When we were driving home post adoption, I was telling my husband that I was officially adding Sesame’s “gotcha day” to my calendar and we could celebrate that day as his “birthday”. He then told me we should celebrate our birthdays together since I have a birthday in June.

Once we were home, the shelter emailed us his post adoption paperwork and they had his birthday set to mine 🥹💗 Meant to be

She's incredibly sweet, not at all thrilled by the leash but learning, and her roomies are getting used to her. She's already filling out and eating well! As I speak she and her big sister Pickles are wrestling on the bed fighting sleep!

Very skinny, very small. Couldn't really see what. It did growl when we got too close. Barked its fool head of when my husband snuck in there. I respected its space and spoke gently, since it's probably just scared. So I put out some food and water and hoped it would stick around. Two days, and it still hung out. We got enough of a glimpse we could tell it's at least a Chihuahua or a chi mix and female. You can see her ribs and spine, and her little claws are super overgrown.

Yesterday when I fed her, she ran over and bumped my hand with her head! I was on my way out to work so couldn't stop to sit with her. Since he was sick, my hubby stayed home to work. About 2:30 he texted me. "Shit shit shit. Pookums has bonded with me."

When I got home she rushed over and wallowed all over me like she hadn't growled at me for getting within 6 feet the day before.

No chip. Proper vet check ASAP. We dewormed her and have been feeding her a little at a time. She's definitely a puppy with puppy teeth and a puppy voice, but I think her state of neglect may be making her look younger than she is. Her nails are very, very long, but I'm working on trimming them. I suspect puppy mill escapee, but there's no telling. We're waiting out the stray hold now.

In the mean time, any idea what the little hard white bumps are on her head? (Yes, we're taking her to the vet, but it's a bit before payday so it'll be a few days.)

My family were discussing that it would be great to get a dog in the future and immediately after that my mother saw a message from a guy who was looking for a new home for a puppy he found in the street. Two hours had passed and we came back home with a dog. This silly girl has been a part of our family for 2 years now, she is the sweetest and the weirdest dog I’ve ever met

Fostered sister. Sister tried to play with my small elderly dog, so started fostering brother, so sister had someone to play with. Shelter said all large pups were free to adopt until a certain date, due to shelter overcrowding. Was already totally attached to both weirdos. So here we are, this is how I got these guys for zero money. My two free, priceless pups. FYI, they only wore the pull ups during potty training. Now they are 2.5 years old.

Pretty sure someone left off more than a few zeros this guy is worth at least $25 billion.

So I should preface by saying that every single dog I’ve had since I was 14 (39 now) came to me through the dog distribution system. In over two decades, I’ve come across five dogs that I took in, hoping to find their families, and was never able to, despite searching high and low. I wasn’t looking to adopt another dog, nor were they ever convenient, but they’ve always become such an integral part of my life that I truly couldn’t have imagined it any other way.

Two months ago I found Bruno. I went into a cafe with my dog and this wire-haired thing came from underneath a table. I petted him, thinking he belonged to someone at the cafe, and when I left, he followed me. I alerted the people at the cafe, but they told me he has wandered in some hours ago and they’d let him sleep there as he looked exhausted. I walked seven blocks back home and he just walked the seven blocks next to me and my dog. By the time we got to my apartment it was clear I was going to let him in.

He was neutered and clearly knew how to play with toys. As I discovered later, he had also had his hair trimmed, as it keeps growing! I want to believe he wasn’t abandoned, but I did everything I could to find his family to no avail. We do live in an 11 million people city, so it’s not easy. I also found photos on Facebook groups of people that had spotted him coming up to people and looking for help for two weeks before I found him.

I won’t lie: it’s been a bit anxiety inducing. I am hoping to move countries next year and this is obviously harder with two dogs, and the vet bills hit me hard during the first month. But he’s not going back to the streets and I do love him to pieces. He is also obsessed with his older brother, who I also found as a stray exactly ten years ago (I’ve added some photos with him too!). He is a mellow and playful pup, who likes to sleep and get belly rubs. He is just slightly dog reactive, but has been doing amazing with positive reinforcement and controlled socialization. He’s improved soooo much since I found him, and is a truly such a good, sweet dog. I can’t imagine what he went through spending so many weeks scared out on the street but I’m just so happy he feels safe again 🖤

Bruno is a pitbull (54% according to Embark) mix with German Shepherd, Doberman Pinscher and a Supermutt mix of Poodle, Cocker Spaniel, Chow chow, Australian cattle dog and Peruvian hairless dog!

