Viral Stories

In January of 2020, York County Animal Control in South Carolina received a call about a dog abandoned by the side of a dirt road. Right away it was clear this poor dog had been through a lot. Scooter, as he would soon be called, was used as a bait dog. He’d been tied up by his back legs and hung from a tree so fighting dogs could learn how to fight by attacking him. As a result of this … Read more

Teddy the therapy dog’s presence was much needed at the site of the Surfside Condo Collapse. The 6-year-old Basset Hound/Labrador mix traveled from Philadelphia to Surfside, Florida with a team of crisis response dogs shortly after the 12-story building crumbled, killing at least 97 people. As a crisis response dog, Teddy was there to comfort first responders and people mourning lost or missing loved ones. With his owner Sophie Barrett, Teddy traveled across the rubble where rescue and recovery took … Read more

“Dogs, I think, might be more important than principles,” author Kevin Hearne writes in his 2018 book, Scourged. “They provide love and loyalty when you need them the most.” It’s a quote we couldn’t agree with more. And love and loyalty are exactly what a Doberman puppy named Rico recently showed for his owner. A Man Goes Missing 70-year-old John Stewart of Nevada County, California, went missing in early July. Known to have medical issues and experiencing bouts of memory … Read more

It’s always terrifying to have a pet go missing — but when you rely on them for medical help, it makes the situation even more dire.  That’s just what happened to Ohio resident and Army veteran David Barlet recently. Barlet’s German Shorthair Pointer, Gunter, was out on a walk with his mom on July 3 when fireworks nearby caused him to bolt. Despite searching and putting out calls to the community, Gunter was nowhere to be found.  Barlet was heartbroken … Read more

Once you rescue a dog, it’s hard to imagine your life without them. It’s even harder to imagine your dog having to return to a life without you on the streets. This is the predicament that many soldiers stationed overseas face when they meet and fall in love with strays. Army Specialist Ken Wyrsch met a dog named Ollie while fighting alongside a Kurdish military outfit in Iraq. The stray puppy soon became like a family member to everyone stationed … Read more

Sadly, sometimes the most innocent creatures are cursed with the worst luck. But sometimes it’s all about seeing things from another perspective. One Canadian family is doing exactly that. Kipper is a Chocolate Lab that has one of the most amazing sets of parents in the entire world! You see, Kipper’s dad used to be a stand-up comedian. During one of his skits, Clayton Kroeker would make fun of dog owners and the way they pamper their pups. “Five years … Read more

18-year-old Brandon Joy is legally blind due to a rare condition called retinitis pigmentosa. The Newfoundland and Labrador resident was searching for a guide dog to make life a little easier as he entered college. However, service dogs can be pricey, so he wasn’t sure how he’d ever afford one. Luckily, a group of dedicated volunteers called Wheels for Wishes came together to help Joy achieve his goals. They organized a fundraising event full of classic cars to raise money … Read more

When the Surfside condo collapsed near Miami in June 2021, therapy dogs were quick to comfort those affected. But now, about a month after a horrific event, many are still trying to heal. In fact, for some, the pain has only gotten worse as time goes on. So, dogs are needed for comfort once again. Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) K-9 Comfort Ministry brought a group of nine Golden Retrievers to the scene. The first responders and residents of the Champlain … Read more

Every year that a dog is lost, it gets harder to feel hopeful. Most people start to give up or fear the worst. Yet, Cara Seiler decided to fuel her heartbreak into a passion that would help other dog parents. Her Pit Bull mix named Kemo was missing for eight years, and during that time, she started her own dog rescue. She makes sure every dog adopted is microchipped, and she helps fellow dog lovers reunite with lost pets. But … Read more

Is there anything more heart-melting than interspecies friendships? It’s especially adorable when the tenderness is between two animals who are commonly known to have “mixed feelings” towards one another. Or when one friend is quite large and the other is quite small. Well, Bertie the one-year-old Labrador Retriever and his litter of kittens are both. No wonder he and his new kitty companions are spreading so many smiles across the internet.  How exactly did this two-week-old litter of kittens have … Read more

On March 6, 2021, the San Diego Humane Society’s Law Enforcement rescued two dogs from a home in Mira Mesa, California. Their back paws had been bandaged so tightly, blood flow was cut off. The dogs’ previous owner said it was to prevent them from licking and scratching, but ultimately both dogs needed to have their back paws amputated. Fortunately, one of these poor pups, Chloe the 9-year-old Shih Tzu, would end up finding a family that understands her. Mostly, … Read more

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder — and that’s just the sentiment that the World’s Ugliest Dog Competition in Petaluma, California wants dog lovers to celebrate.  Each year, the competition is held at the Sonoma-Marin Fair to recognize dogs for their unique looks and advocate for rescue organizations. Many of the competition’s participants are rescues from puppy mills or abuse situations, so the main goal of the event is to spread awareness about these issues and prove that … Read more