Like many young girls, she wanted that puppy more than anything in the world.

She dreamed of it so often, she even had a name all picked out when she finally got her little pup: Winston.

For three long years, she begged her mom to get her a “Winston.”

Whenever they saw a puppy, Tatum would point and say, “Look Mom, it’s Winston!”

But her dreams went unfulfilled for a while, so she had to content herself with dogs and pups owned by others.

This includes Tatum’s birthday. The family was eating outside when a friend wandered by carrying an adorable puppy.

The friend held a poochon (a mix between a golden doodle and a bichon frise) and the tiny pup was only a few weeks old.

Of course, Tatum immediately raced over and asked if she could hold the little fella.

The friend obliged and Tatum tenderly cradled the puppy, obviously ecstatic. But she wasn’t half as ecstatic as she was about to be…

Because Tatum’s mother then asked, “What’s his name?”

The friend immediately replied: “Winston!”

At first, Tatum thought it was just a coincidence.

But then her mother leaned over and said, “Happy Birthday,” and Tatum just froze … could those words mean what they thought she meant?

Yes!

It was hers! Mom and her friends had set the whole thing up!

“One week before her actual birthday, my good friend and her son helped us create the big surprise.

They posed as new dog owners of a sweet little poochon.”

Well, that just opened the floodgates. A deliriously happy Tatum could hardly believe it, and she broke down in tears.

You can bet on two things:

First, that Tatum will never forget this particular birthday.

And second, it’s a guarantee that Winston is going to have a wonderful life. Tatum will undoubtedly care for this pup as if he was her own child!

And that’s exactly the way it should be, right?

Source: Honest to Paws

The post Girl Thinks She’s Holding A Friend’s Puppy – But Mom Has A Trick Up Her Sleeve appeared first on Addicting Stories.

But the crew of the Manly Fast Ferry in Sydney, Australia would describe what happened next as “one of the weirdest incidents.”

And passengers will definitely remember it for a long time, too!

It began when a woman spotted an animal swim out past the jetty, and right into the path of the ferry.

…and this was no sea creature!

She couldn’t tell exactly what it was, but she was convinced it didn’t belong in the water.

Before long, a crowd had gathered at the wharf, and many were frantically pointing at the creature in the water.

Some were just shocked to see the animal; others were trying to warn the ferry pilot.

But the boat captain didn’t realize what they were doing, and just kept going … full steam ahead!

Thankfully, one of the ferry crew spotted the struggling animal at the last second, and he yelled to the captain to change course.

He did so, just in time, and the furry swimmer was saved!

But what was it…?

Well, when the boat got closer, the crew and passengers realized:

It was a wallaby!

That’s right, one of those furry kangaroo-like creatures you might see during a trip to Australia.

You just never expect to see them swimming for their lives in a river! Wallabies aren’t really known for their swimming skills, after all.

So, how to save the little guy?

The crew tried angling the boat to steer the wallaby back to land, but that really wasn’t working. He just kept swimming in circles.

And he was obviously getting tired … he wasn’t going to be able to stay afloat much longer!

So, the boat pulled alongside the frightened marsupial and a crew member did exactly what he should do:

He leaned over and snagged the furry friend by the tail, and hauled him on board!

Everyone applauded!

And when they got back to land, a vet checked her out to find “water in her lungs and scrapes on her feet,” but otherwise in good health.

Treatment would be quick and simple and after that, the wallaby would be returned to the wild … the wild on land, where she belongs!

They named her Christine and said goodbye. And now everyone involved has a great story to tell!

“You’ll never believe what we saw swimming in the river one day, and what the ferry crew did about it…”

Source: Honest to Paws

The post Boat Cruise Becomes A Rescue Mission After They Spot A Drowning Creature In The Water appeared first on Addicting Stories.

The lonely cat would often show up in a certain family’s backyard, looking for some food and affection.

Then one day, Tommy showed up as usual … but very clearly, something awful had happened to the poor kitty.

Tommy had severe burns all over his face and he was obviously in a lot of pain.

In horror, the family realized that someone had poured acid all over the innocent creature!

Well, they couldn’t just let Tommy walk around like that, so they quickly scooped him up and rushed him to the vet’s.

And at first, after the vet realized Tommy had FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus), he wanted to put the cat down.

But the family didn’t like that idea, because they really saw something special in Tommy…

They believed this cat had a ton to offer the world; there was just something about his personality.

