His story comes from The Animal Rescue Site, which in addition to featuring fan-submitted rescue stories, offers a wide selection of clothing, décor, pet supplies and other gifts.  For each purchase made, a food donation is given to shelter pets in need.  Now is the perfect time to shop!

This story has been edited only for clarity.

Meet Capt. Jack. As a puppy – beyond adorable. I knew he was our next dog. As most rescue stories start, it wasn’t a happy one. He was dumped on a cold country road at night in Dec., six-eight weeks old. The country vet, whose wife happened to be hubby’s high school classmate, took him in. She posted pictures, hoping to find his forever home. Hubby saw the pics and I cajoled that we could foster. He agreed to foster, but I knew we were his forever home and the “fostering” was a ruse. We went to meet Capt. With our other rescue pup, Chloe, whose start was just as rough.

Chloe and Capt. were BFFs instantly. Loading Capt. in the car, my husband realized this was forever, not foster. The vet’s wife, thrilled he was ours, she saw red flags with him and was she right! We had challenges galore. Capt. was very different from our five previous rescues. He was scared of men, the dark, strangers, and the vet. He has fear aggression. He’s curious about everything and afraid of it all. He lunges at people and tries to nip. He bullies around the house and terrorizes our two cats. Mortal enemies are critters, he chases and on occasion catches.

He’s expensive with double knee surgeries. He ripped his toenails so badly, needed a vet visit to stop the bleeding, snip and wrap foot. He’s on Prozac. He’s doped for vet appointments. He has incredibly stinky gas. He can’t handle temperature extremes.  He lays on air conditioning and in front of furnace wall vents. He survived the great “Christmas Tree Massacre of 2012.”  He pulled glass bulbs off the tree and chewed them, and littered the room with glass shards.

He hates delivery people.  His battle with the neighbor’s cat ended in defeat and left Capt. a bloody mess.  He’s cute but not cuddly, a terrible combo. People always want to pet him. He’s not the brightest bulb on the tree, but he sure is the cutest. Cute can get you far.

On top of all that and his many other quirks, we love him fiercely. Our vet has said time and again, Capt. Jack is lucky to have us. Most other people would have given up and likely euthanized him. Capt. Jack, long may he reign!

The post Puppy Abandoned on a Country Road in Winter Is the Cutest Little Monster His Family Could Love appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Amanda Herring and Greg Selz met when they were in middle school, but neither could have anticipated that they would be a happily married family years later.

“We were friends, never dated,” Amanda told The Dodo. “I would have said you were crazy if you told me I’d be married living with Greg Selz 14 years later, and we’d have an old dog.”

They went their separate ways after school, but their paths crossed in 2010, and they spent the next two years in a long-distance relationship.  Finally last year they found a place close to where they’d grown up in Washington DC.

“Our first priority was to find an apartment where we could have a dog,” Amanda said.

She found an older chow on the website for the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, but when they went to visit, she had already been adopted.  However, her older sister Brendinie was still there and in need of a home.  She was in need of a bath, and wasn’t interested in visitors.  It would likely take a long time before anyone decided to adopt her.

“She would need a lot of time to get adjusted, wouldn’t do well with kids, and was already probably nine years old.  Our hearts melted.”

Amanda and Greg adopted her and changed her name to Bubbe, which means grandmother in Yiddish.  They knew that the adjustment period would be a challenge, and for the first few days Bubbe wouldn’t eat and she snarled at them when they entered a room.  But the barrier broke down a bit when she took some baby food off of a spoon.

Their relationship grew as they worked on teaching her basic commands:  “She wanted to make us happy, and she was trying so hard,” Amanda explained.

Now that Bubbe understands she’s home, she’s a lot more comfortable.  She wags her tail when she sees mom and dad, and though she still is aloof towards strangers, she loves snuggling and has bonded with Greg’s mom’s dog.

When the couple got engaged and started working on wedding arrangements, they knew they wanted Bubbe to partake in their special day.  But they understood her wariness of new people, and didn’t want to overwhelm her.

“She was right next to me all morning while I did my makeup, got dressed and got my hair done,” Amanda said.  “We took her out for a walk during dinner.”

She was also in a few photos, which are certainly mantle-worthy.  Having Bubbe isn’t effortless, because she isn’t in the greatest of health and needs vet visits and numerous walks per day, so the couple cannot come and go as they’d like, but they aren’t bothered.

“It sounds like a chore, but it’s actually what makes our lives more meaningful,” Amanda said.  “Before Bubbe, it was just the two of us,” she says. “She’s made the two of us into a family.”

