People Are Sharing Before And After Adoption Photos Of Their Dogs That Prove How Life-Changing Rescue Is (New Pics)
Every year, approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter shelters nationwide. Those little poor beings often lived deprived of love, care, and nurturing, many of them never having experienced the joy of life. They come to shelters with their stories unknown, suffering from fear, anxiety, and sheer loneliness. In the most profound sense, adopting such an animal is giving them a second chance in life that we are all worthy of.
So in order to make a tribute to all those life-changing adoption stories, we selected some of the most powerful before and after adoption pics of dogs shared on the r/BeforeNAfterAdoption subreddit. “This is a place to share the amazing difference a loving family can make on an abandoned or mistreated animal,” says the group’s description, but the pictures speak louder than thousands of words.
The change in these rescued doggos is stark, and in case you ask, yes, someone’s chopping a giant onion over here. Psst! More heart-melting pets before and after being adopted by their forever family can be found in our previous posts here, here, and here.
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She's The Sweetest Creature I've Ever Met. I Don't Always Know What To Say About Her Transformation Other Than "Look." The First Picture Is A Month Before The Second, The Last Is Her 2 Year Gotcha-Versary
My Girlfriend And I Adopted Buck In August Of 2019, He’s Changed Our Lives More Than We Did His And Has Been The Best Choice We’ve Made. Love This Guy To Death!
We Took Home This Sick Pup That Had Cirrhosis Of The Liver And Wasn’t Expected To Live More Than Three Months. Today Marks One Year Since We Brought Him Home And Now He’s Healthier Than Ever
To find more about the wonders adoption can do for dogs and their owners, Bored Panda reached out to Hannah Baker, a head of communications at FOUR PAWS in the UK. This charity organization was founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, and now has spread worldwide, advocating for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding.
“Adopting a pet is so rewarding for all involved,” Hannah said and added: “Not only are you rescuing an animal and offering them a second chance but you’re also freeing up the space to help another animal in need in the rehoming center. Plus, you get a new four-legged friend to build a life-long bond with.”
Joker Dog Was A Bait Dog For I Don't Know How Long. It Amazes Me From The Moment I Met Him All He Needed Was Love To Heal
I'm not a violent person, but very bad things are warranted by monsters who treat animals like that. He's so handsome and sweet looking.
Maya's One Year After Adoption. From Severely Underweight To One Happy Pupperoni
The looks of this doggo remind me of our late dog. She originally came from a puppy mill, and we got her after she was rescued from there. After about 8 months we had to put her down because of her bad hip, it couldn't be fixed. What made it even worse is that she was so energetic and loved running around the yard. Miss ya girl.
Our Sweet Toby Was Found In A Ditch And Couldn’t Use His Back Legs. Now He’s King Of The Road In Two Wheels
No animal is a throw away. Karma coming at those who dumped him. Such happy freedom!
Moreover, most rehoming centers offer lifetime support for you and your new pet, Hannah added, “so if you have a question about helping them settle in or a new behavior that develops, they are on hand to help, whether it happens two weeks or two years after the adoption.”
For example, “At FOUR PAWS we’ve been able to really see the life-changing difference rescuing and adopting a dog or cat can be as we have saved victims of the dog and cat meat trade in Southeast Asia and offered them a chance at a life free from the fear of the cruel trade.”
I’ve Posted Luna’s Glow-Up Here A Few Years Ago, But Today We Are Celebrating Her Six Year Gotcha Day Anniversary And I Just Love Her So Much And Want To Share Her Again
Post pics of her as often as you like. A beautiful success story for a beautiful girl. Sadly, such horror stories will play out daily always . I think we all need to be reminded that there are still so many good people in this crazy world to help their horror go away.
How It Started vs. Hows It Going
The Evolution Of Our Foster Pup’s Ears. From Day One With Us, After Being Found As A Stray, To Now
When asked if being loved and cared for can alter a pet's behavior and personality, Hannah assured us it's absolutely true and said that we all love to be loved and this is no different for our pets. “Dogs and cats are social animals and whilst some may be a bit more aloof, they generally like company and we humans are great at making a fuss of them. Some of those dogs and cats rescued from the dog and cat meat trade in Southeast Asia were initially timid and scared but with the patience and love from our teams, they have thrived.”
After the adoption, “we hear reports from their new families that this change is continuing and many are embracing their inner puppy and loving their new found families and security.” Hannah told us.
Magnum Was Rescued By A Local Shelter Where I Live. Thank You To All Of You Who Work Tirelessly To Save These Angels' Lives
Mighty Marmalade At Intake vs. Almost A Year In Her Furever Home
My Local Shelter Posted A Post-Adoption Update Of This Pup - Check Out That Glow Up! (Not My Dog)
It’s no secret that there’s been an unprecedented surge in people interested in pet adoption fueled by the worldwide pandemic. Hannah said that FOUR PAWS saw a surge in adverts for dogs and cats that appeared online, driven by the growing demand of people wanting to add a four-legged friend to their home during lockdown as early as last April.
