Despite the negative headlines around the world lately, there are still amazing people out there who are doing even more amazing things for their local communities. Every day police officers, medical professionals, and firefighters continue to be silent heroes, helping animals in need whether they’re in danger, abandoned or ill.
Every single day, thousands of dogs and cats are left on the street or in shelters, it’s become an epidemic across the globe and one we should be ashamed of. Thankfully, there are good Samaritans stepping up to the plate to help these animals who can’t help themselves.
At Funnyand, we’re big animal lovers, so these 40 amazing rescues stood out to us right away. We hope they touch your hearts as much as they did ours.
40. Abandoned and Afraid
Tammy Graves was the founder of the rescue organization, The Haley Graves Foundation and was quite familiar with the signs of an abandoned dog.
Therefore, she was heartbroken when she visited a shelter in North Carolina and found this sweet little black dog burrowed in the corner of his cage. According to the shelter, he’d been left by his family, a traumatizing event for any animal.
Unable to leave him, Tammy rescued him from the shelter so he wouldn’t be euthanized. After posting his picture on social media, he soon became a viral sensation and now lives in a new forever home with his adopted family!
39. Saved in the Nick of Time
Young Emmy may be only 13-years-old, but she is already working as an animal activist. Every single day she would visit the local shelters and one sweet dog caught her eye. His name was Fox, a senior dog who had been at the shelter for a very long time. As the days went by, Emmy knew his risk of being put down grew. Still, Emmy visited little Fox every single day.
Then one day she noticed he has a scarf around his neck and her heart filled with joy. Fox had finally been adopted and would soon be going to find his forever home. From a lost old soul to a loving embrace, Fox would soon feel what it was like to have a family once again.
38. Alone in the Concrete River
This poor German Shepard found himself stuck in Los Angeles’s concrete river with no way to escape. Tired and hungry, his only hope was a man who was willing to risk climbing down into the river to save him. A member of the Hope for Paws animal rescue organization, the group banded together to rescue the sweet pooch.
According to Hope for Paws, who named the dog Biggie, the stray had most likely been living on the street for five years. Thankfully, the team was able to scale down into the aqueduct and retrieve the poor thing. After careful examination at their local clinic, the sweet pooch was given a clean bill of health and now awaits adoption. We hope he finds a forever home soon!
37. Down the Manhole
This sweet little kitten decided to go exploring only to find himself trapped in a manhole with no way out.
Thankfully, a sweet fireman decided to brave the dark and into the cramped space to find him. All’s well that ends well we have to say! Remember kitty, it’s a man-hole, not a cat-hole!
36. Animal Control Saves the Day
This pit mix found himself dumped on the side of the road at a popular dumping ground in Los Angeles where dog owners have been known to abandon their pets without mercy. Terrified and unsure of the situation he was now in, a bystander noticed the dog and quickly called the local dog rescue.
Hope for Paws, which is known for their rescue videos on YouTube were soon on the scene and were able to coax the fearful boy into their loving care. Today, he is a happy little fella named Lucky and was just adopted to his forever home. We wish him a life of happiness!
35. A Selfless Act of Kindness
This boy should be considered a hero since he risked his own life for a small puppy that was struggling in a river.
Barely able to hold his own head above water, the young man successfully kept the puppy dry until they made it to shore. Talk about a selfless child. We hope the pup for solace in its new home.
34. Puppies Terrified & Stuck in Tar Pit
The rescue group Animal Aid Unlimited in India received a call about three puppies that had become stuck in a pool of tar. Realizing time was not on their side, the volunteers rushed to the site and worked tirelessly to help free the puppies from their sticky prison. One of the puppies had her face trapped in the tar making it difficult for her to breath, but thankfully the rescuers pressed on.
Once the puppies were free from the tar, the group rushed them to their clinic where the substance had to be cut away. They went through several de-greasing baths before they were good as new and in the end, all three survived. The organization even found their mother, and as of today, all four dogs have been adopted. Don’t you just love happy endings?
33. Baby Dolphin in Distress
One cold fall morning, this young man was walking on the beach when he discovered a baby dolphin beached on the sand.
Struggling to get back to the water, the man picked up the baby dolphin and helped it back into the ocean most likely saving its life. Talk about a local hero!
32. Going Above and Beyond
We love firemen who go above and beyond their line of duty. For this cat, one man would end up saving his life thanks to an oxygen mask that helped bring her back from the brink.
Sometimes it’s just going the extra step that can make difference. We’re sure this cat was very appreciative.
31. Braving the Raging River
When a little lamb found itself struggling in a raging river, these two friends refused to let it drown. Despite it being freezing, the young men fought through the cold and worked together against the current to make it to the lamb.
