The Most Heartwarming Pet Stories of 2012

Justin Becker knows that his pit bull saved his life: “He’s a hero. He saved my life. He went to protect me and he did his job.”
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If you've ever wished your dog could talk and express his affection to you verbally, you'll adore this husky who says "I love you."
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5-week-old Rudy and his three siblings were rescued from a drain pipe after much effort from the upstanding workers at the Michigan Humane Society.
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It’s two minutes and I can honestly say that if it doesn’t make you laugh out loud, you might want to check your pulse. Yeah, it’s that hysterical and endearing. In it, the owner comes home to find a kitty snack bag empty and he asks his two dogs, who did it. You don’t have to be a detective to quickly realize it was Denver, Denver the Guilty Dog (who has over 50,000 Facebook fans from his guilty acts!).
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This owner taught his cat a very valuable trick -- to hug him! So cute.
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Amanda, a German Shepherd mix, gave birth to a litter of puppies just ten days before the building she and her pups lived in became engulfed in flames. And when she realized the danger, she took matters into her own paws.
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Shiro, a 10-month-old Siberian Husky is getting a little nervous because she knows her owner is going to go to work, so anxious, in fact, she MUST hold her owner’s hand.
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This is the sweetest and saddest stories I’ve come across lately about the unconditional love between a dog and its owner.
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One of the best sights during these horrific few days has been the photos of many dogs being loaded onto rescue boats and trucks. Here are just a few pet rescue photos that warm our hearts during this devastating time.
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Some stories just reaffirm your belief in mankind and the goodness of people… this is surely one of them. Paddle boarder Charlie Head noticed that something small was moving along the rocks in England’s North Sea. As he got closer, he realized it was a dog and knew there was limited time to rescue the cold, wet pup before the tide came in.
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One Albuquerque woman, Susanne Jones took matters into her own hands when she noticed a dog sizzling inside a car outside of a medical clinic.
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Two Verizon workers in Middle Village, New York heard a meow way up high in a nearby tree and when they finally located the panicked cry, they were shocked at what they found.
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Workers at the Wild About Wildlife Rescue Centre near Melbourne, Australia, have placed an orphaned baby kangaroo and orphaned baby wombat in a specially made womb. Since the orphaned animals did not have any adult kangaroos or wombats to be nurtured by, the rescue center felt that this was the best solution since the animals have similar needs, movements, and even heartbeats. It looks like the idea is working incredibly well.
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When owners deny dogs a treat, or they can quite work out a problem (say like that pesky cat next door), they turn to a higher power. Check out these adorable photos of dogs praying.
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Phil Grippo of Ladder 38 searched until he found the little Hichi shaking in a closet and carried him out of the smoky building.
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When this military owner came back from an 8-month deployment in South Korea, he didn't think his dog would miss him. He thought wrong!
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Young or old, animals bring us joy. Some hospitals are recognizing just how much animals can help many patients. While several hospitals have instituted pet therapy programs in which a trained specialist will bring a similarly trained dog to a patient for therapeutic means, a few select hospitals are now allowing visits from the patient’s own pets. One such hospital is Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.
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Perhaps Sophie the Bulldog sensed that baby Isabel needed some help because she literally demonstrates a slow crawl.
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Berlin, the German Shepherd with the giant conscience feels so incredibly guilty about biting up the sheets, he has to hide in the shower.
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This little Yorkie/Terrier mix pup was surely a sight for sore eyes after he fell face first onto a cactus. The Phoenix pup, dubbed ‘Cactus Jack’ was found by a good Samaritan who heard the puppy’s distressful cries and horrifyingly discovered that the dog had become attached to a cactus.
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Raised as a captive fox, this furry fella obviously knows the man in the video loves him or at least won’t hurt him, which is why he succumbs to (and relishes) the petting.
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80-year-old Barbara Oliphant was looking out her window when spotted her long lost cat: “I said, ‘That’s Wollie.’ I just knew it was him. He was so exhausted so tired, so hungry.”
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Three cats took in a baby robin named Peeps, who actually has her own cage but would rather sleep on top of her mama cats.
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This marine who was away for two months, is seated in his backyard when not one, but three dogs burst with excitement just at the sight of him.
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Aptly named Sunny, this lucky pup had just two days left before she was to be euthanized when famed animal trainer William Berloni saw her photo and had to have her for the show. It was a stroke of incredible luck especially given the fact that there are hundreds if not thousands of rescue dogs in shelters all across the country who might play “Sandy” in the latest production of Annie.
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When firefighters arrive at the scene of the fire with not only life-saving equipment for people, but in many cases, also for pets. That small mask specifically geared to the face of an animal can be the difference between a pet living or not making it. Such was the case in Texas when a border collie named Leah.
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