Friends To The Forlorn Pitbull Rescue

05/31/2026

LOST IN THE RAIN. FOUND IN THE DARK. HOME BY MIDNIGHT. 🐾❤️

When the phone rang, a young family was desperate.

Their beautiful Cane Corso Mastiff, Nova, had escaped her kennel and disappeared into the rain in Douglasville, Georgia.

By the time they called me, Nova had already been missing for several days.

There had been sightings. A glimpse here. A report there. Park workers had seen her near a local park. Animal Control received reports near my veterinarian’s office across the street. But every lead seemed to vanish as quickly as it appeared.

I happened to be in the area, so I went to investigate.

The family was exhausted. Their children were worried. Every hour that passed felt heavier than the last.

After evaluating the situation, I explained what needed to happen.

No chasing.

No searching through the woods.

No driving around all night.

Just patience.

We set up a feeding station, a camera, and one of my recovery traps. Liquid smoke. Beef broth. Gyro meat. All the scents that drifting wind can carry for miles to a hungry dog trying to survive.

Then the rain came.

Hard.

The trap needed to be refreshed the next day, but despite the weather, I had a feeling.

Tuesday was when Nova went missing.

By Friday, something changes in most lost dogs.

Fear begins to lose its grip.

Hunger takes over.

Food becomes the priority.

That night, Animal Control called.

Nova had been spotted again near my veterinarian’s office.

The family rushed over with their children and their other dog, hoping she would come running.

But Nova was gone.

I told them something that can be difficult for families to hear:

“Pack it in. Go home. Let the trap do its job.”

Trust the process.

Trust Nova.

Trust that survival instincts would eventually lead her to the scent trail we had created.

Hours passed.

Then just after midnight…

📸 The camera activated.

There she was.

Nova.

Soaked from days of rain. Tired. Hungry. Alive.

She cautiously approached the trap and ate some food near the entrance.

Then she walked away.

For five long minutes.

Anyone who does this work knows exactly how long five minutes can feel.

Then she returned.

She circled.

She investigated.

She thought about it.

And finally…

She committed.

The massive 130-pound Cane Corso stepped fully inside.

CLANG.

The door closed.

And just like that…

The nightmare was over.

Nova was safe.

Nova was alive.

Nova was going home.

The tears, the worry, the sleepless nights, the fear of what might happen next—all of it ended in a single moment.

A family got their dog back.

Children got their best friend back.

And Nova got to sleep at home where she belonged.

These are the moments that remind us why we never give up.

Not in the rain.

Not in the dark.

Not when hope feels impossible.

Because sometimes, all it takes is one camera alert at midnight to change everything.

❤️ Welcome home, Nova.

⸻

If you believe in the work we do and want to help us continue bringing lost pets home, please consider supporting our mission and helping keep the van rolling.

PayPal: PayPal.me/FTTF

Venmo:

Every donation helps us answer the next call, set the next trap, and bring the next family back together.

05/30/2026

🐾 Happy Endings That Remind Us Why We Keep Going 🐾

The last few weeks have been incredibly busy on the trapping and lost pet recovery front. It seems like every day brings another call about a dog in danger, another lost pet needing help, or another life hanging in the balance.

A couple of weeks ago, we shared the story of a sweet Husky/Chow mix who had been surviving on his own in Kennesaw for over a year. After a lot of patience and effort, we were finally able to safely trap him. Unfortunately, once he was secured, his owner informed us they no longer wanted him back. It was heartbreaking, but we made sure he got to safety and had time to decompress at Cobb County Animal Services.

Today, that story got the ending we had hoped for.

One of the kind neighbors from the townhome community where he had been living and surviving stepped forward and adopted him. After all he’d been through, he’s finally home, loved, and no longer alone. ❤️

And that’s not the only happy ending.

Last week, after another busy stretch of rescue work, we were able to safely capture a dog in Atlanta who had been surviving near a trucking company. Through the proper channels and after ensuring everything was done the right way, one of the gentlemen from that trucking company decided he wanted to give her the life she deserved.

We got her to our veterinarian, had her fully vetted and spayed, and today she went home with her new family. 🐶❤️

Two dogs who were once scared, homeless, and uncertain about their future are now sleeping safely in loving homes tonight.

These are the moments that keep us moving forward. They remind us that even when we witness neglect, abandonment, and some of the darker parts of humanity, there are still good people willing to open their hearts and change a life forever.

