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Every month, we scour the internet for the most heartwarming transformations — adopted pets who went from abandoned to adored. These furry faces remind us that, with love, even the saddest beginnings can lead to joyful new chapters.
From shy shelter pups turned ride buddies to once-stray cats now ruling the couch, they're no longer just surviving; they're thriving, and the happiness is contagious.
So get ready to smile, maybe tear up a little, and continue scrolling to meet the gang!
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#1
Adopted A 15 Year Old
RELATED:
Sadly, these pictures, as cute as they are, aren't telling the whole story. Many shelters are having a bad time, and New York City's largest has just hit a sad milestone.
Rocky, an 11-year-old senior dog surrendered by his owner, became the 1,000th animal at the Animal Care Centers of New York City, which announced on July 18 that its three shelters stopped accepting dogs, cats, bunnies, and other critters, except in dire emergencies.
"We’re in the business to care for animals that come to us, and we want to help people with their pets, but when we have 1,000 animals to care for and a capacity to house them that doesn’t meet that need, we’re in a bit of a difficult situation,” ACC President and CEO Risa Weinstock told the press.
#3
Adopted My First Senior Cat! 13 Yrs Old
#4
Just Adopted A New Shoulder Cat
Barbara Wilcock 4 months ago
And another 2 for your feet. Add 1 more for your lap
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MalayDragon 4 months ago
"What ya watchin? Hey look at how that rat controls the human. HAH Classic" - Shoulder Kitty
PirateOctopus 4 months ago
Or from about 10 years ago, if anyone on this site has heard of a street cat named bob??!
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#5
Adopted This Beautiful Girl Today!
Weinstock said after they made the announcement to suspend intakes, 200 animals were still accepted into their shelters that were either a public safety risk or sent by city agencies.
The situation is so desperate that New York City stepped in Friday with $1 million to help ACC, “but we are asking the public to work with us to slow down what is coming in," Weinstock added.
#6
Just Adopted The Dog 8 Days Ago And The Cats Have Already Taken Over His Stuff
#7
Adopted Our Thumb Cat On Saturday!
#8
Karl Urban Recently Adopted A Dog Named Max From The Akl Council Adoptable Animals In New Zealand: “Thanks To The Wonderful Team. We Are So Delighted To Have This Special Lil Fella Join Our Whanau.”
Spencer's slave no longer 4 months ago
Yay Karl! And all New Zealand adopters. For the last 30 years in NZ, all of mine, cats and dogs, have been abandoned, foster fails and adoptions. I currently have 2, 1 is a failed foster with an in-utero brain injury, 1 was born in my home and then I have an amputee kitten who is in serious danger of becoming a foster fail.
#9
Just Adopted These Two!
And it's not just NYC struggling. As the cost of living rises, animal shelters across the country are at critical capacity dealing with an influx of surrendered pets, often due to the price tag associated with their care.
An estimated 5.8 million animals filled up facilities last year, according to the nonprofit Shelter Animals Count's national database. While there was a 1% decrease in shelter intakes from 2023 to 2024, there are other factors at play. For example, in 2019, 55% of shelter dogs had "live outcomes," meaning they were adopted or returned to their owner. That number dropped to 50% in 2024, with about 334,000 canines being euthanized.
#10
Blep! The Cat I Adopted Today
#11
Our Newly Adopted Cat Is Out Here Acting Like The Rent Is In His Name
#12
Adopt An Orange Cat They Said
The price of pet care has been exploding. A Bank of America Institute report found that since 2019, prices of services like veterinary care and grooming have gone up 42%, with the cost of goods like food and treats surging 22%.
That has led pet owners to pull back on pet-related transactions: card spending at pet stores dropped by 4% from April 2024 to this April, and spending at vets declined 1% during the same period.
#14
Adopted An Orange Furball Today
#15
My GF And I Recently Adopted Our First Cat Together 🐈
#16
Breaking News: Husky Girl Steals Hearts
#17
My Newly Adopted Guy, “Crybaby”
"The main reason for pet surrender is, 'I can’t afford it.' Vet care is expensive, food is expensive, I mean, just human cost of living is expensive," Weinstock said.
Shelters are working to provide new resources to persuade pet owners to reconsider or delay surrendering their pets. The ACC in New York provides free food, vaccine clinics and veterinarian vouchers—"anything "we can do to help you keep your pet," Weinstock explained.
#18
Meet Flip Flop, He’s Been Waiting For His Forever Family For Over A Year!
