It always gives me chills to think of how amazingly dogs and humans work together in various law enforcement and military capacities, combining forces to keep their communities safe while developing unbreakable bonds with one another. Still, with bravery sometimes comes sadness and sacrifice. That’s the case with US Marine Corps Colton W. Rusk’s story. Private First Class Rusk was an experienced military dog handler who died in combat in 2010 while serving in Afghanistan. As you can imagine, Rusk … Read more

For any newly married couple, a honeymoon is a truly special time that is often one of the happiest experiences in life. When this couple returned home from their blissful vacation, suddenly their life changed in an instant. Their Doberman, Athena, was lifeless, unable to move her limbs. They immediately took her to the veterinarian where she was diagnosed with severe Wobblers Syndrome–a neurological disease that renders a dog’s limbs useless. The vet told the couple that the diagnosis was bleak, and that if … Read more

We dog lovers would do anything to help our dogs. Even if it costs us a lot of money, we’ll do whatever we can to make our dogs’ lives comfortable and pain-free. So when they get sick, we make sure they get all the medical assistance they need. So when a paralyzed little puppy named Rumple first came to Asheville Humane Society, they did everything they could to help him. Rumple couldn’t use his back legs and he had no … Read more

For disabled Americans, a well-trained service animal can provide tremendous physical and emotional assistance, adding to their quality of life on a daily basis. But before those animals have the chance to help someone in need, they of course need to be equipped to do so. And sometimes, that happens in the most unlikely of ways… NEADS is one of several programs throughout the United States that pairs prison inmates with puppies and leads them through the training process. Once … Read more

A Goldendoodle who was a victim of a hit and run is now doing amazing acts of kindness for those in need. Hope the Goldendoodle cheated death when she was struck by a hit and run driver a year-and-a-half ago. Her injuries were so bad that the vets had to amputate one of her legs, and they weren’t sure if she would make it. Miraculously, Hope survived. And now she’s doing remarkable things with her second chance in life. Hope … Read more

In Albuquerque New Mexico, a 13-year-old boy rescued a litter of puppies who were abandoned and placed inside a trash bag. The young boy named Jonathan Flatt, was in the right place and in the right time. He was walking near a field on his way to the bus stop when he heard cries coming from the side of the road. He was worried about the cries that he heard, so he went to investigate. Jonathan was shocked with what … Read more

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem usually suffered by the soldiers that come home from war. Symptoms of PTSD include recurring flashbacks, hypervigilance, and irritability or sudden outbursts of anger. For soldiers to cope with PTSD, they are provided with service dogs who are specially trained to help calm them down and provide them with emotional support. The White Raven K9, Inc.’s “You Have A Dog In This Fight” project seeks to rescue unwanted dogs from … Read more

Sometimes when a diagnosis is given, there is a person–or even a dog–that will defy the odds. Meet Sammi, a Springer Spaniel with a spirit that refused to be broken despite what doctors predicted. A few months ago Sammi was admitted to emergency surgery, where he had excess bone removed near his spinal column. Sadly, the surgery was said to have left Sammi living the remainder of his life as a quadriplegic. Post-surgery, poor Sammi spent three intense months at the California Animal … Read more