Every year, approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter shelters nationwide. Those little poor beings often lived deprived of love, care, and nurturing, many of them never having experienced the joy of life. They come to shelters with their stories unknown, suffering from fear, anxiety, and sheer loneliness. In the most profound sense, adopting such an animal is giving them a second chance in life that we are all worthy of.
So in order to make a tribute to all those life-changing adoption stories, we selected some of the most powerful before and after adoption pics of dogs shared on the r/BeforeNAfterAdoption subreddit. “This is a place to share the amazing difference a loving family can make on an abandoned or mistreated animal,” says the group’s description, but the pictures speak louder than thousands of words.
#21 Meet Bebe: Rescued After Being Thrown Out Of A Moving Car And 5 Years Later Is My Music Buddy
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208points
#23 He Was Scared Of Crates, Brooms, Gloves, And Walking Anywhere New Or Loud. Now He’s A Happy Adventure Dog Who Loves Every Person And Animal He Meets
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198points
#24 Went From Crouching In Fear From Anyone Raising There Voice To Shamelessly Begging For Treats In Less Than A Year
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198points
#26 Found My Girl On My Way To Work One Day, A Rural Dirt Road In The Middle Of Nowhere. It’s Obvious Someone Has Hit Her In The Past So I Think She Was Abandoned There. She Is Now Our Sweet Nipsy And Lives With Us On Our Farm
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193points
#29 2017-2020. Help Them Flourish And Enjoy The View When They Bloom. It Will Always Be Worth It
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183points
#30 We Got Her At 2.5 As A Foster When She Was Used As A Bait Dog, Eating Zip Ties, And Had A Crushed Hip Joint. Now She Has Had One Best Friend (Who Passed Last Year) And Now Is The Best Friend Of Our Newest Rescue Lindsie!
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182points
#32 This Is Hana. We Rescued Her From A Shelter Two Years And A Half Ago. On The Left Is How The Shelter's Volunteers Found Her, Wandering In The Woods. On The Right Is How She Looks Now. Best Decision Of My Life
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179points
#34 Oliver Was Underweight, Had Mange, A Distended Belly And We Were Told He Might Fail To Thrive. He’s 8 Months Old Today And Hasn’t Stop Growing!
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169points
#36 Ivy Grimm Went From A Sickly Street Dog To A Spoiled And Healthy 9 Month Old
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161points
#37 Brought Chino Home As A Foster To Get Through Leg Amputation And He Ended Up Never Leaving. Happy 1 Year Since You Got Your Leg Chopped Off And Found Your Forever Family!
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160points
#38 My First Foster Failure Lala. First Pic Is How She Was Found Chained Under A Back Yard Table For 6 Months, Her Owners Wanted To Euthanize Because Of Her Mange. Next Pic Is Her At The Rescue, And Finally, 6 Years Later Of A Life Filled With Love!
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158points
#39 My Little Old Man, Buck. Started Fostering December 12, Adopted Christmas Eve! One Look Into His Eyes Melted My Heart. Adopting Him Was By Far The Best Part Of My 2020
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154points
The transformative journey of dogs from shelters to loving homes illustrates the power of care and attention, much like the incredible transformations seen when dogs receive professional grooming in a Japanese style. The heartwarming stories of rescue highlight how a newfound environment can change a dog's well-being as much as a carefully curated hairstyle can uplift their appearance.
Such examples of transformation remind us of the importance of care and attention, whether through grooming or adoption.