Sometimes it takes just a single person to reveal how many good deeds the people around us have done. One person just like that is Megan Burris whose story about Walter the rescue dog went viral in a flash, and inspired others to share their own tales of rescuing dogs from shelters.
To brighten up your week and to bring a smile to your face, here are the very best responses to Megan asking others to share their own rescue dog stories. So scroll down, upvote your favorites, and write us a comment with your thoughts. When you’re done reading through this list and going ‘awww’ at pictures of adorable doggos, have a read through Bored Panda’s story about how an animal shelter helped a dog who couldn’t even move due to its extremely matted fur.
Megan shared the story of how she rescued Walter the dog
Walter was found with the word 'free' spray-painted on his fur
Megan asked for people to share their own stories of rescuing dogs
#1
We love Walter’s story!!! Thank you for saving him and making him part of your family. We adopted our Xander from a shelter - he was found as a stray, infested with heart worms, and completely defeated in spirit. He’s still leery of some strangers and occasionally counter surfs but he has come SUCH a long way. We are endlessly proud of and thankful for our sweet boy
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180points
#2
I found my girl Bella (estimated to be 13yo) abandoned in a secluded beach toilet block in the middle of winter. She was terrified. 10 days later she became part of the family. I had 18 amazing months with my sweet girl, before her cancer got the better of her. She was my first ever dog as an adult & she’ll always have a special place in my heart
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174points
#3
She was found in one of the toughest neighbourhoods in Istanbul for being a stray. When she came to us she was basically afraid of everything. Noises, doorbell, our 2 very suspicious cats and most heartbreakingly, us. She cornered herself in the entrance and the street door and it took 3 days to convince her to come to the living room, another 3 months to come to the couch to sit with us and another 3 months to walk in the streets without freaking out every 5 minutes. now, now is a totally different story :) she is the master of this house, cats are her most loyal subjects and we are her humble servants to give her belly rubs 24/7. she is playful, social, giving kisses to strangers, basically adorable^^. she is the best thing ever happened to us.we love you, dear Çamur
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174points
Megan’s post about how she and her loved one rescued Walter the dog received more than 10,000 likes on Facebook, got more than 700 comments (and counting). The story was also reshared on Facebook 264 times.
#4
My sweet disabled pup Peakin was thrown from a moving car into the swamp behind my house they didn't slow down. Few months later i met someone who knew in detail what this sweet baby went through. The disgusting humans tried drowning her breaking her neck an she was even sexually abused before all that happened. They ended up in jail over something not sure what but i do know it'll be years before they see the light of day again. I make sure to spoil this pup an make sure she lives her best life. She has trust issues with men and children an i dont blame her
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164points
#5
Uschi was dumped at a local kill shelter at 4 months old. She is 4 years old now and never leaves my side!
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162points
#6
Maya is my senior rescue.
She was abandoned to the streets of Las Vegas, digging through trash and fighting off other stray dogs. When she was caught, they called her owners (she was chipped) and they simply said ‘Keep her. We got a puppy.’
It took me 2 months to get her to show any sign of affection. Any time I’d try to pet her, she’d cower or scatter away.
Now, she’s a princess and she knows it
She was abandoned to the streets of Las Vegas, digging through trash and fighting off other stray dogs. When she was caught, they called her owners (she was chipped) and they simply said ‘Keep her. We got a puppy.’
It took me 2 months to get her to show any sign of affection. Any time I’d try to pet her, she’d cower or scatter away.
Now, she’s a princess and she knows it
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160points
Plenty of the comments were about people sharing their own stories of how they adopted a dog from a shelter. It just goes to show that a heartwarming story about a doggo finding its forever home will almost always get a huge response from the internet. What’s more, there are plenty of people on planet Earth who care about desperate and neglected animals! And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
#7
A friend came over and told me about this puppy that was being horribly abused. We immediately went to the house and took her. The owner said it was fine and when he came near she peed on me and was shaking. I was so angry. After a bath and a change of clothes we went to McDonalds for her first mcdouble. She still has a fear of men wearing hats but she is the biggest cuddle bug. She has saved me more than I ever saved her. My Harlequin
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157points
#8
Percy was dumped at a shelter because he was “too aggressive” I adopted him in May 2019, and since then he’s lost 25lbs (per vet recommendation) and has become my best friend and running partner for life. I just finished knitting him a hat and scarf for his first midwestern winter!
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154points
#9
My first “rescue” would be this little one. Her name is june. We were walking down the street and someone threw her out of a car window. She was VERY thin, had 3 open wounds on her and was super timid but sweet. We took her in immediately and took her to the vet! 4 months later that 11 pound dog is now 50 pounds, eats all the food she wants and is HAPPY again!
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152points
According to Megan, Walter was found “dumped miles up a dirt road near the Canadian border,” with the word ‘free’ spray-painted on his body. It took three months of care and attention for Walter to finally calm down enough to sleep next to his new owners. Ever since then, he’s become happier with each passing day.
#10
Beautiful boy. So happy there are people like you.
Our baby came malnourished and abandoned. When I picked her up to foster her she was diagnosed with rickets and was terrified of everything.
Today she is a happy healthy pupper who made me a foster failure. No way I was letting her go. She is perfection.
Our baby came malnourished and abandoned. When I picked her up to foster her she was diagnosed with rickets and was terrified of everything.
