HAPPY TAILS
Though some of these rescued pets have a past that we may never understand, we CAN give them a better future. A future that starts with love. Border Animal Rescue volunteers understand this and pour their hearts into the care of each and every animal we encounter, with love, understanding, and patience. Many homeless pets CAN be prepared for adoption.
We strive to fit our fur babies with the right home, the right family . . . at the right time.
. . . Their Stories Are Just Beginning . . .
Mission
Bringing abandoned and forgotten animals into the warmth of loving homes
THAT IS OUR MISSION . . . (and our joy!)
Every day, we work to change the future for homeless and feral cats and dogs in our community. Through dedicated adoption and fostering programs, and through our Trap‑Neuter‑Return (TNR) partnership with local friends and neighbors. We’re reducing the number of animals struggling to survive on the streets and giving them a chance at a healthier, safer and HAPPIER life.
This is where the heart of our work shines. Welcome to Happy Tails — real stories from real families whose lives were changed by opening their homes to an animal in need.
Vision
Taking a scared kitten from a dark, uncertain place and giving them their own “seat at the table” changes everything — for them and for us!
Our volunteers are leading the charge to make sure feral cats (and dogs) — finally get what they’ve always deserved: medical care, spay/neuter surgery, updated vaccinations, and a nutritious meal in their bowl instead of another night spent searching for scraps.
This is the future we’re building together: a community where compassion is the norm, and where every animal has a chance at safety, dignity, and love.
Our vision thrives because of friends and neighbors who step up in big and small ways — setting humane traps, offering an hour or two of volunteer time, fostering a frightened animal, or contributing financially to keep our programs running strong.
Join us at PetSmart during a B.A.R. Adoption Event Day, where you can meet some of these sweet, beautiful animals, donate a dollar, or even pick up a bag of food to support their care. Event dates are posted on our Facebook page and in the Events section of this website.
Happy Tails - Stories of Love
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Loki & Joey
“Sweet Soup (Loki) and Boobert (Joey) came into our lives within the past year—Soup just a couple of months ago—and they’ve completely filled our home with joy. They are truly the sweetest, most loving boys, and not a day goes by without them making us smile.
We adopted Boobert from Border Animal Rescue when he was just a tiny baby, and he’s grown into the biggest, gentlest sweetheart. Soup joined our family this April. We don’t know much about his past except that he was returned after being adopted as a kitten, which is hard to imagine because he is the most precious little man we’ve ever met.
We’re so grateful to Border Animal Rescue for bringing these two wonderful boys into our lives.”
Shiloah Lawrence - Adopter - Sierra Vista Az
Skittles
I had originally contacted BAR so that I could get assistance with TNR.
I had a family of about 4 kitties roaming around my house. I was able to successfully get one and get him neutered. I was told that the kitty would need a day or 2 to recover, so the kitty stayed in our spare room. He was a feisty little thing and was terrified of me. I called him Skittles because he was so skittish. I wasn't ready to let him go so I kept him a little longer. A little longer turned into 3 years!
He is a character. He loves to play with any toy he can get a hold of, especially the loudest toys in the middle of the night. He also never developed a real meow. It's a squeak or a chirp. He is the sunshine that brightens my husband's day, as much as mine.
. . . (My other cat hates him, but I think she secretly loves him) . . .
He has truly glued our little family even tighter - together!
Jackie Delgado - Rescuer
 Skittles and sister-lounging |  Skittles |  Skittles in Trap |
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 Skittles and sister |  Surveying the land |
 2014-02-14 Sammy on Valentine's Day |  Teddy on Valentine's day 20250215_125159 |  Young Teddy's petfinder's picture |
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Teddy - The Heart Cat
This tale is about my “heart‑cat,” Teddy (aka “Teddy Bear” and “Theodore”), whom I adopted from Border Animal Rescue in 2019 — and whose name I didn’t change because it was perfect. But first, let me tell you about my first heart‑cat, Sammy. Sammy was a ginger and white cat with a huge personality. He was a comedian, a lover‑boy, a brat, and a heart of gold. When he passed away of old age, my heart was broken.
Although I volunteered with rescue groups and fostered cats, there was still a space left empty after Sammy’s passing. I stopped fostering for a while, but one day I decided to check out the cats on Petfinder. I’m not even sure why. I stumbled across a picture of “Theodore” on BAR’s Petfinder page. Teddy looked SO much like my Sammy that I had to meet him right away.
He was snuggling with a bunch of younger kittens when I met him (you could tell he loved other cats). He wasn’t very interested in me; after all, we had disturbed the cat puddle he was happily curled up in. I couldn’t resist him. I felt that although Teddy could never replace Sammy, he could heal me just a bit.
Teddy has done more than heal me just a “bit.” He is a huge personality (just like Sammy). A comedian. A lover‑boy. A brat — is that a ginger thing? And he has a heart of gold. Teddy quickly became my "heart‑cat".
Yes, I adore all of my cats and dogs. But sometimes there’s a pet who seems to understand you, who gives you love or laughter at the exact moment you didn’t realize you needed it. That was Sammy. And that IS Teddy.
Thank you, BAR, for allowing me to adopt Teddy Bear — my boy. My Heart-Cat.
Sue Ann Polikowski - Adopter - Sierra Vista Az
Buddy — A True Companion
Over the years, I’ve adopted a number of dogs and a few feral cats through BAR. Today, only one barn cat (no photo) and Buddy — pictured below — are still with me. Buddy’s journey to my home began long before he ever knew me. He was originally adopted through BAR by an elderly friend, and he spent his early years as her loyal companion.
When she passed away, Buddy needed a new place to land, a new person to love, and a new rhythm to settle into. That’s when he joined my pack — and my life.
Buddy is exactly what his name promises. He stays close, follows me from room to room, and keeps quiet watch over the day… unless something more exciting, like a rabbit, catches his eye. In those moments, his whole personality lights up, and you can see the spark that made him so special to my friend — and now to me.
He didn’t just become part of my household; he became part of my heart. A steady presence. A gentle shadow. A friend who arrived through loss, but brought comfort, companionship, and a little mischief back into my world.
Karen Nicodemus - Long time - BAR Adopter
Kaia; at 6 weeks, August 2025
Rehabilitation
Fostering HOPE
When a cat's life starts in the wild, socializing them becomes a challenge. Our foster families work tirelessly to rehabilitate young cats and kittens, making them into sweet, loving, adoptable pets. Sometimes it's more difficult than others, but HOPE moves us forward. That progress is more rewarding than you can imagine!
Meet Kaia! This little miracle was found in a volunteer's crawlspace as the only surviving kitten of a feral mother. At just 6 weeks old, she was scared and standoffish, but thanks to loving care, she blossomed! Now, she's a happy, thriving lap-cat and a "mommy's little shadow" in her forever home!
