Photo Gallery | Meet the 12 Strays of Christmas

Saturday, December 22nd, 2012, 1:22pm

Meet Franky

Our first special pet is a beautiful 6-year-old black lab named Franky. He is very sweet and friendly and he already knows tricks to impress your friends and family this holiday season. This smart dog can sit, lay down, and shake hands (or paws, whichever you prefer). When Franky came to the humane society, he was thin and malnourished...his owner had stopped feeding him. But now, he is very healthy and loves to play. He loves people and walks. Franky will most likely need to be an only dog (although he is tolerant of some smaller dogs) in a home with no small children. Franky is not quite sure how he feels about car rides just yet. But with treats, praise, and support, he will eventually learn how much fun riding in the car can be for a pup.

Meet Cedric

Cedric is a four-year-old white staffordshire terrier/lab mix who weighs just under 60 lbs. His story is upsetting...he came to us after a Good Samaritan rescued him from being hit with a 2x4. You may feel a lot of anger about that, but Cedric doesn't. He lives for the moment, and he is now a wonderful, healthy dog with a true love for life. His spontaneity and genuine affection for all he meets make him very special. He really enjoys most dogs he meets and may even be ok with cats! Since he is very playful and on the larger side, we recommend that any children in his home are over 12.

Meet Lady

Lady is a beautiful 4-year-old Shepherd mix with a gorgeous brown brindle coat. She is also known as "Lady the Beale Street Dog" and "Lady of Beale". She is known for having roamed the streets of downtown Memphis for years, making a name for herself as a sweet, docile stray, grateful for any morsel a tourist or restaurant employee would offer. Lady is very calm, patient, and she has a kind spirit. She loves attention and gets along great with other dogs. She is also wonderful with kids. She has had several litters of puppies, all of which has been adopted. Now it is Lady's turn to find a family to call her own.

Meet Belladonna

Belladonna is a darling three-year-old white bull terrier mix who weighs about 50 pounds. She is a wiggleworm who doesn't just wag her tail but her whole body when she is happy, and that is just about all the time! She loves having kennelmates and always seems to do well with these dog friends of hers, and even seems to enjoy cats. She loves toys, especially squeaky toys, and loves to run and play; she has a lot of energy and would probably love to be your running buddy. She looks like an angel after all the walks are over for the night and she is curled up with her kennelmate, asleep on their bed. But she doesn't just look like an angel, she acts like one too! When her former kennelmate, Sinatra, got lost from his adoptive home, she went out with the rest of the search team to help look for him! She just loves everyone and everyone loves her.

Meet Shady

Shady is a white and gray five-year-old female cat. She came to the Humane Society in October as part of a large hoarding case. She loves other cats and lives with several. Because of her previous environment she can be timid around new things, but all she needs is a little patience and love to come out of her shell.

Meet Raven

Raven is a petite black cat that loves to take long naps and snuggle up to her friends. She is looking for a family to snuggle up to next. She has a “live-and-let-live” attitude toward life and she rolls with the punches. You could even call her an environmentalist, as she believes in the conservation of energy – her own energy, that is! She is a year-and-a-half old and she weighs less than 10 pounds. Raven has been at the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County since April. Raven loves to be held and she likes to play once in a while. She is very good with kids.

Meet Forrest

Forrest is a 3-year-old wire-haired mix. He weighs about 50 pounds and is a favorite among staff and volunteers at the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County. This young pup loves to play fetch and is very intelligent. After he gets all of his playing and showing off taken care of, he loves to sit on laps and snuggle. Forrest was brought to the humane society in August 2011 after being hit by a car. He also had heartworms, but now he is completely healthy and wants to bring his positive energy and smile into a loving home. He is great with children ages 10 and older, and he would like to be the only dog in the household.

Meet Smokey and Bojangles

Smokey and Bojangles are a bonded pair, meaning they to go together because they are very best friends. They came from the same home, where the owner had to give them up back in July. Smokey and Bojangles can both be adopted for $12 total. Smokey is an 11-year-old gray and white cat with beautiful gray/green eyes. He came to the Humane Society already declawed. Since he's an older cat, he doesn't always get the same attention from visitors as the younger cats and kittens. But don't let his age fool you, since there's a lot of life left in him! He loves attention and petting, and would make a wonderful companion to anyone seeking a feline friend. Bojangles is a six-year-old orange male tabby cat. He lives with his friend Smokey. Smokey is always at the front of the cage asking for attention, while Bojangles hangs in the back. He's just a nice guy who's trying to make the best of a situation he doesn't understand. He can be very affectionate once he gets to know you.

Meet Heckle

Heckle is a 5-year-old white tabby cat. This handsome boy weighs about 15 pounds. He came to the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County in July 2012 with deep wounds on his face and neck. They believe he had been attacked by another animal. He is all healed up now and you would never know he was ever injured. Heckle is very calm, friendly, and loves other cats. He has been a great babysitter for some of the humane society’s younger, more rambunctious cats and kittens.

Meet Linus

Linus is a 12-year-old male tabby cat. He is reserved at first to check and see if you are the real deal, or whether you just pay attention to the cats that come right up and ask for attention. Once you prove yourself, you will have a friend for life. Linus is cool, calm, and collected. He loves to be pet and held. He is a very sweet cat, looking for a permanent place to calm home.

Meet Yoko

Yoko is a 1-year-old female Belgian Malinois mix who came to the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County in September. Yoko is quite the comedian; she loves to make people laugh. She gets along very well with other dogs and she loves getting attention from people. She is a beautiful pup, both inside and out. And here is a cool tidbit -- Yoko's breed is rare to see in this area. Belgian Malinois mixes are heavily used by police and the armed forces. If you are interested in making Yoko the newest member of your family, contact the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County at 901-937-3900.

Meet Katrina

While most tabby cats are male, 9-month-old Katrina is an exception to that rule. She is a very outgoing cat that would like to have a home to run and play in. She is playful, loving, and great with other cats. Katrina is very social, she even loves kids. If you pay her a visit at the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County, she will tell you that she misses having her own special person. If you are interested in making Katrina the newest member of your family, contact the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County at 901-937-3900.

Have you thought this season about opening up your heart and your home to a sweet animal in need?

This year, we introduce to you "The 12 Strays of Christmas".

Action News 5 is partnering with the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County to share with you 12 animals in need of homes this holiday season. We will introduce you to a new pet each day through December 22. And each pet featured in the "12 Strays of Christmas" comes with a very special adoption fee of just $12.

If you are interested in making one of these adorable animals a member of your familiy, contact the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County at 901-937-3900.

The $12 adoption fee includes the following:

Spay/neuter surgery
Rabies vaccination
Age appropriate vaccines
De-worming treatments
Heartworm testing
Microchip for permanent identification
Humane Society ID tag
Follow up calls with our Adoption Counselors to make sure your new pet is adjusting well
A goodie bag with coupons and some toys

About the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County

The Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County has worked in the Memphis community since 1933 to give injured and abused dogs and cats a second chance at life, caring for an average of 300 animals at a time. HSMSC is a private nonprofit organization whose funding comes exclusively from donations.

For more information, visit www.memphishumane.org, call 901- 937-3900 or visit the facility at 935 Farm Road.