If you believe in the work we do and would like to help us keep the van rolling, the traps ready, and our team out there helping the next dog in need, please consider supporting us this $5 Friday.

A recurring donation of just $5 helps us continue fighting for dogs who have no one else.

💙 $5 Friday:
Friends to the Forlorn $5 Friday

💙 PayPal:
paypal.me/FTTF

💙 Venmo:


Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for sharing our posts, supporting our mission, and helping us give dogs a second chance. Every rescue, every reunion, and every adoption is possible because of this community.

Tonight, two more dogs are home. And that’s a very good day

05/29/2026

Today we’re asking you to consider something simple that can make a huge difference: a recurring donation of just $5 a week.

Five dollars doesn’t sound like much. It’s less than a fancy coffee, a fast-food meal, or that impulse purchase you forgot about five minutes later. 😅

But when enough people come together and commit to $5 a week, it gives us the ability to say “yes” when animals need help.

Just think about it: if 100 supporters joined our program, that would provide $500 every week to help animals in need. That’s the kind of steady support that allows us to plan ahead and respond when the next emergency call comes in.

In just the last 7 days, we’ve trapped and brought 7 animals to safety. Some were missing pets that needed help getting home. Others were feral cats that needed medical care and TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return).

This week alone, we’ve trapped 3 feral cats, and we’ll be back out trapping again next week.

Every cat we trap costs us about $100 by the time we:
✔️ Combo test
✔️ Vaccinate
✔️ Spay or neuter
✔️ Ear tip
✔️ Provide any needed medical care

We don’t want to return sick, unvaccinated cats back into a colony. We want every cat we help to have the best chance at a healthier life while helping reduce overpopulation and suffering.

The calls keep coming. The traps keep filling. The vet bills keep arriving. And the van keeps rolling.

That’s why recurring donations matter so much. They help us plan, budget, and continue saying “yes” when animals need us most.

If you can spare $5 a week, please consider joining our family:

👉 friendstotheforlorn.org/5friday

Or make a one-time donation through:
PayPal: paypal.me/FTTF
Venmo: venmo.com/u/FTTFPitbull

Thank you for helping us keep the van rolling, the traps working, and the animals getting the care they deserve. ❤️🐾

Because rescue doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because people like you decide to help.

05/28/2026

Kay animal hospital is the best

Dr. Leathers mentoring two of our Pre-Vet students! One of the best helping grow the next generation of Veterinarians!

05/27/2026

Yesterday we told you we got called out to our friend Sylvie’s house because her neighborhood feral cat colony has officially entered the “every bush has eyeballs” stage. 😳🐈

The cats have been multiplying, some are looking rough, and unfortunately this is exactly what happens when colonies go unvaccinated, untreated, unaltered, and forgotten. They breed, they get sick, they spread disease, and the cycle just keeps going.

So off we went with traps, coffee, optimism, and what little sanity we had left.

We trapped our first kitty yesterday and got her to the vet… where we discovered she had a re**al prolapse. Poor girl looked like she had been through absolute hell. So instead of a simple spay-and-release, she’s now staying at the vet for a couple of weeks so they can repair everything, monitor her healing, remove stitches, and make sure she’s actually okay before she goes back out. Because let’s be honest… if we release her too soon, we’ll never catch her again. She already thinks we kidnapped her. 😅

Then at 2:00 this morning, the trap camera went off again.

Nothing says “rescue life” like being launched out of bed at 2 AM because a raccoon-sized tomcat made poor life choices.

This morning’s guest was an unneutered male who needed antibiotics, fluids, and a neuter. He’ll recover and then be returned back to his colony where, ideally, he can spend less time fighting and more time minding his business.

So yes… this became a little more expensive than we originally expected.

But here’s the thing: once we take responsibility for an animal — feral, stray, friendly, spicy, possessed by demons, whatever — they get what they need. Period.

TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) works. It keeps colonies from exploding in size, reduces suffering, lowers disease spread, cuts down on fighting and mating, and gives these cats a healthier life than endless breeding and suffering outdoors.

We’re going to keep working this colony and do everything we can to get the numbers down and improve their quality of life.

