Community Animal Rescue & Adoption - CARA

05/25/2026

It’s getting late, but we have to slip one more in this evening. Whiskey came to us after he was surrendered at 7 years old. We don’t know all the details of that, and none of it would have a bearing on his new beginning. He’s a perfectly well-mannered, sweet old soul who deserved to find his true place of belonging after losing his home.

Whiskey came to us a bit nervous about things, and we expected no less. Like most of our adult intakes, he was also Heartworm positive, which only added another layer of stress to his burden, and another layer of worry for us. Nonetheless, he was treated by our vet in our efforts to help him get healthy and ready to embark on a new life, and was biding time when Kim and Tim spotted him and reached out to meet him. Whiskey seemed pretty wise for his years. Wasn’t much on outside time, unless he had human company. We knew that all he really wanted was a soft bed, quiet and safe place to live out his years, and people who truly and forever loved him. Someone who enjoyed his company on nice days outside would have been a bonus.

Pretty sure he knew at hello that this sweet couple was ‘his people.’ He entered the visiting room with them and quickly showed them what a good boy he truly was. Their hearts never stood a chance. Whiskey is now Scout, and living his best life with them! His new Mom is a gardener and lover of the outdoors, so he now gets to spend most of his days under the blue skies with his Mom, and inside when she is.

Kim and Tim, we are so thankful that you guys came to meet Scout! Your home and love is exactly what he needed and what we were hoping he would find. His heart needed reassurance and to be reminded that he is loved. Thank you more than words for being the ones to give him that.

Scout, never again, sweet boy. You are home. You are loved forever. And you deserve all of it. We love you and we’re so thankful your stay with us was a short one before you found your special place. We know your very best life is upon you now, and we couldn’t be happier. Always much love, beautiful boy! ♥️

05/24/2026

Can we please get a loud drumroll for our Simba???!!! My goodness, this big boy waited so long to find that place where he belongs! All of our adoptions are the fuel, that’s a fact, but when we’re able to place one that has waited way too long, that’s the nitrous. These are the ones that drive us.

Sweet Simba was found by animal control way back in October of 2022, and taken to MARL. We were at MARL one day meeting some pups when Simba stopped us in our tracks. He was so majestic, and quiet, and just calmly sitting there watching us. It was one of those instances where you just knew that dog was a winner. We knew how difficult it is to place big dogs, it’s a struggle we live with every day. But this one was stunning and we had to scoop him up. And what could go wrong? He was a Great Pyrenees mix, and we all know how people love them! It couldn’t take more than a few days or weeks to find where he belonged.

Well, it turned out that maybe if he had been white like the Great Pyrenees, maybe it would have helped. And if he wouldn’t have literally become paralyzed with fear and collapsed the day we unloaded him at CARA, maybe it would have happened sooner. But Simba was understandably scared to death the day we brought him back with us. People may not realize it, but the shelter shuffle is very hard for some dogs, especially the more sensitive ones. Going into one shelter is difficult enough, but two is really pushing it for some. Sometimes we have to work really hard to help them acclimate and begin to shine like the dog we knew they were.

Simba was one of those. We gave him all kinds of time to decompress and settle in. And it took all of it. Meanwhile, he didn’t show very well, his fear shown as much as his size. But he never, not one time got himself a history of aggression. He just wanted everyone to know that he did not approve of all he had been through. And we heard him. More than that, we understood him. He very much enjoyed his romps in the dog park, also loving to make his caretakers have to chase and beg and anything else they could do to leash him up when it was time to go back inside. Again, we understood. We all agreed that it would take wild horses to force us back inside the confines of the shelter if we were a dog. He enjoyed his brushings by those he trusted, his life wasn’t all horrible, although he’d probably beg to differ.

But we’ve always known that one day, when the timing was right, his special person would appear. And lo and behold, that’s exactly what happened the glorious day that Dr. Rubel showed up at the shelter asking to meet him! We were blown away when he asked to meet Simba. It seemed like to us that he would never be chosen by someone who would commit to him for life and give him the opportunity to show just what a good dog he really is. But alas, that is exactly what Dr. Rubel did, in spite of it feeling like a dream to us, and probably Simba, too.

Dr. Rubel, you will likely never know how much we appreciate you for the kind and generous human that you are, and for being that special one to ask to take our precious boy home. Through all of your updates and pics, and after seeing the other day in person just how much he loves you, we are humbled beyond words. Our majestic boy is home, beyond any shadow of a doubt. And we will be eternally grateful to you for that. He’s a good boy, we’ve always known that. He just needed someone like to you to recognize his goodness and give him a chance to show what a good dog he really is outside of the shelter walls. Thank you seems way too small.

