Being in such a strange and scary environment proved difficult for Smokey and he showed his fear by growling. This contributed to his being unavailable for adoption and in a worse situation. 

Thankfully, a couple of volunteers from the I Have a Dream Rescue Organization came across Smokey and set about getting him into a foster home. There is still a chance for him to be delivered back to his family if they have the means to take him, but he has plenty of time and love in the meantime. 

Smokey will join the happy company of Akida, a playful pup, and Jack Frost, a deaf dog learning sign language. Most importantly, Smokey will be able to keep his stuffed elephant; the single tie to his former life he was left with. 

Treasurer of the rescue organization that is saving Smokey, Melissa Sutherland, had the following to say: “He was sad and laying with his elephant until she started to talk with him. It is amazing what rescue does for dogs.” 

 More info: Facebook | h/t: The Dodo
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But, they had little idea that they would end up adding more horses to the family! The couple found a brutal horse auction being carried out locally. Most of the buyers were from slaughterhouses. 

They catered to the high demand of horse meat in countries like China, Germany and Switzerland. Kirk ended up saving two mini-horses just before they were being shipped off to the slaughterhouse! Tobias, one of the rescued ponies, showed signs of extreme neglect and abuse. 

He would hang his head and stare at the ground all day. He avoided the family’s attempts to touch him or pet him. Kirk started getting really worried about the horse’s severe depression. However, after 48 hours, it finally dawned on Tobias that he has been rescued and there was no catch in the love that he received. 

He finally embraced Kirk as his dad and hugged him with a sense of relief and happiness. This video of Tobias hugging his new dad will melt your heart! 

Click the video below to watch Tobias finally realizing that he is safe as he hugs Kirk to express his gratitude!

 
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We’ve been moved and inspired by stories of resilience by the Ukrainian people. Many of these stories involve animals: people risking their lives to protect local pets and animals, and animals returning the favor by helping Ukrainian forces. 

Like one heroic little dog, who has been hard at work helping to clear explosives.

  A viral video shared by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine shows the dog named Patron who is the “mascot” of explosions experts in Chernihiv, who is specially trained to sniff out Russian explosive devices. 

The video shows Patron hard at work, wearing his own protective vest, using his sense of smell to track the location of explosive weapons. According to the Facebook post, the dog has helped the SES team clear 90 explosives since the start of the war last month. 

Dogs are known for their incredible sense of smell, and they can be specially trained to detect explosives. Humans can then deactivate and disarm them, helping to save countless lives. It’s safe to say this dog is making a big difference: according to NPR, over 900 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the war, and officials say most of the deaths have been caused by “explosive weapons with a wide impact area.” 

Officials in Ukraine are grateful for the dog’s important work: “Thank you, friend, for your tireless work!” the SES post reads. The video has been viewed over 175,000 times on Facebook in just two days, and many local Ukrainians have praised the dog, wishing him continued safety as the war wages on.

  “Please keep him safe! Glory to Ukraine!” one comment reads. 

  “God bless our boys and little four-legged helpers!” another wrote.
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The animal was spotted swimming into the Long Island Sound, in Long Island, New York with a paint can on her head and her chances to make it on shore were growing thin, but then a hero showed up and saved the day. 

The dramatic rescue was caught on video and the quick-thinking man is now hailed as a hero on Internet! After a concerned citizen called the Strong Island Animal Rescue League – an animal rescue in Long Island – to report the hopeless deer, Frankie Floridia, president of the center, quickly arrived at the scene. 

He immediately realized it is a very tough situation, so he knew he has to act fast if is to save the deer. The animal was struggling to swim, as she couldn’t see a thing because of the bucket she had stuck on her head. So Frankie knew he has only two options. 

He either free the deer by removing the bucket in the water, or take the deer to the shore. Either way, the rescue was far from easy. 

“I saw her[the deer] swimming into circles. I took my boots off and went into the water. It was ice cold, but I knew there is a very delicate situation, so I had to act fast,” Frankie explained to THE DODO. 

“If the bucket had filled with water, it would have held her head down and she would have drowned.” Soon as Frankie got into the water, the frightened deer was swimming away from him, so his chances to grab her and take her to the shore were nearly impossible. 

But fortunately, a Good Samaritan with a boat spotted him and rushed to help out. Together, they approached the confused animal, and then hardly tried to remove the can. 

After a few attempts, Frankie managed to free the animal, but things were far from better, because even though she was able to see, the confused deer was still swimming in circles. 

So Frankie had another idea! “I laid on the front of the boat and grabbed her and hold her,” the man explained. ” The deer was very calm. I was able to feel her heartbeat in my hands.” 

This way Frankie carried the deer to the shore and from there she just lost her way through the forest! She just got a second chance, thanks to these very devoted people. 

Thank you heroes! 

Watch the dramatic rescue here:

 
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