Community Animal Rescue & Adoption - CARA

12/30/2025

🚨 New Year’s Eve Reminder for Pet Parents 🚨

We know we’ve said it before… and we’ll keep saying it, because every single year it happens.
More pets go missing on New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July than any other days of the year.
Despite all the warnings, social media feeds will soon be filled with lost dogs, missing cats, and please share posts. Pets panic. They bolt out doors. They break through fences. They squeeze through gates you didn’t even know had a gap.
And this year, there’s another serious concern: dangerously cold temperatures.
A pet who gets loose isn’t just scared — they’re exposed to the cold, disoriented, and at real risk.
Please take a few minutes now to prepare:

🐾 Check ID tags & microchips
• Make sure collars are ON and fit properly
• ID tags should be readable and current
• Confirm microchip info is up to date

🏠 Secure your home & yard
• Double-check gates, fences, and doors
• Be mindful when guests are coming and going
• Consider keeping pets in an interior room

🔊 Create calm, steady noise
• TVs on
• Radios playing
• White noise or fans can help mask fireworks

💊 Have calming tools ready
• Vet-approved calming meds or supplements
• Anxiety wraps or thunder shirts
• Comfort items like favorite blankets or beds

❤️ Stay close if you can
Your presence matters more than you know.

We share this not to scare anyone — but because we see the aftermath every year. We see the lost flyers. We get the calls. We feel the heartbreak when some aren’t found.
Please help us make this New Year safer for the animals we love so deeply.
A little preparation now can save a life later. 🐶🐱❄️

Thank you for always caring.

12/29/2025

It’s Monday morning and we all feel the cold rushing in today. We’ve been warned for days that this was coming. Please, please, please make arrangements to bring your pets inside. They will not survive the temps that are headed our way. A pet owner who cannot manage to bring their pets indoors during these freezing temperatures does not deserve the love of a pet. It’s that simple. If you’ve ever had to remove a frozen puppy from a frozen blanket, you know where our concern is coming from. Please don’t risk their lives, they would never risk yours.

And while you’re at it, check on your neighbors and family members, particularly the seniors. 🖤

12/29/2025

Smallest, but definitely not to be forgotten, is our tiny peanut that we named Nick. This little baby came to us at only 8 weeks old as a child of divorce, or whatever it’s called when it’s a boyfriend/girlfriend kind of thing. We certainly didn’t need another puppy, but how in the world do you not figure something out to help a tiny baby like this? Sooo, in true hamster wheel style, the brain squirreled back to a sweet lady who had said previously that she would be interested in fostering if we ever needed her. Welp, we needed her. Desperately.

Dana was so kind and so willing to come and sn**ch him up to foster and help us out of the mess we had put ourselves in when we said ‘yes’. And let me just tell you… That may have been the quickest foster fail in CARA history! In less than 48 hours, Dana’s sweet husband had renamed him, they had him dressed in tiny Christmas sweaters, and he was immediately welcomed into their big pack of dogs. Then came the pics of him cuddled up with their other dogs, as if that was the only home he’d ever known. All within the first 48! Yep, we knew what was coming there! And we were thrilled!

Dana, so much gratitude to you and sweet hubby and all of the pups! Never dreamed the day you picked him up that Brutus would be given a forever home with you guys! But boy, we sure were elated when you asked to keep him! He could have searched the world over and not found a better, more loving home. Thank you beyond words!

Little Brutus, you will probably never know just how lucky you were that day that you came to us. Heck, we didn’t feel like luck and your sweet little self even belonged in the same sentence. Like, how in the world does a tiny baby like you end up homeless that quickly? My head still spins, but one thing is for certain. You have embarked upon the most incredible, wonderful life with your new family. Pretty sure you have figured that part out by now. What a lucky little boy you are! We can’t wait to watch you grow up and see the big boy you become. Maybe you will get to help your Mom deliver those amazing cookies to our Dog Days of Summer event this year! You go and live the best life little one, and may you never remember the day you came to the shelter. No reason for that memory now, you are home and you are loved. We love you, sweet little one! 💙

12/28/2025

And we absolutely cannot forget that Wendy’s Christmas wish also came true! Wendy didn’t come with a lot of history, no big story. Just another Mississippi pup who wasn’t kept home and safe. She was found stray and taken to the only shelter here that turns away no animal, our friends at MARL. No one ever came looking for Wendy, not there, nor at CARA.

We learned very quickly that Wendy was no shelter dog, as she absolutely could not function in the shelter environment, despite the rearranging and relocating we did to find a spot that she would be okay in. I’m not sure what we would have done if our fabulous fosters, the Coe’s, hadn’t stepped up to take her home to foster. They did, and of course, Wendy did just fine with their pack, although she had a lot of learning and adjusting that had to be done. Between Troy and Bonnie, and their wonderful pack of pups, they worked on some areas she needed help in. Meanwhile, we did her Heartworm treatment and got her on her way to good health.

