In fact, he thought it was a human at first!

That’s why he and his friend, who were out fishing on Lake Vygozero in northwestern Russia, sped directly toward the floating blob.

If it was a human, that person would be in dire need of assistance because the water temperature was frigid.

In fact, Lake Vygozero is infamous for having incredibly cold water; it can go down to 4 degrees below zero!

So, Ruslan and his fishing buddy headed toward the brown spot on the water, preparing for a rescue.

But when they got closer, they realized it wasn’t a human … whatever it was had fur.

And it was gigantic!

Then, when they brought up the binoculars, they saw that it was actually THREE brown blobs:

One was a mother brown bear and the other two were her struggling cubs!

That’s when the mama bear did something the fishermen couldn’t believe:

Instead of sticking with her cubs, she turned around and headed back to shore, leaving the two babies behind.

The cubs were having trouble staying afloat and they couldn’t keep up with their mother, who was obviously a stronger swimmer.

As they watched the mother swim away in consternation, the fishermen knew they had to help.

And even though the bears in trouble were just babies, they knew it would indeed be a little risky. But as Ruslan said:

“It was dangerous of course. But they are living creatures. We couldn’t just look the other way.”

They steered toward the drowning cubs and before they knew it, the first one tried climbing into the boat!

But he was too weak to make it, so the fishermen grabbed a net and scooped up the terrified animal.

The second cub was even more exhausted; it couldn’t even attempt to lift itself into the boat, so Ruslan and his friend did all the work for him.

Once they’d safely snagged both cubs, the fishermen headed directly to a nearby island…

The island the mama bear was waiting on!

Under the mother’s watchful eye, Ruslan and his friend unloaded their precious cargo on the beach, and then motored off.

After all, it’s not a good idea to be near cubs when when the mother bear is nearby!

And although it would forever remain a mystery as to why the mother bear had left the cubs in the lake, at least those two babies were safe.

All because two determined fishermen weren’t about to let them drown … no matter how big their claws were!

Source: Honest to Paws

The post Fishermen Spot A Furry Blob In A Freezing Lake – They Get Closer, Then Leap For Their Nets appeared first on Addicting Stories.

At first, rescuers don’t understand why he’s so scared … then, a video emerges that shows a horrific crime.

And this dog saw everything!

If you didn’t know, Lebanon’s current president, Michel Aoun, recently passed a new animal welfare law that banned the torture and abuse of animals.

However, despite the law, workers from the Municipality of Ghobeiry brought food laced with poison to feed to a family of stray dogs.

How sick is that?!

Sadly, as soon as the dogs ate the poison, they started to die. Onlookers were horrified.

One of them filmed the event and made sure that Animals Lebanon, a local animal welfare organization, received a copy.

“The video is quite graphic,” Maggie Shaarawi, vice president of Animals Lebanon, told The Dodo.

“It shows men dressed in municipality uniforms putting food mixed with poison for friendly dogs who come with wagging tails to eat.

Shortly after, the dogs are shivering on the ground.”

The only dog that survived was the one that ran away from the men, instead of towards them.

Everyone who saw the video was shocked, including the president himself.

He posted a photo of himself with his dog on Facebook, along with a statement condemning the way the workers had dealt with the stray dogs.

“The most heartbreaking scene is when one of the dogs approaches the men, almost asking for mercy for his friends who are dying,” Shaarawi added.

“The man didn’t stop there or feel any mercy toward that friendly dog…

…instead he put food on the end of the stick mixed with poison and shoved it in his mouth.”

Talk about disgusting. It makes you want to scream, doesn’t it?

Out of the large group of friendly but unclaimed animals, only one dog in the family survived:

The one dog that didn’t come running out to meet the men.

Indeed, his fear of humans actually saved his life.

When Shaarawi learned of the one survivor she immediately sent a team to find him and bring him to the shelter.

They started calling the dog “Survivor” because his existence was such a miracle.

“He was very scared, and he had his tail between his legs,” Shaarawi said.

“He kept running away. But Kamal, one of our volunteers on the ground, is known for his persistence.

He kept following him until finally he was cornered.”

Once Kamal had captured the dog, he took him to a local vet clinic for a complete checkup.

Thankfully, Survivor turned out to be in good health, despite having lived on the streets for so long.

He had never trusted humans, and now he had even less reason to.

After all, humans had killed all of his family and friends!

And now they had captured him and were, in his mind at least, keeping him prisoner…

“He was very fearful, and he would shake any time someone came near him,” Shaarawi said.

“We took him to our care, and every day we tried to gain his trust.”

It was a long slow process.

They patiently spent time with him, giving him treats and letting him learn that humans could indeed be trusted.

Under their constant care and attention, Survivor slowly blossomed into a confident, happy dog.

Now, not only has Survivor come out of his shell, but his rescuers have discovered that he will make someone a lovely pet.

“He is an adorable dog — smart and gentle,” Shaarawi said.