Simba, it’s over, baby! No more stressful days inside a shelter, no more dreaming of a life that may or may not exist, no more wondering what happened in the first place that catapulted you into the shelter shuffle. Nothing but the bluest of skies for you, beautiful boy. All the love you can absorb, every, single day. It just doesn’t get any better than that. Seeing you with your Dad this week just confirmed what we already thought we knew… You are really exactly where you were meant to be. We love you, sweet one. And congratulations on your new life! 💙

05/24/2026

Back in October of 2022, a gorgeous pair of bonded companion dogs were surrendered to our friends at MARL, through no fault of the dogs. Upon meeting Duke and Candy, they were clearly a gorgeous and sweet pair, and I guess we let ourselves fall into the hope that we might could find them a home together. Bonded pairs are always so difficult to place. It’s hard enough to place a single big dog, but a bonded pair of big dogs is next to impossible.

Upon getting to know them, it seemed that Candy relied heavily on Duke, although we didn’t kennel them together. They did play together in the park and shared much playtime together. Candy was always very questionable with other dogs, Duke, not so much. Which made it even harder to place them together. Over the course of the next 3 1/2 years, Candy got numerous inquiries, Duke never got a single one. Well, we did have a couple come one time that seemed to be very interested in adopting them together, but they never came back, so I guess that’s really doesn’t count.

A few months ago, after much thought and deliberating, we decided to try again, and this time, not as a bonded pair, but individually. If you know us at all, you know how hard we worked years ago to move CARA away from longterm housing of dogs, and you know that our goal is to get these babies into good homes as quickly as possible, as no dog (or human) wants to live a lifetime in a cage. And after weighing their situation out, we decided it was in their best interests to work harder to find placement for them, even if it meant separating them. Even if it meant one of them finally got a home and the other couldn’t.

Shortly thereafter, a precious woman reached out with interest in Duke. Hard as it was to follow through with our plan, we did. Crystal and Christopher came and met Duke, and goodness gracious, it was immediately clear that we had made the right decision. Duke took immediately to them, and they loved him at hello. We saw a side to his personality that day that we had never seen before. They have 5 cats and a small dog, so there was that concern, not really knowing how Duke would do in such an environment. We were all aware that this would be a test, and as always, we were clear that if it didn’t work out, we would happily take our boy back.

They took our boy home that day, all of us hoping beyond hope that it would work out. Thankfully, they were savvy animal people and we knew that Duke would get a fair shot and they would go slowly. Y’all, immediately the pics and messages started coming in. Duke seemed to know beyond any doubt that these were his people and this was his home. He was great with their little Pom, and also completely comfortable with the cats! And the pics they sent showed it all. The update pics brought tears, every single time. They still do. Two and half weeks later, they came back to finalize Duke’s adoption!

Crystal and Christopher, it’s very difficult to find the words to convey our gratitude to you guys for reaching out on behalf of our sweet boy. Three and a half long years he sat in a shelter, none of us having the slightest idea of what a truly amazing boy Duke really is. Thank goodness, we decided to accept defeat in our dream of finding them a home together. And let me tell you something, his story will most certainly have a huge bearing on how we handle these situations in the future. We will be forever indebted to you guys for seeing the gem that our boy really is, and giving him the opportunity to prove it. Thank you will never be enough.

Duke baby, your days of waiting are over. I am so sorry that it took us so long to decide to give up our unrealistic dream of placing you and Candy together. It wasn’t our smartest decision, and we own it. We also want you to know that we will not give up on your girl. She’s actually surprised us with how well she has done without you. Would you believe we tested her with a 10lb pup and she rocked that test??!! So no sir, you don’t feel one bit guilty for your new life and finding your place in the big world. You live every day to the fullest, enjoy every minute of life with your newfound tribe. You deserve every bit of this new life and love. We’ll keep your Mom posted on Candy and she’ll let you know when you can celebrate for her. Your circle has come completely full, and there’s no way that we could be happier for you. Always so much love, Duke baby. ♥️

05/23/2026

This beautiful girl, aptly named Pretty Girl, is one of the lucky ones. She was living in a feral colony that our special friends of the shelter take care of. As those of you who also help with ferals know, it’s sometimes very difficult to get all of them fixed before the very thing you’re trying to prevent happens.

Such was Pretty Girl’s story. At only five months old, she became pregnant. Our friends decided that with kitten season upon us, they would each make more room for a pregnant cat, saving them from the area pack dogs that torment their colonies and stopping the vicious cycle. Pretty Girl was taken in and it was discovered that she wasn’t so much of a feral cat after all.