Eleven months later, she met the woman who was meant to be her new Mom, Nikol! And the rest, as they say, is history. Wendy fit right in with Nikol’s pack, almost as if she had been there all this time. When it’s right, it’s just right.

Nikol, thank you so very much for choosing to add our girl to your home and pack. We were getting seriously concerned that she may never find her people, and lo and behold, there you came. We are elated beyond expression! Thank you seems very small.

Wendy, life is but a dream for you now! Wonderful Mom, two beautiful new playmates… we dare say, this is about as good as it gets. And we are so excited for you! You are the best girl and you deserve the best life! Live it big, sweet girl! You had it coming! 🩷

(Troy and Bonnie, no thanks will ever be enough for all y’all do for these shelter babies. Y’all did an amazing job with Wendy, and we THANK YOU!!!)

12/28/2025

Ishmael came to us via our friends at Mississippi Animal Rescue League after he and his companion dog were confiscated from a cruelty case in a nearby county by animal control. The two pups had never known anything but 6’ chains. Clearly, food, water, and love didn’t figure into the equation at all. They were both extremely emaciated and defeated. MARL housed them with great love and care until their case was finalized and they could be transferred to CARA in search of homes and families.

Ishmael’s female dog friend was much younger and Heartworm negative upon intake, and was quickly spoken for by our Northern partner. Ishmael was not so lucky. Ishmael was heavy Heartworm positive and much more timid than his friend, so he stayed back with us so that we could treat his Heartworms and help build his spirit back. After all, our boy was older and had lived that life for much longer, and he needed some time to heal and learn what life is supposed to look like.

After we completed his Heartworm treatment and saw the amazing boy that he was finally shine through, we started getting him out to events in our efforts to let him show the world just what a good boy he was. People loved Ishmael at every outing. He was magic with children, with other dogs, with everyone he met. We got so much great feedback on sweet Ishmael. But nonetheless, no one ever stepped up and offered to show him the good life, life the way it should be. That is, up until the Shultz family met him.

This precious family met our boy and came calling. Because we like to do adoptions on a ‘foster to adopt’ basis, they took him home a month or so ago. One would think that a dog who lived the life that Ishmael did would find adjusting to real life a bit difficult. But for Ishmael, that was not the case. He quickly went into their home and family and proudly took his position as a member of their sweet family, adoring his human brothers and new parents, he literally did everything right. Like he somehow knew how life should be, and knew how to navigate it. Proud is a huge understatement!

Ishmael’s new family came back recently and officially gave him their last name, and a new name for his wonderful new life. Ismael is now Hank Shultz, and let me just tell you… Our boy could not possibly be happier about that! And neither could we!

Shultz family, my goodness, we are so grateful for you. We were having the hardest time wrapping our heads around how a good boy like Hank could struggle so hard to find his people and his place. And now, it all makes sense. He was simply waiting for you guys. We will be forever thankful that y’all chose this beautiful boy to join your family.

Hank, did you ever in your wildest dreams imagine that you could be so loved?? That you would have two young human brothers who think you are so amazing?? I have to wonder if you did somehow know that. You sure knew how to waltz up into their lives like the perfect dream dog. We love you so very much and we are so comforted to know that you will be forever loved and treasured for the rest of your days. No more chains and starvation for you, sweetest boy. Those days are way behind you now. And my prayer is that you have no recollection of that life now. Your future is nothing but blue skies and sunshine, and we are happy beyond measure! Always love, precious boy, always…. 💙

12/28/2025

They say good things come in threes, and today that was certainly the case. Handsome Alfred and his brother were abandoned at a vet clinic by their owner, and thankfully, the clinic staff reached out to see if we could help find them placement. And just look at the sweet family that Alfred found! We would definitely say that he found his pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

Mr. and Mrs. Hooey, we are so thankful that you chose handsome Alfred to join your family. He absolutely looks like he has known you all this time and was just waiting for you to come and get him. We truly can’t thank you enough for giving our boy a wonderful home full of love. He may have missed it the first time around, but he nailed it this time! Thank you!!!