With one holding on to the other, they managed to grab on to the struggling animal and pull it to safety.
30. Before the Eruption
Natural disasters can be a death sentence for family pets because most people evacuate and tend to leave them behind. When Mount Agung in Bali threatened to erupt, a small team of animal rescue volunteers quickly scoured the area looking for animals to rescue.
One man found a monkey that was struggling with smoke inhalation. Realizing he would die without help, the volunteer scooped him up and carried him to safety. What a gut-wrenching photo. You can see the monkey is more than thankful.
29. Abused and Left to Die
This tragic story is almost too much to bear. This sweet little pooch was abandoned on the streets and suffering from mange when an eyewitness saw a homeless man cut off the dog’s foot and throw it down into the L.A. concrete river. Thankfully, the witness called Hope for Paws rescue and they were able to make it to the puppy in time.
At the clinic, they amputated the leg with the missing foot and slowly but surely rehabilitate the sweetie pie. Eventually, he would go on to find the perfect foster home and be adopted. We just love happy endings, don’t you?
28. A Goose in Need
When it comes to geese, most people’s experiences are far less than pleasant, but this fireman refused to let this goose die from lack of oxygen.
When he noticed the bird was struggling to breathe, he immediately jumped into action and placed its bill into an oxygen mask. Pretty cool, right?
27. Great Pets Come in Small Packages
Some of the best pets are of the smaller variety and hamsters are especially popular among kids. When a firefighter discovered a lifeless baby hamster in one of the burning buildings he was sweeping, he knew he couldn’t give up on the little fella right away.
Improvising treatment, he used a tiny tube attached to an oxygen tank to help provide the little guy with clean air. We just love fireman who goes above and beyond the call of duty.
26. Risking It All
One thing kangaroos are known for is their ability to jump. Unfortunately, this little Joey was unable to jump out of the flood waters, leaving him trapped and unable to fend for himself.
When a young bystander noticed the helpless kangaroo he immediately braved the water to save him. What a sweet moment.
25. Refusing to Leave His Livestock
In the fall of 2016, flooding made its way through the southern states in historic proportions. One man named Jonah was not about to leave his livestock at home to fend for themselves, so he built a makeshift ark to get his sheep out of there and to safety.
Talk about serious dedication to his animals. As you can see, the sheep were more than grateful.
24. In the Midst of Traffic
Most kids are told about the dangers of traffic; however, this kid wasn’t going to let this terrified dog die. Rushing into traffic, he quickly picked up the dog and carried it to safety.
Now that’s some real love there. We wish more kids were sympathetic to animals today. They really are God’s gift to us as companions.
23. Saving Koda
When a fire raged through a home in Wisconsin it threatened the life of the family’s seven-year-old dog, Koda. After inhaling too much smoke, as well as being dehydrated from the heat, things weren’t looking too good for this poor pooch.
Thankfully, this firefighter went above and beyond, saving the dog by performing mouth-to-mouth. Talk about a guardian angel.
22. A True Hero
MMA fighter Cathal Pendred was spending a beautiful sunny day at the beach when he spotted something washed up on the shore. Slowly he approached the large mass and soon realized it was a dolphin struggling to get back to the ocean.
Leaping into action, Pendred used every once of his strength to get the dolphin back to sea. Talk about a selfless act. We’re sure the dolphin was more than thankful.
21. Pulled from the Blaze
Shaken and clinging to her rescuer, this kitten’s expression tells you all you need to know. Rescued from a burning building, this cat is just happy to be alive.
We admire the fire department for making sure there was no animal left behind. Look at those precious eyes. Have you ever seen something so adorable?
20. Pig on a Hot Tin Roof
When the village of Vojskova in Bosnia flooded, a few men took a boat out to see if they could rescue anyone trapped by the water.
Even though they were looking for humans, they wound up finding a pig that had become stranded on a roof. Refusing to leave it behind, the men were able to coax it to safety on their boat.
19. Saved from the Los Angeles Fires
With the Los Angeles fires being worse than ever, it may come as no surprise that local wildlife has suffered greatly. When this man saw a rabbit trying to escape the raging fires, he pulled off of the freeway to help.
Terrified, the rabbit kept leaping into the flames, but when he realized the man was there to help he cautiously allowed him to pick him up and be carried to safety.
18. Drowning in the Damn
This sweet pup wound up trapped in the raging waters of a dam with no way to escape. A group of young men noticed the dog struggling in the water and decided they couldn’t just leave him there to die.
Working together, they formed a human chain to lower one of the men down into the dam and pull the dog to safety. How awesome is that?
17. Deep Water Rescue
This unfortunate pooch somehow managed to fall off of a dock into the deep water, which resulted in a desperate struggle to stay afloat.