If you’d like to help us keep going, donations are always appreciated:

PayPal.me/FTTF
Venmo.com/u/FTTFPitbull

Thank you for helping us keep the van rolling, the traps trapping, and the tiny street goblins under control

05/26/2026

It’s $2 Tuesday, y’all… and let’s be honest — most of us accidentally spend $2 on things we don’t even remember buying. A gas station snack. A random app charge. Half a cup of Starbucks. 😂

But today, that same $2 can actually make a difference.

At Friends to the Forlorn, we don’t just rescue dogs from horrific situations. We also help trap and locate lost pets, assist families in crisis, and work on TNR efforts — Trap, Neuter, Return — to help control feral cat colonies humanely.

Right now, our dear friend Sylvie is dealing with a neighborhood where the feral cat population is exploding. And if you know anything about feral colonies, you know they multiply FAST and disease spreads quickly. The only humane way to stop the cycle is through TNR.

So yesterday afternoon, despite thunderstorms, torrential downpours, and weather that can only be described as “why do I do this to myself?” ⛈️😂 we loaded up fresh sardines, set traps, and got to work.

This morning, we caught one young female cat. She’s now at Dr. Leathers’ office at Kay Animal Hospital getting:
✔️ Combo tested
✔️ Vaccinated
✔️ Spayed
✔️ Ear clipped

Then she’ll safely return to her colony — unable to continue the cycle.

The cost? About $100 per cat.

And trust us… there are MANY more out there waiting.

That’s where $2 Tuesday comes in.

If everyone reading this donated just $2 today, we could cover this cat and move right on to helping the next one. And the next one. And the next one.

You can make it super easy by setting up a recurring donation and basically forgetting about it while quietly becoming one of our favorite humans. ❤️

Donate here:
👉 friendstotheforlorn.org/$2Tuesday
👉 paypal.me/FTTF
👉 venmo.com/u/FTTFpitbull

Every $2 helps. Every share helps. Every person who cares helps.

We appreciate you guys more than you know. Now excuse us while we go stand in the rain smelling like sardines. 🐟😂

05/25/2026

Last night started with cake, balloons, graduation pictures, and me pretending I wasn’t about to eat my niece’s body weight in pasta salad.

Then my phone rang.

And just like every horror movie ever made… the weather got dramatic at the exact same time.

A young couple in Rockmart had recently rescued a Cocker Spaniel named TN. He’d only been with them a few weeks, hadn’t fully bonded yet, and during a nasty storm he bolted from the property and disappeared.

By the time they called me, the skies absolutely unloaded. Roads were flooding. Thunder was rattling windows. Visibility was terrible. Basically the kind of weather where normal people say, “Man, hope somebody handles that tomorrow.”

Unfortunately for me, I am apparently not normal people.

So I left the graduation party, went home, loaded the van, grabbed my supplies, cut up smoked sausage, diced smoked ham, tore apart gyro meat like some kind of desperate storm goblin chef, grabbed the liquid smoke, the trap, the cameras, and headed to Rockmart.

TN had already been missing since that morning. Witnesses had seen him running about a mile from home near some stores, a church, and a wooded area behind the businesses. The most recent sighting had been FIVE HOURS earlier, which in missing dog time can feel like five years.

When I arrived, the rain finally slowed down enough for us to work. I had the husband grab their other dog — the one TN seemed to like most — and we started checking the sighting locations.

As we pulled up to the latest area… something darted into the woods.

Now, was it TN?
A deer?
A raccoon with anxiety?
A woodland demon?

We had no idea.

But we were hopeful.

I instructed the owner on how to use his dog as a magnet dog, hoping TN would come out of hiding and approach. Nothing.

TN stayed hidden.

At that point, I had the husband take the dog home while I set the trap, positioned the camera, baited everything with enough smoked meat to make an entire neighborhood hungry, and sprayed the area with liquid smoke like a barbecue-scented crime scene investigator.

Then we waited.

At 2:30 in the morning, my camera alert went off.

Adrenaline kicked in. I got dressed, jumped in the van, drove back to Rockmart…

…to rescue a cat.

A very confused cat.

A very annoyed cat.

A cat that absolutely did not appreciate being part of this operation.

So I released the cat, reset the trap, refreshed the bait, and started heading out.

And then I saw him.

TN.

Running down the road at a frantic, steady pace like he had somewhere VERY important to be at 3 a.m.

I watched him make a U-turn, circle back, and head toward the trap area.

