Adopted pets: readers' pictures

‘Koko is a rescue dog that came to us about 9 months ago from the Friends of Akita’s rescue organisation because her owner became ill. Koko is nearly 3 year’s old, bright, friendly and mischievous; she is an Akita’. Photograph: Alden/GuardianWitness

‘Ptolemy has been the perfect apartment pet and makes everyone smile who meets him. He is scared of nothing and incredibly friendly. I never would have guessed that such a tiny creature could have such a huge personality’. Photograph: Lucy M/GuardianWitness

Leroy: ‘A rescue greyhound. He came to us in poor shape (the vet had to remove 18 teeth the week we homed him). Now lives the life of luxury, roast chicken every day, long walks, and loved very much’. Photograph: Jimblebimble/GuardianWitness

Kuttun: ‘Abandoned and looking for a friend. That was back in 2006. I don’t know what I would do without her. She was so shy back then, now she is the queen of the household and the boss of everything’. Photograph: firedragon/GuardianWitness

Cleo: ‘This is Cleo who has been with me for all of 10 days. She’s now emerging more and more, getting used to a home with a resident cat and dog. Last night she and Marley actually spent 20 minutes on my bed at the same time. Phew, it’s working’. Photograph: Sue Nicholson/GuardianWitness

‘Effie & Miss Basket were poorly ex-battery hens who I met in Dec 2011. Miss Basket (right) couldn’t walk with an infected leg & spent 2 weeks in a laundry basket, hence the name. Effie (left) had a twisted neck & rehabilitation took months. The girls became inseperable but Basket died of a tumour last year’. Photograph: CornwallJo/GuardianWitness

Luna and Prune: ‘We adopted these two cats a few months after our beloved cat Denzel (also from a rescue centre) died suddenly aged 2. They are brother and sister and were very timid at first but now rule the roost! They love their new life with us and keep us entertained with their antics!’ Photograph: Anne Whittaker/GuardianWitness

Mutley: ‘Mutley soon after we adopted him from the SPCA in 1999. Sadly he passed away Christmas 2013. I cried for three days. A year later we adopted another one that looks exactly the same, but female!’ Photograph: JackMcVitie/GuardianWitness

‘Nadia was wandering the streets of Moscow pinning her last hopes on a hurried old lady who claimed no responsibility for her. She’s now enjoying life in Washington DC with her family who are smitten with her loving, loyal, squirrel chasing, bonkers ways’. Photograph: Tennison/GuardianWitness

‘Mr Pointy appeared in our back yard one morning about 2 months ago. He was in pretty bad condition and so thin you could feel each bone in his spine. Very shy to begin with, he is settling in well and now loves a good cuddle’. Photograph: Wayne Powter/GuardianWitness

Fiona The Wonderful: ‘Here is our Fiona, adopted from a shelter and severely abused as a puppy- she was locked in a horse stall for the first 4 months of her life. She is the most intelligent dog we have ever had, and gives us nothing but joy’. Photograph: chickentina/GuardianWitness

‘I moved to South Africa 5 years ago, and decided as I finally had the space, it was time to get a dog.... I then came across Dachshund Rescue South Africa. I now help run DRSA, on top of my “normal” day job, and this year we have re-homed over 100 lost, abandoned, neglected and abused dachshunds’. Photograph: Lakota Schultz/GuardianWitness

‘This is Cara who was the size of a kitten when I found in the middle of the road with cars whizzing past her on both sides. No one claimed her and turned out not a kitten but an adult cat between 1 and 2 years. Five years later she’s still here and as you can see a healthy contented big mog’. Photograph: SUTTY61/GuardianWitness

‘Jimmy dog is a retired rescued ex-racing greyhound. He is huge, best part of 40kgs and as daft as a brush. He adores children and seems to think that he knows all of them and we have to be a bit careful as he has a habit of running up to kids in the park at nigh on 40mph to see if they want to play’. Photograph: Markear/GuardianWitness

Susie: ‘Susie is an elderly guinea pig who my boyfriend has adopted from our housemate’. Photograph: ID200967/GuardianWitness

Spider and India - relaxing in heat of the Andes: ‘We have always adopted stray street dogs. India (the white dog) was dumped at the gates of the biological park we live in - in North West Argentina. Spider we found on the road nearby - so malnourished she walked like a spider. They’ve been inseparable.’ Photograph: horcomolle/GuardianWitness

‘Neville the Abruzzese Mountain Dog (real name Nebia, Italian for fog) was left to roam in our valley. His ‘owners’ visited occasionally and left scraps, clearly expecting us to feed him - and we did. We were inseparable for two years until his owners whisked him away one night and we’ve not seen him since’. Photograph: orchardeatin/GuardianWitness

Zeus my 6 year old British Bulldog: ‘He was an unwanted pet handed in to a rescue centre. I adopted him after tragically loosing my Stafford to Epilepsy’. Photograph: Karen Le Breton/GuardianWitness

‘End June 2013, I heard a kitten cry at the recycling bin near a bus stop; the little guy was abandoned and he was just opening his eyes. I had to feed him with a syringe for three weeks. We live in a flat, so he has never seen another cat and thinks he belongs to the society of humans’. Photograph: NicholasAthensGreece/GuardianWitness

‘In a boatyard in Thailand lives a female cat. She has had three litters of kittens, all of them killed by the yard dogs. Discovering she was pregnant again I took her home. Now I have five kittens living in my kitchen. They are known collectively as The Kraken. I try not to wake them up’. Photograph: LizCleere/GuardianWitness

‘Rudi, our three legged beauty. He was a street dog for over two years on the streets of Bucharest. We adopted him thanks to the wonderful Romanian animal rescue group Red Panda and Action Aid for Animals. He’s sweet and funny and loves life’. Photograph: Rachel101/GuardianWitness

‘Snowy was adopted 5 years ago. He’s deaf & though Snowy hated the world he loved us from day one and we him. He used to only know the signal for ‘sit’, but now knows over 20 signs. On a walk he wears a loud cowbell so we can locate him if need be. He has become a loving, fun character, and we are besotted’. Photograph: snowythehero/GuardianWitness

‘Shadow is a cross-breed with Carpathian & Mioritic Shepherd. She was a street dog in Romania where she was beaten at a public shelter. Shadow chose me. The first time we met she put her paw on my knee & her head on my shoulder - like we were old pals. She is the most gentle & loving dog you could hope to meet.’ Photograph: FractalX/GuardianWitness