only affliction Miley was facing, she had been living in the junkyard for a long time and suffered from parasites, bacterial infection and malnutrition on top of her painful skin condition. Luckily, Miley’s quiet attitude helped her through the numerous medicated baths and wound cleanings required to bring her back to health. 

Miley’s body wasn’t the only thing that needed time to heal, her spirit had been broken. It took her days to start interacting with Hope for Paws staff, but it was when she met an unlikely friend that we saw the dog she once was and certainly would be again. You’ll have to watch the video to see this amazing transformation.


Yara the Pit Bull | Hope For Paws

Yara the pit bull

Yara has a big bark (luckily we don’t know about her bite)

Pain makes people, and dogs, do crazy things. Yara certainly was not friendly or cooperative during her rescue but with a little bit of love and care she was completely transformed!

Early in the morning, Hope for Paws received a call about an injured pitbull puppy on an offramp of the 110 freeway. Yara turned out not to be a puppy but she was badly injured and terrified that humans would just bring her more pain. This was a tricky operation -- a hurt and frightened dog can easily hurt themselves and their potential rescuers -- not to mention Eldad was on the rescue all alone! 

With the roar of the highway above and a stranger approaching her make-shift den, Yara was so distressed she couldn’t take a break from barking to eat the fried chicken being thrown to her. Eldad could tell Yara was seriously injured with one of her front legs almost completely crushed and her ribs easily countable. Eldad didn’t know how long she had been out here but at this point every minute mattered, making the patience required to get the fearful Yara to safety even harder to manage. 

The photo or link is unavailable to download. 

This was a dangerous operation for everyone involved but thanks to the help of the Hope for Paws community and our partners at Little Red Dog Rescue, Yara’s story has a happy ending. Find out how we got there by watching this daring rescue!

If you're looking to adopt a pit bull, please check out all of our animals looking for a new home.



 



 


Senior Dog Lived Under Shipping Container | Hope For Paws

Senior dog lived under a shipping container for 9 YEARS!

Dogs deserve a home and love no matter their age...

In mid-March, Persephone had already set out to help homeless animals but she didn’t realize what a huge impact she would have on the life of an old pitbull named Josephine. While helping with a trap-neuter-return program, Persephone stumbled across Josephine asleep under a shipping container and knew exactly who to call. 

Eldad and Loreta arrived on scene for the rescue and learned from nearby construction workers that Josephine (or Pheenie for short) had lived in the junkyard since her owner was deported nine years ago. That near-decade had not been kind to Pheenie, she lost an eye and suffered from major dental rot, a fractured spinal cord, a urinary tract infection, and mammary tumors. Her long life had been a hard one but that was about to change. 

Pheenie was hesitant to leave her home but once she did she was patient with rescuers and veterinary staff so they could give her the care she’d missed for so long. After her check up and numerous diagnosis it was clear that Pheenie didn’t have long left but L.A. Animal Rescue swooped in to make sure she spent her remaining days in luxury. 

No animal should have to suffer like Pheenie and no human should have to worry about what will happen to their loved ones (animal or otherwise) when they’re gone. That’s why Hope for Paws has partnered with FreeWill to help you plan for the unexpected. This service will enable you to secure the future of your pets should something unexpected would happen to you. Click here to get started and create your own Free Will. If you have any questions about using FreeWill or adding a plan for your pets in your estate, please feel free to contact us. I know this can be a scary thing to think about, but life is so fragile and dealing with it for 20 minutes right now will give you peace of mind.



 


July 4th Fireworks | Hope For Paws

July 4th Fireworks - Guest blogger

As fireworks exploded up and down my street I cringed as I thought about the newly hatched ducklings huddled together in the damp, murky storm drain below the street.

This is a guest post from Lee and Allison Mayorga who contacted Hope For Paws last July 4th 🎆

Mama duck and her ducklings had been enjoying the sprinklers in my front garden when I noticed that there were no longer 9 ducklings, but only four.  I looked around and heard peeping coming from the street. They had fallen about 10 feet below into the storm drain. I immediately called every resource I could think of: fire department, police department, animal control - no one answered.  I finally convinced two guys attending a party across the street to remove the manhole cover and climb down the ladder in an attempt to retrieve the ducklings.  The rescue attempt was aborted after about 45 minutes when I realized that this well-intentioned duo had absolutely no skills in animal rescue and were attempting to grab the ducklings individually.

But my daughter, Allison, and I could not get the ducklings out of our minds. It was then I remembered a duo of Superheroes that had the brains, experience, equipment, and heart to help.  I wondered if there might be a chance that Eldad and Loreta from Hope for Paws were available at 7:30 pm on the 4th of July to help.  It’s worth a text, I thought, although I also believed I had a better chance of winning the lottery.

Imagine my surprise when I received a text 5 minutes later asking for a video of the location.  I sent the video and a couple of texts later, they said they were on their way!  I was in complete and utter shock!  My daughter wondered if Eldad and Loreta themselves would actually come.  I told her I didn’t know, and that they might send one of their teams.

I had second thoughts when I looked outside and saw that by this time it was totally dark, fireworks were going full blast, and utter chaos was taking place in our neighborhood.  I was also afraid the ducklings would go farther into the 3ft circumference drains and be impossible to catch.  I texted that maybe we should wait for the morning.  The reply came in from rescuers with a true heart for animals. “No, we can’t wait.  They need to be safe.”