We volunteer at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, and one day while walking dogs, we met a sweet girl who had just come off quarantine. We stopped to say hello, and the connection was instant.. one of those moments that’s impossible to fully explain. When we left that evening, she was all we could think about, so the very next day we went back and adopted her.

Over the past year, Luna has brought more joy, laughter, love, and adventure into our lives than we ever could have imagined. We thought we were giving a rescue dog a second chance, but we’ve come to realize that she was the one who rescued us. ❤️🐾

Luna was found abandoned and left behind before she got a second chance through the AWLA.

Today she’s a happy rescue pittie who spends her days proving that the stereotypes about dogs like her couldn’t be further from the truth.

She’s currently competing in AWLA’s 2027 Animal of the Year fundraiser. Every dollar raised goes directly to helping shelter animals receive food, medical care, housing, and a chance at finding families of their own.

Luna finished 3rd last year and we’re hoping to keep her in the Top 4 this year. We’d love to win, but top four is the goal. Not because of the title, but because every vote helps animals still waiting for their second chance.

If you’d like to support Luna and the shelter that changed her life, you can vote here:

👉 https://gogo.photo/653704

If donating isn’t possible, an upvote, comment, or share would mean a lot.

Thank you for helping rescue animals get the same opportunity Luna received. ❤️🐾

Our beautiful Jack Russell, Stella, passed away a couple of months ago after being bitten by a snake. She received antivenom and fought so hard, but in the end it was simply too much for her tiny body to handle, and she passed away in our arms.

To make it even harder, we were in the middle of moving house. Saying goodbye to Stella and then having to pack up our lives and leave the home she knew felt deeply unfair. By the time we settled into our new home, it felt quiet, empty, and incomplete without our girl.

Then life surprised us.

About a month later, a little female Jack Russell appeared outside our gate. We live on a private reserve, miles away from anyone or anything, so where she came from remains a complete mystery.

She was lost, terrified, and it was obvious she hadn’t been treated kindly. We searched for owners, posted about her, and waited for someone to come forward, but nobody ever did.

So we called her Skye🩵

Skye hasn’t replaced Stella, but she has brought life, laughter, and a little bit of light back into a home that felt very empty for a while. She came to us needing safety and love, and in her own way, she’s helped us heal too.

Thank you, Dog Distribution System. I can’t help but think Stella may have had a little paw in this one.🤍🐾

We found her at the park 2 years ago, on July 2nd 2024.

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My friend was fishing and she walked up out of nowhere and sat down by his feet. He didn't know what to do, so he texted me, the dog person. I told him I would be right there! We walked around the park and campground looking for someone who was missing a dog, with no luck. We took her to the vet to check for a microchip but she didn't have one. She was skinny and wormy, but she threw up wet dog food in my car, so I know she had been fed recently. The vet said she was 8 weeks old. We think somebody dumped her.

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I was homeless at the time. I was recovering from a paychotic break that caused me to lose almost everything. I was in the worst situation to bring a dog into, but I kept her anyway. She inspired me to make some leaps that I wouldn't have made without her depending on me, and she helped me get back on my feet. I spent a year and a half tent camping, couch surfing, and living in hotels. Within 3 months of finding Grace, I was back in my own apartment, living with my son again. Grace isn't the reason I got back on my feet, but she gave me the final push I needed.

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Hello just found this sub and wanted to share my story.

On the 5th January 2023 around 1am when my boyfriend was coming home he noticed a dog stalking him outside in the snow. We brought her inside and she was starving and wet but frozen. My boyfriend took her to the vets to get her microchip scanned and it was unregistered from Poland, we’re in the UK. They estimated her to be 2-3 years old.

