Heather Leughmyer

Under the big top, Elyse was born; from birth she was trained to obey. She would travel the country, perform for the crowds, but never got to play. Her costumes were extravagant; she wore feathers on her head. But she didn’t have a family, or a warm and cozy bed....

Sweet, little Dandelion lived all alone; her bed was a barrel, her companion, a bone. The soft green grass had been slowly replaced; leaving dirt behind in the path that she paced.....

His dreams were cut short by the cries of another; someone was taking a calf from his mother! Conner stayed silent as he cowered in fear; he looked up at his mom as the human drew near. Although he attempted to blend in with the hay, the man spotted Conner and whisked him away....

Benny the bat always did what was right; hiding during the day and hunting at night. His bed was a tree and he slept upside down, in a quaint little forest just outside of town....

In a shelter Adele lingered in a cage made of glass, where she patiently waited as people walked past. With delicate ears she listened each day, to the mewing of kittens and puppies at play....

The heart of the animal rescue world lies in its stories -- of freedom, of love, and of sacrifice by those who not only acknowledge but embrace the human-animal bond and its wondrous gifts....