An hour later the iconic silver SUV pulled up in my driveway and…Eldad and Loreta got out of the vehicle.  I screamed as if it was Cinderella at my house!  By the way, Loreta is even more stunning in person if that is possible.  What a natural beauty she is!  Eldad is not bad either lol, tall and handsome.  Quite a pair!  They were shocked by the thunderous fireworks being deployed in the neighborhood and very worried about the effect the noise would have on the ducklings.  They immediately got to work and fed an underground cable attached to a rescue camera with a feeder wire down the hole. We were able to see the ducklings huddled together in the murky water.

Seconds later, both Eldad and Loreta were down the hole and in the tunnels with nets.  As you can see from the video, the rescue was not easy.  They had to crawl through the 3-foot tunnels after some surprisingly fast ducklings! Despite this, I knew that Eldad and Loreta had the smarts and experience to make it happen.  At one point, my daughter Allison heard Loreta’s terrified voice saying she needed to get out of here. I felt so badly about the ordeal she was going through.  But I also knew that the genuine love she has for all living things would result in success.  Sure enough, about 15 minutes later Eldad, followed by a filthy Loreta, emerged from the hole with a net full of healthy and adorable ducklings.

This is what true rescuers do.  Loreta was breathless, wet, and covered in muck, but she had a victorious smile.  She told us it was the scariest thing she had ever done. This amazing team worked so well together with Eldad calling the shots in a calm, encouraging voice, and Loreta fighting her fears and displaying her skills.  Eldad’s mind is always working, and when he employed the duck call sound from his iPhone during such a desperate time, I was amazed at his ingenuity.   

After the incredible rescue, I enjoyed rinsing off the five ducklings, feeding them, and getting them tucked in for the night. Allison and I planned to search for Mama duck and possibly reunite the family the next morning. At 6 am, a search of the area informed us that, sadly, Mama duck had left the area with her remaining four ducklings.  I texted Eldad and Loreta and we agreed to meet and deliver the ducklings to the Wetlands and Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Huntington Beach where Eldad and Loreta had previously delivered some orphaned opossum babies.

The next day at the center we got a VIP tour of the facility from the manager, Debbie, and saw the clean, spacious areas allocated for Mallard ducks and ducklings.  We felt good about the care they would receive before they were released. 

So many animal rescue organizations exist; it is difficult to determine which are truly dedicated, hardworking, legitimate rescues.  I am happy to say Hope For Paws is the real deal.  They deserve all of our support.


Helpless Kitten Stuck in Highway | Hope For Paws

A helpless kitten was stuck in the middle of the highway

Every second would make a difference and first that meant finding a place to park the car.

Eldad and Loretta were on their way back from rescuing Josephine and her puppies when they received a text from Sheila, an eagle-eyed supporter who spotted a kitten in the middle of the freeway! With Sheila’s help they were able to locate the kitten and confirm he was still alive but struggling.

Eldad and Loretta were already on their second loop past the kitten when Eldad pulled over and “parked” on the median of an offramp.

The Hope for Paws team cranked open the windows so Josephine and her puppies would be comfortable for the few minutes they were gone, grabbed their nets and walked back to the highway. 

Parking the car was just the first dangerous step in this rescue. Once they walked back towards the kitten on the mainroad, five lanes of traffic and cars going upwards of 65 miles per hour stood between them and the kitten. Waving their nets as a warning, Eldad and Loretta did the only thing they could think of and stepped into traffic. 

For a minute the highway came to a stop, no one honked, there were no near misses, from their animal nets and Hope for Paws shirts, drivers knew that something important was happening. Eldad and Loretta made it across the highway, snatched up the kitten and ran back to the safety of their car. 

Once inside the vehicle, Eldad called Shiela to tell her the fantastic news and Loretta checked on the kitten, now named Napoleon. At the vet hospital it was confirmed that Napoleon was suffering from an eye infection and fleas, and so began the delicate process of treating the barely one pound kitten. Though he whined and complained, Napoleon handled his medical treatment like a champ and once he was healthy got right back to playing and making friends like a kitten should. 

Napoleon did not end up in this situation by himself. At his age he would have barely been away from his mother, never mind in the middle of a highway. Someone decided Napoleon was not worthy of love and not only abandoned him but most likely intended to kill him. If you or anyone you know is considering giving up a pet please contact your local animal rescue for help. Abandonment is not the only option. Please make sure your pet can live a full life even if you are no longer in it.


Cat Colony and Kindness | Hope For Paws

A woman's kindness has allowed this colony of cats to survive for the last two years

For years, Jodi has built homes for feral cats in her area.

 She gives them a dry place to sleep with warm blankets and the guarantee of food and water. She’s also been helping with a spay and neuter program to make sure there isn’t another generation that needs her help. Even with all of this experience, Jodi’s biggest test was a single female cat that she’d attempted to catch for two years and Hope for Paws wants to make sure that her new litter finds a safe home indoors.

Jodi tracked the mom and her kittens to a storm drain by the time Eldad and Loretta arrived but when the group approached the mother cat ran off, leaving her kittens in a dead end tunnel. Armed with a crowbar, the Hope for Paws team lifted the manhole cover and made it into the storm drain. It took everyone involved to block off the remaining tunnels so no kittens would be left behind. Once the gloves were on and the nets in place, Eldad and Loretta could start picking up the kittens and moving them to the safety of a padded travel crate. But, the job wasn’t done and now the team had to pass time waiting for the mom to return which might have led to some harmless pranks and even more harmless kitten snuggles. 


Kids Come Together to Save a Dog | Hope For Paws

Kids came together to save a small dog

Six kids were playing in their neighborhood when they found a small bundle of fur.

At first, they worried they might have come across a dead animal but when the little dog skittered away they knew he could be saved and exactly who they needed to call. 