Today she is a happy healthy pupper who made me a foster failure. No way I was letting her go. She is perfection.
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147points
#11
Here is our darling boy, Party Steve - a stray beach dog from Thailand who had had an owner as a puppy but had been left behind when they left the island. He roamed the beaches for 2 years before we, on a whim, travelled to Thailand - he truly chose us and despite never having a proper home, he is the softest, most gentle dog. He loves a soft bed, a pillow and a cuddle and you can do all sorts to him without even a hint of aggression/agitation - pick him up, jump on the back of a moped with him, take food literally out his mouth... Nothing. He is happiest when sleeping or sat leaning against you. We adore him
Rescues reciprocate love ten fold, don't they? Thank you for saving your boy xx
Rescues reciprocate love ten fold, don't they? Thank you for saving your boy xx
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131points
#12
Timber (the husky) came to us from the pound, he was severely underweight, was an escape artist and we were constantly chasing him around the neighborhood because he would find ways out of our yard. He wasnt potty trained at all and I'm pretty sure he had been on the streets for a long time if not most of his life. He had absolutely zero manners. We have had him now for 7 years he had professional intervention (trainer) and he became a PTSD service dog and now he is a big brother to jenny my wheaten puppy!
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130points
Wide Open Pets explains that rescuing a dog can be very rewarding. However, new owners can have some issues with their new pets because of the years of possible neglect. For example, rescue dogs can turn aggressive when in the presence of food, believing it might get taken away.
#13
Buddy was dumped at a local park and had been on his own for a good while. He was underweight and his nails were worn to nothing. Someone had pepper sprayed him. I picked this sweet boy up on this past Christmas Day. He is the smartest and most loving and loyal boy! Best Christmas gift I could ever ask for
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130points
#14
Got this sweet baby from a family on Craigslist saying he was free because he exhibited aggressive behavior. They said they felt like he should be put down which didn’t make sense considering he was 10 weeks old at the time. He tried to steal food from a baby sitting on the floor and his puppy teeth pierced her thin baby skin. Idiots, their loss was my gain tho
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124points
#15
In a freezing rain in November of 2011, a neighbor placed a box with 8 puppies in a ditch behind our homes. I rehomed 6, my ex kept 1 girl, I kept 1 boy. I was having a hard time then. HE... RESCUED... ME. Half Pit, half Border Collie. All angel.
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122points
What’s more, these dogs are likely to have irrational fears that may have something to do with how they were treated by their previous owners. Training, lots of love and some positive reinforcement can all help the doggos deal with their phobias. Some rescue dogs are also a handful when it comes to teaching them not to go to the bathroom anywhere they want. They might also act destructively when anxious and or bored. That’s why we’re glad there are so many people like Megan out there who have the patience and willpower to aid dogs that are in clear need of a helping paw.
#16
Gracie was found laying down, in the dark, in the middle of a busy road. Someone stopped and got our human society involved. She was brought to the clinic that I worked at. She weighed 16lbs. A fully grown border collie. You could see every single bone in her body. She didn't have enough muscle strength to stand up. She had to be carried outside everyday to pee because she was unable to walk herself. It took 4 days of constant small meals for her to get enough energy to stand on her own. With major food aggression issues, dog aggression issues, fear of people and a long road to recovery, the humane society deemed her unadoptable and elected her for euthanasia. My boss, the owner of the clinic, said no. She said the clinic would oversee her recovery and find her a home from there. A week later, I brought her home. That was seven years ago. She is now a healthy, happy collie. She still does not like other dogs, but otherwise has settled into her life so well. She's such a good dog.
Thank you for sharing Walter's story. I am so glad he found you!!!
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114points
#17
Aww, my boy was terrified when I adopted him (he was 4yrs old at the time).
He was afraid of toys. Afraid of me. Of sounds. Didn't trust sleeping near me. Constantly paced around the house with anxiety, like one of us were going to harm him in some kind of way.
Surprisingly, he had great house manners. In the 3 years I have had him, he has not once urinated indoors. Doesn't mess with things that he knows are not his.
He is a lot better now, but he is still a nervous dog. Still doesn't trust my dad 100 percent, even after all this time (he bit and nipped my father several times).
He is still terrified of new places. If he has a bad experience, he won't do that thing again for a long time. Right now, he refuses to walk around the neighborhood because of 4th of July fireworks. Will walk to my car and sit. He loves rides. But I cannot persuade him to walk beyond my car.
His name is Buddha.
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108points
#18
We got Selene from a facebook add and her previous owner wanted to rehome her or she was going to the pound. When we got her she was skinny and has no muscle at all. She peed if u moved to fast or tried to pet her and she was scared of everything. The only command she knew was “cage”. Her old owners sister told us they used to slam her head into the floor and beat her. She has scars on her face Her first few months were ruff trying to teach her things but today she listens to us perfectly and is so happy and loving and honestly a completely different dog. She loves unconditionally
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106points
#19
Found in the desert in a cage with no food or water. Was with a rescue for over a year because the one on the left would try to bite people.. fast forward two years and they are loving happy beautiful dogs
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104points
#20
This silly, snuggly, loving girl was found in a trash bag in a ditch in a rural town with her litter mates and was taken to a local shelter. A rescue group took her in to foster her and I adopted her soon after.
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102points