At that moment, I knew we still had a shot.

So I stayed nearby for another hour waiting for him to appear on camera again.

Nothing.

No movement. No alerts. No TN.

Eventually I headed home, got a couple hours of sleep, and started my morning routine with the dogs.

Then my camera notification went off.

And there he was.

TN was safely inside the trap.

I immediately called the owner and told him to get there and stay calm until I arrived. I was about 20 minutes away.

When I got there, we secured the trap with zip ties, carefully carried TN inside the house, and that’s when the real boss of the operation stepped in.

Their beautiful two-year-old daughter, Vivian.

Vivian looked at me and very seriously instructed me to let TN out of the cage.

And honestly?
Nobody argues with Vivian.

So that’s exactly what we did.

TN came out dirty, soaked, exhausted, hungry, and very confused about the life choices that led him into a trap smelling like a Greek barbecue restaurant…

…but he was HOME.

Safe. Warm. Loved. Back where he belongs.

These are the calls we answer. Holidays, storms, middle-of-the-night alarms, flooded roads, sleepless nights, and the occasional trapped cat that wants absolutely no part of the mission.

If you’d like to support the work we do and help keep the van rolling, it truly makes a difference.

PayPal.me/FTTF
Venmo.com/u/FTTFPitbull

Thank you to everyone who supports us, shares posts, donates, prays, and helps bring these dogs home.

05/23/2026

REUNITED AFTER MISSING FOR OVER 2 months

Yesterday, my buddy Will called me about a female Basset Hound that had been living in the park beside his tattoo shop in Rockmart for weeks.

Nobody could get close to her.

She wouldn’t come to anyone. She just stayed out there alone… surviving.

Will said she was getting thin, covered in ticks, and with storms rolling in, he was worried she wasn’t going to make it much longer out there on her own.

So I grabbed my trap and headed that way.

And honestly… I was preparing myself for this to be difficult.

But sometimes, when people come together for an animal in need, incredible things happen.

With the help of a young child who happened to be there, we were able to safely trap her pretty quickly and get her loaded into my van just before the storms hit.

Safe. Dry. Finally off the streets.

When I got her home, I started pulling ticks off her and scanning for a microchip.

And there it was.

Hope.

But then came another heartbreak…

The chip company was defunct. No owner information. No way to trace where she belonged.

Still, I refused to believe her story ended there.

So I made a Facebook post and let the power of social media do its thing.

Late last night around 11:30, my phone rang.

It was her owner.

She had the microchip information and was able to verify everything.

This sweet girl’s name is Piper.

Piper had gone missing during a storm over TWO MONTHS ago… and somehow ended up more than 17 miles from home.

Can you imagine what this dog has survived?

The storms.
The heat.
The hunger.
The fear.
The loneliness.

And yet somehow… she held on.

This morning, after finishing up with the dogs at the palace, I drove to Cedartown and reunited Piper with her family.

There were tears.
There were hugs.
And there was one very exhausted little Basset Hound finally back where she belongs.

We’re going to help get Piper healthy again, help with getting her spayed, and we also gave the owner information on transferring her microchip to an active company so this never happens again.

Moments like this are why we do what we do.

Because every once in a while… after the fear, the heartbreak, the uncertainty…

there’s a happy ending waiting on the other side.

I just wish they all ended this way.

Thank y’all for continuing to support this work and helping us save lives one dog at a time. ❤️

05/23/2026

It’s been a long, busy day… but tonight, a little Chihuahua is safe at home where he belongs.

This afternoon, I got a call from a gentleman named Ricky. He and his girlfriend had recently adopted a tiny Chihuahua from a cruelty case through Douglas County Animal Control. The poor little dog had already been through so much in his life… and then, after getting home, panic set in.

They let him out into the backyard, and somehow he found a tiny opening in the corner of the fence and disappeared deep into the woods behind their house.

And when I say woods, I mean thick woods.

They searched and searched but couldn’t find him. At night, though, he would appear on their cameras. They put food out. They put a crate out. Every night, he would creep back in, grab a bite to eat, and then vanish back into the darkness.

This little dog had been missing since Wednesday. Today is Friday.

They called me this afternoon.

I went over and set one of my traps. I sprayed my liquid smoke and beef broth mixture, lined the trap with a smorgasbord of smoked meats, and asked the family to stay inside and let the trap do the work.