Already being fans of Hope for Paws, the kids immediately texted Eldad and Loreta for help. They had already tried their local shelters and no one was willing to take the dog in so the kids brought water and waited by Nobu’s side until Hope for Paws arrived.

Though frightened, Nobu didn’t put up much of a fight when Loreta and Eldad approached. He was startled by the Lucky Leash, clearly having been without human contact for a long time, but he quickly calmed down and even let Loreta hold him all the way to the hospital. Once he’d been checked in, staff got to work picking hundreds of ticks off Nobu’s fur, shaving away his mats, and giving him a much needed bath. Even after all his time away from people Nobu knew he was being helped and stayed calm throughout the difficult process. 

Just two days after his rescue Nobu was a different dog: making friends, running laps, and rolling over for belly rubs at every opportunity. All it took was a little bit of patience and love for Nobu’s entire life to change.


Injured Dog On the Freeway | Hope For Paws

Injured dog laid on the freeway for 24 hours and just waited to die

I will never know how, but PD ended up on the 110 Freeway and she was hit by a car.  A woman spotted her, called Animal Control and was assured they would come out.

24 hours later, she drove on the freeway again, and the dog was still there!!!!!  She called her niece, Maria Garcia, and she knew to text Hope For Paws right away for immediate help!

Please consider making a small gift that will allow us to be ready for immediate action when emergencies occur.

I received the approximate location (110 FWY northbound), and rushed to the location.  On the way to the scene, I wondered if it’s possible for the dog to still be alive, but I had to confirm for myself.  I drove south on the freeway, then exited, and got on the freeway again to go north).  This is a tricky situation… driving at the speed of the rest of the cars on the freeway, looking for a tiny object, and in a split second determining if the dog is dead or alive.

It was a nerve-wracking moment, but I spotted the dog and she seemed to be alive!  I knew I couldn’t do this one alone…it was too dangerous, and I had to consider my life and the lives of everybody else on the freeway.  There was nowhere for me to pull over and do this safely - this required the help of the Los Angeles Police Department.

I exited right away and searched for the closest Police Department, and I found the Southeast Division in South Central.  I walked into the station, an officer spotted me right away and her eyes immediately went down to my cargo pants where I had my camera.  I realized what was going on, and assured her right away that it was just a camera and slowly pulled it out of my pocket.  Phew  😊

She asked what she can do for me, and I explained the situation to her.  She asked me to wait a second, and then Officer Gray came out to talk to me.  I have never been in this type of situation before, but I explained to him exactly what kind of help I was asking for - I needed him to STOP THE FREEWAY FOR ME so I can save a dog who I honestly believe is still alive.  I had no idea how this conversation would go - the LAPD must be one of the busiest departments in this country, but he said he will be happy to help me with that. 

I explained the tricky location, so we agreed to meet at the entrance to the 105 FWY (in Watts) and we will continue from there together.  I was in position, Officer Gray and Officer Nichols arrived, and we got on the freeway.  It was just amazing for me to have the police car clearing the way for me to get in the car-pool lane, and then we got on the HUGE bridge connecting the 105 FWY to the 110 FWY!  You could see the whole City of Angels from the top of the bridge.  As soon as we went down the bridge, the sirens turned on and the officers started the traffic break maneuver to slow down traffic and enable me to find the dog.  For this video I added a bird's eye view so it will be easier to understand the situation.

I spotted the little dog, stopped my car, and I was so nervous… the dog could have bolted in any direction, she could have bitten me, but I was prepared to NOT LET GO!  I approached the dog slowly with a blanket, wrapped her, and she just looked into my eyes.  She didn’t fight… she just allowed me to pick her up - she knew she needed help.

I thanked the officers and got back in my car so traffic can continue to flow.  In honor of the two LAPD officers, I named the little girl PD.

PD was so happy to be rescued, and as we were driving to the hospital, she gave me little kisses as a thank you… it was just so sweet of her 💕

It’s important to mention that this rescue took place a day after Valentine’s Day of 2020… just days before this whole world changed forever!  It’s almost weird to see everybody without a mask 😷 

I rushed PD to CARES for medical attention.  It was the weekend, but Doctor Lisa Youn offered to come in on her day off to make sure she was OK and evaluate if she needed emergency care.

PD was so cool, she allowed us to shave her and get all the fleas off her body.  When we got to her hind leg, she started crying and we knew something was broken there.  She was sedated, X-rayed and bathed, but I didn’t get to see that because I had to go on another rescue (I apologize for not having a bath scene - I know you love those).

Medically, this was a challenging one to fix - her tibia was broken, she had a large laceration and no skin to close it, she had metatarsal fractures, she suffered from proximal intertarsal joint instability and she had torn ligaments!  Amputation is the easy solution to such a challenging problem, but we don’t shy away from big problems because we have Smart Approach Vet - Doctor Antonio Pedraza on our side with the rest of the CARES team and of course, we are fortunate to have you by our side with donations that make it all possible!

Dr. Pedraza put together a whole explanation that will walk you through this whole complicated process that took 3 surgeries that eventually helped us save her leg so she could run on all 4 for the rest of her life!  It’s really amazing to see what was accomplished here.

On the day of the rescue, our friends at L.A. Animal Rescue offered to foster PD, and Tania Arana became her foster mom for the next few months.  She had to do many trips back to the hospital for bandage changes - even during the lockdown.

PD has already been adopted, but there are many other loving animals who are still looking for a home.  Please visit our Adoptable Animals page where you can adopt a dog, a cat, a bunny, a pig or even goat. 