The post Couple Adopts a Cantakerous Senior Dog and Now She’s Their Princess appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

You can see how Buddha wants to come out from behind the trash cans, but he was too scared. Buddha couldn’t resist the yummy cheeseburger they offered him! After an hour, and a lot of baby talk, Buddha was on his way! I loved when Buddha leaned up against the man driving the car after being rescued!

Take a look at this video

The post Kids Would Throw Rocks At A Pit Bull Who Just Wanted To Be Loved appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

When Addie was born three months early, she had to spend the next several months in the hospital.  Jpeg, the family’s rescue dog, couldn’t meet her until she came home, so he slept with her swaddling blankets until then.  And now the two can’t be separated.  Just a puppy himself, he is very protective of his fragile little sister, and she is the only one he’ll even give kisses to.

“When she gets sick, he runs over to her.  When she cries, he kisses her.”

Jpeg was adopted from Pregnant Dog Rescue in Pennsylvania by the Durfee family when he was just under three months old.  Not long after, his parents added another baby to the mix – a little girl named Adeline.  But she was 14 weeks premature, and weighing less than two pounds, she had to be kept in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).  She spent the first eight months of her life in the hospital.

So Jpeg was nearly a year old by the time he was finally able to meet his sister.  However, their bonding started as soon as she was born.

“His love for her started even before she came home,” mom Stephanie told The Dodo.  “When she was in the NICU, I would bring home her blanket that she was swaddled in that day, and he would get excited, smell it and sleep on it.”

The tiny baby is still facing some possible undiagnosed medical complications and requires a feeding tube, but Jpeg is never anything but tender with his beloved sister.

“Jpeg was only one when we brought her home, and he was still very much a puppy,” Stephanie said. “The second we came home, he calmed down so much. He is beyond gentle.”

And even more than gentle, Jpeg is very watchful over his charge.  He guards the doorway of any room she is in, and makes sure to put himself between her and any stranger that comes near.  And it’s clear that the love is mutual.

“He is the only one she reaches for.  When he comes near her, she smiles. She may have cerebral palsy, and one of the ways we do physical therapy is I have Jpeg lay a few feet from her, and we work on crawling toward him. When she reaches him, he covers her in kisses and she laughs. Jpeg is not a licker or kisser, except when it comes to Adeline.”

Though one would think a puppy his age would be a bit rambunctious, caring for such a delicate sibling is serious business.

“At doggy day care, he runs with his friends every time they throw the ball, but never goes after it,” Stephanie said.  “He’s not very competitive.”

He’s just got more important things on his mind.  Dogs are incredibly perceptive creatures, and he understands that wee Addie needs his nurturing and protection.  He is her first friend, and hopefully they will share that bond for many years to come.

The post Rescue Dog Falls Madly in Love With His Baby Sister Before He Even Meets Her appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

But for one backyard inhabited by an adorable black Lab, winter just won’t leave. And it’s probably for the best…

You see…this pup really doesn’t want summer to come.

But there’s nothing he can do about it.

No matter how diligently he guards this lone snow pile…

It continues to dwindle every day.

Sigh…

You can’t say he isn’t dedicated to his cause.

The denial is strong with this one.

“Winter, don’t leave!”

Oh dear…

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

Someone get this pup one of these, stat!

The post Most People Love When Summer Comes, But This Dog Just Can’t Handle The Snow Melting appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

While advertisements for alcoholic beverages make consuming them appealing to young people, these companies are working to combat this sad epidemic while maintaining their allure. Beer company Budweiser has been particularly successful in captivating their audience with their anti-drinking-and-driving PS’s with one key element: adorable animals!

Budweiser’s famous Clydesdale horse appeared in a commercial with a golden retriever puppy, and though it made for a very unlikely pairing, we couldn’t get enough of them! But it’s this commercial featuring a puppy growing up with his human that really tugs at our heartstrings. This will undoubtedly leave you in tears, and hugging your pet.

Now watch to see what happens when this pup’s human goes out with some friends, and doesn’t come home one night…

The post Budweiser’s PSA Uses The Power Of A Puppy’s Love To Stop Drinking And Driving appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

This is Greg’s story:

My wife and I owned two dogs that we had owned before we met and brought into the marriage. Her dog was a pit bull/Labrador cross named Zack, and he hated me. When our daughter was born, I said to the wife, ‘If he so much as nips at the baby, he’s gone.’

