The Amazing Stuff

A woman in Washington was walking her dog when they came across a box. The pup was oddly curious about it, so the woman figured she’d better check out what was inside. When she opened it, she found something so heartbreaking…

This little kitten was waiting inside the box.

She was a little skinny, but otherwise pretty healthy. But…why was she in a box by the side of the road?

This note was written on the inside of the box. It reads…

“My mommy’s boyfriend is mean to me. [Desperate] for loving home :(”

Hold on for a second while I go find some Kleenex.

(via Discovery)

It’s incredible that a child would have the heart to let go of a furry friend in exchange for its safety. Not all young people are able to think of other beings in that way — and clearly some adults are incapable, too. Now the tiny kitten is being cared for by MEOW Cat Rescue, and she’s living in a foster home with other kittens her age. She’s not old enough to be adopted yet, but as soon as she is, we’re sure she’ll have no trouble finding a loving home.

This child’s bravery saved a kitten’s life. Bravo!

Earlier this month, after South Carolina experienced some serious flooding, Sarah Scruggs took a walk through the neighborhood to see how bad the damage really was. While the flooding did, in fact, take 15 human lives, Scruggs was able to help save a furrier life from the wreckage…

She spotted this little guy, motionless, submerged in a puddle. She saw bubbles and quickly scooped him up.

A photo posted by Sarah Scruggs (@scruggers4) on Oct 4, 2015 at 9:59am PDT

After some rest, little Arthur showed vast improvement.

A video posted by Sarah Scruggs (@scruggers4) on Oct 4, 2015 at 10:44am PDT

He mainly needed hydration, so Scruggs fed him Pedialyte before graduating to meat and egg-free puppy formula.

A photo posted by Sarah Scruggs (@scruggers4) on Oct 5, 2015 at 12:32pm PDT

Scruggs has understandably become attached to her new friend…

A photo posted by Sarah Scruggs (@scruggers4) on Oct 4, 2015 at 7:47pm PDT

But she knows he’ll be much, much happier to be released back into the wild.

A photo posted by Sarah Scruggs (@scruggers4) on Oct 5, 2015 at 12:17pm PDT

Because while watching this teeny nugget sleep is the best thing ever…

A video posted by Sarah Scruggs (@scruggers4) on Oct 5, 2015 at 6:40am PDT

(We’re not even kidding.)

A photo posted by Sarah Scruggs (@scruggers4) on Oct 7, 2015 at 2:37pm PDT

She knows that he’ll be much happier running around with his squirrel friends.

A video posted by Sarah Scruggs (@scruggers4) on Oct 10, 2015 at 6:30pm PDT

Although, who knows, maybe he’ll come back some day soon to say hello to his human mom.

A photo posted by Sarah Scruggs (@scruggers4) on Oct 9, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

He does, after all, have a lot to thank her for!

A video posted by Sarah Scruggs (@scruggers4) on Oct 5, 2015 at 6:06am PDT

At about six weeks old, Arthur is almost ready to go back into the wild…just as soon as he starts eating nuts and seeds.

A photo posted by Sarah Scruggs (@scruggers4) on Oct 6, 2015 at 5:24pm PDT

Until then, Scruggs is enjoying what little time she has left with him!

A video posted by Sarah Scruggs (@scruggers4) on Oct 10, 2015 at 9:32am PDT

He’s quite the lucky squirrel.

A photo posted by Sarah Scruggs (@scruggers4) on Oct 5, 2015 at 12:15pm PDT

(via The Dodo)

Thank goodness such a caring person was there at the right time. Not everyone would have taken all the time and patience to care for a helpless animal in need. Luckily, she knew what she was doing.

If you come across an animal in need, call your local department of animal resources or animal control for tips on what to do or where to bring him or her.

When two horses, Elvis and Alfie, decided to have some fun and escape from their field overnight, they had no idea how much trouble they were about to get into. In the morning, their owner first found them in the garden, and had to calmly chase them down. While in search of adventure, the two horses came across an old pool. Alfie, the big boy, fell into the deep end. That’s when things got scary.

Alfie splashed about, desperately paddling to keep his big body afloat.

Elvis fell in after his pal. Their owner, Roisin Talbot, was able to keep calm and guide them both to the shallow end.

But there were no steps for them to climb, so they were stuck!

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service’s Animal Rescue Team was called to the scene.

They began by draining a good portion of the pool water, which made Alfie quite anxious.

While Elvis stayed calm, Alfie was sedated and hoisted out of the murky water.

It was quite a feat!

The whole crew managed to pull him to safety.

After that, they had to get Elvis out of there.

He was only lightly sedated, since he seemed to be taking the whole ordeal better than his friend.

Alfie was up and ready to be reunited with his bud!

Luckily, everyone made it out without a scratch.

When it was time for the whole rescue team to leave, they basically formed a parade.

The vet checked both of the curious boys out afterwards, and they were a little shaken up, but otherwise totally fine. Talbot was so thankful for the rescue team’s efforts. It can’t be easy to lift two giant, nervous creatures out of a murky pool! It’s wonderful to see such a happy ending to a story that could have easily gone wrong.

Along with all the spooky fun of Halloween, October also has the honor of being dubbed “Adopt A Shelter Dog Month.” There are so, so many sweet pups sitting in shelters across the country just waiting for someone to come bring them into a loving forever home.

