Approximately 6.3 million companion animals enter US animal shelters every year. (Of those, around 3.1 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats.)
And while the numbers sound huge, they’re actually getting small. According to some estimates, the number of dogs and cats entering shelters in the country annually has declined from approximately 7.2 million in 2011.
Also, roughly 4.1 million shelter animals are adopted each year and 810,000 animals who enter shelters as strays are returned to their owners.
To illustrate what difference a second chance at life and a loving home can make to a critter, we at Bored Panda are continuing our monthly installment, sharing the most adorable rescue pet photos we find on the internet.
Continue scrolling to enjoy the images and when you’re done, make sure that you’re up to date with the series here: December, November, and October.
#1 This Man Was Forced To Give His Dog To The Humane Society Due To Undergoing Lengthy Hospital Stay. This Nurse Found Out And Immediately Went To The Shelter And Adopted His Dog. She Brings Him To Visit Daily And Will Return Him As Soon As The Man Is Released!
Image source: Sensitive-Ad-8403
#2 Good Guy Adopts An Old Timer So He Doesn’t Have To Die Alone
Image source: asianj1m
#3 Meet Finley. He Followed Me Home On A Night I Was Sad And Feeling Especially Lonely. Then He Walked Right Inside Like He Owned My House. (I Did Check For A Chip And Officially Adopted Him From His Feral Cat Agency.) Everyone Says He Chose Me.
Image source: tonysnark325
#4 This Cecil. I Adopted Him Through The Starbucks Drive Thru. The Customer Showed Me A Passenger Seat Full Of Kittens And Said “Do You Want A Kitten?” And I Said “Absolutely I Do”. I Took The Kitten, Put Him In My Apron Pocket, And Asked To Go Home Early. Cecil Is Now Six
Image source: Ok_Flow_8679
#5 Bartolito The Day He Was Rescued vs. ~3 Weeks~ Later
Image source: casslomb
#6 Before & After Adoption; Our Lovely Princess, Kimchi
Image source: gabrielapintican
#7 My Black Kitten I Adopted Last Week Looks Like She Has “White Eyeliner” On Her Eyes
Image source: Valkrya
#8 My Friend Just Adopted An 18 Year Old Cat Named Cat
Image source: KeyserSozeWearsPrada
#9 I Think I Accidentally Adopted A Dragon. She Thinks It’s Her Job To Hoard And Guard Anything Shiny
Image source: madiswanrh
#10 Rescued Is Horrific Condition Severely Emaciated With Wide Open Sores On Her Back Legs This Girl Has Been Adopted And Is Living Her Best Life
Image source: Keeper-Of-The-Cosmos
#11 4 Y/O Rescue And His 5 M/O Best Bud. Totally Inseparable Since Day 1
Image source: MasudiCat
#12 A Sicko Tied A Rock To This Dog & Threw Him On A Frozen River. Dog Is Rescued & Found A Good Home
Image source: wichocdlowmer
#13 Meet The New Rescues: Lulu, Luna, And Nana
Image source: limashy
#14 Found This Absolute Unit Living Underneath A Pallet At Work
Image source: day_wave
#15 I’ve Applied To Adopt This Stray, One-Eyed Fiv Cat
Image source: Shorse_rider
#16 Since Adopting This Sweet Boy 2 Weeks Ago, Our Lives Have Been Exponentially Better
Image source: Jingleberri
#17 He Finally Trusts Me Enough To Sleep In My Hands
Image source: RebeccaDeVille
#18 My Foster’s Adoption Profile Has Zero Views After A Week…. Why Does Nobody Want Her??
Image source: Kitty_casserole
#19 Brick Got Adopted!!!
Image source: MARLeague
#20 Rescued From A Shelter Where He Was Scheduled For Euthanasia. Now He Is My Happy, Snuggly Best Friend. My Sweet Boy, Macaroni
Image source: Kimmie6602
#21 This Is Juniper, A Super Happy Rescue Fox!
Image source: IAmABunnyToo
#22 When I Adopted Her, I Made It My Aim To See This Smile As Often As Possible
Image source: tim_durgan
#23 Vet Told Us The Stray We Adopted Wasn’t Pregnant, So This Was Quite The Surprise Last Night!