Pretty Girl is now 7 months old, super loving and affectionate, very playful, and so ready to be the baby she wasn’t given the opportunity to be when she was younger. She loves people, loves life, and is hoping to find her special home and family soon.

If your loving family is considering a new kitty to add to your home, please go by Chipper & Coco and meet this beautiful girl. You just might be the family she’s dreaming of. ❤️
Chipper & Coco

05/23/2026

We want to thank Outback-JR Restaurant Group, Lost Pizza-Ridgeland and Raising Canes for generously donating the food & beverage for the event lunches each year! The food sales are a big part of the revenue of the event!

Join us on Saturday, June 6th from 10am-3pm at LeFleur's Bluff State Park for CARA's 17th Annual Dog Days of Summer Event and grab a delicious lunch and support CARA

@ Lost Pizza Co. Ridgeland

05/22/2026

This Dog Days Planning Team has been working so hard to make this event a day you, your family and you pups will enjoy!!!
We still need volunteers for the day of the event.
If you would like to volunteer, please go to
https://carams.org/dog-days/volunteer/
Northside Sun

CARA - Community Animal Rescue & Adoption will host its 17th Annual Dog Days of Summer Fundraiser Saturday, June 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at LeFleur's Bluff State Park at Mayes Lake, 3315 Lakeland Terrace. This event helps raise fundings for the day-to-day care of the animals at the shelter located....

05/22/2026

CARA's Dog Days of Summer Event!!
Make your plans to join us for a fun day for the family and your pups on Saturday, June 6th from 10am-3pm at LeFleur's Bluff, 3315 Lakeland Terrace, Jackson at the Mayes Lake Entrance. (turn at the Shell Station/Fire Station Light on Lakeland)

Don't forget to preorder your Event T-Shirt to be sure your size doesn't sell out!! Shirts are $25 in sizes Youth S-L (limited) and Adult S-3XL.
You can pick them up at the CCC Tent day of event!
CARA hats will be on sale day of event in various colors for $20!

https://carams.org/dog-days/tshirt/

05/21/2026

💙🐾🩷🐾💙
Anddd this is one reason we blow through peanut butter the way we do. 😉

Check out CARADogs’s video.

05/21/2026

Back again for our 2026 Dog Days of Summer will be the $15 microchips! Microchips can be paid for at the CARA CCC tent, which will be right nextdoor to the ‘Ask the Vet’/Randall Veterinary Hospital tent. The RVH team will be happy to implant the microchip for you! Bring your pets and take one more step to keeping them safe and home with a microchip. 🥰

And be sure to meet Atlas at the vet tent! Atlas had a rough go from the beginning of his story, and his ‘clinic mama’ will more than happy to let you meet him and share his story to anyone who is interested. Our boy is super excited to spend the day with his first tribe! 💙

05/20/2026

Beauty, brilliance, benevolence… Those are just a few adjectives that describe our much loved, much appreciated Dr. Rush of Randall Veterinary Hospital. We can’t imagine our shelter journey without her and her amazing team. We could never in a million years thank them properly for all they do for us and the animals we work for at CARA.

We are super excited to let you know that again this year, at our 17th annual Dog Days of Summer event, she and her fabulous team will be our featured ‘Ask the Vet’! Have an animal care question? Wondering about the various products and services that are available to keep your pets healthy and happy? Any question you might have, Dr. Rush and her team with be there and be ready to answer!

And if you don’t have a specific question, be sure to stop at the Randall Veterinary Hospital booth and meet the team that helps us keep the CARA animals in tip top shape! Be sure to thank them for ALL they do for our babies! You would never sit still long enough to read through a post that details the million things they do for us, but trust me… If you are a friend of CARA, then please stop by and let them know how grateful we ALL are for them! We could not do this work without them! ♥️

05/19/2026

🐾 Dog Days favorites are back! 🐾

The Pet Parade and Pet Contest are two of the most loved parts of Dog Days, and this year they are proudly sponsored by Chipper & Coco! Bring your pups out for the day and join the fun. We’ll kick off the Pet Parade around 12 PM, followed by contests with some great prizes for the winners.

Contest Categories:
🏆 Smallest Dog
🏆 Largest Dog
🏆 Cutest Face Dog
🏆 Best Dressed Dog
🏆 Best CARA Dog
Winners will receive Chipper & Coco Gift Certificates!

Come spend the day with us at CARA’s 17th Annual Dog Days Event on Saturday, June 6, from 10 AM–3 PM at LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, Mayes Lake.

Voluntary admission: a monetary donation or a bag of dry dog food for our shelter pups. Purina brand preferred. 🐶❤️