RESCUE DOGS RESCUE HUMANS NOW

Rescue dogs have a beautiful way of rescuing the people who adopt them. They deliver loads of unconditional love & companionship. People who adopt rescues tend to report a special bond -- an extra measure of friendship, loyalty, and mutual compassion.

Today, we are sharing two beautiful stories of rescues that we hope will inspire more.

REMY

A tiny French bulldog pup was near death when he was rescued by a vet working together with the Good Karma Pet Rescue, in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Critically ill with parvo virus, the puppy struggled against all odds, and might not have made it had it not been for the rescue, the vet, and the family who adopted it.

The Miami-based Amigo family has adopted many rescue dogs over the years. When they learned about the plight of this pup, they rushed in to be of help. Beyond their compassion for this dog in dire need, they had a need of their own.

Their daughter, Lauren Amigo, a senior at New York University, missed having a dog while she was away from home. Recently, she experienced her own serious health issues.

Last year, on Thanksgiving, Lauren ended up in the emergency room. Her mother, Lori, booked a last minute flight to be with her. And, while sitting across from her daughter as she lay in her hospital bed, Lori saw her hooked up to multiple IV’s. She then turned around and saw a photo that was posted by Good Karma, which featured 3 gravely ill puppies who were also spending their Thanksgiving hooked up to IV’s at  a veterinary office.

Lori had an epiphany. She could save one of the puppies and help her daughter at the same time. She applied to adopt one of the puppies. The family had to wait until he was cured of the virus before they could take him home. There were days when it looked like he would die.

But Remy rallied, and by the time he was 3 months old, he was well enough to land a place in Lauren’s arms.“No other animal can show you the same kind of gratitude and love like a rescue animal can,” Lauren explains.

“This adoption has impacted my life far more than I had anticipated,” Lauren explains. “Our motto is ‘Who rescued who?’ because, in all honesty, Remy has saved me in more ways than one.”

“When I have moments of pain, Remy immediately knows,” Lauren tells us. “When he sees me massaging an aching muscle, he leans in and nudges his head against the trouble spot. Sometimes he simply curls up on my lap and places his head on my hand.”

Remy is not even a year old and has traveled with Lauren to over a dozen cities. “He is my emotional support animal,” she explains. And he loves meeting new people.

“Growing up, I had many experiences in the hospital and the memories I am most fond of are when therapy dogs would come and visit the children’s center,” Lauren recalls.

Now, an art therapy graduate student at NYU, Lauren wants to train Remy to be a therapy animal so he can spread his love and joy of life to others who could really benefit from his “goofy and lovable demeanor.”

“There are so many animals out there in desperate need of homes that will love you for the rest of his or her life for rescuing them,” Lauren says.

For even more inspiration, check out Remy’s Instagram.

PHOEBE

Phoebe grabs your heart the minute you lay eyes on her. Her eyes, one blue, one brown, are full of joy as she embraces everyone and everything around her. White and fluffy, with an charming mix of shapes, she is a mixed breed, as many rescue animals are.

While everyone who meets Phoebe falls instantly in love, Susan McPherson assumed the role of Chief Love Officer when she adopted her as a tiny puppy at about 8 weeks old.

McPherson, who had just gone through a painful breakup, was looking for a companion to help her through heartbreak. She found Phoebe online at Petfinder, an animal rescue hub.

Phoebe and her 3 siblings were rescued by a shelter in North Carolina. She was delivered to McPherson in NY, while her siblings went off to foster care.

“She’s brought more joy than I could ever have imagined,” says McPherson. “Sometimes it feels like I adopted a mini-me. She’s ever so social and loves to be with tons of others (dogs & people).” Phoebe’s successful rescue inspired Nancy Spector, McPherson’s sister, to also adopt rescue pup.

McPherson has long supported animal advocacy organizations. Her consulting group, McPherson Strategies, is currently advising Project Chimps, a chimp sanctuary that has rescued 300 chimps from medical testing abuses.

“I wish everyone would consider adopting rescues,” says McPherson. “There are so many who are magical and in need of loving homes.”

“They don’t need to be pups. You can rescue older companions as well,” McPherson points out.

A PURPOSEFUL RESCUE

Another shelter we like, in particular, is A Purposeful Rescue which saves dogs from high-kill Los Angeles area shelter. This shelter especially helps dogs in need of extra care. Thanks to Hilary Shor for bringing them to our attention. 

Read more about Beautiful Rescues in Beautiful Rescues Ripple Out To Save The World Now,

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

Want more stories like this? Sign up for our weekly BN Newsletter, Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr. Join our BeautifulNow Community and connect with the most beautiful things happening in the world right now!

Do you have amazing photos? Enter them in this week’s BN Photo Competition. We run new creative competitions every week! Now, it’s even easier to enter with the new BeautifulNow App!

Plus check out the rest of our App’s beautiful features. It’s free to download here.

IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: Courtesy of Lauren Amigo. “Remy & Lauren Amigo.”
2. Image: Courtesy of Lauren Amigo. “Remy.”
3. Image: Courtesy of Lauren Amigo. “Remy.”
4. Image: Courtesy of Lauren Amigo. “Remy.”
5. Image: Courtesy of Lauren Amigo. “Remy.”
6. Image: Courtesy of Lauren Amigo. “Remy.”
7. Image: Courtesy of Lauren Amigo. “Remy.”
8. Image: Courtesy of Lauren Amigo. “Remy & Lauren Amigo.”
9. Image: Courtesy of Lauren Amigo. “Remy.”
10. Image: Courtesy of Lauren Amigo. “Remy.”
11. Image: Courtesy of Lauren Amigo. “Remy & Lauren Amigo.”
12. Image: Courtesy of Susan McPherson. “Phoebe.”
13. Image: Courtesy of Susan McPherson & Kate Gardiner. “Phoebe & Susan McPherson.”
14. Image: Courtesy of Susan McPherson. “Phoebe.”
15. Image: Courtesy of Susan McPherson. “Phoebe.”
16. Image: Courtesy of Susan McPherson. “Phoebe.”
17. Image: Courtesy of Susan McPherson. “Phoebe & Susan McPherson.”
18. Image: Courtesy of A Purposeful Rescue.
19. Image: Courtesy of A Purposeful Rescue.
20. Image: Courtesy of A Purposeful Rescue.
21. Image: Courtesy of A Purposeful Rescue.
22. Image: by BN App - Download now!
23. Image: Courtesy of A Purposeful Rescue.