While that can be tough to take, sometimes you eventually realize it was all for the best.

That’s exactly what happened to this adorable pooch named Helena, who was brought to an animal shelter in Atlanta, Georgia for an unfathomable reason.

On the surface, that reason seems downright insane but when you dig a little deeper…

Helena’s former owner had decided that the dog was simply too nice.

Yes, seriously!

But wait, there’s a somewhat logical reason behind it, as LifeLine Animal Project spokesperson Karen Hirsch told Today.

“Yes, she really was returned for being too nice.

It was obvious the gentleman was looking for a guard/protection dog.

He also suggested she be adopted by a woman ‘because they are more into that petting stuff.’“

Bizarre reason for arriving there aside, Helena had zero trouble fitting right into her new surroundings.

She’s incredibly agreeable and easygoing, and she absolutely loves getting attention from folks she quickly forms a bond with.

“She sticks to your side like Velcro,” Hirsch added.

Just look at that incredible smile!

Helena was originally picked up by the shelter as a stray, but the person who adopted her the first time was the one who brought her back.

We’ll hold out hope that she finds a forever home – and a much better fit – before too long.

Based on her awesome personality, we’ll lean towards that happening sooner rather than later!

Wouldn’t you want this lovable pooch to cuddle with on cold nights?

Source: Today

The post Joyful Helena Was Dumped At The Shelter For The Most Ludicrous Reason appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Whether it’s due to man-made obstacles like vehicles or Mother Nature and the unforgiving elements, homeless dogs have it rough.

That’s why it’s important to get them to safety as quickly as possible.

So, when police officer Kevin McCullen received a call about a dog in great distress, he rushed to the scene.

But he wasn’t holding out much hope because the dog in question, Molly, had been struck by a train.

Chances are, Officer McCullen wasn’t going to like what he saw when he arrived, but he wanted to see if there was anything he could do.

When he found the poor pooch, she’d lost a leg due to the tragic accident, and she’d also lost a tremendous amount of blood.

Part of her tail was gone, too. But you know, that didn’t stop her from wagging that tail when McCullen arrived.

And even her dire situation didn’t stop her from reaching up and giving her rescuer a kiss!

The kind officer brought Molly to Baltimore Animal Rescue where she received the proper medical attention.

She’s on the mend now and she’s getting happier by the day. That partial tail wags like crazy when people are around, too!

This dog wasn’t about to give up and die. Furthermore, she maintained such a positive attitude throughout that it’s impossible not to root for her.

For now, Molly will stay with a foster parent but hopefully, she’ll soon find her forever home with a loving family.

This is a message for everyone:

No matter what happens, keep your chin up!

Source: Doggies Care

The post After A Terrible Maiming, Stray Pit Bull Molly Has A Gift For Her Rescuers appeared first on Addicting Stories.

It’s hardly uncommon to see dogs and even cats running up to a school bus, so they can get some much-needed affection the instant the student disembarks.

But a bunch of students and one very surprised bus driver never expected the animal that came sprinting up the driveway one afternoon…

The bus stopped in front of Savannah Burns’ home in Atlanta, Texas and before Savannah got off, here it came!

A little black spot rushing straight at the bus, obviously happy that her friend had come home.

But what the heck was it?

It wasn’t a cat or a dog and it moved sort of funny…and once it got closer to the bus, the kids on board realized the thing had feathers!

Yep, it was the family’s pet rooster that had charged forward to say hello. In fact, the loyal pet meets Savannah EVERY day after school.

In and of itself, that’s pretty strange. Not many kids have roosters as pets, though we assume at least a few do.

No, the strangeness continues from there: Firstly, this rooster is a little different. He has feathers all the way down to his feet and he doesn’t really run…he sort of hops.

And that odd trait resulted in the second piece of strangeness. As Savannah’s mom Holley said:

“He didn’t walk—he hopped,” Holley said. “My son was like, ‘It’s hopping like a frog. We should name him Frog.’”

Yes, the rooster’s name is indeed Frog and perhaps strangest of all, he doesn’t really care about hanging out with his bird friends. He much prefers humans!

And he has created quite the bond with teenage Savannah. Some people find it weird but it makes perfect sense to the Burns family.

“When people see a rooster running at them,” Holley said, “everybody’s first instinct is, ‘Oh my God, he’s going to attack me.’”

But he certainly isn’t out to attack anyone. And the family does have a dog, by the way; his name is Casper, and Frog loves him, too!

“Frog will jump on top of Casper,” Holley said, “and Casper will lie on top of him, like, ‘OK, what are you doing?’”

Yes, this is one strange bird but in a wonderful way. Irregular he may be but he has become a truly integral member of the household. Finished Holly:

“He’s a very big member of our family. Or a very small member of our family.”

Frog is now a social media sensation and you can see why. Bet you’ve never seen such a strange and loyal rooster!

Source: Honest to Paws

The post When The School Bus Stops, The Strangest Pet Ever Charges Up The Driveway appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Their keen sense of smell means they can locate anything from injured humans to contraband at airports.

And sometimes, they’ll find a scent that leads their owners to something entirely unexpected…

A group of friends embarked on a weekend retreat and one of the guys brought his dog with him. He knew the pooch would love the great outdoors, as all dogs do.

So, the second they arrived at their destination in the woods, he let his loyal pet out of the car.

He figured the dog would run around in circles, sniffing at everything, overjoyed at being outside in the fresh air and indulging in Mother Nature’s mysteries.

But this pup didn’t run around aimlessly; in fact, she’d caught a scent and tore off in pursuit of it!

The group of friends noticed she was making a beeline for an old abandoned metal boat sitting in the forest. They were a little confused at first, but the dog wouldn’t leave the boat.