But sadly, such demand may backfire for many animals, fueling the puppy trade and illegal breeding. “Unfortunately, many of these dogs and subsequent new families will have become the unsuspecting victims of the illegal puppy trade, in which dogs are bred in Eastern European countries and the puppies are taken away from the mums (often too early) and transported on long journeys to the UK.”
Mr. Rogers. Blind, Emaciated, Famished, And So Weak He Couldn’t Walk. His Literal Bones Were Jutting Out Through His Skin. Like White Bone. I Brought Him Home From The Shelter For The Night But Decided He Needed To Go Stay At The Veterinarian After I Saw His Condition
Millie, When She Was Rescued In Mississippi And Now. The Best Doggo
It takes more than a vet to save a sick little girl like this. And it's so worth it.
My Foster Dog The Day We Rescued Her From An Animal Cruelty Case And 3 Weeks Later
Hannah continued: “From here they are sold on to new families who often have no idea what those first few weeks looked like, but many sadly see the repercussions via costly vet bills or emotional distress caused by a sick puppy,” she explained and added that if you are suspicious you’ve been the victim of the illegal puppy trade, you can report it here.
On the other hand, “not all cases have been negative; for many rescue centers, they have seen dogs and cats that had previously been overlooked find the loving homes they longed for. However you acquire a new pet, FOUR PAWS urges long considerations about whether now is the right time, if that is the right animal for you, and to remember that it is a lifelong commitment.”
First Photo Is One Year Ago When We Got Him From The Shelter - Insecure And Nervous. Many Hikes And Plays Later - He's The King Of Our Home. Dude's First Adoptiversary!
I Adopted This Baby From The Dominican Republic 1 Month Ago- My Mom Didn't Believe Me That It Was The Same Dog. I Named Him Remi And He Suffered From Mange And Malnutrition, Not Anymore!
Olly Was Rescued By A Group In South Korea That Rescues Dogs Held By Restaurants (To Be Eaten) And From Other Bad Situations. He Was Unlikely To Be Adopted There Because His Bald Spot & He’s A Dark, Mixed Breed. They Sent Him To A Rescue In Our City. Adopted Him Over 2 Years Ago
The Day We Met And Present Day. 11 Years Later
I Was Told Y’all Would Love This Survivors Big Beautiful Smile! In Order To Really Appreciate It You Need To See What He Looked Like The Day He Was Rescued. Best Smile Ever
Meet Bebe: Rescued After Being Thrown Out Of A Moving Car And 5 Years Later Is My Music Buddy
Found In Plastic Bag And Now She Found Away To Our Home And Heart
My god - to do that to an innocent puppy you would have something seriously wrong with you. Wishing terrible karma on that person.
He Was Scared Of Crates, Brooms, Gloves, And Walking Anywhere New Or Loud. Now He’s A Happy Adventure Dog Who Loves Every Person And Animal He Meets
Someone made him afraid of everything, You made him unafraid with love!
Went From Crouching In Fear From Anyone Raising There Voice To Shamelessly Begging For Treats In Less Than A Year
My Sweet Girl, When She Won Me In Nov '19 Versus Apr '20
Found My Girl On My Way To Work One Day, A Rural Dirt Road In The Middle Of Nowhere. It’s Obvious Someone Has Hit Her In The Past So I Think She Was Abandoned There. She Is Now Our Sweet Nipsy And Lives With Us On Our Farm
Happy Girl Gingko With Us For 9 Months!
From Dumped In The Road, To Home Sweet Home! This Is Birch Baby!
2017-2020. Help Them Flourish And Enjoy The View When They Bloom. It Will Always Be Worth It
There's always a beautiful soul in there. It's up to us to see that and help them feel secure enough to show that radiating from inside to out.
We Got Her At 2.5 As A Foster When She Was Used As A Bait Dog, Eating Zip Ties, And Had A Crushed Hip Joint. Now She Has Had One Best Friend (Who Passed Last Year) And Now Is The Best Friend Of Our Newest Rescue Lindsie!
Our Rescue Dog Holly! The Day We Got Her vs. 8 Years Later
...and 8 years later, we discovered Holly's true identity. It's mother was a reindeer and father was a dog!
This Is Hana. We Rescued Her From A Shelter Two Years And A Half Ago. On The Left Is How The Shelter's Volunteers Found Her, Wandering In The Woods. On The Right Is How She Looks Now. Best Decision Of My Life
Wanderlust is no good for man nor beast without the element of hugs of love!