“He is toilet trained, rarely barks and all he wants is human company.”

He’s a long way from the timid, fearful dog that hid in the bushes instead of taking treats from human strangers.

Thank goodness he didn’t take those “treats,” though!

“Every time I go to see him, he is almost dancing from happiness,” Shaarawi added.

“His whole body is shaking right and left.”

Source: The Dodo

The post Scared Pup Found Shaking In The Bushes – He’s The Only Witness To An Unspeakable Crime appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Being the founder of the animal rescue organization The Abandoned Ones (TAO), Judy Obregon had seen such sad sights many times before.

In Echo Lake Park in Fort Worth, Texas, it was a very common occurrence:

People would just leave their pets in the park and disappear; it happened so often, in fact, that Obregon started daily walks to find abandoned animals.

And here was a pet house, though there didn’t appear to be any activity inside…

Even so, Obregon knew she had to check, because there could be an abandoned creature in desperate need of help.

At the same time, it was a wooded area and it was very possible that a wild animal was waiting for her in there…

Maybe an angry raccoon!

Well, this determined rescuer just had to find out.

She cautiously pulled back the flap and gasped: there were two scared eyes peeking out from behind a pillow!

The post Rescuer Finds Abandoned Pet House In A Park – She Carefully Opens The Door And Gasps appeared first on Addicting Stories.

But they didn’t expect to get quite THIS close to a huge humpback whale!

Michael Fishbach, one of the founders of the Great Whale Conservancy, took the fateful trip on Valentine’s Day in the Sea of Cortez.

Then everyone noticed a huge animal floating alongside their boat…

They got a closer look and realized it was a humpback whale, and she didn’t look like she was in good condition.

In fact, she was barely moving at all!

Michael then noticed the problem:

The huge mammal and gotten entangled in a gillnet, and she was so badly wound up in the netting, she was trapped!

Her pectoral fins were pinned to her body and her tail was weighed down by a ton of fishing gear.

Being the tremendous whale lover he is, Michael was just heartbroken:

The post Boaters See Struggling Whale – One Man Spots The Problem, Then Grabs A Knife And Jumps In appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Maëlle Girard and her boyfriend Gilles Manzato spotted him by the side of the road in Bali, lying in the grass.

The poor little thing had obviously been abandoned and at first, they thought the innocent creature was actually dead.

But then Girard saw that it was breathing, and it was likely just trying to hide in the tall grass. Little guys like him are frequently scared, after all.

After seeing the pup was alive, the couple moved on down the road.

But they couldn’t stop thinking about him.

The post Stray Puppy In Grass Won’t Stand Up – Rescuers Inch Closer, Then Jump Back In Alarm appeared first on Addicting Stories.

They prepared to charge right in but before they could move, they noticed something truly terrifying…

It wasn’t the condition of the poor dog, though the suffering pit bull was indeed in bad shape.

She clearly hadn’t eaten in some time and she’d probably been chained up for a very long time. She was filthy, unhappy, and very scared.

And she was scared because she was surrounded by a horde of unsavory creatures!

That’s what made the animal rescue officers freeze:

The ailing pit bull was in the midst of a giant flock of vultures!

It was suddenly as clear as day: this poor innocent creature was on the verge of death, and those nasty scavengers knew it.

It made the officers work even faster, as they quickly chased the dozens of black birds away and raced to bring the pit bull to safety.

Even after she was rescued, however, the neglected pooch remained fearful and timid. Those vultures had only made her terrible situation worse!

But this dog’s dreams were about to come true…

Because the local news picked up this dark story of an abused pup and the swarming vultures, a lot of kind-hearted souls came forward to adopt the dog.

It wasn’t long before the friendly canine found her forever home, with Keana Lynch and Travis Henley.

The couple named the dog Lilo (Travis’ daughter’s favorite movie is “Lilo and Stitch”) and now, Lilo’s fear is finally starting to melt away.

The trauma she sustained will never happen again and she knows it. No more chains or vultures for Lilo!

And it gets even better:

Lilo visits schools with Keana to teach kids about dog behavior and rescue animals, and Lilo even gets dressed up for the lessons!

Oh, and Lilo has a new sister, too, and the pups are absolutely inseparable.

Lilo went from being chained up and left to starve to having a best friend, loving owners, and an honorable purpose in life!

Now this is a feel-good story that has it all … vultures included!

Source: Honest to Paws

The post Rescuers Run Toward Starving Pup, But Freeze When They See He’s Surrounded By Nasty Creatures 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 poor thing had a broken leg, and locals said she’d recently been abandoned.

Hagar rushed to the area in question but at first, he could find no trace of the wayward pup.

Then a stranger approached and gave the rescuer some terrible news:

The dog, who locals had named Gaia, had been hit by a car!

Hagar raced to the scene in the hopes of reaching Gaia in time but sadly, by the time he got there, he was too late…

Poor Gaia was already gone.