What the heck was going on? Did she smell something underneath it…?

Yup! One of the guys peeked under the boat and was stunned to find two adorable little kittens!

Unfortunately, they didn’t see any mamma cat around so they figured the two kittens had been abandoned.

Given the situation – out in the middle of nowhere, with plenty of predators – the men feared the mother cat might be dead.

But at the very least, the two kittens appeared to be in remarkably good health and more amazingly, the dog adored them!

Her maternal instincts immediately kicked into overdrive and even more incredibly, the tiny cats weren’t at all afraid of the female canine.

The dog quickly assumed the role of mother and even bathed the kittens with her tongue, as their fur had become caked with dirt and mud.

As the weekend wore on, the men made sure the kittens were fed and cared for and afterward, they brought them to a vet.

Would the little furry tykes be okay…?

Yes, the kittens were indeed in great condition and it definitely helped that the men and the female dog had tended to them so lovingly.

Watch how adorably they interact!

They say dogs and cats don’t get along but every day, we see ample evidence to the contrary.

And besides, those mommy instincts NEVER disappear, in any animal!

Source: Honest to Paws

The post Dog Begs Her Owner To Follow Her, Leads Him To An Abandoned Boat appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Seeing the change that comes over the thankful animal’s face when it realizes it has been saved.

It may have spent its life in squalor, being abused and neglected, or treated to painful experiments…but all at once, that’s behind them.

Until you have watched a dog lie down beside a blanket because he doesn’t understand that it’s there for his comfort, you can’t comprehend what some animals go through.

In all the pictures below, the humans know one sad fact about animal abuse: They see it every day. They know the horrors that some humans can inflict on animals.

But they also know what it looks like to see a saved furry soul!

Chained with an impossibly heavy logging chain, never able to go beyond its small circle, a piece of a barrel as its home…tonight this dog will have a blanket, good food and cool water.

And, NO chain around its neck. Ever again. Life just took a turn for the better.

For the love of money, some people turn dogs into monsters. It’s the job of a rescuer to turn it back into a happy, healthy, loving dog.

Some are too damaged to save. Many can live only in special homes. But thankfully, most adapt well to a normal responsible family life.

These puppies were brought into the world to make money. Because of their breed, they would have likely been tested as fighters.

Those that failed would have been sacrificed as bait dogs to train large killing machines.

Instead, they will go home with families that have open arms and loving attitudes!

It took a village to rescue these beagles from a testing facility in Italy.

There are hundreds of testing facilities in the US that use beagles because they are calm and happy dogs that accept ill treatment without losing their good personality.

This one, at least, won’t ever have unnecessary surgery, or be tested with potentially dangerous chemicals, have its eyes burned or its skin punctured just to see what happens.

He’s probably too young to realize that this is likely the very best day of his short life, but he’s still ecstatic!

Kisses from a grateful dog make the job or volunteer work worth every heartbreak!

It’s an amazing feeling to walk away from an abusive home carrying in your arms a precious bundle that has likely never felt loving hands…until yours.

Rescued directly from a fighting ring, he was docile and didn’t fight against his rescuer’s grasp.

He seemed to know…it’s all better now.

Until we all fight for tougher laws against animal neglect and abuse, law enforcement will have a hard time being able to help save them all.

Write to your legislators. Tell them those laws are important to you!

And you’ll remember how much help they give abused animals, with your vote.

At the end of a long hard day of rescue, everyone involved is still smiling.

Tonight, there will be blankets, food, bones and for once in their life, a goodnight pat from a loving hand.

Neglect is just as abusive to a dog as actually hitting it or starving it. Dogs deserve a few creature comforts.

Especially if they are kept in situations where they have no choice but to become soiled and matted…

Americans are lucky to live in a country that doesn’t see dogs as livestock to be eaten.

But there are far too many pet owners that aren’t very highly evolved when it comes to understanding the difference in “owning a dog” and “being a responsible dog owner.”

And that truly is sad.

If you can’t donate money or your time to work with a local rescue, please remember them when you have torn sheets or other bedding.

They always need bedding as well as any cleaning supplies, food and water bowls and grooming equipment.

If we all show the world we care, we will make a difference. Even just one dog at a time.

These moments captured above show the difference we can make!

Source: I Heart Dogs

The post The Instant An Abused Dog Realizes He’s Being Saved Is The Most Powerful Thing You’ll See Today appeared first on Addicting Stories.

You also expect to encounter a variety of surprises and adventures, which often are the keys to memorable trips.

But Georgie Brearley and her partner Dean Chard never expected what they’d find when they took a vacation in Bali, Indonesia.

One pleasant morning, the two were heading out to breakfast when they spotted something moving in a garden attached to the restaurant and near a rice field.

As Brearley told The Dodo:

The post Tourists Find Petrified Dog Hiding In Garden…When They Look Closer, Their Hearts Shatter appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Bonobo apes are one of the most intelligent species on the planet.

Every time I learn more about what these animals are capable of, it blows my mind!

The level of cognition and understanding we can obviously see they posses is outstanding…

Kanzi is a Bonobo Ape living in America. He is extremely smart and is constantly learning from the humans around him.

Recently, he has learned how to do something truly amazing.

I dont think most people will believe me if I told them this beauty loves to cook S’mores.

Yes you read that correctly — S’MORES! Ok well there are no graham crackers or chocolate…but it still counts!

Watch this absolutely amazing video below and SHARE to show your friends

Source: Youtube

The post Kanzi the Ape gathers sticks, lights a camp fire, and cooks himself a tasty treat… appeared first on Addicting Stories.