Alfred, we couldn’t be more happy for you! A real family this time, one that is committed to giving you the life you deserved from the start. Live it big, sweet boy, and be sure that we will always be grateful that your path crossed ours. Always love, sweet boy! 💙

(Alfred’s brother will have an announcement very soon. 😉)

12/27/2025

Add to add to our happy day, our sweet little KayKay also went HOME today! KayKay came to us in July via a kind woman who spotted her running around stray. KayKay came with a broken leg (older injury), pellets in her neck and shoulders, Heartworm positive, very thin, and not too thrilled with the world as it were. Our amazing veterinarians at Randall Veterinary Hospital were able to repair her leg with surgery, and shortly thereafter, we treated her Heartworms. The wounds where the pellets all healed, and she managed to put some weight on. And in the months she’s spent with us, her spirit has also healed.

Today, a sweet family who has adopted from us before came to meet her. Harold (on the left and a former CARA pup) seemed pretty impressed with the idea of having a friend to rough and tumble with! The family didn’t take long at all to know that KayKay is their girl. And we were thrilled to pack her belongings and send her on her way!

Odom family, no thanks is enough for you guys coming back to CARA for another pup! We are so excited that our KayKay joined your sweet family today! We look forward to updates! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

KayKay, the streets were never for you, baby girl. And now you will never be back out wandering aimlessly again. You go and have the best life with your new family and your newfound buddy, Harold! We foresee lots of playing in your future! As well as love, the most important part of it. We love you, sweet little girl. Always love… 💗

12/27/2025

Y’all!!! We are dying to share this great news with our friends! Lady McBeth (pictured on the right) came to us three years ago today, as part of a group of six neglected dogs that we dubbed ‘The Chained 6’. That group ended up being the most costly group of dogs to ever come to CARA. Besides their medical which consisted of everything from basic vetting to Heartworm treatments, due to repercussions from their former ‘owners’ of the trap house they came from, we had to hire armed guards to keep us and our animals safe for a while. If you know us, you know we work for these precious animals, and there is no limit to what we will do to keep our animals and our people safe.

Fast forward three years later, Lady McBeth is one of the only two left of that group without placement. And today, all of her (and our) dreams came true! Lady McB’s new family drove here from Alabama to meet our girl today! Today begins our girl’s journey to life the way it should be for her! You know what they say about anything worth having being well worth the wait. And this right here just gives further credence to that statement! Our girl is currently on the road trip home to beautiful Alabama with her new Mom, Dad, and stunning brother, Mickey! We are beyond elated!!!

Dr. Kuhlmann, Barry, and Mickey, we truly cannot express to you guys how grateful we are, or how incredibly happy we are today for our girl! And how ironic that you came for her exactly three years after she came to us? Boy, miracles truly abound every, single day. We love y’all and we will be eternally grateful to count y’all as part of our extended CARA family. Thank you seems so very small…

Lady McBeth!! Get. It. Girl!!!! Just look at you! No more chains, no more cement floor for you, baby! That is all a thing of the past! We will certainly miss you, but my gosh!!! If you could only know how excited we are for you! Welcome to real life, sweet girl. We could not be happier. Love you, always, beautiful. ♥️

12/26/2025

Be sure to check us out on TikTok!

Check out CARADogs’s post.

12/25/2025

From Huggie (otherwise known as our three-legged wonder 😉), all of his friends at CARA, and all of us who love all of them, we wish you a Merry Christmas! We hope that everyone’s day is full of love and all of the things that matter most. ❤️🎄🐾💚

12/25/2025

This post is for our dedicated family of fosters. Those people who are oftentimes our lifelines, who are so quick to step up and help us when we get overwhelmed or when we have a special animal who needs a little extra… Those incredible humans who never hesitate to jump in and offer their homes and hearts to our animals in need.

Fostering can be difficult and inconvenient at times, it requires a huge commitment, and our family of fosters never even blink when they offer to make whatever adjustments are needed to help with these sweet animals. You guys literally lay the foundation that paves the way for these precious souls to be successful and go on to beautiful lives. And we know that a lot of times, that comes with a high price of heartache when these babies are ready to take that next step. Fostering is not for the weak, but rather for those superheroes who are willing to put their entire hearts on the line, time and time again.

Tonight we want to thank you and reiterate just how critical your efforts are in the journeys of these shelter pets, and how deeply and sincerely grateful we are for all of you. There are so many times that we are literally able to save lives because of you guys and your willingness to help us. We can never thank you enough, not in a million years. We thank you, and so many CARA pets thank you. I am 100% positive that we have the best, most dedicated foster tribe on the planet. Tonight we want to shout it loud… WE LOVE YOU ALL AND WE ARE SO INCREDIBLY THANKFUL FOR YOU! 💗🐾💗

12/23/2025

Thank you to Repeat Street Metro Jackson and to everyone who participated in our CARA Pet Ornaments Drive!! One of Santa’s elves will be delivering all these wonderful goodies to CARA today!!! 🎄❤️🐾🎅🏻
The pups, kitties and staff will be so excited!!