We have a 12 1/2 year old rottie mix named Dakota. I rescued her from the pound while visiting my dog, Kahuna (runt Siberian Husky who looked more like a wolf that we rescued from under a table at a flea market in Florida and who died of cancer two years ago), who was impounded for two weeks (long story.) She was to be euthanized within the week.
Then, I got a cat named Oscar (almost 10 years old) when I moved into my first place. I had been waiting for a kitten from the pound who died the day before I was supposed to take her home, so my Dad got Oscar from a pet store the day before I moved out (he's the only animal we have who wasn't rescued.) Oscar LOVES me and tolerates my husband and son. (Once, in college, my husband passed out drunk in my bed with his feet hanging over the edge. Oscar used them as a toy and his feet were such a mess in the morning, he could barely walk. Its a testament of our love that Oscar still shares our home.)
Mojo (7 years old) we got while I was working with a very poor family while working on my Masters. They were putting Mother Kitty outside in the morning (in the middle of the winter) from the time Mo was a few days old (he was the only one from his litter who survived) and not letting her back in until dark. Mo was dying of malnourishment when I convinced them to let me take him. I wanted to name him Amore or Amos, but my husband was watching Austin Powers while Mo purred to beat the bands and rubbed all over him for love. He is the most snuggly cat, I have ever had! As I am typing this, he is laying on my arm. Two years ago he fell asleep in the well where the fan is by the engine in my husbands truck. When my husband turned his truck on, his heart stopped. Mo broke his jaw, needed more stitches than we could count, and used up at least 5 of his nine lives.
Max (6 years old) came one day a few winters ago when my son, then 3, asked to go to the zoo. We went to the Animal Welfare society to give the animals some exercise and love instead. Max was a Maine Coon Cat deemed feral. BULL! He goes with us on every walk we take our dogs on, walks our son the the bus stop every morning and greets him as he gets off every afternoon, and has become the neighborhood's favorite mascot.
Last year, a coworker of my husband's was going to bring his dog to the pound because he was moving and couldn't keep him. My husband came home with Shy (5 years old), our "foster" American Bulldog. He peed every time I looked at him and I couldn't wait to find him another home. My son and husband fell in love. He is the definition of a boy and his dog with my son. He is the easiest dog I have ever trained and the most well behaved (despite the occasional chewed to pieces objects left laying around). I wouldn't trade him for the world.
We also have Bambi, a Leopard Gecko that a friend couldn't keep when they moved south. Then, there is Bluzal, the Beta my son named in his classroom who came home for Vacation and has never left.
I'll come back later and try to figure out how to get my pictures in here. They all say they are too big to upload.