Heartwarming

Even when a dog crosses the rainbow bridge, they remain a part of their humans’ lives in so many ways. Bretagne (pronounced Britney) is one of the most famous search dogs from 9/11. She passed away in 2016, but she lives on through her handler, Denise Corliss. Corliss recently spoke up about how Bretagne continues to influence rescue work even after her death. There are many ways that the brave pup has been memorialized, and her legacy continues through many … Read more

With special skills and specific training, dogs can really help people suffering from PTSD. Not only does their presence and unconditional love provide comfort, but they can prevent bad nightmares and steady people experiencing dizziness or disorientation. Paul Wilkie left the Armed Forces after 22 years to return home to Perth, Scotland in 2012. He got a new job in law enforcement and reunited with his wife, but things soon took a turn for the worse. PTSD Took A Huge … Read more

Mandy Moore offered a special tribute to her late furry friend on National Dog Day. Her son Gus may not get to grow up with Moore’s passed pup, but he still gets to keep her close to his heart. Moore’s husband, Taylor Goldsmith, surprised her with the Christmas gift of a lifetime just after losing their beloved furry friend. Joni suffered complications after a mass removal on her liver, forcing them to make the tough decision to let her go … Read more

Afflicted with Lou Gehrig’s Disease (also known as ALS,) John Weston found great comfort and joy in his rescue dog Pawpaw. As his illness progressed, he faced the reality that he would need to rehome his best friend. Weston’s neighbor Sherri Franklin is the founder and CEO of Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. Three years earlier, she had placed Pawpaw with him and promised to help if Weston’s health issues made caring for the dog difficult. Now that time had come. … Read more

Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana Sunday as a Category 4 storm. Typically during large storms, the priority is making sure people can evacuate or shelter safely. Fortunately, animal lovers across the country made sure dogs, cats, and other pets could get out before the height of the storm too. Transporting animals out of Louisiana would also make room in the shelters for pets injured or separated from their owners during Hurricane Ida. So, Greater Good Charities organized a transport … Read more

An adorable introduction between a Golden Retriever and a tiny kitten has made its way around the internet. An originally hesitant kitten is now attached to her canine friend’s hip, making their initial introduction even more endearing. This adorable friendship began when a 4-week-old kitten was found all alone in a field. Her rescuer quickly found the perfect couple to help care for the orphaned kitten. The moment they met the little ball of fluff, they fell in love and … Read more

Soxman Funeral Home in Pennsylvania recently welcomed a unique employee to the team. Lilo is a three-year-old Labrador Retriever, but she plays an important role at the facility. She’s the funeral home’s permanent bereavement care dog, so she provides comfort to humans during times of grief. Not only does this adorable canine get to cuddle with humans all day, she also gets lots of benefits with her job. She has plenty of space to herself at the office, including her … Read more

A Husky named Mackenzie arrived at her forever home when she was 10-weeks-old. At the time, her vision wasn’t perfect, but she seemed healthy otherwise. Yet, as she grew up, she developed glaucoma in one eye, and then the other. Despite Mandy Leung’s efforts to keep her puppy’s eyes healthy, the condition worsened. Leung eventually decided that the best thing to do for Mackenzie was to have her eyes removed to eliminate the pain. It seems like a tough transition, … Read more

As evidence supports, dogs can really help heal emotional wounds. Studies have shown that petting a dog can reduce anxiety, and caring for one can help ease depression symptoms. Not to mention of course, the unconditional love dogs provide. In 2017, a boy named Carter received Piper the Pug as a special 12th birthday gift. Carter’s younger brother had passed away from cancer at only 21 months old the year before, so you can imagine how much Piper meant to … Read more

After a year of grief, Teresa Boeklem couldn’t handle any more bad news. Not only did she have a miscarriage, but her dad died of COVID, her mom died of cancer, and her aunt passed away not long after. So, when she came home to find her 2-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Chloe unresponsive, she panicked. Chloe had comforted her through every heartbreaking moment during the pandemic. Without her, Boeklem didn’t know what to do. She felt like giving … Read more

On average, a dog who lives on the street won’t make it past 2-5 years old. They lack access to the proper nutrition and essential medical care that keeps family pets healthy. Also, unsanitary conditions can increase the risks of injury or infection. That’s why one man in Serbia dedicates his life to helping the street animals in his neighborhood. Goran Marinkovic brings food with him as he walks around Kraljevo so he can feed the many stray animals in … Read more

One major reason rescued dogs get returned to shelters is that their new family can’t understand their anxious or fearful behaviors. Dogs surrendered to shelters often experience anxiety after being brought into a hectic new environment, and many more have been traumatized or mistreated prior to arriving. When Hope Ervin rescued a Shiba Inu from Paws Jackson, an animal shelter in Jacksonville, Illinois, she sensed that the dog may have emotional issues related to her time in a puppy mill. … Read more

Brian Galyon, who operates the YouTube channel Off-Grid Backcountry Adventures, has spent six years traveling the American Southwest in a 4 x 4 truck. Beside him all that time was his best friend and “furry adventure partner,” a dog named Sierra. Galyon rescued a nervous, malnourished Sierra from a shelter in early 2015 while living in the Denver, Colorado area. Early on, Galyon learned that he and Sierra have something big in common: they both love exploring the outdoors. Galyon … Read more

Caring for a special needs dog can no doubt be challenging. Still, the rewards of teaching a differently-abled dog that he matters and showing him the full life he deserves are absolutely worth all the efforts. One little two-legged dog from China proved that to his foster turned adopter. A group from Furry Angels Haven Wuhan found Basil on the street in early 2020. He had sustained so much damage to his back legs, veterinarians had to amputate everything below … Read more