Thankfully, firefighters were quickly on the scene and managed to pull her to safety. We have a feeling this dog will be steering clear from the water from now on.
16. Abandoned and Afraid
Sometimes birds need a helping hand and this small baby owl wasn’t able to fly yet in order to save itself from the raging fires across the state.
Thankfully, this fireman scooped him up and made sure he got to a wildlife rescue facility. After some recuperation and fresh air, he was soon on his way to taking to the skies.
15. Saved from the Fire
You might not be able to tell, but this cat was just pulled from a raging fire just moments ago. While it’s face might read pure terror, we’re sure he will stop and thank the fireman who saved him eventually.
Although, we’d steer clear from this feline at the moment. It looks ready to go on the attack.
14. A Human Chain Rescue
When these two school kids saw a dog struggling to make it out of a river, they knew they couldn’t leave it there to die.
Creating a human chain with one of their lunch boxes, the boys were able to reach the dog and get it to safety. We have a feeling this dog never left their sides again.
13. Trapped Among the Flames
This lucky mutt found himself trapped in a burning building that eventually collapsed. Unable to free himself from the rubble and broken beams, a group of firemen was able to dig him out and to safety. They even made sure the dog received fresh oxygen to combat the smoke and ash it had inhaled during the fire.
Thankfully, he made a full recovery and the owners were more than grateful.
12. Trapped on a Frozen Lake
While out ice fishing, this man noticed a single duck struggling out in the middle of the frozen lake. Refusing to let the duck die, he quickly swam out into the middle of the lake, braving the waters to save it.
In the end, they both made it out alive and even took this wonderful photo op.
11. A Fawn in the Flood
This sweet baby fawn was drowning in rapidly rising floodwaters, but one man dove into the murky depths to save it. Holding the little baby above the surface, he quickly made his way back to shore.
In the end, both man and fawn made it back to dry land safely. We have to admit, here at Funnyand, this was one of our favorite rescues. Look at how cute that fawn is!
10. Friends to the End
Dogs are man’s best friend and this kid refused to leave his dog no matter how high the floodwaters got.
As you can see, he has a look of pure determination on his face, that dog was never going to leave his side if he could help it. These two will probably remain inseparable for life.
9. Trapped in the Trash
Fighting to swim through a trash-filled river, this small pup was about to give up when a group of men saw him struggling in the debris.
Working together, the men risked falling into the river themselves for the sweet little pooch and were able to get him free of the dirty water. We’re sure he was more than thankful.
8. Out on an Ice Flow
One freezing morning, a group of fisherman off the coast of Europe was shocked to spot a lone dog floating on a piece of ice.
Unable to escape or brave the frigid waters, the dog stood stoically, unsure of how much time it had left. Thankfully, one crew member was not about to let the dog die and jumped into the icy waters to save him.
7. Smoked and Singed
After finding herself trapped in a building on fire, this small dog was desperate to escape. Thankfully, the local firemen were on the scene quite quickly and fought back the blaze.
Running into the fire, this fireman saved the poor pooch and then provided him with some water to help combat dehydration and clear his throat from ash. What a kind man, indeed.
6. In the Face of Danger
This fireman must have been a dog owner himself because he bravely ran into a burning building three times to save a group of poodles.
Firefighters today face so many dangers, it’s so nice to see them act so selfless, especially towards animals. This guy certainly won’t remain single for long. Who doesn’t love a man who adores animals?
5. Pulled from the Flood Waters
This poor pooch was trapped in the floodwaters, but thankfully a group of rescuers was able to him from the murky depths.
We have a feeling they weren’t expecting such a large dog. You can almost see one of the rescuers thinking “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
4. An Apple a Day…
One elderly couple in Australia braved the flood waters during the Murwillumbah and noticed a horse drowning out in front of their house. The next day, the wife opened the door to find the horse collapsed on their front porch.
The couple fed it apples daily so it would keep up its strength and eventually the horse was ready to head out on its next big adventure.
3. Duct Taped Muzzle
This sweet pooch was discovered in a field with his mouth duct taped shut and all alone.
Thankfully, one kind man picked him up and took him to a local vet. Although there was some muzzle damage, he is now making a full recovery. What a precious boy!
2. Thirsty Cobra
Now, most people wouldn’t consider rescuing a cobra in need, but this man did just that. When he noticed the cobra was moving lethargically and seemed dehydrated, he immediately gave it some fresh water.
Afterward, the snake was captured and eventually released back into the wild.
1. Saving Animals
This story is considered one of the top rescue stories of the year. These two teenage boys had one goal in mind after the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey: to save as many animals as they could.
This photo shows the boys rescuing a hutch full of rabbits that could have drowned if they had been left to fend for themselves in the flood waters.