Valentino was pulled from a shelter by ACT.  His hair was extremely matted, he was hurt and scared to death. ACT immediately got him to the vet where all those mats were shaved off, he got the medical care that he needed and was put into a foster home to get the love he needed.  After several weeks of antibiotics , many vet check ups and lots of love, he blossomed into a playful, happy and loving little boy. He may have lost hope but ACT IS hope and gives hope back to these sad and lost little babies. Have hope. Give hope. Be hope. Diana Carr Valentino's Foster Mom #havehopegivehopebehope #animalcompassionteam

How does a 3 month old puppy end up on the streets and then in an overcrowded small town shelter?That is a question that we ask ourselves every day. This is Korky’s story. It was his last day, and his future foster mom saw his photo. The photo of a very scared puppy being held up in someone’s hand and it tugged at her heart. Of course, her heart said yes, and thankfully so did ACT.   A local volunteer picked him up and kept him for the night, to be retrieved the next day by his foster Mom.   But, by the next morning, Korky was quite lethargic and clearly needed medical attention. He got an immediate appointment and was almost completely limp as he laid on the examination table. He had areas of his fur that were hairless and oozed with a sticky, smelly discharge. His demodex mange would take over his immune system and he would become almost hairless without treatment. His treatment was a long and expensive process with many medical visits to check on his progre...

My girl, Callie, was only about 3 weeks old when she was caught in a dry grass fire. The poor scared kitten had been separated from her mother and siblings in the frantic flight to escape. Her instincts for survival kicked in and once the fire was under control, she was found trying to hide in a squirrel hole by Captain Tommy Bolyard. The Captain later said he believed there was no hope for her. Callie was terribly burned and exhausted. She was picked up by Fresno Humane Animal Services and taken right away to the emergency vet where she was given fluids and oxygen. Her recovery was just beginning. I met Callie two days after she was burned. She smelled like smoke, her singed fur barely covered her body. Her muzzle was raw, a tell tale sign of the terror she had experienced. The pads on her feet were blistered making it difficult to walk and what toenails weren’t burned off were curled back from the searing heat. The edges of her ears were crispy and her eyes ...

This picture says it all! Hector is a little toothless old man who wound up in a small town shelter. Not every rescue will take little old chihuahuas but we love them!  Five years ago when we moved in we had no idea just what an impact we would have on the lives of so many. Thousands of dogs and cats have moved through our doors and our hearts. Hector spent the day with volunteers in the office today. It is that one on one connection that makes our place so special. Hope abounds at the Sofia Center!   #havehopegivehopebehope . #animalcompassionteam

This little man was rescued from a local shelter after being left to die. It was hot at the shelter and Stanley was in a small cage with no food or water. He also suffered from demodex mange. The rescuer had rescued a few dogs on a Friday and decided to return on a Sunday,  and thank God she did. There were many animals locked in cages with no water or food. The dog next to Stanley was dead and he was not far behind. So, this little guy was brought into our lobby. He was sad, hungry and dehydrated. I looked at his sweet eyes and told him that I would take him home. And I did. This little man was so full of love and goofiness. He is a fighter. After a short time, his hair grew back and he started to gain some weight. He was eventually adopted to a wonderful previous ACT adopter and he is now living the life he deserves. When I first met this little man, he was a mess but he wanted to live! And at ACT, we made sure to make that happen. Judith Scott #HaveHopeGiveHopeBeHope

One day a man showed up at the back gate of ACT and wanted to surrender this mom and her babies. Unfortunately, the shelter was full. The man proceeded to tell a volunteer that if we would not take them, then he would throw them onto the freeway! We took them and immediately they were put in a foster home. This is one of many stories that our dogs have to endure. This mom and her babies deserved to be loved and cared for and that's what we do!  Judith Scott #HaveHopeGiveHopeBeHope

Peri when surrendered Periwinkle (Peri) never wanted to give up hope, but her life had become very dismal. Each day was the same, as she wandered the streets looking for something to eat, drink or a little shade from the hot sun to rest her tired body. She had probably never been groomed, by the looks of her huge, heavy clusters of matted hair that hung from everywhere on her bony body. Would today be the day that someone may notice her plea for help and take her in and give her a chance?   July 16th was the day that hope was on the horizon for Peri. She was whisked up by a good samaritan and brought to ACT, to begin her road to recovery and her search for the forever home that she so desperately needed and deserved. Some wonderful ACT volunteers, patiently and with precision removed each and every one of the mats that were painfully pulling on her tender, parasite covered body. She laid there very still, as if she knew that she finally had humans that she could trus...

Depending upon where you look, you can find the word hope defined as both a noun and a verb. It is a feeling of expectation and a desire for a certain thing to happen that propels some into action. It is perhaps the single best word to describe the world of rescue. We are going to share our stories and hope that if you are able, you will  become a monthly donor to Animal Compassion Team. Click on this link to sign up now. Thank you all so much for your past, present, and future support. #HaveHopeGiveHopeBeHope Joyce Brandon Animal Compassion Team