Meet Winston — a sweet pup who loves nothing more than the warm affection he gets from his family. And it shows. But perhaps not exactly how you might think. Since the moment Winston was adopted as a puppy into Beth Clark’s family, he’s been surrounded by cats.

It’s amazing how we continue to come across hundreds of new dog rescue stories that never fail to make us feel all warm inside. Sometimes, it’s easy to lose hope and not see the brighter side. As dog lovers, we wish we could do more, but what we’re left with is just empathizing with dog rescues we see online.

In an empty parking lot in Austin, Texas, a dog named Bluebelle waited patiently for someone to notice her. The senior pittie had nothing but her dog bed to separate her from the hot pavement.

When Valentine set foot inside her first real home a year ago, the nervous dog didn’t know what to do. The dalmatian/pit bull mix had spent her young life giving birth to puppies in a hoarding situation. She had no idea what comfort or safety could mean for her.

It’s always sad when animals are neglected and ignored. Sometimes people get them with the intention of setting them up for a sad life, but sometimes people get animals with the intention of caring for them. As the years pass, they get put on the back burner and forgotten about.

The estimated 8-year-old pit bull arrived at Animal Charity of Ohio over five years ago covered in sores. He was found chained outside with an untreated case of mange. The rescue took him in and gave him daily medical baths.

It’s unclear how three tiny Lab puppies ended up hiding under a Florida porch, but they seemed scared and confused. They’re only about two months old, with one boy and two girls. So, they were definitely too small to be out in the world fending for themselves.

Someone spotted a Pit Bull peeking out of a broken window in an abandoned St. Louis school. The dog seemed calm but didn’t know how to get out of the building. So, the kind strangers called Stray Rescue of St. Louis to notify them of the stranded dog.

Alanna and Neal Flaherty never thought they’d adopt another dog after losing their two beloved dogs at the same time. They were scared to go through such a tremendous loss again, so they didn’t even consider visiting the shelter yet. But when they heard the story of an abused and neglected dog named Arlo, it seemed meant to be.

Doug Sears works right across the street from Animal Charity of Ohio’s shelter. Every day, instead of getting food on his lunch break, he comes to walk a dog. He has been doing it for about five years now, and for over half that time, he focused on one special dog: Ceasar.

I have worked with a rescue for ten years. I got a call about a dog in the attic of an abandoned home in Detroit and was asked to come take a look. Long story short, the owner went to prison and there was someone coming by with a gallon of water and food once a week.