According to ASPCA, an astonishing 6.3 million companion animals enter animal shelters every year in the US. Each year, approximately 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized (390,000 dogs and 530,000 cats). The numbers are so heartbreaking, it’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that many of the perfectly cute little animals don’t ever get their second chance in this life.
Luckily, however, more and more people are willing to give these lost furry souls their love and care, and bring them back to their forever family. So this post is a celebration of the rescued canines who, thanks to their loving owners, blossomed into these fun, cute, active, and smart woofers and pooches.
Thanks to Reddit’s wholesome corner known as r/BeforeNAfterAdoption, we prepared you an incredible collection of dog pics before and after they were adopted. The results are breathtaking and they give us hope that whatever happens, we are all going to be alright in this often chaotic world.
Psst! More inspiring woofer pics and stories can be found in our previous features here, here and here.
#1 Named Her Possum Due To The Tail Situation, But Not Sure That Applies Anymore
Adopting a rescue dog is a rewarding experience for both pup and owner. It’s an opportunity to give a dog a second chance at happiness, but it can teach you a lot about love, forgiveness, and loyalty. But this rewarding experience doesn’t come without challenges of its own, and there are some things every prospective dog owner should consider before becoming a forever family.
Joe Nutkins, accredited dog trainer, shared a couple of useful tips on how to welcome a rescue dog into your home. First off, when adopting a pooch, you have to get ready to make them feel safe and comfortable in the new environment they are coming into but don’t know anything about yet.
#2 Meet My Norkis
#3 Lolita The Boonie From Guam – Saved From The Streets And Loved Back To Health
#4 My Husband And I Rescued Little Bowie Off The Streets Of Guam. He Was Covering In Ticks And Burs And His Back Leg Was Broken Presumably From Being Hit By A Car. And He Was Only 2 Months Old! Now, He’s 6 Months Old And Lives In Hawaii With 6 Humans That Adore Him. Rescue Is Beautiful.
Dogs in rescue centers usually have a well-scheduled routine, where they get used to having their own space for meals and for resting. Nutkins’ advice is to “Ensure that you have provided some areas that will be quiet, secure, and away from busy thoroughfares such as the hallway so that your new shelter dog will be able to have a chance to rest.”
Secondly, it’s important that the dog has a room or a designated space that is ‘theirs’ so that they do not feel overwhelmed by their new home and can retreat there at any time. According to Nutkins, “having too much space can put pressure on a dog to be aware of what is happening in all areas. By closing off doors and giving your new shelter dog just a couple of rooms, they can focus on the smaller environment better, and this can lower their stress.”
#5 Always Hard To Believe These Two Pups Are The Same Dog! What A Few Years And A Lot Of Love Can Do
#6 Our Little Rescue, Less Than 6 Months After Being Saved
#7 The Day We Met vs. 2 Months Later
And third, as an adoptive dog owner, you have to be patient. Remember that most rescue dogs have gone through more than any other dog in their lives, and some of those experiences have stayed with them. They can be more shy, hesitant, and nervous. Adjusting to the new family is likely to take time, and therefore you shouldn’t expect immediate results, Nutkins explained. No matter how hard the beginning might be, it shouldn’t scare potential dog owners away from rescuing a dog.
#8 My Girl, Before And After Adoption. 1st Pic At The Shelter As A Stray Pup, 2nd After Being With Me For A Year And A Half
#9 This Is Lenore Before And After Being Rescued ! After Receiving Lots Of Love & Tlc, Lenore Does Not Even Look Like The Same Dog Anymore
#10 My Brother’s Dog, Ricky, Before ‘N After Adoption. He Cleans Up Nicely!
Adopting a dog with special needs or an elderly dog may be more tricky. Although older dogs deserve love and care just like younger pets do, many people feel reluctant to adopt a senior woofer for various reasons. They include anything from veterinary costs to the fact that you will have shorter time together than if you would have adopted a puppy.
There are some more things to know about taking care of elderly dogs, so we reached out to Lori Bierbrier, the Senior Medical Director in Community Medicine at ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
Bierbrier explained that dogs begin to show visible age-related changes at about seven to 12 years of age. “The most common sign that your dog is aging is a decreased activity level. Some of this is part of normal transition from being a young puppy to being an adult. But, it can also be associated with osteoarthritis and other degenerative changes. There are metabolic, immunologic and body composition changes, too.”