50 Of The Most Wholesome Rescue Pet Photos This April

One cute bundle of joy who landed on the list is Harvey, or Harvey The Magnificent as he is known online. He's a Mini Aussie and Rat Terrier mix, and his owner, Reddit user mightbedylan, describes the little guy as a handful. But in a good way! "He's a great puppy but that boy got some energy to burn off," they told Bored Panda.

"I don't know much [about his past] as he was actually just put up for adoption by one of my mom's neighbors. It was an older couple and they liked him a lot but said he played too rough and that they were running out of bandaids."

Harvey has been living with mightbedylan for about a month now. Luckily, they're getting along just great. "It took my cats a while to get used to him (and for him to figure out that cat tails aren't toys) but besides that, he seems happy! He spends most of his time chilling out on my patio. At least when he's not trying to gnaw my arm off," Harvey's owner joked. "He's a really sweet dog. My last doggy passed away back in February and I just got lonely without a doggo around. I live alone and cats tend to make boring roommates."

Jester is another pet whose photo ended up on this list. "He is, well, a goofball," Jester's owner, Reddit user Harding44, explained to Bored Panda. "He absolutely loves his big sister, Bella, and follows her around everywhere. He is super energetic and loves to play. He thinks he is a lap dog and always tries to lay his whole 70 pounds on you."

One of the reasons why Harding44 adopted Jester was because of how much he reminded them of their old dog. "He was so loving and silly. After just a few days, he was so protective of me. It didn't take me long to realize he belonged with me."

"He has been with me for about a month or so now. He settled in nicely and already feels so comfortable with my family and I. We are lucky to have him!"

"My roommates and I originally were fostering him," Harding44 added. "He was with us for a week before being adopted by someone else. They returned him to the shelter for being 'too large and hard to control.' I immediately took him and haven't looked back since!"

Kelly DiCicco, Manager, Adoptions Promotions at the ASPCA Adoption Center told Bored Panda in an earlier interview that by adopting an animal in need – no matter the species, breed, or size – you are not only saving that animal's life but are freeing up valuable shelter space and resources for other animals who need a second chance in life too.

"A huge benefit of adopting animals from a shelter is that shelter staff know the animals well and can provide detailed information about an animal's history, medical needs, behavior, and temperament. They also consider a potential adopter's lifestyle, home environment, and the animal's potential compatibility with children and other animals in the home in order to make matches that are a good fit," DiCicco said.

DiCicco encourages those who are seriously interested in taking home a new pet to keep an open mind and heart when visiting a shelter or rescue as they may walk out with a pet they'd never considered before, like a senior animal or even those of a different breed, size or species. "When it comes to choosing which pet to adopt, prospective adopters should feel comfortable asking plenty of questions and lean on shelter staff for guidance, as every shelter has a unique population of animals and no one knows them like the people who work with them every day," Kelly said.

"Plus, shelter staff have expertise in making successful matches and can help prospective adopters decide whether an animal is a good personality and lifestyle fit. They also consider each animal's background and energy level, as well as how the animal might get along with other people and pets in the home."

Harvey and Jester's cases are perfect examples of just how good these matches can be!