This has been a rough year for people all over the world and I am so grateful for having your support through it.  I can’t imagine my life not being able to help these animals.

If you are not a Hope For Paws member yet, please keep in mind that it’s a great New Year’s Resolution and you can join our team today on this page

Last thing, but very important - a gift for you and your pets!  Over the past year, I know that 948 of you have completed writing your wills.  It makes me happy that so many of you now have plans for your pets and I hope many of you will take 20 minutes to accomplish this important task - it’s completely FREE: https://www.freewill.com/HopeForPaws

Have an amazing 2021!

Happy New Year!


Eldad

p.s. PD has an Instagram account!!!  Please click here to follow her: https://www.instagram.com/pipudingbat/



 


Hermione's Rescue | Hope For Paws

Hermione's Rescue

Hermione stepped on a cruel coyote trap and suffered for days.

After learning about an abandoned dog who had been living on her own for a long time with her foot stuck in a coyote trap, we immediately flew to South Carolina to complete this rescue. This ended up being one of the most incredible rescues I have EVER accomplished and we were so happy to save her life after so many local organizations struggled to complete the rescue mission. 

When we arrived, we immediately starting searching for the dog with help from the police but didn't have any luck finding Hermione, so the next day we asked to work alone and our luck was turned around. As you'll see, Hermione was terrified of humans, so we sent Loreta out with a cheeseburger to see if this would do the trick. With food, we could gain Hermione’s trust by proving to her that we just want to help.

The trap was obviously causing a lot of pain for the poor pup. Unfortunately, these cruel traps are still legal for use in all but nine states, and clearly, their use can go very wrong. 

Hermione's rescue was a challenge, but we could not leave her as the trap was causing too much pain. We recruited volunteers to help with the soccer net, as Hermione kept getting spooked and retreating from the cheeseburger. I want to thank our friends: Manuela Schafer for letting us know about Hermione, and to Kimberly Cockrell for organizing the troops on the ground and joining us on this rescue. Also, don't miss the beautiful pictures Loreta has posted of Hermione on her Facebook page.  

Hermione's new loving family posts occasional updates about her new life and dog adventures on Facebook. Thank you to everyone who helped for this miracle to happen! This was one of our most important rescues ever because we're helping to raise awareness for two important animal causes: rescue and animal cruelty. Thank you so much for your generous donations that made it all possible. 


Jordan, the Wonder Dog | Hope For Paws

Jordan The Wonder Dog

We received an emergency call about a dog that had been thrown 30 feet into a canal.

This small dog, soon to be named Jordan, had a severely damaged leg and was slowly giving up hope.

This truly inspiring rescue is a must-see and one of our favorites. The brave little dog could hardly move while he sat crying in the shallow water. The Hope For Paws rescue team thankfully made it in time, rushing him to the emergency room where he was cared for and helped through a heartwarming transformation. 

To learn more about Jordan's new life, follow his page on Facebook where his new loving family posts frequent updates.


Rain, the Homeless German Shepard | Hope For Paws

Rain, the homeless German Shepherd

We received a call about a homeless and scared German Shepherd. 

The poor dog was terrified to the core, even as Loreta tried to convince Rain to trust us by offering her a cheeseburger. As Loreta secured Rain, she began crying out like a human, unlike anything we’ve heard. She was trembling and you could see the fear in her eyes. 

Her ears were being eaten by flies, her coat was filthy, and I can't imagine what caused her to be so fearful. Eventually, she relaxed and got to enjoy a spa day, but was obviously exhausted from her life on the streets! We can only save lives with your support, please consider donating today. Every small donation helps pups like Rain find forever homes. 

If you are interested in adopting german shepherds like Rain, check out these loving animals looking for a new family today


Mama Bear | Hope For Paws

Mama Bear

122°F (50°C) is extremely HOT - especially for newborn puppies!

This rescue took two days to accomplish and required me to take my whole rescue team with me out to the desert. Mama Bear was a super-smart mom...she was not going to make it easy for me to save her family of newborn puppies. She was hoping I would give up and go home, but here at Hope For Paws we never give up!

After we rescued the whole family, we took Mom and the puppies to CARES to make sure they are all healthy, and from there they continued to their foster home with our friends at LA Animal Rescue. If you would like to adopt any of the puppies, please visit our adoption page. Puppies are often adopted quickly so don't wait to submit an adoption application.

The real hero of this story is Buzz. This kind homeless man has lived under the bridge for 6 years now, and when Mama Bear showed up, he invited her to join his little family with his dog Papa Bear. Buzz allowed Mama Bear to give birth inside his tent so the puppies won't lay in the dirt. After the rescue, we gave Buzz some money so he can continue taking care of Papa Bear, and also to fix his bicycle. We also offered to neuter Papa Bear, brought food, drinks, a couple of tents, and sleeping bags for him and his friends. We get to work quite often with the growing population of homeless people in our state, so if you have a sleeping bag or a tent you are not using, please consider donating them locally or you can send them to us and we will be happy to deliver them.

Our mailing address is:

Hope For Paws

8950 W. Olympic Blvd #525

Los Angeles, CA 90211

Thank you for all of your kind wishes and support!  

Eldad

 


Jade Protects Her Puppies | Hope For Paws

We found Jade protecting her puppies

We rushed to the rescue scene and found Jade hiding with her family. 

Watching Jade care for her puppies made our day....we hope this video makes your day 🥰

Help us save lives today

If you can, please join our team a monthly membership, even a gift of $5 makes a difference. It may not seem like much to you, but it adds up and that's what enables us to really do amazing things for these animals.