Macs4U.com, a company that sells refurbished MacBooks and other Apple products, is big on helping animals. They have provided donations and support to no-kill animal shelters for many years. Thanks to their recent “Macs4Pets Animal Shelter Campaign,” they’ve done even more to make a difference. They held two contests to help raise awareness for rescue animals. Their heartwarming animal shelter campaign gifted $12,000 among the three winning shelters. In another contest, pet parents were invited to share photos of their … Read more

Actor Chris Evans has revealed what he does every Saturday night — and as it turns out, he’s not that different from the rest of us. He plays with his dog.  In a recent Instagram post, Evans shared a video of his rescued pooch, Dodger, playing with a button toy. He’s trained Dodger to press different buttons that they say words like “treat” and “play.”  In the video, Dodger is shown pressing his paw onto the button and looking excited … Read more

Lou Lewis is an expert on two things: dogs and military service. As a retiree of the US Army and dog mom to five greyhounds, she decided to combine her knowledge and give back to veterans in need. Lewis and 9-year-old Petey are a popular pair among the veterans of Nashville, Tennessee. When the Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to their in-person visits, the duo went virtual to ensure Petey could still see his pals. They hope to return to … Read more

Nicole Sopko and Dan Staackmann love getting DNA tests for their rescue dogs because the results are fascinating. Dogs often have breeds mixed in that you’d never expect! Although they could also have long-lost relatives that are closer than you’d think. The couple adopted a new rescue dog named Frida from a Chicago shelter. After getting a DNA test done, they discovered shocking news. Frida is related to the couple’s late dog named Greta. The two seem to be cousins, … Read more

Mahoning County, Ohio deputy dog warden Dave Nelson was only trying to help a mistreated dog when he answered a call on July 20, 2021. A man had the dog on a chain and was dragging him down the street. Not long after Nelson arrived on the scene, that man attacked him with a knife. Nelson was taken to Mercy Health for treatment, while the Youngstown Police Department took the culprit into custody. Animal Charity coordinator Jane MacMurchy told WKBN … Read more

Keith Gilbert, an 81-year-old disabled veteran, was loading his dogs into his car when his new service dog Rivka, aka “Mouse,” got spooked and ran into the road. The German Shepherd was then struck by a car going about 40 mph in a residential zone. Seeing your dog get hit by a car is a truly horrifying experience. Gilbert and his daughter Denise also worried Mouse might have a broken back due to the position she was lying in after … Read more

Usually, it’s an adorable photo op when our dogs climb into packaging. This story of an abandoned Pit Bull and the cardboard plum box he slept in has a bit of a sadder explanation. Officers for DeKalb County Animal Services found the scrawny dog lying in an empty plum box outside the shelter one morning. The poor thing was too scared to come out of his makeshift bed, so the folks at LifeLine Animal Project let him hold onto his … Read more

In April 2021, the most brutally honest adoption description led to Prancer the “demonic” Chihuahua finding a forever home. Somehow, calling the dog a “Chucky doll in a dog’s body” led to Prancer getting an overwhelming amount of applications. Eventually, it even brought him to his perfect family. Now, months later, Prancer’s new mom can’t help but gush about how much she loves him. While he might be a “haunted Victorian child” around other humans and dogs, he’s loving and … Read more

When police received the call that a dog was stuck deep under the foundation of a home in West Seneca New York, two of their best “dog whisperers” were dispatched to the scene. Once the officers arrived, they could see that Buttercup was in trouble and really needed their help. So, they immediately got to work. But they weren’t the only ones. Someone else at the scene was posting live updates of the rescue on the “West Seneca” Twitter page.  … Read more

It was a moment worth celebrating. After years of working in the military, working dog Chickel finally has a permanent home and family.  Staff sergeant Kyle Johnson works with canines in the air force and worked with Chickel while he was stationed at Osan Base in Korea. Chickel worked there as a patrol dog and is remembered by military staff as a goofy but lovable dog.  Now in retirement, Chickel will have a wonderful family to live with: the Johnsons, … Read more

Dogs are incredible characters. Almost without exception, they have this amazingly upbeat spirit that lights up any room, brings smiles to our faces, and can turn our whole lives around. Even some of those that suffer the most horrific abuse and neglect come out of it ready to forgive with little hesitation. Dogs are pure love. And when given love, they can accomplish big, big things. Kardi is one such dog who has taken the love she is given and … Read more

Stephen Foster works as a part-time maintenance man at a gas station in Dade City, Florida. Since the recent death of his wife of 35 years, Stephen has come to rely on the love and companionship of his little dog, Ollie. The pooch even accompanies him to work, happily watching her dad from the end of a tether. A few weeks ago, Ollie was hit by a car driving through the gas station parking lot and was left with a … Read more

Rosie, a one-year-old Great Pyrenees/Golden Retriever mix, was brought to a Georgia shelter after her parents got divorced. The young mother couldn’t afford to move with both her children and the dogs. When surrendered, Rosie was healthy and trained, but being at a kill shelter during the holidays meant a chance she may not make it out alive. Not long afterwards, Toni, a mother of two girls, was searching for dogs online. Her children got a peek of Rosie’s ad, … Read more

A short video clip of a mother cat, seeming to introduce her puppy pal to her one-week-old kitten, has caught the attention of almost two million people. It’s definitely understandable why. Interspecies friendships are incredibly heartwarming to behold, and the clip is absolutely adorable. When watching the actions of the cat, it’s almost as if she is asking and then showing the watchful dog how to be gentle with her baby.  The clip opens with the dog sniffing the kitten … Read more