Blog - Show Your Soft Side

Saving Lily

We’ve shared several remarkable rescue stories over the years — from Baltimore to Kuwait — but none as harrowing as Lily’s, whose life was spared at an open-air market in China. Lily’s gripping rescue is in a category all its own and one that thankf …

2020 Saved The Worst For Last

Like most Soft Side stories, this one started with a post. “Anybody in Essex available to help me with a cat rescue?” It was a post from Dawn Marie who, if you follow us regularly, you’ll know is one of a small army of Baltimore Kitty Angels who will m …

In Search of a Miracle

All adoptions are wonderful, but we have always had a soft spot for senior adoptions. Yes, puppies and kittens can be irresistible, but adult animals are better suited to our lifestyles, as they are calm, well-mannered, and less destructive. Seniors, …

Spread the Love Y’All

Given that more than 130 cars came through our most recent PetAid event, it’s not surprising that I don’t remember meeting Emily. That day was a blur of masked faces belonging to pet parents who were having difficulty making ends meet and caretakers w …

Having Friends In High Kitty Places

It was supposed to be a routine dental. Bugsy had one suspect tooth, but more importantly, keeping on top of mouth and gum care is essential for a former street cat who’s FIV+. It had been three years since his last one so we quickly scheduled a date a …

8000 Pounds of Salvation

“The shipment is at our warehouse in Federalsburg, Maryland. Can you arrange pick up?” The question came from one of our Softies, Chris Hughes – known throughout the animal rescue world along with his wife Mariesa as co-founders of the Mr. Mo Project – …

Ignorance Is No Longer An Excuse

Surely, you’ve come across one or two of them in your travels. Kitties that peer out from behind a bush or a dumpster, that scurry to the nearest gutter when you park your car or streak across the alley behind your home. You probably think, …

I Tried Not to Cry, But Failed.

The noose of our coronavirus-imposed isolation was tightening and I skipped my usual errands this past Saturday. Yet, a pleasant tranquility had settled into our home, as I went about chores and meal preparation for the week. Our cats were watchi …

Mission Impossible

I received a call last week from Peggy, my surrogate mother and childhood ballet teacher, moments after Governor Hogan issued a sweeping executive order temporarily closing restaurants, bars, and gyms to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. …

Catching a Killer

After the first year of doing Show Your Soft Side’s social media, I learned to turn off notifications. If not, life would just be one long series of dings. Fortunately, I had forgotten to do that for Twitter so, on March 30, 2018 while lying on a beac …