My parents house is notorious for abandoned animals. When I was growing up, it was nothing for a stray animal to wonder up. Some we kept (mostly the cats) and others we found homes for or called the local animal shelter. We have had so many, I can't even count them all on 2 hands.
Our most recent resident we named Jasper. Jasper was a scraggly old guy who was so loud. Every time he meowed, you could hear him from yards away. And bless his little heart, every time he opened his mouth you could see all 3 teeth. He stuck around for a couple of months and after a while we noticed a gash on the top of his head. We tried to squirt neosporin in it several times, but he started to catch on to us. We talked about catching him and taking him to the vet; he went with no resistance (he was so friendly). Well, our beloved friend and vet, Dr. Paul, did some blood work and it came back that Jasper had feline Leukemia and Feline AIDS; he had to be put down. My dad and I share the same soft spot for animals, and yes it is sad for both of us, we are just happy he is in a better place.
We have a couple more strays that we have somewhat adopted as our own. Scout has been around for 3 years now. She is the most loving cat I have ever met. I'll take the food out to feed her and she just wants to be loved on. I would take her back to Raleigh if I could, but she is an outdoorsy kind of girl. When she came up, we didn't know if she was a boy or a girl. She was fat and sassy. She has all this hair that makes her seem bigger than she is. I have a big connection with her. She is a sweet cat.
Another cat we have is Angel. Angel was rescued from the yard. She was caught when she was a kitten and taken to the vet. Dr. Paul told us the she had been living off of earthworms to survive. Bless her little heart. When she was little, she was pure white. The older she got, the more of a calico blanket she seemed to have on her back. She has the bluest eyes that would be so pretty...if they weren't crossed. Yea, she may not be as friendly as the others, but she is happy and in a home not eating earthworms. 
Next, we have Bear. OK, so Bear wasn't a stray, but he was abandoned in a box with 4 more of his brothers and sister (happy to report they all have great homes). E wanted to keep Bear. I think he wanted to keep Bear because of how much I was attached to him. Bear is a sweet dog and I can't believe someone would just dump animals in someone else's driveway. I told someone this and they said, "well maybe the person who dropped them there knew that the puppies had a better chance." Never thought of it that way. I think Bear is a great edition to the family! Since the holidays are right around the corner, don't forget about the furry family members. This is the most depressing time for them. Give them some extra love, just because.