Adoption Update! When We Brought Her Home, 1 Day Later, 1 Week Later
Oliver Was Underweight, Had Mange, A Distended Belly And We Were Told He Might Fail To Thrive. He’s 8 Months Old Today And Hasn’t Stop Growing!
Oliver had no failure in his eyes then and definitely none now! Thank you from Oliver!
Piggie In The Shelter & Piggie On His Couch After Adoption
Ivy Grimm Went From A Sickly Street Dog To A Spoiled And Healthy 9 Month Old
Brought Chino Home As A Foster To Get Through Leg Amputation And He Ended Up Never Leaving. Happy 1 Year Since You Got Your Leg Chopped Off And Found Your Forever Family!
I hope you put a hook on it's stump/s and eyepatch on an eye for Halloween. Ahoy captain Chino. ^_^
My First Foster Failure Lala. First Pic Is How She Was Found Chained Under A Back Yard Table For 6 Months, Her Owners Wanted To Euthanize Because Of Her Mange. Next Pic Is Her At The Rescue, And Finally, 6 Years Later Of A Life Filled With Love!
A lot of man kind is not kind but you are the type of mankind we should all be!
My Little Old Man, Buck. Started Fostering December 12, Adopted Christmas Eve! One Look Into His Eyes Melted My Heart. Adopting Him Was By Far The Best Part Of My 2020
Three Months Later
3 Months May Not Be A Long Time For Us But It's Long Enough For Them To Blossom!
My Parents And Kiddo Found Her Abandoned. After Looking For Her Family For Months, My Parents Have Decided She's Finally Home
From A Terrified Dog To A Princess!
We Welcomed The Sweetest Tripawd Into Our Family Last Week!
On The Left, Found Chained To A Fence In Detroit. On The Right, A Pampered Goofball. With A Flair For Dramatics, Meet Gena Howlands
From Found Caught In A Snare To One Month Later
Bolt! Well, at least Bolt’s cousin, with that marking on top of their head!
Three Years Ago To The Day At The Shelter vs. This Summer In The Woods!
I'd like to murder whoever left a dog like this. Thank God for people like you!
My Boy Beetle, The Day He Was Rescued And The Day After We Adopted Him
I Got This Beautiful Girl At The Beginning Of Covid When All The Shelters Were Closing. She Was One Of Two On The Pts List Left Over And The Other Got Taken In. We Drove To Another State To Get This Baby And It Was The Best Decision We Ever Made.
Decisions, Decisions I would have drove to another country for this Beauty!
Leonard Was Feral When We Found Him, But Now He's A Perfectly Weird Gentleman
It's Amazing The Difference 3 Weeks Makes
We Started Foster Jazz When His Owner Passed Away. He Came To Us As A Fat 11 Yr Old With Heartworms, Hypothyroidism, A Nasty Skin Infection, And Nails Growing Into His Paw Pads. Now He’s Our First Foster Fail And King Of The House
Picked Up Allie Kazam From A Severely Underfunded Shelter Six Months Ago. 30lbs To 55lbs And The Happiest Weirdo I’ve Ever Met!
Adoption Photo vs. Snuggly New Home
Georgia, A 5 Y/O Golden Retriever Rescued From A Puppy Mill Associated With The Dog Meat Trade ("After" Images Didn't Work The First Time Around, So This Is My 2nd Attempt). We've Had Her For 3 Months And She's Settling In Beautifully
We Adopted Her, In Part, Because She Was So Calm. Nope. Just Didn’t Feel Well. Meet My Hellion Maisie!
If your adopted dog goes feom calm to hellion, you know you have done everything right.
The Day I Rescued Her From A House Of Neglect vs. Today
Its amazing how happiness grows from neglect with a little respect and a lot of love!
Our Little Medina, From The First Day We Met Until Now (1 Year Later)
It’s Been 4 Years Since I Had To Put My Old Dog Down. I Just Adopted This Guy This Past Weekend. Welcome Home, Benny! You Are Loved!
Brownie March 2020 vs. Brownie Today
My poor puppies looked like the left photo when we got them from incompetent owners. About 8 weeks old and they had worms which meant their belly stuck out while their ribs showed at the same time cause they weren’t absorbing the nutrition. They are healthy and happy now! And growing too fast to keep up haha
Aja - When She Was Found By Amazing Girls Who Saved Her And Now Living With Us For 2 Years. Healthy, Heartworm Free And Living With An Also Adopted Furry Brother
Yu-Jin's First Day With Me vs. 2 Years Later!!
Cheddar The Day We Adopted Him (March 2020) vs. 1 Year Later (March 2021)
Our Sweet, Social, Cuddly, Derpy And Sometimes Wild Little Guy Was Left At A Shelter By A Family, He Was So Scared And Melancholy. He’s Now Living The Good Life And We Couldn’t Imagine Our World Without Him, Even At The Expense Of Some Undies And Pants He Chewed The Crotch Out Of
4 Years Ago I Saw A Pair Of Blue Eyes On The Side Of The Highway. She Had A Shattered Leg, Was Infested With Ticks And Fleas And Was Severely Malnourished. She’s The Best Dog I’ll Ever Have
My Foster Girl, Sydney Has Been With Us For A Week. The First Night, She Was Recovering From A Dog Attack. Her Wounds Are Still Healing But She’s So Much More Confident!