Just when you will think this rescue is over, you will find out that it's NOT! Mama Jade knew something was wrong, but she didn't know how to tell me!! This rescue video will require watching until the end. 

Life is so hard for homeless animals, and when puppies are added to the equation, it's just a nightmare! This story could have ended terribly in so many ways, but because Stephanie Brooks (who was visiting from New Jersey) knew to call Hope For Paws, this story has an incredible ending.


A Nightmare Becomes A Dream | Hope For Paws

A nightmare turns to be a dream come true!

This is a story about dreams coming true - not just for dogs! ❤️

This story is a little unusual and I wanted to share it with you because it's really special to me.

We receive hundreds of emails every week, and just like all my team members, I sit down for hours every week and answer many of these emails.

Last year I received an email from Hayley Mysliwiec and I'll share it here (with her permission of course).
 

Hi Eldad

I am a HUGE fan of yours and I watch every single video of yours. You are such a kindhearted man. I love you and the work that you do. I just watched Sunshine's video.

I have a heart condition and ended up in a coma back in 2017. Your videos make me smile. It's just amazing. When I was eligible for a make a wish, I wanted to meet you guys, but I can't fly. So they couldn't make it happen. I live in NJ so it was just not capable of happening. I wanted to go on a rescue mission with you guys haha!

Well, in any case. I hope what I have said helps you out. I'm always open to helping you guys out if you need it.

With IMMENSE LOVE,

Hayley Mysliwiec

 

Stuff like this makes me stop everything and really appreciate what a positive impact Hope For Paws has on people all over the world.

From this email, I had no indication about Hayley's age, so I asked her to connect me with her mom.  I told Hayley that if her mom is OK with it, then Loreta and I would love to take her, her mom, and her dad out to dinner (all the way in New Jersey).  This all takes place in August 2019 - BEFORE COVID-19 days.  Hayley told me she was 18 years old, but due to her health, she wanted to have her family by her side.

I connected with Hayley's mom who was very happy to hear from me, and I learned a lot more about Hayley's condition and why she could not fly across the country to meet us.

A few days went by, and Loreta Frankonyte and I boarded a flight to New York City.  Hayley didn't feel 100% well when we arrived in New York, so we asked her to rest and we will wait until she was ready for us. Meanwhile, we visited the 9/11 Memorial, walked for many miles (which we don't really get to do in Los Angeles) and we tried multiple pizza places (I love pizza too much which is not good when I have to fit into sewer holes!) 🍕🍕🍕

Two days later Hayley felt better so Loreta and I hopped in a car and headed to meet Hayley and her family.  She still didn't feel well enough to go out to a restaurant and we couldn't risk her getting an infection, so food was ordered in and we had a fun afternoon and evening together.  We learned how Hayley was born in China and how as an orphan she went through two open-heart surgeries and how she was adopted at the age of 3 and immigrated to the U.S with her two amazing adopting parents!  Their dedication and efforts to take care of their girl are just beyond incredible!
 

Hayley is one tough young woman!  She is so strong and positive throughout everything she has to deal with.  She is much stronger than I would have been in the same situation, and as I am writing these lines I am thinking to myself - we are dealing with this quarantine and the fear of infection for a few months now (and complaining about it nonstop), but she has been dealing with it her whole life!  It really gives a good perspective on life.
 

I am so happy we got to make her wish come true, and I am so happy to have Hayley as a friend. 😊👍❤️

It has been almost a year since we met, and we text each other funny things all the time.  If I am being an annoying older brother, she is telling on me to Loreta 😳 😂

When Hayley feels well, she helps local organizations finding homes for dogs and cats with her amazing skills as a photographer.  She is working on her new website now, and you can read her story here: http://hayleymysliwiec.com/behind-the-lens.html 
In a day or two (maybe by the time you read this blog), you can see her photography portfolio: http://HayleyMysliwiec.com - if not, it should work in a couple of days, so just check back in.


 

Neither of Haley's links are functioning. 

Going to this rescue story - I don't want to give away anything, but the hero of this story was named Hayley, and as you will see, her life had a rough start too, but she had BIG DREAMS!

If Hayley (the homeless dog) would have told other dogs about her dreams, they probably would have laughed at her, but she is the proof that dreams do come true.

I love the parallels in the story of the two Hayleys and I want to thank you for donating to Hope For Paws, for helping us put smiles on kids' faces (it even happens in this video).  I am so honored to have the privilege to impact the lives of both animals and humans. 🙏❤️

Thank you so much for your support!

Eldad


Shaggy | Hope For Paws

Shaggy

This rescue took place over 7.5 years ago, so I am sure I will be missing some details.  I hope you will help me fill in the blanks on the Friends of Shaggy page and I'll update the post: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfShaggy

There is so much to this story, so I will have to break it down to a few posts and share the different video clips I have (sadly I didn't capture the moment of her rescue on camera - on the next post you will know why).

When I got the call on the Hope For Paws line from Manuela Schafer, I had no idea it will be a call about one of the most challenging rescues of my life!!!

I remember Manuela telling me about a dog who was owned by two homeless people, and when one of them passed away, the other one left the area and left the dog behind.  "Shaggy" was the name given to her by locals.  She sat on that sidewalk for two years and waited for her person to come back, but he never did.

During these two years, some people fed her every day (I know there was a man who did it religiously and I hope someone can remind me of his name).  Some people tried to save her, some people tried to hurt her (with poison and coyote traps) and some people thought she should be left alone over there and live her life.  Shaggy was very smart and she never ate the poison and she never walked into a trap. She had enough bad experiences with humans that she just didn't trust anyone!

