10 Dogs Before And After Being Rescued From Various Hardships

The famous American writer Josh Billings once said: "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself," and this is, in fact, absolutely true. History offers plenty of examples of totally selfless love dogs have for people—only we, the two-legged ones, sometimes respond to them with blatant ingratitude.

But in any darkness, there is always a ray of light—and for every irresponsible owner, there are people who pick up abandoned dogs, treat them, and help them find new families. Throughout the year, Pictolic has been telling you heartwarming stories about such doggos and people—and now it's time to select 20 of the most touching among them.

10 PHOTOS

#1 Lycan

A scarred, wrinkly, and nearly hairless husky was found and brought to Stray Rescue of Saint Louis. Named Lycan due to his unusual looks, which is an abbreviation for lycanthrope or werewolf, the pup was having a hard time. Over 3 months after being first rescued, the husky seems to have returned to his glory days.

#2 Benji

A group of neighbors teamed up to save a giant dog who was dumped by his family into the streets. Despite his huge size, the dog looked scared and was confused running in circles in traffic, where he was almost hit by a car. After Benji’s makeover, it was hard to recognize that it was the same dog - once looking like a shaggy, dirty carpet, now he's adorably cute and ready to meet his new foster family.

#3 Marco

This pup, who was later named Marco, was found back in 2019 all alone tied to a fence, suffering in hardly imaginable pain due to many wounds and a huge infection. The dog’s entire body was filled with a horrible infection, so when the team finally rescued him, they had very little hope and only prayed he would make it through the night. Marco spent some tough months in the clinic, yet with time, constant care, antibiotics, and other medications, the vets managed to drain and clean his wounds and get the dog back on track.

Dogs have lived with us for so long that humanity, it would seem, can no longer imagine its existence without them. And even if someone doesn’t think that owning a pet imposes a certain responsibility—often people with kind hearts come to help abandoned and neglected canines. People who are always ready to give unfortunate animals a drop of their warmth and help them with a new chance at life.

#4 Bingo

A little stray puppy was once braving the Houston streets with nothing but a newspaper as his only toy. Due to very poor conditions living in the streets, the puppy weighed a mere 11 pounds and his belly was full of parasites. The pup got a second chance with his new forever family in Minnesota and now Bingo seems truly happy and loved.

#5 Wilson

The guys at the bachelor party trip were canoeing when they heard barking - and saw a dog asking for help, completely stuck in the mud. Thanks to the kindness of the bachelors and help from the local fire department, the adorable pooch was rescued. Ed, a lovely senior Saint Bernard, was reunited with his owner and is feeling much better.

#6 Goulash

Someone left a pup, who was later named Goulash, in such a horrible condition that at the moment the rescue team found him, almost all the dog’s fur was gone due to Demodex mange, which turned his body into one big sore. It took just a few months and attentive care paid off; the dog’s fur successfully grew back. Now that Goulash’s skin was healed and his sweet personality matched his handsome exterior, the pup was ready to begin his search for a forever family, yet his foster mom fell so madly in love with him that she adopted him herself.

The very first shelter for abandoned animals—mostly horses, by the way—was opened on April 14, 1869, in the town of Bensalem, near Philadelphia. Its founder, Caroline Earle White, led a group of activists who decided to make every effort to help homeless animals—and dogs as well, and, if possible, find a new home and new owners for them.

#7 Coda

A few months ago, Pennsylvania SPCA rescued 17 horrendously mistreated dogs who were all thin, balding, and almost all out of hope. One of the dogs stood out from the crowd as, despite the horrors he endured, he was very quick to adjust to his new surroundings and remained friendly with humans around him. Coda soon regained his health and happiness and was adopted by a loving family who couldn’t believe how selflessly affectionate he was, especially knowing his story.

#8 Pilgrim

This sweet dog named Pilgrim was found almost frozen to the ground due to his overgrown hair. Due to the worsening snowstorm, the dog’s long hair was soaking wet and was about to turn into icy concrete, causing the animal unbearable pain. Now Pilgrim is finally safe and truly loved in his new fur-ever family.

#9 Nini

Nina, an American bulldog mix, was rescued a year ago after being found abandoned in her owners’ backyard. After a few good months of rehabilitation, the puppy regained her strength and happiness and soon got adopted by a new, loving family. Now having been renamed to Nini and living in her new home where she even has her own stocking on the fireplace, the dog awaits Christmas and enjoys every day of her life.

Conversations about how great it would be to help homeless animals were conducted in society long before that, but it was Mrs. White and 30 of her friends and acquaintances who took the first step, showing a clear example—an example that soon began to be followed by all of America—showing that beautiful and noble words should always be backed up by corresponding actions.

“The whole notion of a shelter, or even a municipal pound, as a place where you could go and find a pet, really took hold in the latter part of the 19th century and then has grown steadily ever since,” TIME quotes historian Bernie Unti, a senior principal strategist at the Humane Society of the United States, as saying. And five years ago, everyone familiar with this story solemnly celebrated the 150th anniversary of the first animal shelter.

#10 Barney

Barney’s owner believed that his breed didn’t need grooming even though it had become impossible to see Barney’s face underneath all that matted fur. As the situation was dire, Barney was taken to the vet, where he was sedated. The dirty, matted fur was shaved off the dog’s body, and weighed an astounding 7.8kg!