Then I got called out to Rockmart to trap that female Basset Hound everyone has been seeing. I brought her home, got her settled in for the night, removed ticks, fed her, and finally sat down for a moment.

Then my camera alert went off.

It was the Chihuahua.

He danced around the trap… in and out… grabbing little pieces of food from the front. For nearly 40 minutes he tested it. Nervous. Scared. Unsure.

And then finally…

Little Killer — yes, that’s his name — committed to the food at the very back of the trap.

The door closed perfectly.

And every time that trap door closes, it means something bigger.

It means we’re shutting the door on fear.
Shutting the door on loneliness.
Shutting the door on another night outside in the rain, cold, and darkness.

And we open the door to a new chapter:
Safety.
Warmth.
Love.
Home.

I ran over there in the rain, secured the trap with wire ties, carried him safely into the house, checked him over carefully, and reunited him with his family.

Moments like this are why we do what we do.

If you believe in this work and want to help us continue bringing lost dogs home, please consider supporting us.

PayPal:
PayPal.me/FTTF

Venmo:
venmo.com/u/FTTFpitbull

Your support helps keep the van rolling, keeps traps and supplies ready, and helps us continue answering these calls when families need us most.

I hope all of you have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend.

While everyone else is celebrating, I’ll be out here trying to bring dogs back home.

Thank you all for believing in us.

05/23/2026

Storms were rolling into Rockmart tonight when I got a message from my buddy Will — a tattoo artist over there who had been watching a Basset Hound wandering the park for weeks.

Thin. Scared. Surviving.

He had tried several times to help her, but every time an adult got close, she would run.

I already had a trap set locally for a missing pet, but something about this dog weighed heavy on me. With the weather moving in, I loaded up and headed over.

When I got there, there was a church group gathered in the park, singing. And in the middle of it all… this tired little hound was just quietly existing beside them. Watching from a distance. Wanting comfort, but too afraid to trust it.

Then a mother told me something that changed everything:

“She’s scared of adults… but she likes children.”

So I asked if her little boy would help me.

That young boy gently walked beside her toward my trap with more compassion and patience than most adults ever show. No force. No fear. Just kindness.

And then the aroma hit her.

A buffet of different smoked meats filled the air from inside the trap, and as the little boy calmly walked beside her, she slowly lowered her guard and gently stepped inside.

Just like that, after weeks of surviving alone, she finally let someone help her.

Once I safely got the trap loaded into the van, we headed home ahead of the storms.

Unfortunately, Polk County Animal Control is closed until Tuesday and does not have a 24-hour response system for stray animals, so tonight she’s safe here with me.

I immediately checked her for a microchip, hoping we’d get lucky.

She does have a chip… but unfortunately it’s through Save This Life microchip company.

For those who don’t know, Save This Life quietly went defunct a few months ago without notice, and their registry database is no longer accessible. I checked every registry I could think of just in case, but right now there is no way to trace this chip back to an owner.

So for now, we’re going to keep her safe, continue searching for her family, and speak with animal control on Tuesday.

Tonight she got a good dinner, fresh water, flea medication, and Capstar. I’ve already removed around 20 ticks from her, and she’s currently quarantined comfortably in my master bathroom while she decompresses and stays dry from the storms outside.

I’ve also posted on local lost dog pages in the area.

If anyone knows anything about a missing female Basset Hound in or around Rockmart, please reach out immediately.

And guys… this part is important.

PLEASE check your pets’ microchips.

If your pet has a Save This Life microchip, you need to have another microchip implanted and registered with a reliable company immediately. Right now, those chips are essentially useless because the registry no longer exists.

Please stick with reputable companies that have been around for years and have dependable recovery systems in place. I personally use HomeAgain. They cost a little more, but they’ve been one of the leaders in the microchip industry for a very long time. 24PetWatch and AVID are also reputable companies.

Microchips only work if someone is there to answer the phone and maintain the database.

Tonight could have ended very differently for this sweet girl.

Instead, because a few people cared… because a little boy showed kindness… and because timing lined up before the storms hit… she’s safe.

If you’d like to help support rescues like this and the work we do every day, it’s $5 Friday.

friendstotheforlorn.org/5Friday

PayPal:PayPal.me/FTTF

M:Venmo.com/u/FTTFPitbull

Thank you all for caring, sharing, and helping us continue this work.