So, despite the odds being stacked against Tommy, they decided to push forward and give him a chance: they contacted Milo’s Sanctuary to see if they would accept the suffering cat.

Thankfully, they were happy to take Tommy in, and that’s when his long road to recovery began.

For six long weeks, Tommy slowly got better and better. He underwent numerous skin grafts and lots of bandaging and rebandaging, too.

But Tommy never lost his lovable demeanor and as it turns out, that attitude, coupled with his “new look,” went a long way…

As lo and behold, the family was exactly right: they really HAD seen something special in Tommy, because this kitty had what Hollywood calls, “the ‘it’ factor!”

Incredibly, the unique-looking kitty became the camera’s best friend overnight!

Tommy’s quirky face and outgoing personality are perfect for pictures, as Milo’s Sanctuary president Michele Hoffman says:

“He loves to go out in the public and meet friends.

He’s kind of a ham and knows when he’s having his photo taken.

He loves tuna flakes and that’s one of our secrets to the great photos of him. He would do just about anything for some tuna flakes.”

Though Tommy has only one eye, he doesn’t act like a disabled animal at all.

He loves all the attention!

And now that he’s such a big hit, Tommy has his own Instagram account under the fantastic name, Sir Thomas Trueheart.

Added Hoffman:

“That has been the most amazing thing to be a part of … how much people love him and how much he’s inspired people all over the world.

On his [Instagram] account every Thursday we do Cruelty Free Thursday with Tommy and cover different subjects, and it is our desire to get people motivated to make a difference locally and globally for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

From being a frightened stray that gets acid dumped all over him, to inspiring millions.

…that might be the biggest and best turnaround ever!

Source: The Dodo

The post Vet Says Cat With Severe Burns Should Be Put Down, But Rescuers Spot Something He Doesn’t appeared first on Addicting Stories.

But one group of fearless – and adorable! – animals decided they’d risk it.

They were obviously counting on the goodness of humans to do the right thing…

But they’d need a LOT of humans to do the right thing, all at once!

It happened during rush hour on a highway near downtown Auckland, New Zealand:

Last Friday, a tiny feathery family had somehow gotten stranded on the center median, and now faced thousands of racing vehicles.

Now, ducks can fly, of course … but not baby ducks!

That’s right, a mama duck and her babies were trapped and the mother wasn’t about to fly off and leave her brood behind.

So, what to do?

Well, the goodness of strangers happened: everyone suddenly started stopping so the ducks would be able to cross safely!

SH1 NORTHERN MWY, SOUTHBOUND – 7:45AM
Please allow a little extra time citybound on the Northern Mwy this morning with minor delays due to ducks crossing near Tristram Ave. NZ Police are now escorting all to safety. ^TP #becauseitsfriday #nocrashescaused pic.twitter.com/c38jB6lhV5

— NZTA Akld & Nthlnd (@NZTAAkl) August 23, 2018

Vehicle after vehicle slowed to a stop and when the mama duck and her ducklings realized the path was clear, they took off!

Sure, three lanes of traffic grinding to a halt at rush hour causes a small delay.

But most people didn’t have a problem with it at all; as one person said:

“That’s an awesome example for equally respecting animals!

It’s good to come across such news and [I”m] feeling happy that there’s still humanity prevailing in a society!”

The ducks did need some assistance after the crossing, but the New Zealand Traffic Authority quickly got the family back to a safe place.

Doesn’t this just make your day?

Source: The Dodo

The post Tiny Animal Family Trapped On A Highway – Traffic Cam Captures Their Desperate Dash appeared first on Addicting Stories.

He loves to explore. He finds an opening and he wriggles through, just to see what’s on the other side.

But that boundless ambition can get you in trouble…

That’s what happened when Max spotted the open window in his family’s London apartment. He figured he’d go on an adventure!

So out he went; despite being three floors up, he crept along the ledge on the side of the building, sniffing around and exploring.

But then he encountered a problem he didn’t expect … which led to another big problem.

Max ran into a rain gutter that he couldn’t get around. And even worse, he realized the ledge was too narrow, so he couldn’t turn around, either.

Poor Max was stuck!

And up on the third level of the apartment building, a fall could prove fatal.

There was one bit of good news, though: London is a busy place and it didn’t take long for people to take notice of Max’s predicament.

Somebody called the London Fire Brigade and they showed up quickly. Said crew manager Sean Sloan:

The post Pup Sneaks Out Of Apartment Onto Ledge – Firemen Realize Why He Can’t Move appeared first on Addicting Stories.

