Daphneyland

Walk into Daphneyland and you will be greeted by a crowd of wagging tails and long floppy ears. Daphneyland is a Basset Rescue Network that was founded in 2005 by Carol Ashley and Dawn Smith. Located in suburban Los Angeles, the shelter is comprised of volunteers from all walks of life, who donate their time, talents, and labour to assist in saving the lives of Basset Hounds.

Animal rescues and shelters have all suffered a blow due to the recession. At Daphneyland, donations have been down 40 percent, the rescue full, and volunteers have had to quit. “We are bringing in $5,200 a month in donations and we need $10,000 to survive,” Smith said. Things are starting to look up now, but the rescue still gladly accepts donations, sponsors, or volunteers.

There are also always dogs up for adoption. You can visit their website at www.daphneyland.com.

Cat Walks 2000 Miles To Come Back Home

Stormy the cat is one incredible animal. The frisky gray kitty walked all the way from California to Minnesota in search of his home and family, on the farm where he had been raised, covering an unthinkable distance in his wake.

The amazing 2000-mile journey for the handsome little devil started when owners Wendy and her daughter Vanessa, rescued the cat from an animal shelter in 1995, raising him on their beloved Minnesota farm.

In 1998, the family moved to Solvang, California, and took Stormy along with them. “We’d been there about three months last Halloween when something must have scared him,” remembers Wendy.

“He bolted out the door and that’s the last we saw of him. We lived in rough country and as the days went by, I was sure some coyotes or or other wild animals had gotten poor Stormy.”

The next year, Wendy and Vanessa went back to Minnesota to visit her parents and got a huge surprise. She just happened to see a lost and found ad for a gray cat, and thought, “What if?”

Wendy and Vanessa went to see the cat, and as a vet confirmed later, it was definitely Stormy, although worse for wear.

Across his 2000-mile trek, he had shrunk to about four pounds and his claws were worn down to the roots. Wendy and Vanessa were amazed that Stormy not only survived, but had tried to find his way back to the place where he was raised, and now take every precaution to make sure Stormy stays safe.

“We make sure to close the door before that frisky kitty can sneak out for another cross-country adventure.”

To see pictures from the whole story, click here.