When Manuela called me, she cried and said the situation is desperate, temperatures were below freezing at night, and that Shaggy needed an immediate rescue as she felt that her health was declining rapidly.

I asked Manuela to send me some videos so I can evaluate Shaggy's behavior and see how I can help.  From the videos it was clear - this is going to be extremely hard... Shaggy was on very high alert all the time, and if anyone got anywhere near her, she would run into the woods and disappear.

A rescue like this is very different from a rescue in an urban environment... there were no fences, no enclosed areas, and I knew this would require a very special set of skills.  I already knew that local people tried using humane traps, and those didn't work.  I also learned that local rescuers tried to tranquilize her with oral medications, but those didn't work either.  In general, oral meds for this purpose don't work and those can actually put animals at great risk!

It's important to understand the risks of tranquilizing animals by putting pills in their food.  A tranquilized animal can't think clearly and may run into the middle of the road and get killed.

If the person who tranquilized the animal loses track, then the animal will go and hide somewhere to try and sleep it off.  The deep sleep they will go into may be interrupted by a predator, and then it would be too late.  

Also, when tranquilized, the body can't thermoregulate properly, and a dog may freeze to death or overheat.  Some animals may feel really weird from the effect of the drug and will overcompensate with an unusual behavior... it's just a risky business.  

The only alternative in my mind was to use a tranquilizer gun, and for this, I needed to call my friend, Dr. Scott Amsel who helped me two years prior with saving Daisy's life in the Florida Everglades.

I called Dr. Amsel, and he agreed to join me on another mission across the country right away.  We gathered our equipment, took a red-eye flight from Los Angeles, landed in South Carolina before sunrise, and got straight to work.

We arrived at the location and immediately spotted her... she was sitting by the Sonic Drive-In.  Dr. Amsel and I decided to observe from a distance and watch her behavior, but she knew right away we were looking at her and she left.  We started a conversation with the Sonic employees to get some information about her behavior in hopes to pick clues that will help us save her.

Next, we continued to the Waffle House down the street.  We looked around the property and walked in for breakfast where we immediately met resistance.  Dr. Amsel sat down and allowed me to talk to the employees.  I explained why we were there, and they were NOT happy about it... they had seen other rescuers coming by, chasing Shaggy, drugging her, trying different things, and they didn't like that someone new was going to harras her.  Jennifer, the leader of the Waffle House team wasn't happy about anything I said and I knew it's critical to win her heart.

I asked everybody to hold on and ran to the car to get my iPad.  I then asked them for 3 minutes of their time so I can show them something.  I pulled Fiona's rescue video and just asked them to watch.  Three minutes later, they were all crying and I knew I accomplished the first mission - I now have local allies! ❤️😎👍

After having breakfast, I wanted to observe Shaggy alone.  I walked across the street, and she was back at her spot.  I sat down with my camera and looked at her only through the screen - I didn't want her to know I flew all the way from Los Angeles just to meet her, I didn't want to make her nervous and even when I whistled, I never made eye contact - I could see everything through my screen that rotates.

It was pretty amazing for me to see hundreds of cars drive by without stopping.  I did know that for so many people, she was just part of the view in West Columbia, and many people knew that no one could approach or catch this smart dog.

For the next two days, Dr. Amsel and I observed her from a distance, but we didn't get to see much because every time she got nervous, she would disappear into the woods for an hour or two.

It was the first time in a rescue situation that I started feeling seriously depressed... I remember this terrible feeling so vividly- "this is going to be the first dog that I won't be able to rescue!😳

Facebook Watch link needs to be added.

The area was huge, Shaggy wasn't hungry because everybody fed her, she was extremely matted so I didn't think a tranquilizing dart would penetrate through her coat, and at that point, we couldn't even get within a darting distance to give it a try.  That feeling of helplessness was so terrible - there was just no way for me to get this dog!

After 36 hours on the ground, I finally came up with an idea!!!!!  I knew the plan would be extremely ambitious, but I also knew it's Shaggy's only HOPE.

On January 19th, 2013, just 14 hours before the rescue, I created a Facebook post with this image - asking the people of South Carolina for HELP!

Hope For Paws joined Facebook just 9 months earlier, so at that point, we didn't have a huge following, but I had to give it a try... it was my Hail Mary pass (for our international followers who don't know this American Football reference - A Hail Mary pass, also known as a shot play, is a very long forward pass in American football, typically made in desperation, with only a small chance of success.).

If people will keep their pets SAFE this 4th of July so I won't need to run for rescues all day tomorrow, then I'll work on the next blog post where you will see my plan, the preparation, and the amazing rescue of Shaggy!  Sadly, I didn't get the actual moment of the rescue on camera - you will see why on my next post, so stay tuned.

Please stay safe and stay healthy,

Eldad


A Hug Changed Everything | Hope For Paws

McKenzie: A hug changed everything

McKenzie was so scared of touch, but a hug changed everything! ❤️

Today, we live in a world with a lot less hugs, but for McKenzie, it was what she needed the most! McKenzie took refuge outside a maternity clinic and she just laid down... shaking in fear and doing her best to avoid any touch.

Her transformation gets better and better until the last second of this video and I know you will LOVE this one ❤️❤️❤️ 

When I saw McKenzie in the corner doing her best to avoid any contact, it reminded me of Holly who I rescued 7 years ago! It is so interesting to see the differences and similarities in the behaviors of these two special dogs. I am not surprised that Holly's video was seen over 11 MILLION times

Thank you so much for helping us through these challenging times so we can continue going out there and save these animals.