We brought our daughter home in a car seat, and both dogs sniffed and licked her, tails wagging. I had to pull Zack away from her because he wouldn’t stop licking her. Zack immediately became my daughter’s protector, and when she was lying on a blanket on the floor, he always had to have one foot on the blanket.

Zack loved my daughter immensely, and when she became a little older always walked her to bed, and then slept on the bed with her. He somehow knew whenever it was time to go upstairs, and he would wait at the foot of the stairs for her, and then follow her up to bed.

Zack was poisoned by some dirtbag neighbor kids, and we had one of the worst days of our lives. Watching my daughter say goodbye to him as he laid still on the kitchen floor, my wife and I were both sobbing.

At 8:00 that night, my daughter walked to the stairs to go to bed. At that moment, all three of us realized what was about to happen. After five years, she didn’t have Zack to accompany her upstairs. She looked at her mother and me with a look of horror and panic.

It was at that moment that my dog, who loved my daughter dearly, but was not in Zack’s league, stood up, walked over to her, and nudged her with his head. He put his foot on the stairs, and looked up at her. They walked up to bed, with my daughter holding tightly to his neck.

For the next six years, until he died, Sam waited for her by the stairs each night.

The post Man Worried About Wife’s Pit Bull When Baby Is Born Is Completely Blown Away by What He Does appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Leaving his pal behind without having a familiar place to sleep did not sit well with Dad. How could he leave his friend in a cage, in some strange kennel? It hardly seemed right, so Dad decided to do whatever it took to ensure that Igor would not be forced to stay overnight in a kennel.

It is truly incredible how far some dog parents will go to ensure the comfort and security of their furry friends. Dad spent hours of his life planning and building a temporary home for Igor, so that the family could go on vacation without worry and Igor would have a place to stay that was familiar to him and set up in the exact manner that he likes best.

The post This Guy Felt Guilty Leaving The Dog At Home Then He Came Up With A GENIUS Idea! appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

They can ride a skateboard, and do all sorts of other cool tricks as well.  However, this trick, the “hug,” is what is taking the internet by storm recently.  After they were featured doing their hug on social media, and the video exploded, they ended up being adopted together!

[iframe id=”http://abcnews.go.com/video/embed?id=36806686″]

Aside from winning the internet, the two are also on a special local mission.  They have a New Year’s resolution to give back to their community.  They’ve been doing this by donating toys, blankets and food to local shelters, and also teaching friends and neighbors the importance of taking proper care of your furry family members.  Oh yeah!  They also want to spread the love all over the world as well!

The post Border Collies Dewey and Blaze “Hug it Out!” appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

The post If You Love Puppies And Have A Sweet Tooth, You’ll LOVE This! appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Watch as the two cuties wait around for the leaves to change in this one month time-lapse video. Then watch as they finally get to have some fun!

The post These Two Happy Little Pups Love Nothing More Than Playing In Leaves appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

As he underwent skin cancer treatment, his best friend waited outside in the parking lot for days on end. Since hospital rules do not permit animals to enter, hospital staff provided food and water for the faithful little dog.

On the eighth day of his wait, the hospital made an exception to their no-animals rule and allowed the forlorn pooch to visit his friend. This is the heartwarming moment the two are reunited!

You can really see how much the little guy loves his human. The way he danced all over him filled my heart with joy.

The post He’d Been In The Hospital For 8 Days Before A Nurse Brought His Friend To See Him appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

But, even if it was created by marketing dollars, it doesn’t take away from the POWERFUL message it conveys.

Andi was born with Down Syndrome.

Her mom wanted her to have a service dog so she would have a constant friend that would never leave her, and could help her with things.

..

Riley motivates Andi to do everyday things and to be more independent.

Watch their special friendship (and yes, have the tissues handy!)

While some may see a service dog as a crutch, it’s clear that Riley is helping Andi live more independently and it’s truly wonderful to watch. Service dogs do this every day for thousands of people! To contribute, visit Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit organization that provides dogs free of charge to individuals needing an assistance dog.

The post Commercial Beautifully Captures The Love Between A Down Syndrome Girl & Her Service Dog appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

BarkPost believes that there’s no greater moment in a doglover’s life than the time when you welcome the dog of your dreams into your home. So they created an original series that shows the moment when a human and the dog she is meant to be with, find each other. The title of this series is “Coming Home”, and this episode features the sweet story of Boots the dog as he and the Schwartz family fall in love with each other.

The post This Video Shows Exactly What It’s Like To Fall In Love With A Dog appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.