As I’m typing this, all of the adorable dogs below are currently available for adoption at some of the best shelters and rescue organizations in the country. You might be just the right person to give one of them the happy life they all deserve!

1. Winnie from Austin Pets Alive!

2. Monty from San Jose Animal Care & Services

3. Fredrick from Multnomah County Animal Services

4. Nikov from Tompkins County SPCA

5. Bella from Dane County Humane Society

6. George from Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA

7. Larry from North Shore Animal League America

8. Brendi from Alaqua Animal Refuge

9. Cabbage from Animal Rescue Foundation

10. Kennedy from Big Dog Ranch Rescue

11. Shadow from FurKid Rescue

12. Buddy from Homeward Bound Rescue

13. Quincy from Old Dog Haven

14. Mandy from ASPCA

15. Brenda from Underdog Rescue

16. Audrey Grace from Bald Is Beautiful Dog Rescue

17. Chocolate Crunch from The Sato Project

18. Lorraine from Richmond SPCA

19. Lily from Nevada Humane Society

20. Miss Piggy from Dane County Humane Society

21. Doodles from Best Friends

22. Bailey Bear from Citizens for Animal Protection

23. Bo from Dumb Friends League

24. Sybil from Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation

25. Elvis from Desert Paws Rescue

Can’t you see yourself cuddling up with every single one of those sweet faces? And there are even more just like them waiting for love if these guys happen to be snagged before you can get to them. You can also head to your local shelter to find the perfect pooch match for you.

Looking out his window, this man saw a pack of stray dogs roaming the streets. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, until he saw something strange. One of the dogs had his head stuck in something that could kill him.

Leaping into action, he raced after the dog to try and help:

video-player-present

Had this stranger not come along, we shudder at the thought of what could have happened to the dog. Without the ability to eat or drink — let alone breathe properly — he surely would have passed away.

Recently in Northern Canada, the Thiessen family got really worried when their horse, Daisy, didn’t come around for feeding time. They started searching for her on the property…when they found her, they became extremely worried by the tight spot she’d gotten herself into.

They called their neighbors, a tow truck, and a veterinarian to the scene to get the poor draft horse out of the small well she was stuck in.

She’d been trapped for a while, and it was pretty tight.

They gave her some pain meds, but no sedatives, since she seemed to be pretty calm. She really didn’t have any room to move around, which, in the end, most likely prevented further injuries.

Luckily, neighbor Chantelle Thompson was there to keep the family calm while Brad’s Towing worked with Corman Park Veterinary Services to pull Daisy up and out of the hole.

It took Daisy about an hour to stand up again after the whole ordeal.

She was exhausted, tense, and very sore. Thankfully, the vet found no internal or external injuries upon examination. For now, the tough lady is taking muscle relaxers and is spending a lot of time resting.

But there’s no reason to doubt that she’ll be ready to return to her draft horse duties of pulling happy kids around in a sleigh through the snow come winter.

(via BuzzFeed)

It’s so great to see so many people come together in a time of need. We all know how easy it is to get emotional and overwhelmed when your (very large!) baby is in a tight spot.

When people noticed that a dog was tied to a tree by a river in Arkansas, they called local animal control. Workers arrived and immediately saw that it was much more than a typical abandonment case — this particular pup was tied up so tightly that the mutilation inflicted was truly disturbing and heartbreaking to witness.

Warning: if you have a weak stomach, just scroll to the bottom for a happier ending.

The rope was so embedded into the dog’s neck, you can only imagine the amount of suffering he endured before being rescued.

Pine Bluff Animal Friends, a group of volunteers for the local shelter, made sure the little guy got the medical attention he needed right away, no matter what the cost.

The rope was so deep in his flesh that he had to be sedated, having it surgically removed. The operation was a success…

But the organization was out over $300 that they couldn’t afford on their own.

Luckily, the public quickly caught wind of this terrible situation and made sure that all the bills were paid through many generous donations.

It breaks my heart thinking of all the hours this poor pooch sat there while the rope dug its way into his neck. Thank goodness for the incredible volunteers at Pine Bluff Animal Friends and the amazing kindness of all the concerned citizens in the area looking to remedy the situation. This pup, now named River, is on the mend and so incredibly grateful to all the people who helped him out.

Earlier this September, a donkey was left for dead in Brazil. He was a victim of a hit-and-run, with no one nearby to witness the accident. He sat there, dying alone. But soon other drivers noticed him, including two who have made it their mission to rescue animals in need, just like this little donkey.

Stefanie Rodrigues and Zenith Gurgel named him Guerreirinho, meaning “little warrior.”

They brought him to their home, which doubles as an animal sanctuary, after calling around and finding out that authorities would most likely euthanize him.

There, Guerreirinho found a loving touch from an unlikely little friend.

The accident gave him three fractures in his legs, so until his rescuers could accumulate the funds to tend to the surgeries…this trooper had to stay off of his feet. Luckily, his new pal wasn’t about to leave his side.

Rodriguez and Gurgel received many donations to help fund the donkey’s surgeries, but they’re still a long way away from their financial goal. You can donate here.

(via The Dodo)

It’s wonderful that this little warrior won’t have to endure this trying time alone. Animals really are amazingly caring…and yet it’s so hard to understand how a human could leave a helpless creature in this condition. Please consider donating to help him get back on his feet — we wish the poor guy only the best.