Hope For Skunks | Hope For Paws

Hope For Skunks

Six baby skunks get stuck in a Jacuzzi - Hope For Paws reunites them with their mom!

Hello Hope For Paws supporter,

I really hope you will enjoy this super special rescue video:

A skunk is one of the most peaceful, non-aggressive animals you could ever encounter. Skunks don’t just attack. They will give you plenty of warning by stomping their front feet and sometimes even standing on their front legs to deter you from approaching them, and only as a last resort will they spray.  Although a skunk can sometimes bite, spraying is really their only defense against large animals and humans.

Skunks can be very beneficial for your yard and garden because they eat common pests like mice, insects, moles, larvae, earthworms, grubs, lizards, and snakes to name a few.  They also do a bit of gardening by spreading seeds and plants through their scat.

If you see a skunk trying to nest in your yard and you don’t want it, just place citrus peels around that area and they will leave. They don’t like that smell and will find another place to nest. On the other hand, we should all coexist with one another. There is enough space for humans and animals to cohabitate. Wouldn’t you love to experience these beautiful animals in your own yard and see their babies grow? All families whether humans or animals know and feel love, maternal instincts, and protectiveness over their babies. It’s such a beautiful thing to watch and there is a lot we can learn from animals about unconditional love. 

Having had the opportunity to rescue this stunning family, I love and appreciate skunks in the same way as I love and appreciate dogs, cats, and any other animal. I really felt a strong connection knowing how their mother spent hours circling the tub and worrying about her babies, that’s an amazing thing to see and know. All mothers are incredible and will protect and save their babies in any way they can and we should all respect them no matter what species they are. I am beyond honored that I get to rescue not only dogs and cats but also raccoons, opossums, birds, and these super adorable skunks. Just give them a chance and open your hearts to them and you’ll see how much you’ll enjoy watching these families grow.If you do see an injured or a sick skunk, please do NOT call a nuisance wildlife trapper or pest control, they will drown the skunks to avoid getting sprayed. That’s a horrific death that can be prevented by you calling a wildlife rehabber that will do everything they can to save a life.

 

If you do see an injured or a sick skunk, please do NOT call a nuisance wildlife trapper or pest control, they will drown the skunks to avoid getting sprayed. That’s a horrific death that can be prevented by you calling a wildlife rehabber that will do everything they can to save a life.

As I always say, let’s all work together in raising awareness for all the animals so we can make this world a better place for all. All lives matter and we are so blessed to share this planet with such special little creatures. 

XOXO

Loreta


Hawaiian Family Rescue | Hope For Paws

Hawaiian Family Rescue

We were told this homeless dog had 4 puppies - we found more!!! 😊

This blog post will have to be short because we have to accomplish so many rescues today!

Tracey Smith contacted Hope For Paws about a starving dog right by the freeway... desperately searching for food.  This dog didn't only have to feed herself, but she also had a whole family to take care of.

Tracey followed the mom from a distance and discovered some of the puppies in a nursery, and she called Hope For Paws for help.

Loreta Frankonyte and I headed out, met with Tracey, and together we accomplished this rescue:



 

The nursery was so nice, green and with many flowers, and it felt like being in Hawaii.  The whole family received Hawaiian names - the mom is Haleakala (after the volcano in the island of Maui) and the babies: Leilani, Molokai, Kalani, Koa, Luana, and Kaiko.

The whole family is fostered by our friends at The Little Red Dog and in a few weeks they will be ready for adoption!

If you would like to adopt the mama or one of the babies, you can fill an adoption application here: https://www.hopeforpaws.org/dog_adoptions

There are many beautiful photo updates of the whole family on Loreta's page: https://www.facebook.com/xoxoloreta

Please click over to our homepage, and below the video you will find a SHARE button to Facebook and Twitter.  Please share it with your friends and help us find this whole family loving forever homes: https://www.HopeForPaws.org

Tomorrow I will post a NEW video with animals that you have NEVER seen on our channel, so please put a note for yourself to come back.

Thanks,

Eldad


Cronut the Kitten | Hope For Paws

Cronut the kitten

Sometimes it's important to just be quiet and listen...

Hello Hope For Paws supporter,

Cronut's rescue was an interesting one because this little baby was so smart and was able to hide in a place where we almost missed!  I don't want to give it away, I would love for you to just watch it 😺👍
 

Youtube link is private not available to attach. 

Sadly, we don't know where Cronut's mom is or where her siblings are... she was just alone out there in the world.  The neighbors are still looking, but no one had seen anything - yet.
 

Posting this video today is pretty sad to me as I just rescued a cat yesterday... an adult female who was hit by a car.  I rushed her to the hospital, she had to go through emergency surgery, but sadly she didn't survive the injuries.  The part that is even worse about it is that she was lactating a little bit which means it's possible she has kittens somewhere out there.  I have a whole community of people looking, there are posts on NextDoor, everybody is searching and hoping for these kittens to make a sound that will save their lives, but so far no results.  I don't know if they even exist, but I know it's possible and it's terrible to think about it.

It's "baby season" in the Animal Kingdom, and we need to try and help these animals survive.  We live in a crazy world of COVID-19, people are staying home, so less food is available out there for these hungry moms.  It's important to understand that every crossing of a road, there is a real serious danger of death and leaving orphan babies behind.  I want to ask that if you can, please leave food and water out there for animals who may need it.  It is time for more people to appreciate the nature around us... I can definitely hear a lot more birds chirping these days and it's really beautiful.

