When a few students stumbled upon a stray cat, he was in terrible shape — suffering from severe scabies, ear mites, and fungal infections. But after a full year of love and proper medical care, his matted mess turned into a pristine, snow-white coat. The biggest shock of all? Once he finally healed, his rescuers discovered the cat, whom they named Yuzu, had striking blue eyes hiding beneath all that grime.
Yuzu’s story is far from an exception. Countless animals saved from rough streets and overcrowded shelters go from scared and scruffy to happy and fluffy once they find a loving home.
To show you just how powerful a second chance can be, Bored Panda has rounded up some of the most dramatic before-and-after transformations of pets.
They’re definitive proof of why you should adopt, and not shop.
#101 Ripley At ~6 Months In Iran & Again At ~1 Year In Her Forever Home In The United States
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24points
#102 She Was Found Underneath The Hood Of A Truck With A Limp Paw. 7 Months Later She Still Naps Like This
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23points
#103 Got Him From Someone Who Was Neglecting Him. He Didn’t Even Have The Energy To Stand (Top Left) Now Felix Is A Very Happy Boy And Loves To Run Around
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23points
#104 Adopted My Girl From Ending Shelter
Top Left Is Her First Car Ride With Me. Took Her To The Vet The Next Day And Found Out She Was Pregnant With Eight Pups. She Had The Puppies And I Kept The Brown One. Now He Is Bigger Than His Mama And They Love Each Other
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23points
#107 Found Him Outside My Office Building, Starved Almost To D**th By His Previous Owner Who Grew Bored Of Him And Kicked Him Out
Almost Three Years Later, I Can't Imagine Life Without Him. Meet Luca
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23points
#108 My Dog Wynter - From Living In The Streets To Relaxing In My Backyard
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23points
#110 After About A Year And A Half After Showing Up On Our Porch, Snowball Has Improved Immeasurably. She’s My Perfect Angel
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22points
#111 Meet Buddy, The 6 Year Old Lab Mix. We’ve Had Him For A Little Under 2 Weeks And He Is Already The King Of The House (And My Lap)
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22points
#113 My Cousin Saw This 20lb Senior Cat Available For Adoption. After A Year Of Love, Dieting, And Proper Veterinary Care, Roger Has Lost 5+ Pounds. He's Still A Big Boy But He's Happy And Active
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21points
#114 From Timid And Hurt To The World's Biggest Cuddle-Bug. Here's Miggy After Only 3 Months
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21points
#115 Rescue Arab, She's 24 And Was Starved By Her Owners. July 12 To Now Progress Picture!
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21points
#116 The Difference One Month Has Had On Hank’s Transformation Is Almost Unbelievable. Such A Trooper He Has Been
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20points
#117 My Best Friend, A German Shepherd Mix. Adopted After Being Saved From A Puppy Mill. Most Of His Siblings Succumbed To Parvo, But He Pulled Through. I Present To You, Rocky
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20points
#119 My Boy May Be The One Who Actually Looks Happier In His Before Picture
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19points