But life can be cruel sometimes.

The minute Irma went into labor, her owner Johanna quickly realized something was dreadfully wrong…

Johanna rushed her beloved pet to the vet, where she learned Irma would require an emergency cesarean section.

At first, everyone thought the babies would have at least some chance of surviving. And the mother should make it, too.

But tragically, none of the pups made it. And as you might expect, poor Irma was devastated.

The grieving Corgi went home and nothing seemed to cheer her up. Johanna tried everything but the depressed pup just couldn’t get over her terrible loss.

Then Johanna got an idea:

Irma missed out on being a mom. Well, maybe if she had the chance to be a surrogate mom, she could find happiness again!

And Johanna decided to try something a little unorthodox, too…

She went out and adopted a tiny 2-week-old kitten!

The hopeful owner brought home the little tyke, hoping against hope that Irma wouldn’t mind that she’d be a “mother” to a baby of another species.

Initially, Irma was a little reluctant and somewhat confused by the baby kitty.

But it wasn’t long before the two began to form an incredible bond!

After a while, the two just couldn’t be separated; they wanted to be around each other constantly.

And these days, the once-grieving Corgi just adores the kitten, and does everything she can to make sure the little kitty is safe.

This has really brightened Irma’s spirits as well, so it’s a win-win for everyone involved!

The post Corgi Is Depressed After Losing All 7 Babies – An Unlikely Furry Friend Becomes Her Guiding Light appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Puppies are supposed to be cheerful, happy-go-lucky creatures but for some reason, Simba never wanted to play.

He showed no signs of love or animation, and he never seemed interested in his human family.

Well, it was sad, but the family ultimately decided that something was wrong, and they couldn’t find a way to help poor Simba.

So, they came to a very difficult decision:

They decided to bring him to a shelter where unwanted animals are eventually euthanized. It looked like the end of the road for sad little Simba…

But it seems the family never entertained an important idea:

Like humans, animals aren’t too happy (or even responsive) when they’re sick.

Could that be it? Could it be that Simba was just suffering from some mysterious illness…?

Well, rescuers at the shelter had the tiny pooch examined and lo and behold, that was indeed the case!

Simba was suffering from a bad fever caused by ticks and in fact, he was barely clinging to life.

You wouldn’t be too smiley if you were fighting to survive, now would you?

Thankfully, though it was tough-and-go for a while, doctors were able to bring Simba around, and the fever at long last disappeared.

And that’s when Simba became the puppy his family had always hoped he’d be!

This has a happy ending, obviously, but never forget:

When an animal isn’t acting normally, chances are, it’s suffering somehow. And if it’s your animal, it’s your responsibility to help!

Source: NTD.TV

The post Puppy Won’t Play, So Family Wants Him Euthanized – But Vets Make A Last-Second Discovery appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Well, Joseph Sekhar is a big animal lover and he enjoys being around all sorts of wildlife.

One day, after India’s terrible tsunami of 2004, a couple of ring-necked parakeets showed up on Sekhar’s doorstep, and they weren’t in very good condition.

Being the kind-hearted man he is, Sekhar brought the two birds inside and nursed them back to health.

After they were better, he set them free and they took to the friendly skies once again. Sekhar figured that was the end of it.

But no…

The next day, those same parakeets returned … and they’d brought friends. The two birdies became 10, and 10 became 20, and 20 became 100…

Sekhar didn’t turn any of them away; he didn’t just throw up his hands and say, “I can’t feed you all!”

No, he loved seeing those parakeets descend on his home every day!

And so, he decided he’d start putting out rice for the birds, and this became a ritual. And really, there’s nothing else like it in the world.

It’s the sheer size of this operation that boggles the mind:

Sekhar gets up at 4:30 a.m. every morning and starts preparing pots of fresh-cooked rice for the birds.

He prepares nearly 130 pounds of rice, then the 62-year-old bird-lover lugs all that rice to the rooftop, where he carefully arranges the food on a a dozen wooden planks.

Then comes the birds … thousands of parakeets!

Nowhere will you find this many parakeets gathering at the same spot at the same time, and Sekhar loves that he’s created this wondrous phenomenon.

Even more amazingly, he makes only about $13/hour, and he spends about half his salary on the rice.

Since the story broke, however, “The Birdman of Chennai” has received lots of help from inspired neighbors and other animal lovers. Said one neighbor:

 “Watching [Sekhar] feed parrots is a majestic thing and a spectacular sight.

