ABRA, Inc.

12/19/2025

I have never felt so validated! I spend a lot of time complaining about Petfinder. It's absolutely AWFUL. It's the "go to" for people looking for adoptable pets, but please consider using Adoptapet. It's not perfect, but it's so much better.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C2uc4mPD9/

A brief PSA to the pet-adopting public. Petfinder is the juggernaut in the dog adoption world. That site dwarfs all others and rescues rely on it to be able to get their animals before the animal-adopting public.

Petfinder has always been a problematic website and in my opinion, it designed itself into a box from which it could not escape.. It has always been buggy with tons of glitches., but it has been the go to for so long that rescues just don't have a lot of options. On December 2, Petfinder launched what they termed improvements to the website. In reality, this has been the 'New Coke' of website launches and it has been an abject disaster. The mobile site has not been functional, logging in for rescues has been intermittent to non-existent, and adding and removing pets from Petfinder remains a task of immensely frustrating proportions.

If you are out there looking for a new pet, and you reach out for one and you get crickets in response, be kind to the rescue and look for an alternate way to find the rescue and contact them that way. They aren't ignoring you.

If you happen to be a philanthropic tech person with mad skills, cash, and time at your disposal and you are reading this, do the animals a solid and create an alternate site with actual modern features that function. The rescue world will love you.

To my fellow rescuers, we feel your pain and we send you the very best wishes in finding homes for all of the animals in your care. It is wildly unfortunate they did this during the biggest adoption season of the year, but this too shall pass. I salute all of you and remind you that boxed wine exists for a reason. Until then, pull the blankets back over your head and come up with Plan 27 for all the animals in your care.

Jean from Big Fluffy Dog Rescue

12/18/2025

One final smooch for the road!!❤️❤️
Snickerdoodle is going from a rescue/foster family that adores him, to a fantastic forever family that’s going to spoil him rotten. Happy tails, Snicks!!

12/17/2025

Some people would love to have a pet but don't because their work schedule is too demanding, and they don't think it would be fair. We have total respect for that.

But if you want a companion, and you'd enjoy some company, even if you work double shifts and super long hours, one of these two gorgeous gray ladies would be a perfect match for you.

Meeko and Abbey are 7 years old (not related, not fostered together, just similar gals).
They are very low maintenance. All they need are snacks, snoozes, sunshine and occasional - on their terms - snuggles.
Both ladies agree days are made for languishing in spots of sunshine, sleeping, eating, sleeping some more, eating some more, then sleeping again. An occasional snuggle session, or in Abbey's case, getting lovey dovey when it's time for wet food, is also part of their days.

They don't need a lot of time or attention, they just need someone. Both are fine with other animals, though neither need them. As Abbey's foster mom, I think she'd love to be an only, but she is a pro at ignoring other animals in her presence. She loves the top of a cat tower, a window ledge, or oddly enough, a bar stool 😁

Most people want the lap cat that loves to be held all the time, we get that. As a cat person, I get as much from Abbey as I do from more affectionate cats. She makes me laugh, I love her independence, and I desperately want to see her find her forever home after all this time.

Somewhere out there are people who need one of these girls to brighten their days. Nothing beats coming home to a pet, and if you've been missing one, one of these ladies might be just for you.

12/11/2025

🚨 LAP CAT ALERT 🚨
Meet Pearl, a 2-year-old sweetheart who is the definition of affectionate! She loves pets, snuggles, and will happily purr her little motor when you give her attention. Pearl is irresistible, with a soft, silky coat, a squeaky meow to “talk” to you, and a heart full of love. She follows her humans around and never wants to miss out on the action.
Pearl enjoys being picked up, cuddled, and even chills while her foster mom walks on the treadmill! She’s playful too—wand toys are a favorite—and she’s laid-back, happy, and content to just be near her people. She’s great with kids and thrives on attention.
While Pearl is extremely loving with humans, she prefers to be the queen of the castle and does not enjoy the company of other cats. She is litter box trained, spayed, and up to date on vaccinations.
Pearl is looking for a calm, cat-free home where she can share her love and purr-filled magic as the center of attention.

12/10/2025

Before and after of Kennedy!
One of our fabulous dog adopters does a lot of TNR in her area (we need more people like Mimi).
There was a family of kitties basically living in/on a roof. She was able to successfully trap them for TNR, but she was concerned about this guy.
He was estimated to be 7 months old, but weighed only 3.8 pounds. He was lethargic and just didn’t look good. He also wasn’t truly feral, just shy.

She offered to foster him, and we were able to get him healthy under her loving care, and now Kennedy is ready for a forever home! He’s people shy and will take a patient adopter, but he loves other kitties! If you have a cat who needs a buddy, this handsome boy is the one for you!

12/09/2025

It’s been rough.
After 14 months in rescue, she had an approved application and was ready to be adopted. But just before the adoption, she started drinking and peeing excessively. We assumed it was a UTI and postponed the adoption until we could get her checked out, cleared up and back to 100%.
One vet visit turned into 4 within a week’s time, and we were totally unprepared to learn Athena has intermediate cell lymphoma. Devastated doesn’t begin to cover it.
Sharalynne is the reason Athena and her unborn babies made it out of animal control alive, only hours before she was scheduled for euthanasia. Nelson is the reason she’s been living her very best life these past months in foster care.
I am eternally grateful to them both.