It seemed like Hagar’s rescue mission had ended in failure, and he was about ready to leave when suddenly, another pedestrian approached.

This one had more news … but this wasn’t bad news at all!

Gaia had recently given birth, and her puppies had to be somewhere nearby. And that’s when Hagar knew exactly what he had to do.

He first bent over the deceased Gaia and:

“I told her I was sorry people did this.

I promised her that I would save her babies.”

The mama pup might be gone, but at least her puppies wouldn’t have to suffer the same fate!

And about a mile down the road, Hagar did in fact find those puppies: three adorable orphans!

They were hiding in an underground tunnel and one of them got scared and hid in a well.

But Hagar had made a promise and he was determined to keep it!

He worked hard to get all three pups – including the one that had wedged herself into the well – safe and sound.

And better yet, the puppies – Sydney, Matilda, and Gabriella – were all in good health, and they only needed some loving souls to give them good homes.

The good news is that each of the three babies did indeed get adopted!

In the end, Hagar kept his promise.

And though Gaia wasn’t around to see it, she’s probably smiling down on Hagar and her wonderful puppies from doggie heaven!

Source: NTD.TV

The post Poor Pup Hit By A Car – Rescuer Discovers Her Hidden Treasure A Mile Away appeared first on Addicting Stories.

She was turned in to the Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center by her former owners, who said they just didn’t want her anymore.

The pup was blindsided by the move, and the poor thing just couldn’t understand why she’d been abandoned.

She was 3 years old and weighed in at only 6 pounds, so the world is already a pretty scary place for such a small animal.

Then, her owners go and ditch her … is it any wonder Coco was petrified of just about everything?

Shelter workers couldn’t get Coco to stop shaking. She was in a constant state of fear and it just broke everyone’s heart.

Then one day, an elderly gentleman named Allen walked into the shelter with a Meals on Wheels volunteer.

The 90-year-old set eyes on Coco and it was love at first sight … and maybe there was a reason for that.

As it turns out, Allen’s dog had recently died and “he was becoming depressed being all alone,” the shelter wrote on their Facebook page.

But though he loved the pup, how would Coco react? She was terrified of everything, remember?

Well, not Allen!

“It was truly love at first sight.

As soon as we put Coco in his lap, she stopped shaking.”

Dallas Animal Services shelter manager Nicole Hernandez added that Coco “couldn’t take her eyes of him, and he wouldn’t stop smiling at her.”

The shaking was just magically gone! Coco’s fear of people had apparently evaporated in a matter of seconds!

And as for Allen, he knew he just had to bring Coco home.

The shelter said “he didn’t even want to let her go long enough to do the paperwork.”

Isn’t that just the most adorable thing you’ve ever heard? Doesn’t it make your day, as it made ours?

Share this uplifting tale with your animal-loving friends!

Source: NTD.TV

The post Tiny Shelter Pup Can’t Stop Shaking – WW2 Vet Reaches Out And The Room Goes Quiet appeared first on Addicting Stories.

And isn’t it so much worse when the dog’s puppies are thrown away, too?

This is what animal rescuer Josiane Almeida stumbled upon when she was walking along a deserted road in Lagoa da Prata, Brazil.

Almeida saw the dog tied up to the neck, suffering in a coarse sack. There were also three trapped puppies inside as well, and one just wandering around.

It was a truly terrible sight.

Almeida rushed forward and as she says:

“Some of the worst scenes of mistreatment I’ve ever witnessed.

They’ve been there for quite some time.”

The mamma dog was terrified at first but Almeida gently calmed her down, and convinced her that she was there to help.

Then she carefully carried the sack to her car before cutting it open, and seconds later, the entire canine family was freed.

But they still needed urgent medical assistance, so Almeida rushed them all to a local vet’s office.

There, it was determined that in addition to being malnourished, the mother dog had a very big problem:

A cancerous malignant growth!

That could be why she was dumped in the first place; her previous owners just didn’t want to deal with her illness, so they ditched her!

This story just goes from bad to worse, doesn’t it?

However, the good news is that all the pups are currently getting the care they so desperately require, and they will soon be off to loving homes.

It’s only going to take a few kind-hearted souls to adopt them, and after over 140,000 shares and 11,000 comments on the video Almeida shared, that probably won’t take long!

Who wouldn’t want to give these traumatized pups the attention and love they need?

In the meantime, Almeida is taking care of them, and she’s just the right person to do it!

Plus, she thanks God for allowing her to be in the right place, at the right time:

“Before, this family was smothered in a sack tossed out to die, but as God is good, we managed to get them out of suffering! 

They live well with me today!

Thank you, God, for giving me this opportunity.”

Stranded and abused animals don’t always get happy endings. But when they do, it’s worth telling the world about!

Source: NTD.TV

The post Pup Tied Up In A Sack And Left To Starve – A Vet Discovers The Evil Owner’s Motive appeared first on Addicting Stories.