Many people pass this way and stand and watch for a long time.”

Sadly,  however, it hasn’t been enough and Sekhar has been ordered to leave his apartment. The landlords are looking to demolish the entire lot.

But if Sekhar can raise the money himself, he could buy the plot and the parakeet legend could live on…

He has 4,500 vintage cameras to sell and that just might do it! Said Sekhar:

“I’m willing to let go of [my cameras] for the sake of my birds.

After all, what’s more important than love?”

And that’s true love, right there!

Here’s hoping Sekhar gets that money and the parakeets can continue to raise everyone’s spirits every day!

Source: Honest to Paws

The post ‘Magic Man’ Puts Out Rice Every Day – Then Waits For Thousands Of Tiny Creatures To Arrive appeared first on Addicting Stories.

And every day, he takes the exact same route. It’s as if he’s retracing a well-worn path … as if he’s done it hundreds of times before.

This gorgeous pooch, a white Japanese Akita, belonged to artist Claudio Cantarelli in a small Brazilian town.

Everyone knew and loved Thor, and they all respected Claudio as well.

They’d take long daily walks together and that became like a ritual; all the townspeople fully expected to see Claudio and Thor every single morning.

Said Airton Oliveira, a local hairdresser:

“Every day, for over a decade, Claudio would go out with Thor and walk the same path.“

Sadly, the dog would outlive his master.

Claudio tragically passed away at the too-young age of 58, leaving Thor a lonely orphan.

At first, Thor just couldn’t handle that his beloved owner and companion was gone. As a caring neighbor,  Saionara Freitas, reflects:

“Thor stopped eating when Claudio died.

I was so upset to see how sad he was I asked Claudio’s family if I could look after him.”

Yes, Saionara stepped in to care for Thor but of course, the poor pooch still misses his owner.

And so, every day, the loyal dog walks the old path he and Claudio took, from the vet’s to the lottery to the restaurant. A perfect loop.

Thor religiously follows this path as if Claudio was still alive. It’s a heartbreaking tribute that everyone in town greatly respects.

Adds Saionara:

“I have watched as he lies down outside the clinic where Claudio would stop and chat and sits and waits outside the lottery.

“He looks like he’s hoping Claudio will turn up and I swear I have seen tears in his eyes.”

Thankfully, Thor is feeling much better with his new owner, and he’s getting used to the idea of having a new owner.

And it seems as if his walk actually helps, too.

But above all else, this proves one thing: the undying loyalty of our canine friends. It’s the most incredible thing, isn’t it?

Source: NTD.TV

The post Pup Walks The Exact Same Path Every Day – People Are Heart-Stricken To Learn His Motive appeared first on Addicting Stories.

They really thought they were looking at a dead animal.

It wasn’t moving and it hadn’t reacted to the sound of their approach. They couldn’t even tell what it was, at first glance.

But these two pedestrians, Nika Todua and Irina Liklikadze, weren’t about to pass on by.

These two were volunteers for a local rescue group – Animal Friends – and they knew they just had to help!

So, the two women inched a little closer, hoping to see some signs of life…

They could at least find out what sort of creature it was; it was tough to tell, as it was lying down, all balled up.

Then Nika bent close and realized with a shock:

It was a tiny puppy and it was obviously running out of time!

The poor little thing couldn’t be more than a month old and she was obviously starving. She was weak and terribly malnourished.

“It was shocking because she was so feeble and doomed to death,” Todua told The Dodo.

“She was hungry, thirsty and had a lot of worms … and she was very docile.”

She didn’t look as if she’d make it, but the two Good Samaritans were determined to save her!

So, Nika and Irina quickly scooped up the hapless little pup and tried to keep her warm and safe.

They also searched around for the puppy’s mother but when they started asking questions, they encountered another piece of sad news:

The puppy’s mother had been killed! She’d been hit by a speeding car and so, the tiny ailing pooch was an orphan.

How sad!

Well, the ladies decided that this lonely creature would become their responsibility.

They called the pup E.T. (because she looked more like an alien than a dog when they first found her), and watched a wonderful transformation take place.

From a sad, close-to-death puppy to a happy, healthy companion! Said Nika:

“The most uplifting and emotional thing about this rescue was her transformation from faint and poor puppy to a happy dog.”

E.T. loves to play, and she has also developed an eccentric – though adorable! – love of cucumbers and pumpkins.

And if it hadn’t been for these two ladies, E.T. would never have known what happiness tasted like!

Source: NTD.TV

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