These four lucky animals found their forever homes with loving families.
Written by Mary Cornetta
Finn
When Stefanie and Aaron Lassley first saw Finn — a blue-nosed pittie puppy with soft brown eyes — they weren’t planning to adopt. They had lost their senior dog, Brodie, after seven sweet years and had eased back into dog life slowly, fostering pups through Coastal Pet Rescue (CPR). But while the Lassleys were away one Christmas, a volunteer sent a photo of a foster that changed everything. “We must have looked at that picture a thousand times during that vacation,” Stefanie says.
They met him as soon as they returned home. Finn was just 3 months old and shy at first, but the moment they stepped outside, “his true spirit burst forth, hopping around like a happy little bunny,” says Stefanie. After the visit, they politely said they’d think it over, but Stefanie says, “As soon as we got into the car, I turned to Aaron and asked, ‘Do you want him?’ Without a second’s hesitation, he said yes.”
Finn has been their steadfast companion ever since. Now 10, he has weathered a series of life’s hardest chapters alongside the couple: Stefanie’s cancer treatment, two hurricanes that destroyed their home, and heartbreaking losses, including that of a close relative as well as another CPR dog of theirs earlier this year. “His emotional support has carried me through moments I didn’t think I’d survive,” Stefanie says. “He doesn’t know it, but his wings are visible to us. He is our angel baby.”
Even after his own cancer scare, a recent ACL surgery, and the addition of a rambunctious Great Dane puppy sister, Finn remains patient and kind. “Finn is not just our dog,” Stefanie says. “He is family. He is home. He is love.”
Lucky Strike
Captain Sam Coppola of Engine 12 was filling in for a fellow firefighter when he was called to respond to a house fire. He took one swing with his axe at the ceiling of the smoke-filled building, and a black kitten fell on him. “I initially thought it may have been a dead rat or a squirrel; that’s how small he was,” Coppola recalls. “It wasn’t until I heard the others in the attic start to cry that I realized it was actually a kitten.”
The litter was brought to One Love Animal Rescue’s neonatal program (aka the Baby Bottle Brigade), where they received around-the-clock care. Coppola had seen the kitten who had fallen while waiting for transport after the fire was put out and knew at that moment he would adopt him. “I’ve always had a soft spot for black cats,” he explains. “I immediately told the guys to let whatever agency took them in know that I would be willing to give him a home.” Black cats are often the last to be adopted, and after everything this kitten had been through, Coppola felt he deserved a chance.
Once he was healed, Lucky Strike was adopted by Coppola, who named him after the unlikely chain of events that brought them together. From their first day home, the bond was instant. “It’s rare that he’s ever more than 3 feet away from me at any given time,” Coppola says. He describes Lucky Strike as “laid back, spoiled, very well loved, and my absolute best friend.”
Although he’s seen his fair share of animal rescues over his 26-year career — including dogs, birds, ferrets, and reptiles — Coppola says Lucky Strike has made a lifelong impression on him. “I hadn’t owned a cat for several years,” he says. “[Adopting him was] one of the best decisions I have ever made.”
Asher
The small, weary dog was wandering her Midtown neighborhood, and Amanda Trotenberg knew she had to pull the car over. “He was visibly tired and thirsty,” she recalls. She brought him home, then spent hours walking door to door in hopes that someone might recognize him, but no one did. A vet visit confirmed the terrier wasn’t microchipped, and Trotenberg was advised to take him to Chatham County Animal Services in case an owner came looking.
Trotenberg called the shelter every day. “No one came to claim him,” she says, and the thought of him waiting alone didn’t sit right. With the help of One Love Animal Rescue, she was able to pull him from the shelter and begin fostering him. She and her husband, Ian Campbell, named the dog Asher, after Ash Street, where their paths first crossed. One Love provided everything to get him settled, including a crate, food, toys, and even a Halloween costume. “He made the cutest hot dog,” she says.
A handful of meet and greets came and went without a match, and that was for a good reason: Asher had already chosen his home. “It became apparent that Asher was meant to be ours,” Trotenberg says.
Today, Asher lives a life of comfort and routine with the couple, including taking over their king-sized bed. When he’s not at Dogtopia daycare, he’s perched at the front window, dutifully “protecting us from the mailman and FedEx,” Trotenberg adds. She laughs when she describes him now: “He’s a sweet, happy little knucklehead.”
Aurora
When a caller reported a “wild” rabbit found on the side of the road, Macayla Eason expected a routine wildlife surrender. Instead, when she walked out to the car, she found a domestic rabbit — emaciated, weak, and unable to stand. “She was lying on her side and not able to move,” Eason recalls. The tiny rabbit clearly hadn’t been living in the wild, but rather, she had likely been dumped by a previous owner.
The team at Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital, where Eason works as a receptionist, immediately took her in. She was starving, infested with ear mites, and suffering from an abscess. Because she was too weak to support herself, she would sit with her paws crossed delicately in front of her. The staff couldn’t help but think she looked regal. “We all voted on princess names and decided on Aurora,” Eason says.
Aurora spent nearly a year healing under their care. After being spayed, she slowly began to reveal her feisty personality. She could be “spicy,” as Eason puts it, and over time, a connection formed between them. Still, Eason hesitated to adopt her. “My dogs have strong prey drives, and I did not think it was safe,” she explains. The hospital tried to place Aurora in a new home, but she was returned twice.
Aurora would slip back into her usual routine at the clinic, and each time, it became clearer where she truly belonged. “I couldn’t keep watching her go from home to home,” Eason says. She finally brought Aurora home herself, committed to keeping her safe (as it turns out, the dogs love her) while nurturing their bond.
Today, Aurora is thriving, spoiled with treats, and adored by everyone at the clinic when Eason brings her in for visits.
Area Animal Rescues
Chatham County Animal Services
7211 Sallie Mood Drive, Savannah, GA 31406
912-652-6575
Coastal Pet Rescue
7430 Thomas Ave., Savannah, GA 31406
912-228-3538
Georgia Rescue, Rehabilitation & Relocation
[email protected]
Humane Society for Greater Savannah
7215 Sallie Mood Drive, Savannah, GA 31406
912-354-9515
One Love Animal Rescue
[email protected]
Renegade Paws Rescue
2357 Ogeechee Road, Savannah, GA 31415
[email protected]