Got Mia About 5 Years Ago After She Traveled 900 Miles Pregnant From A Hoarding Situation To My Local Shelter. She Had Her Puppies On The Way And Unfortunately One Didn’t Make It. Now She’s The Happiest Little Chiweenie, And Wakes Up Everyday Wanting Her Belly Rubs
Reddit, Meet Scooby! This Is Our Little Guy Before Adoption And Three Days After Coming Home
Adopted This Fella 4 Months Ago. I Love How He’s Opened Up And Became A Happy Goofball
Dave Is 6 Months Old And Was Forgotten In The Van Overnight When His Litter Was Taken To Their Fosters, So He Ended Up Stuck At The Shelter. All He Wanted Was Someone To Love Him. Glad I Get To Be The One
How could they leave him! I love his white letter on his chest! I for Incredible.
They Grow Up So Fast... From Crusty-Eyed And Terrified To His First Day Of Driving School (Which, To Be Fair, Is Also A Nerve-Wracking Experience)
This Is Patches. His Litter Was Put In A Bag And Thrown In A River. He Came All The Way From Macedonian To Live With Us In The UK At 5 Months Old. He Is Now 7 Months! The First Picture Is His Adoption Photo. The Second After His Format Night With Us And The Rest Cute Ones I Couldn't Pick From
He's a handsome boi! (Also, I'll never go to Macedonia, because it's clearly full of bad people).
Paco When We Found Him As A Stray In Varadero, He Was Barely 2 Months Old, And Now Almost A Year Later Living His Best Life
Kylo. A Stray Dog Got His Mother Pregnant, And She Was A Purebred Breeding Husky. They Kept Him For A Year To Use Him As Protection From Strays. He Has Been In Foster Care With Us For 7 Months. No More Poopy Crates For You Kylo. Forever Is Coming!
My Best Boy Lucky The Day I Found Him vs. 10 Years Later (Now). Living The Happy And Lazy Life
This Is Old Lady After Years Of Neglect On The Left, And After Just Just Three Weeks Of Love And Proper Care On The Right
Chuck (11yrs At The Time) - Shelter Photo vs. 6 Months Later!
Before Adoption And Five Years Later. A Lot More White Fur These Days!
My Fur Nephew Happy! He's 1 Yr N 1mnth Old, Rottweiler/Lab Mix. I Love This Goofball
Our Seinor Boy Bugs When He Was Found vs. 4 Weeks In His Forever Home. We Couldn't Love Him More
Someone Dropped Him Off In Our Neighborhood, He Chose Us As His New Family
My Baby Monty The Day We Got Him vs. Two Years Later
No. I upvoted everything. God bless rescuers everywhere.
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This is Noel. All pups have a story. I named her Noel because of the time of year she came to me. I have a barn and horses and everyday I would take my manure cart out I would see this dog wandering my fields with her tail down. I thought she belonged to someone and I thought she was old. It finally dawned on me she was starving to death. I started putting out food for her and it did disappear as I wondered who I was feeding. Then one day I saw her eating. We had a big snow, unusual for Tennessee and I said I am going to get you in the warm tackroom tonight. Well, I couldn't get her to come in the barn. It was so icy and snowy that night. I worried all night about her being outside and I said to myself she is going to freeze to death. I am going to find her frozen. The next morning as I was walking to the barn I felt this nose on my hand. It was her and it was all over after that. In the barn and my heart she went that night. Noel-in-th...8e848c.jpg 
You are an angel of mercy.... She is so blessed to have found you!
Load More Replies... No. I upvoted everything. God bless rescuers everywhere.
Load More Replies... This is Noel. All pups have a story. I named her Noel because of the time of year she came to me. I have a barn and horses and everyday I would take my manure cart out I would see this dog wandering my fields with her tail down. I thought she belonged to someone and I thought she was old. It finally dawned on me she was starving to death. I started putting out food for her and it did disappear as I wondered who I was feeding. Then one day I saw her eating. We had a big snow, unusual for Tennessee and I said I am going to get you in the warm tackroom tonight. Well, I couldn't get her to come in the barn. It was so icy and snowy that night. I worried all night about her being outside and I said to myself she is going to freeze to death. I am going to find her frozen. The next morning as I was walking to the barn I felt this nose on my hand. It was her and it was all over after that. In the barn and my heart she went that night. Noel-in-th...8e848c.jpg
You are an angel of mercy.... She is so blessed to have found you!
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