About 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, roughly 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats. The good news is that these numbers are a result of a steady decline—according to ASPCA estimates, there were approximately 7.2 million dogs and cats entering U.S. shelters annually around 2011. And while 710 thousand animals who enter shelters as strays are returned to their owners, 3.2 million are adopted.
To help the latter figure grow even more, the subreddit r/BeforeNAfterAdoption urges people to share the amazing difference a loving family can make on an abandoned or mistreated animal. It has 360K members posting pictures that reveal the spectacular physical and mental transformations their adorable pets have gone through after leaving the shelter, and Bored Panda is ending this difficult year with some of the posts that went viral on the subreddit this December.
#43 His Previous Owner Put Him Up For Adoption Because He Is So "Rude". This Is Him On His Second Day With Me
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258points
#44 My Friend Asked Me If I Would Adopt A Puppy. Of Course I Said No. This Is My New Puppy
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256points
#46 The Day I Adopted Lulu. She Was Slated To Be Euthanized The Following Week, But Through A Local Shelter I Was Able To Adopt Her In Time. I Love Her So Much
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253points
#47 My GF Is A Vet Nurse And Often Brings Home Strays Handed In. She Said "It's Only Until She's Big Enough To Give Away"...
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246points
#48 I Decided To Adopt Gus After Fostering Him Through His Heartworm Treatment. He Is Perfect
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240points
#49 Found W/ No Tags, No Microchip & Adopted After Waiting Period At The Pound; He Is Now My Everything
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227points
#50 This Is Kodi. He's A 4-Month-Old Rescue We Adopted. Not The Brightest Bulb On The Tree. Kind Of Cute Though
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212points