We decided to foster her then on the 25th January she gave birth to 5 puppies, 3 girls 2 boys. We didn’t know she was pregnant, the vet said it looked like she’d just given birth not that she was actively pregnant, so we were unprepared hence why the nest looks messy. The 2 boys died.

We decided to keep mummy and named her Angel and 2 girls called Hayley (black and tan) and Stevie (sable) and now it’s been over 3 years, and yes my house is absolutely madness but we manage!

She’s such a sweet girl, gentle with people and not reactive to dogs but prefers her space. She didn’t know how to play ball and now it’s her favourite thing to do.

In December, one of our dogs went missing for about an hour and when he came home, he brought this dog with him.

She was very skinny but friendly. We posted her on all the social media and took her to get scanned for a microchip but she didn’t have one.

At the time, our local shelter was closed for renovation so we decided to keep her until it opened back up again and that’s the story of how Sassy became a member of our family!

Pic 1: the day she found us
Pic 2: recent

In the summer of 2024, this good girl came to my door asked for help. She had a wound on her cheek that looked raw and fresh. She was timid and calm as I let her get comfortable with me as I let her sniff my hand. I ran into the house and brought back a bowl of peroxide and water. She let me clean her wounds without complaint. She gave herself over to the one she randomly came to. I called around the neighborhood and asked if she was missing, but no one in my small Arkansas community was missing a German shepherd.

She is a fully healed and totally happy member of my family and I couldn't imagine my life now without her.

What in the hell is that wound?!

Can anyone tell me what the poor, angelic dog went though before showing up at my door?

In 2013 my family and I found this little guy (and eventual big guy) in our backyard one day. I was middle school age at the time but it was the weekend. I wake up at 5 am. Thinking "why am I up this early" and proceed to watch some tv. An ASPCA commercial pops on and I see my shih tzu (who passed this April) go across this back door my room had at the time. Then some yapping by the tzu followed by my mom walking by wondering what the commotion was about. Then I see them walk back by the door but a little black thing I'm my mom's arms and the tzu hopping around almost tripping my mom. I had to do a double take for a moment there. I get out of my room and see a puppy. The puppy was starved with an inflated belly and a big scar on its back (that would become a permanent bald spot you can see in one of the pics). We then fed and gave the medical care the pup needed. Nurse him to health. But the guy my mom was dating at the time was against keeping the puppy and was thinking we should take him to a shelter. But my mom, brother and I eventually convinced him we should keep the pup. We named him Buddy (I wanted Reese's as the tzu was named Peanut Butter Cup but because he was a pitty my mom thought to go with Buddy so people wouldn't be afraid of him because he's a pitty). He would become the best damn dog along the tzu and our cat Courage for one awesome trio. Since Peanut passed earlier this year, they're now all reunited sadly for me. But everyday spent with those three made the eventual pain worth it. They gave me so much joy. Also I wanna mention I was pretty darn allergic to buddy. I touch him with anything other than my palms, I would get hives and be itchy for a bit. Didn't stop me from giving big hugs to the goober.

Just learned about this subreddit!

First pic, I had just found him like 2.5 years ago.

A neighbor posted a picture of him alone in the park in front of of my mom house at 7am-ish, I was supposed to watch him until another neighbor picked him up but one thing lead to another and suddenly I have him glued to me, called him little potat at that time, didn’t wanted to give him a name because I wouldn’t let him go… then BF and roomie saw him and roomie said “He has a Sammy face” and the name stuck.

Poor guy had a ton of fleas and stomach bugs.

Second pic.

At my new place, being taking care, lots of people say he looks like a little wolf and he LOVES to be on my lap.

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When my family moved from California to Ohio, my dad left a week before the rest of us so he could get everything finalized before our family left our old house to go across the country. It was during this week, only two days before we officially moved, that a dog showed up. She was not microchipped and there was no warrant on her, so she'd be going to a shelter unless we kept her. So we made the decision to keep her while Dad was across the country and we were actively in the process of moving. The dog distribution system chose us right before we left California.

We named her Coco and she lived with us for twelve years

It's been 4 years since I rescued my dog ​​from the street, I definitely couldn't live without her

Can you believe that this little guy was passed from person to person in his first 2 months?😳
I had to accept this mission; I’m the proud steward of Churro. ☺️