In honor of all the brave moms out there who will do anything and everything to provide for their babies, and in honor of Mother's Day that we are celebrating tomorrow, we have a special gift for you to give. We've created Mother's Day cards that you can send all the moms you know and love (Biological moms, step moms, dads who function as moms, other family members who are moms, and of course friends who are moms). When you create your card, you'll be able to leave a special message that will be sent to your loved ones and make a donation in your Mom's name to Hope For Paws. 

This Mother's Day is challenging because social distancing requires us to stay home and keep the people we love safe, but this card with Cronut will help share your love in a safe way.

Create a card link is unavailable to attach. 

This special gift will help us save lives and ensure that every animal we rescue is adopted into a loving forever home. 

Today I have to rescue another family... mom and babies.

We have videos coming up with kittens and lots of puppies coming up!

Stay safe and stay tuned!

Have a great weekend,

Eldad



 


Night Rescue | Hope For Paws

Night Rescue

We are so lucky to have special equipment that gives us unique rescue capabilities!

Two nights ago we received a call on the Hope For Paws emergency line.

Loreta got a quick update on the situation: A feral cat had given birth in an attic of an old house.  One day, the homeowner noticed the sounds of kittens and she called the neighbor for help.  The neighbor figured the kitten she heard was actually inside the wall.  He grabbed a hammer, and without even asking - he punched a huge hole and got the kitten out!

The homeowner was able to get the second kitten herself, and it took 3 more DAYS for her to realize that there were more, so she called Barbara Vasilaros, Armineh Shaghzo (both independent rescuers) and Scott Nicholson (Orange Twins Rescue) for help.

Armineh and Scott climbed to the roof, entered the attic, and started crawling.  All of a sudden, the ceiling felt soft, Scott held onto a beam, and the ceiling fell into the living room!!! (funny, it happened to me before too 😅).  We were told the homeowner started laughing, but her husband was NOT happy about it and he was not shy about being very vocal about it (I heard some bad words in a foreign language).  The woman didn't care and asked the team to continue on their mission while she explained to her husband that the smell of a dead kitten in the walls would be much worse!  Even though it was dangerous, they continued crawling in the attic, and in a moment of opportunity, Armineh managed to get a kitten close to her, and she grabbed him by the leg!

Unfortunately, because of the commotion, the last kitten disappeared.  The team could hear some scratching in the walls, but couldn't figure out the exact location.  They were reluctant to go and destroy another wall because the homeowner's husband was quite agitated (they have been in his house for 6 hours at that point, the wall was destroyed, the ceiling was in the living room - he was not having a good day!).

This is where the call to Hope For Paws comes in and so Loreta and I headed out.  The husband was not happy about more damage coming, so I decided NOT to film this one... I wanted to come in, get the kitten, and leave.  It was after 9:00 P.M, and working together with the team (by tapping on the walls), we were able to figure out the possible location of the kitten.

Using the same camera we used on Jessie's rescue - we were able to local the kitten in less than 15 minutes!  If you missed this rescue video - it is a MUST SEE video with almost TEN MILLION views:

This is obviously a terrible situation for the kitten and without us going into the wall, he would have died in there.

I created a small hole that would enable Loreta to put her arm into the wall, and that moment was so interesting, so I quickly grabbed my phone and took this picture:

The little kitten (who never had any human contact) didn't even resist - he was so happy to be safe!

Now that all 4 babies were safe, it was time to capture the mom.  The original team set up a trap with the carrier with the kittens right next to it, and they got her too!

The mom will be spayed, and the homeowner is already anxious to get her back because she feeds her every day.  The attic is now being fixed, so no one can go in there again (cats, rats, raccoons).



 

The babies are all together, eating well, feeling well, and they are ready to find their forever homes!  If you would like to adopt them, please contact Peter Zippi Memorial Fund.

This whole story reminds me of little Cricket from this video:



 

In the past week, we had TWO MORE wall rescues.  It's a little weird how much structural damage we caused and I feel bad especially because no one wants to have repair people in their homes right now, but because people love animals, they allowed us to do these rescues, lives were saved, and another cool video will be posted very soon - totally worth it! 😉👍

If I told most people "tomorrow someone will come to your house, poke a hole in your wall and pull kittens out", they would think I am CrAzY!  It's funny how this turned to be a reality for 3 families in ONE WEEK 😂

 

Thank you so much for donating to Hope For Paws and helping us get life-saving equipment!

Eldad
 


Blind Poodle | Hope For Paws

Blind Poodle - Dolittle

I didn't realize the poodle was blind until the rescue was over!!!

When we received the call on the Hope For Paws line, I thought I was responding to a call about a dog who was hit by a car.  

He tried to DO A LOT of biting, but he was able to DO (very) LITTLE, so I named him DOLITTLE right on the spot ❤️👍

Rescues like this are possible only thanks to your generous donations. It costs a lot of money to do multiple eye surgeries, but turning him around in the way you will see in the video is definitely worth it! We would love to do more - especially during these crazy #COVID19 days.

The aftercare for Dolittle was long, and our friends at L.A Animal Rescue did an incredible job in teaching him how to trust people again. To apply to adopt him or to see the other animals looking for a home, please visit our animal adoption directory. It's harder to find homes for dogs and cats now that there are no adoption events, so I am counting on you to SHARE Dolittle's video.

It's harder for us to post videos these days because it's challenging to film updates due to the lockdown. We are super busy and we continue filming our rescues, and soon you'll have a flood of #HopeForPaws rescue videos 😊👍

Don't forget to search for the "Hope For Paws" APP on Google Play or the App Store and please turn on the notifications so we can text you when a new video comes out.