A family from North Carolina that decided to give away their 7-year-old cat. Toby was originally showed up at their home as a stray cat, and his owners noticed that he was not getting along with their other cats. 

 They decided to find him a new home with another family about 12 miles away from them. Toby had no idea why his owners made such a decision to get rid of him, so he patiently walked those 12 miles back home…Just to be rejected again. 

 Watch Toby’s story below, there’s a happy ending!

 

 Taka was inside a screened-in porch when the fire started. His family was unable to get close enough to save him. They ran from the house, leaving Taka back inside. Taka didn’t give up.

SOURCE: CARE MORE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
He worked his way out of the blaze and ran down the street. Hair was singed off most of Taka’s face and belly. He was covered in burns and in serious need of help. 

Luckily, a neighbor nearby found Taka and rushed him to the emergency vet. “He had burns around his eyes, his mouth, his ears, his belly,” Emily Martin, a veterinarian at the Care More Animal Hospital in Martinez, Georgia, told The Dodo. 

“We really didn’t know how severe his injuries were initially, just because we had to worry about inhalation burns.” Taka’s burns had the vets worried. His eyesight was damaged beyond repair, and the veterinary team was forced to bring him to the University of Georgia for oxygen treatments. 

 Taka still didn’t give up.

SOURCE: CARE MORE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
It must have been a harrowing experience. Taka’s yelps could be heard throughout the hospital, but he had the best vets around working to save his life. Martin wasn’t going to let him down. 

  “I try to treat my patients all the same, but his case pulled at my heartstrings a bit more,” Martin said. “When he came in, he was screaming from pain … but he calmed down the moment you sat with him and started singing to him.” 

 After explaining to Taka’s family what had happened to their dog, and the intensive care he may need going forward, they let him stay with Martin. And as Taka’s lifeline, Martin knew she couldn’t let him sleep alone in his weakened condition. So, she brought him home.

SOURCE: CARE MORE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
“I was up with him all night at my house, so the following day, we were both exhausted,” Martin said. The following day, both Taka and Martin were a little tired. They took a quick nap in one of the kennels. SOURCE: CARE MORE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
It’s clear Martin cares very much about Taka. She’s determined to stick by his side until remakes a full recovery. 

  “He went through something so traumatic and so painful, and yet he doesn’t give up,” Martin said. “He’s so resilient.” SOURCE: CARE MORE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
Martin has five other dogs at home, along with a 7-month-old baby, so she may not be able to bring him home forever. In the meantime, she understands his kind heart and personality, and wants to see him go to a home that appreciates those traits, and gives him the care he needs. 

  “He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body,” Martin said. “A lot of times when animals are in pain, they’ll start biting just because they hurt, but he hasn’t once tried to bite. If anything, he’s comforted by people.” SOURCE: CARE MORE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
Taka’s injuries have taken his eyesight and burned most of his face. He has a long road to recovery ahead, but he’s on the right track. 

Thanks to Martin and the staff at Care More, Taka has been eating and going potty on his own. He’s still in pain, but Taka is not giving up! 

There is no certainty as to how it’ll go, so pet owners bringing home a newborn just have to hope for the best. 

 But fortunately for one couple in California, there was no adjustment period – their dog Brutus was more than happy to welcome a baby into the family. PHOTO: INSTAGRAM / CAPTAINBRUTUS
The Bullmastiff was first rescued by the couple in 2016. When Brutus’ owner, Bonnie Michalek, found out she was expecting, she had no doubts that her happy and gentle giant would handle the change well.

 Bonnie knows that Brutus is loving and sweet, so she had a feeling he’d take to the kid right away – after all, he likes kids. As she explained to The Dodo, “He’s always loved kids. Every time he’s heard kids outside laughing, he gets excited.” 

 In fact, Bonnie believes that Brutus might have even known she was pregnant before she even knew it.

  “Brutus knew I was pregnant before I did – he definitely sensed it before I knew. On the nights my husband was working Brutus refused to be in his crate,” she explained. Bonnie went on to explain how at first she assumed he just didn’t like being held in a create but even after she readjusted it for him, it didn’t matter. 

Whatever she tried, all he wanted was to be next to her. Looking back, Bonnie believed it’s because Brutus could already sense her pregnancy. 

 In order to make the transition easier on Brutus, the couple included him in preparations made to the home. However, when it was time to bring Kayden home, Brutus had to spend some time at grandma and grandpa’s house. 

When Brutus arrived back home, Bonnie made sure he got some alone time with her before meeting the newest family member. When the moment finally came, it was pure magic. 

 As Bonnie recalled, “Brutus completely bypassed my husband to meet Kayden. He immediately wanted to give him kisses and snuggle up to him.” The bond between Brutus and Kayden was instantaneous. In fact, whenever Kayden cried, Brutus instantly appeared – more than happy to provide some soothing comfort. 

 But the most surprising thing to everyone was Brutus’ action of bringing Kayden his own favorite toy: a large, fluffy, yellow ball. 

  “He grabs his favorite toy to bring it to Kayden to console him!” Bonnie shared. 

 And the gesture is a very kind one – the fluffy ball he gave to Kayden is the same exact one that he has babied since he was a young puppy. While he has shredded every other toy he’s owned, this ball is special. 

It is his go-to toy for comfort, so the fact that he’d share it with Kayden makes the already sweet gesture that much more special. While Kayden is no longer a newborn, he and Brutus are still as close as ever. 

Kayden is certainly a fortunate child, and we have no doubt that Brutus will always have a special place in his heart as Kayden’s first dog.

 

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Watch the precious video below:

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A post shared by Brutus (@captainbrutus)

 Paul Steklenski, 45, from Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, forked out $65,000 (£50,000) for an aircraft which he fills with crates of unloved animals facing euthanasia. The tank operator-turned-IT expert realised he wanted to save animals after adopting a homeless dog from a rescue centre. 

 At first, Mr Steklenski considered driving to kill shelters in the US and transporting the canines elsewhere by road to help them find owners.But he knew he would be able to give dozens more abandoned pets new lives if he transported them in another way. 

 He had coincidentally started learning how to fly in 2013 as a hobby, but realised at the same time that he wanted to rescue animals, so went on to get his licence. Then in May 2015 he set up Flying Fur Animal Rescue and says he's single-handedly saved 742 animals since then, many which were neglected or abused. 

In February the US Army ex-serviceman of eight years - an SPC who trained troops in Kentucky - even bought his own plane to help with the task. 'Seeing the dogs at the shelter was heartbreaking. It was horrible to think that there were so many animals being euthanized because they're stuck in a certain area. 

 The further south you go the more there is a pet overpopulation problem. It is distressing.' 'I realised I could help make a difference by going down there, picking them up and taking them to other shelters. 

The plane is a tool that allows me to do a lot in a day that I couldn't do with a bus. 'It's an extremely emotional job but it's very rewarding.' Mr Steklenski, who lives with his wife, fellow IT expert Michelle, 46, takes off a day or a half day once a month to fly to shelters, where he picks up some cats as well as dogs. 

 The caring pilot, who went on to adopt a second dog himself, Layla, now loads as many dogs and cats as he can squeeze onboard in one go - sometimes up to 23 in one trip. 

He flies to North Carolina and takes them to shelters in other states where there's a better chance they'll be adopted. But though it's a battle finding the funds, he says actually making the cross-country trip with dozens of dogs is straightforward. 

Mr Steklenski, who does not have children, said: 'Once the engine starts up they fall asleep or will stay awake and look out of the windows.'