Facebook users are loving the #ThenAndNowChallenge. It’s an excuse for a stroll down memory lane and an opportunity to look back on good times. And really, what better times are there to look back on than ones you’ve spent with your pet?
That’s right — the human selfies have gone to the wayside in favor of pet pictures. It’s not just photos, either. Some pet parents are sharing truly heartwarming stories as to how they came to find their best friends.
Take this big cat, for example. Dude was found in a thunderstorm by a dog. Dude’s family took him in and bottle-fed the precious kitten as he got his health back. Little did Dude know he’d found his forever home. Three years and 15 pounds later, he’s thriving.
“Last year, we started fostering healthy little puppies. We were between fosters when we were asked to take in a puppy with severe mange just for a few days. One day later, I was rushing her to the veterinary ER. Her little body was shutting down. I handed this sick little girl over to the vet tech, thinking I’d never see her again,” Melissa Cohen shared.
“Arya was hospitalized for five days. In that time, my husband and I became emotionally invested in her and asked to keep fostering her through her recovery. When we picked her up from the ER, I expected a sick puppy, but they handed me this wriggly, happy girl. The picture on the right was just five weeks later. She was with us for four months in total, and now she has a wonderful forever family who sends us tons of updates.”
“This is Junior at 6 weeks on top and today on bottom. The night we found him was in November 2004. It was raining and cars were driving right over him. It’s a miracle that he wasn’t ran over,” Lara Sadler shared.
“My husband at the time scooped him up and brought him home and he fit right in with our other 5 cats. I soon found out that he liked to play hide and seek…the baby pic of him in the shower curtain was one of the times we were playing just that. I will always remember those times we played toget her! It was fun and he made me laugh and he still does. He is 16 now and still going strong. He is a Lynx Point Siamese and he’s a real momma’s boy. I love my fur baby, Junior.”
If you’re getting the runt of a litter, you’re probably not expecting to end up with a 240-pound dog. That’s just what happened to Jessica Stiles, however.
“My sweet boy Ranger at 8 weeks and 5 years. He was the runt of his litter. Now he is my 240 pound lap dog. 💜.”
Sometimes pets get bigger, but they are still same the same sweet baby at heart. Groucho is one of those animals. He’s kept his lifelong love of playing hide-and-seek, and he’s managed to look just as cute doing it now as he did as a kitten.
A wolfdog isn’t a good fit for just any family, but for Moira and Faelen, it works well. She brought the wolf/malamute/German shepherd mix home at 5 weeks old. Fast-forward nearly two years, and Faelen isn’t much of a lapdog, but he’s quite the companion.
“This is Briscoe, found in a church yard extremely matted, dirty, eyes crusted, respiratory infection etc. My vet had him for 4 months in isolation until he healed and asked me if I would socialize him so he can be adopted, of course I said yes,” Lynn Marando shared.
“And not even a hour later I knew he was never leaving, have him 5 yrs now … ❤️🐈 picture was the day they found him and the other was this month.”
Veronica Valdez took a chance on Boris and never looked back:
“I met him at PetSmart when they were hosting a no kill shelter. They told me he had recently been rescued by a volunteer and was heartworm positive. He was in a kennel completely ignoring me. I wasn’t sure if he would like me since he kept eyeing some kids running around. My bf said to just go for it. I did. One of the best decisions ever. It’s been 5 years and I just wish I would have found him sooner. He’s my heart.”
“I saw tiny Ziva advertised on Craigslist, chained in a dirt circle, free to good home. I drove 201 miles to her and 201 miles to get her home so we could start her healing,” Rebecca VonStetten shared.
“Ziva had mange and MRSA and was a very sick baby. Today Ziva is a beautiful girl that still has physical scars but her soul is as gorgeous as she is.”
As you go through all these pet parents stories, you can see just how powerful love and healing can be.
“Mr. Bean was diagnosed with aspergillosis. A rare fungal disease that is incurable. This caused nasal discharge to constantly drip from his nose,” Claire Kissick shared.
“After many tests, the only option was to do an extreme operation on Mr Bean. They drilled a hole into his nasal passages in order to flush his sinuses. He was a dolphin doggo. My world was shattered in July-September. The vet said he wouldn’t make it.
“Mama, he made it. My 4 year old miracle dog. I cherish everyday with you ❤️.”
Sometimes, all an animal needs is a little TLC to truly thrive.
“Rescued my boy Jasper in 2019. My grandfather found him along with 2 other kittens in an ‘abandoned’ house he bought. I say abandoned because it looked as if no one cared for it in years. It was practically falling apart,” Alexus Pratt shared.
“When I first rescued him he was dirty, skinny and very scared. He was the shyest one of the litter. My family told me not to keep him because he was ‘mean’ … He would hiss, growl and swat. I knew he was just scared and needed time to get used to a new environment and humans.
“With time he became more and more confident. Now a year later, he is the most loving, goofiest, dog-like cat I could of ever asked for. He is always by my side and constantly begs for attention. I couldn’t imagine life without him … His other 2 siblings are now in great homes also.”
These stories are a beautiful reminder of the ability to overcome anything, how fate has ideas in store for us, and just how much a pet can light up your life.
“London was intentionally paralyzed by her abuser … She was to be a bait dog in a fight ring. Fortunately, she was rescued before ever making it into the ring,” Alysse Walavich wrote about her beloved dog.
“Due to her paralysis, the Vet at the shelter recommended euthanasia. A friend of mine, and employee of the shelter, saw London wag her tail and knew that she’d be able to walk again … So, she ‘adopted’ her as a foster.
“My husband and I heard London’s story and knew we had to have her. We worked extensively with a specialist in Nashville and, after several months of physical and hydrotherapy, London healed to 90%! She has also had 1 surgery. The 2nd picture is her, mid jump, playing at daycare.”