Image source: shanemente52
#24 Just Adopted These Bonded Babies Thursday… Crying
Image source: kayes15
#25 Chonky Cat Mister Weighs 30 Pounds And Available To Adopt From Michigan Humane
Image source: KoreanAbdul-Jabbar
#26 His Name Is Zorba, He Has Behavioral Issues Due To Abandonment And Bad Shelter Experience, I Adopted Him. He’s Coming Home Today
Image source: SHybrid
#27 One Of My Saddest Beginning Rescue Cases. This Senior Declawed Girl Was Living In A Hotel Storm Drain Starving. As Soon As I Got The Call, I Rushed There. She Had To Be Sedated And Shaved, As Seen In The Before Photo Due To Matting. She Was So Thin.
Image source: Hoperosaliex
#28 The Power Of Rescue! I Rescue Animals.this Is Pearl The Day I Got Her, And Her Today In Her Forever Home!
Image source: Hoperosaliex
#29 Just Rescued This Handsome Man. His Name Is Appa
Image source: Urfavhonky
#30 His Adoption Fee Was Discounted Because He Only Has 3 Legs
Image source: thebaldingqueen
#31 Adopted 2 Pups From The Spca And Caught Them Holding Paws Comforting Each Other
Image source: wcslater
#32 My Bonus Mom Rescued A Pirate Pitty So Her Other Pitty Could Have A Friend. Meet Remy!
Image source: Money_Box
#33 Just Adopted These Two Partners In Crime
Image source: CutieToTop
#34 Rescued This Handsome Yelly Void After He’d Been Coming To My Door For Two Weeks (Getting Him Checked For A Microchip At The Vet)
Image source: alilbitobsessed
#35 Lemon Before And After Adoption
Image source: thelensguru
#36 My Husband Developed A Fever And Our Rescue Lab Mix Daisy, Won’t Leave His Side. She’s Even Been Sleeping With Her Head On His Head
Image source: B00KW0RM214
#37 Less Than 24 Hours After I Found Her Getting Into My Trash.. Brought This Pretty Girl To The Vet, And We’re Adopting Her. Shadow Says Hello!
Image source: CarnalMaze
#38 My GF Got Toby For $5 At A Rescue. Best $5 Ever Spent
Image source: jordan12611
#39 My Wife And I Adopted These Two Goobers In 2020. Sienna (Back) And Miho.
Image source: Inside-Plantain4868
#40 After A Year Of Feeding, Spoiling And Small Cautious Head Pats, She Has Finally Adopted Me. Help Me Name This Sweet Thing
Image source: Sufficient_Ad_907
#41 My Old Man Brody, Rescued Him After Being Returned 2 Times. He Must Have Been Waiting For Me Because He’s Been The Best Dog. We Have Been Threw A Lot Together, He’s My Rock And Loves Wearing Hats!
Image source: CrystalAckerman
#42 One Of The Two Cats We’ve Adopted, It Was Her First Time Outside
Image source: gothmuffin69
#43 Sumi(Tabby) & Waka. Adopted Together And They Were Golden. We Sadly Lost Waka A Year Ago And This Was The Best Picture Of Them Together
Image source: nszki777
#44 Just Adopted My First Hippo. He Gets Compliments On How Good He Looks From Strangers On Every Walk
Image source: toilet_commentary
#45 Adopted Little Miss Freya Last Weekend. 1.3 Lbs Of Love
Image source: EvergreenSasquatch
#46 Before And After 2 Years Of Being Rescued
Image source: sheva0210
#47 My Wife Just Rescued This Baby Tonight. She’d Been Outside For A Few Days In Sub Zero Temps, Abandoned By Our Old Neighbors And We Weren’t Sure She’d Make It Another Night. Glad To Bring Her In And Warm Her Up!
Image source: ifoundmyruth
#48 The Day Before Adoption And 11 Months Later 1 More Month Until Gotcha Day
Image source: manicprisoner
#49 BF And I Adopted This Sweet Girl Last Week From A Coworker Who Had To Rehome Her! Meet Kali Our Wonderful 9 Month Old Chocolate Lab!
Image source: kfenton5
#50 Rescued This Poor Fella From A Neglect Situation Last Night. Hoping I Can Bring Him Back To Good Health!
Image source: SubjectMystery
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