#19
Look What I Got For $1.25! My First Orange
#20
Adopted A Owner Surrendered 14yr Old Chi Today
#21
My Friend Adopts Mistreated And Sick Dogs
"Even if it's just one animal, one person’s dog, who we said, 'If we give you food for a month and you can pay your electricity, would that help you take your dog or your cat or your rabbit home?' and they say yes, and they walk off with their kids and they’re crying because we were able to keep that pet with them, that’s a good day," Weinstock said.
#22
Need A Name For My Adopted Cat. Despise The Name On His Papers
#24
Adopted My First Cats, Say Hi To Clove And Maple
#25
Just Adopted This Little Dude. Name Suggestions?
"We can have a dog stay here, a cat, a guinea pig, a rabbit, could be three days, and it could be over a year," Weinstock said. Euthanasia remains the "last, last, last choice."
There's no easy solution to reduce the overpopulation of returned animals. Weinstock said it requires the community to step up and foster pets — but also government resources to address the root causes of pets being surrendered.
"People who bring their animals are out of options," Weinstock said. "They’re not out of compassion."
Luckily for these animals — and others featured last month — people who can are still helping.
#26
I Won The Dream Dog Lottery
Mimi M 4 months ago (edited)
OP: "Heelers and other working breeds have always been my dream dog. After a few years of scrolling through Petfinder, checking with rescues, and fostering a different pup, I finally have my own adventure buddy!! I know I could have just gone to a breeder years ago, but I can't bring myself to go that route when there are so many left in shelters or abandoned. She's and 8 months old mini blue heeler who was put up for adoption because her owner had major surgery and couldn't keep up with her needs anymore. She's only been home for 2 hours and is already laying in her bed, "centering" between my legs when I call, and playing with her toys. I can't wait to see her while personality develop as we grow together. I'm so happy 😭"
#27
I Converted My Mom (She Adopted A Greyhound, Too)
Auntriarch 4 months ago (edited)
Welcome to the wonderful world of greyhound addïction! Isn't that right Multa?
#28
Is My Cat Tuxedo? - Adopted Today
#29
This Is My New Pack Of Kitties 😸
Multa Nocte 4 months ago
My new little one does this when he's totally comfortable. Then I get to scratch that little belly. Any other time, however, and it's shredded flesh all over my limbs. Thank goodness I got my tetanus booster when I got my other two last year.
#30
We Adopted A Dog Who Turned Out To Be Pregnant. What Do You Think The Pups Could Be?
#31
Adopted Just Over 2 Weeks Ago
#32
Adopted My First Dog Ever, And She’s Perfect
Rebecca O’Donnell 4 months ago (edited)
Tap on the name on the lower left side of the picture for a better look at “Poppy”. Adorable!
#33
Newly Adopted Mother And Daughter Pair
#34
Just Adopted This Sweet Girl
#35
Shih Tzu Adopted!
Mimi M 4 months ago (edited)
OP: "If you didn’t see my original post about this dog, you can find more here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Shihtzu/s/GfXiykM7R1 Last Thursday we found a severely matted, stray Shih Tzu roaming our neighborhood. We were able to catch him and take him to El Paso Animal Services to check for a microchip. Sadly he didn’t have a microchip or collar, so we had him get his 1st round of vaccines and took him in as a foster. The following day we had a groomer graciously volunteer to shave him down, the rest is history. After the grooming he really started to come out of his shell, albeit a little shy he improved so much. We had him at the shop over the weekend and someone came in & fell in love, they decided to adopt him! He’s now living his best life as Bubba Gump and the adopter revealed he also likes to play catch and is really good at it. They’re working on him slowly, as he’s still scared but has slowly warmed up to his new family."
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Poppy 4 months ago
It's my dream to one day being in a position to be able to go to a shelter and adopt the most senior dog/cat there. I currently live in a rented flat and work 12 hour shifts so I'm not able to provide the care they would need but I hope one day to be in a house with a garden and working where I only have to leave them for short periods of time.
Cronecast AtTheRisingMoon 4 months ago
These were wonderful, thank you for sharing them! This made my day better, they were all so cute and then it’s just so lovely that people go out of their way to rescue older animals, as well.
Poppy 4 months ago
It's my dream to one day being in a position to be able to go to a shelter and adopt the most senior dog/cat there. I currently live in a rented flat and work 12 hour shifts so I'm not able to provide the care they would need but I hope one day to be in a house with a garden and working where I only have to leave them for short periods of time.
Cronecast AtTheRisingMoon 4 months ago
These were wonderful, thank you for sharing them! This made my day better, they were all so cute and then it’s just so lovely that people go out of their way to rescue older animals, as well.
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