A 5-year-old Lab Mix named Sarge offered an unexpected discovery during his routine neuter procedure. His uncertain past was made clear while on the surgical table, revealing a previous injury that no one saw coming. Sarge was placed in the care of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay earlier this year. In transferring from a rescue in Northern Florida, the shelter staff did not have much information about his past. Sarge’s wagging tail and lovable personality won over each caretaker … Read more

About two months ago, the Bice family’s home caught fire while they were sleeping. But thanks to their furry friend, they made it out alive. Tank the Boxer barked and acted crazy to alert his family of the flames. But after the fire, Tank was still scared and confused. So, he took off, hoping to find the damaged home in one piece again. But Tank’s adventure caused him to get lost for almost two months! His family spent that time … Read more

Animal hoarding is a very serious form of cruelty. Sadly, an estimated 250,000 animals fall victim to this phenomenon every year. Animals in hoarding situations suffer without proper sanitation, veterinary care, or nutrition. They often suffer silently too, without their neighbors even knowing what they’re going through. Serendipitously, Tonie Quinlin was outside her Colombus home on November 13, 2020, when she saw a dog hanging out of a window across the street. The 1 ½-year-old black Retriever mix had broken … Read more

Tilly’s journey began at the Westchester SPCA in Virginia. Her mother was brought to the shelter as a very pregnant street pup, and soon gave birth to 11 puppies in early January. Having so many puppies made it challenging for Tilly’s mother to care for each of her babies properly. It soon became clear that Tilly would require a bit of extra care, which was just too much for the new mom. Tilly’s head was much larger than the rest … Read more

For four days, Miracle the dog was trapped in the icy Detroit River, clinging to life.  After having been chased out onto the ice by a coyote, the little fluffy dog was stranded with no way of escaping. He dodged birds of prey and even fell into the icy water at some point.  That was until Jude Mead of an Ontario marine construction company heard about him and decided that the dog was not going to spend another second out … Read more

Thousands and thousands of years after they were first domesticated, dogs still have incredible survival instincts. They can endure harsh conditions through both skill and intuition. In Hockley County Texas, an abandoned mama dog named Cedar proved this with the remarkable efforts she took to keep her newborn puppies safe and warm. Cedar gave birth to her litter in mid-February, 2021 before a polar vortex hit. To protect her babies from the cold and predators at the same time, she tunneled … Read more

It was every parent’s nightmare.  On the evening of March 25, Wylie, Texas couple Amber and Taylor Newsom were getting their daughters ready for bed when they heard their dog, Marley, barking. When they went to go check to see what was going on, they were met with a strange man wielding a knife inside their home.  But Marley wasn’t going to let the man hurt her family. The black Labrador Retriever jumped into action — lunging and biting at … Read more

If you’re an outdoorsy person, odds are you have an outdoorsy dog who loves accompanying you on your adventures. Hiking, swimming, exploring, and camping with our dogs can be fun ways to exercise and enjoy some fresh air together. That’s why Utah-based pup siblings Summer and Winter often accompany their parents on ATV trips. On one of their routine explorations of the backcountry, Summer took a misstep and ended up sliding dangerously down the rock. Luckily, she’s an obedient dog … Read more

It’s common for dogs to get themselves into tricky situations. Getting them out is the hard part. One dog in Florida got stuck in a drainage pipe and couldn’t find his way out. On top of everything, he was deaf and visually impaired. But despite the many challenges involved, fire crews rushed to save the day. The St. Johns County Fire Rescue and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office teamed up to complete the rescue mission. It took a total … Read more

A tiny puppy in rural Gambia found himself in a desperate situation when he injured his front paw. Due to the lack of veterinary care in this part of the country, his family had nowhere to turn for support. Unbeknownst to them, a team of animal caretakers were already on their way. The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust arranges pop-up clinics around the country to help serve animals in their community. The puppy’s family knew this was his only shot … Read more

Dogs have been working important jobs since their relationship with humans first began. Their unique abilities paired with their willingness to learn and desire to please enable them to perform a wide variety of tasks, from health care to law enforcement and conservation. Maremmas, for example, a breed of Australian herding dogs, use their special skills to protect a species of penguins from extinction. These amazing dogs, known as “The Middle Island Maremmas,” were specifically enlisted by the local government … Read more

While shelters in many southern states remain overcrowded, some adopters in the Northeast have had trouble finding the perfect pooch amid the pandemic. Adoption numbers are way up, leading many southern rescues—like Dr. Dolittle’s Rescue Ranch in Texas—to send their pups to families as far north as New Hampshire. Three New York City families recently discovered they not only adopted from the same rescue, but their pups happen to be blood relatives! Marvin and Leo Sniff Each Other Out Mattie … Read more