There is nothing more I can say that would convey our feelings better than what Nelson wrote:

“Today I’m sharing something heavy, because love isn’t always easy, and rescue work isn’t always full of happy endings.
Our sweet foster dog, Athena, has been diagnosed with lymphoma. We knew something wasn’t right, but hearing the words out loud still felt like the ground shifted beneath us. There’s no cure for what she has, and the time we have left together is heartbreakingly short.
But here’s what I want everyone to know about her:
Despite everything, severe neglect, euthanasia list, giving birth, emergency surgery after labor, knee replacement surgery and lots of complications… Athena wakes up each day with a tail that still wags, eyes that still shine, and a heart that still trusts. She leans into our hands when we pet her. She follows the sun around the room to nap in warm patches. She finds joy in the smallest things—soft blankets, warm bed, tons of toys, treats galore all with an endless amount of kisses, hugs and cuddles.
Our job now is simple:
To make every remaining day soft.
To make every meal delicious.
To make every moment free of fear, full of safety, and filled with love she should have had long before she came to us.
Fostering sometimes means holding them as they heal. Sometimes it means holding them as they leave. Both are acts of love.
As fosters we search relentlessly for their happily ever after and for Athena it just so happens that her happily ever after was with her foster mom. That's why what we do is so important. To love and to be loved, it's just that simple.
If you’re reading this, please keep Athena in your thoughts. Send a little light her way. And hug your animals a bit closer tonight—each day with them is a gift.
We’ll walk this last stretch together, and she will not be alone.”

11/30/2025

Bear is an awesome boy still waiting on his forever home! He's 5 years old, loves other dogs, LOVES car rides (also loves to roam, he's a runner, so he needs a secure fenced-in yard or someone who's going to leash walk him for potty breaks).
Bear is a bed hog and sometimes he snores. You've been warned.
Please share and help us find this boy his forever home!

11/28/2025

We hope everyone had a happy, peaceful and delicious Thanksgiving!

Kittens are adorable, especially this crew.
Adults are just as lovable.

If you are ready to add a member to your family that offers only unconditional love and not unsolicited criticism of your stuffing recipe, send us a message. We'll find you the perfect match, be it dog or cat.

11/20/2025

These beautiful sisters are Mace and Coriander. They (and several of their siblings) were rescued from a truck lot in Gary. They are now around 7 months old. They are super snuggly babies that love to be in your lap, cuddle in bed, and love affection. They are also very playful girls! They are fostered with other cats and dogs.
These bebes are bonded and we’d really love to keep them together ❤️

11/19/2025

Professor Alastor “Mad Eye” Moody, aka Moody, aka best cat ever, is such a cool kitty! He’s between a year to a year and a half old, fully vetted, fully adoptable.

He’s a great assistant when working from home.
He will keep your lap and/or arms warm.
He loves a harness and going for walks.
He loves people and is super loving.
He’s great with other animals.

You want a cat that’s the total package?
Stop looking. He’s right here.

11/18/2025

*Sigh. I'm going to expound a bit more regarding this post. I did not know the dog, was not aware of what happened, but have since found out he's in the care of the HS in Hobart, and that is wonderful news for this poor guy. I wish they were all so lucky.

I posted this as an example, so people can understand the reality facing pets in our community. If you aren't in rescue, if you aren't an animal person, if you aren't following pages like our, chances are you don't know. I talk to people ALL THE TIME who have no idea that ACs and shelters and rescues are at the breaking point. I spoke to people just this past weekend at the event we were at and the looks of shock on their faces as I explained the crisis we are facing were sincere. So maybe one of our followers shares a post like this and someone who DIDN'T know, now has a small clue. Or maybe someone who has been on the fence about fostering sees a post like this and finally decides now is the time to take the plunge and save a life.

That being said, the comments sort of went off the rails, some of which have been deleted (not by me, I try not to censor without a really good reason). I initially responded and typically try not to engage but I don't now what it was about today. I was 5 minutes from home after being gone for almost 12 hours (I commute downtown everyday for work), in a rush to get home to my pets and my fosters and all the rescue work that awaits me, but I was stuck in traffic - literally at a standstill due to an accident. Close to home but unable to get there, my CGM going off because my blood sugar was going dangerously low, tired and cranky and I was just in a horrible mood. So I had time to look at my phone, and a baseless comment just set really set me off.

We've been around a while. We do things the way we are comfortable doing them. With years of experience comes a tiny bit of wisdom. A few rescues that were around when we started are still around, too. Many are gone. Others have come AND gone in that time. We all do things differently but we are never going to post criticism about how another rescue operates. It's not our rescue, it's not our business. Now if we have direct knowledge of a rescue abusing or neglecting their animals, then all bets are off. And yes, more than once over the years we've had to rescue dogs and cats from other "rescues." But most are doing their best with good intentions.

It's such a huge problem. Lack of funding, cities and towns that cry poor and put zero money/resources into animal control, irresponsible people, the list is never ending.
We need better laws, we need local municipalities to ENFORCE laws, harsher punishments, more accountability. And you know what would be great? Fines for people who allow their dogs and cats to reproduce. We used to pull cats/kittens from ACs and shelters all the time. I can't remember the last time we did, and yet we constantly have dozens of them in the rescue. They are all coming from the streets. These days, the majority of our adoptable bebes were strays that found their way to us (some of us are magnets).

Anyway, if you read this far, that's impressive. Attention spans aren't what they used to be (and I think that's also part of the problem). Liking, sharing, commenting all helps. And if/when you decide to foster, we'll be here.*

This is every day. Every single day. Dogs and cats, endlessly in need of help - and not nearly enough helpers 💔😭

11/18/2025

Nyla is such a great pup! Everyone that met her this weekend just loved her. She’s about 7 months old, and even though she survived trauma and abuse, she still loves absolutely everyone. Her bff is a toddler, she is fostered with dogs, a cat and lots of chickens! She’s great with everyone. She’s housebroken, crate trained, working on manners and commands, and is an all around wonderful dog. Adopt her!!