Lists of the cutest adopted pets of the month are nothing new to Bored Panda, but that doesn’t make them any less exciting! There are countless precious animals out there being welcomed into loving homes every single day, and lucky for us, their owners often happily share pictures of their adorable new members of the family online. While it’s mainly puppies and kittens that are posted on Reddit, we don’t discriminate! Snakes, bunnies, lizards and more make excellent pets as well, and we’re happy to feature their beautiful faces too. 

When welcoming an animal into your family, it might be tempting to go pick exactly what you want from a breeder, but the fact is that adopting an animal from a rescue can be much more rewarding. According to the World Animal Foundation, approximately 3.1 million dogs and about 3.2 million cats enter animal shelters each year. Sadly, many of these shelters will euthanize pets who have been there too long, to make space for others, so adopting a pet actually saves two animals’ lives. Plus, even if you’re looking for a specific breed, one quarter of all dogs in shelters are purebreds, so with a bit of research and determination, you can likely find exactly what you want.

To learn more about how life-changing adopting a pet can be, for both the animal and their new family members, we reached out to the experts at Helping Dogs & Cats UK Rescue, and Founder and Manager Kirsty Wrightson was kind enough to have a chat with us. Helping Dogs & Cats is a non-profit rescue based in Basingstoke and operating in Hampshire, Kent, Berkshire and Surrey. Their journey began in 2018 when Kirsty established the rescue after losing her beloved dog, Millie. Since then, they’ve rescued and rehomed over 1,500 dogs and cats, and have plans to help countless more.

We spoke with Kirsty about why it’s so important to get our precious fur babies from animal shelters and rescues, rather than going straight to a breeder. “The more people that go to breeders, the more dogs are going to be used for just making money,” she told Bored Panda. “There are already too many dogs in the rescue system that need homes, and with people breeding dogs, they are in it for the money and not out for the welfare of these dogs or looking after them properly.”

We were also curious about the transformations Kirsty and her team have seen animals undergo after being adopted into loving homes. “We are seeing lots of lovely dogs going to their forever homes and being adopted,” she shared. “Some come in nervous wrecks who have not been looked after properly or have come from puppy farms.” Kirsty went on to tell us about Bridget, one rescue who was in a particularly tragic state when they took her in, who managed to have a heartwarming transformation. You can hear her whole story right here. “This is why we rescue,” Kirsty says.

As amazing as adopting an animal into your family can be, it’s still important to be well educated and understand what you’re getting yourself into before bringing a fur baby home. “Dogs are expensive, a big-time commitment daily, but also a lifetime commitment – approximately 15 years,” Kirsty told Bored Panda. “Dogs don’t arrive with you already trained. They are dogs. They will make a mess; they are going to chew. People think that it’s easy being a dog owner, but people need to understand that it’s not fair to have a dog if they are out working all day, as the dog will need company. People also need to do their research a bit more. It takes time, dedication, patience and lots of love.”

Kirsty also dispelled a common misconception that many people have about rescue dogs. “People think that all rescue dogs are vicious and are not able to be rehomed.” But that’s far from the truth. In her email to me, Kirsty attached a heartwarming story from Foxy, a sweet dog who has been adopted into a loving home thanks to Helping Dogs & Cats, who managed to write her story in her own words. (What a clever girl!) “They work tirelessly to help save animals like me,” Foxy writes. “Animals that nobody else cares about or can no longer keep. I could so easily have been just another number, another animal no longer in this world. But today, because of them, and because of the family who took a chance and adopted me, I am living my best life. I am thriving, and I am loved!”

If you’d like to learn more about Helping Dogs & Cats UK Rescue or support their mission, be sure to visit their site right here and their donation page right here!

We also were lucky enough to get in touch with the Chair of Almost Home Dog Rescue in North Wales, Alex. Almost Home has helped 1,066 dogs (and counting!) find loving homes, so they are another great organization to go to for information and advice about why adoption is the way to when getting a new pet. “There is a crisis in rescues in the UK post-pandemic,” Alex told Bored Panda. “Breeders are breeding faster than we can rehome. Thousands of healthy, non challenging dogs are euthanized weekly in the UK, simply because there is nowhere for them to go.” 

Alex also shared that she has personally witnessed how much dogs can grow when they’re welcomed into a loving home. “There have been many stories of where a timid, challenging or abused dog has completely transformed in the right supportive environment,” she says. 

But, of course, adopting a dog is not to be taken lightly. Thankfully, Almost Home helps their families and doggos all the way through the process. “We support by giving any potential adopters a pre-adoption checklist - asking them to cover all the points as a family,” Alex explained. “Everyone in the home needs to be committed to the dog for the rest of its life! We offer support to the family for the rest of its life too. Finances is a big one and what changes people expect in their lives over the next 10 years - all of that should be considered.”

If you believe any unfair stereotypes or misconceptions about rescue dogs, Alex wants to set the record straight. “A rescued dog has simply been let down by humans!” she explained. And if you’re adopting a dog of your own, don’t forget how important it is to ensure that they’re spayed or neutered. “We ensure all our dogs are neutered before they are adopted,” Alex noted. “We strongly recommend this for behavioral reasons, as well as medical.” 

If you live in North Wales and are looking to adopt a dog or just want some information from the experts, be sure to visit Almost Home Dog Rescue’s website right here!

I can personally vouch for how life-changing rescuing an animal can be. Once you bring a fur baby into your life, they’ll snuggle their way into your heart, and you’ll both feel brand new. We hope you’re enjoying these heartwarming pics, pandas, and feel free to share your own stories of the wonderful pets you’ve adopted in the comments. Keep upvoting the photos that make you want to rescue another animal in need, and then if you’re interested in checking out another edition of Bored Panda’s cutest pet adoption pics of the month, you can find one right here!