51 Adopted Animals Who Are Eager To Infect You With Their Happiness Today

by Maryjane

3 Jul 2022

Adopted pets have a way of turning ordinary days into something a lot brighter. One look at these rescued cats, dogs, and other surprise companions, and it is easy to see why people fall hard for them.

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This collection brings together animals who were given a second chance, from shelter pets and foster fails to the odd rescue that ended up staying for good. Some arrived shy, some arrived messy, and some clearly decided they were home the second they walked in.

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By the end, you may be ready to check your local shelter yourself. Read on.

1. "My husband and I adopt old dogs and make their golden years great. This is my latest buddy Almond, and he’s an old man (11)."

2. "My turkey has been trying for 3 years to have babies. None of her eggs are fertile. She adopted some unwanted eggs from my chicken hen, and they are hatching. Happy new Mama!!!"

3. "Malcolm, our longest-tenured resident at the shelter, officially got adopted by his foster family."

That kind of happy ending never gets old.

4. "The first 2 pics are from when he was brought into Perth Rescue Angels—cold, wet, scared, and starving—about a year ago. The 3rd was his adoption profile photo. I brought him home just over a month ago. His name is Daryl, and I would fling myself into the sun for him."

5. "This is Cooper, my new puss, recently adopted from the RSPCA. He knows he looks good!"

6. "Happy naps! My rescue kitten Grace is always so smiley!"

7. "My autistic son is showing off his cat-toy collection to his newly adopted shelter kitty."

8. "They told us it might be cancer; we adopted her anyway. It turns out she was just stressed out!"

9. "I adopted this little guy over the weekend, but he’s so sweet and affectionate that I feel like he adopted me."

10. "My cat adopted this kitten; she dragged him by the neck into the house."

11. "Our rescue pittie: the happiest boy ever!"

12. "My friend found a crow stuck in some cables at a neighbor's house and decided to adopt it. He gave it a chance to leave as well, but it decided to stay. Still looking for a name, though."

13. "This is what happens when you adopt a dog from Ikea."

14. "[OC] Meet Smurfie, a just-adopted 12-year-old ex-stud cat living his best life now..."

15. "Not one adoption application for this perfect girl."

Some of these animals look like they were born to be spoiled.

16. "Just found these weapons on a rescue page near me."

17. "Our little (one-eyed) rescue cat, Rosie!"

18. "Went to the shelter yesterday to adopt a dog—got hexed and came home with this cutie pie instead: Sun sitter!"

19. "Ollie got adopted!!!"

20. "I adopted an 8-month-old today. Her name is Noodle."

This feels like the moment rescued animals realize they’ve found their forever home.

21. "The best part about adopting an animal is never having personal space again."

22. "Just adopted this kitty’s mama, but this yeller caught my attention!!"

23. "Yesterday, I adopted a used SIC, 2017 model, Chunky™ edition. His name is TJ (short for Trader Joe). Great mileage, and the meow motor works perfectly."

24. "After 19 foster dogs, we finally failed to say goodbye to one. Happy Adoption Day, Gus! Dog."

25. "My husband found these cuties at the warehouse and brought them home. We're adopting all 3 of them and making them part of our big, happy family!"

26. "Adopted a new little baby hippo yesterday!"

27. "Photo I found from the day I adopted my puppy."

28. "We adopted this little dude on 5/11. The shelter staff told us he was super anxious. It turns out he just needed a stable home… Meet Butternut."

29. "She took about 9 months of convincing, but I think this 'annoying stray cat,' AKA beauty, has finally adopted me as her human. Neighbors called her ugly and always chased her off, but now she's got a safe home."

30. "Raisin had her first vet appointment. She was dewormed and will go back in 2 weeks for shots to get ready for adoption!"

31. "Called in sick to work. Took my newly adopted dog to the beach on a beautiful spring day."

32. "German shepherd-corgi mix that I rescued because no one wanted her. Her name is Shorto."

33. "Geriatric rescue hippo Blue having a little rest after a very short wobble using his butt harness (we know it as the Brazilian)."

34. "His name is George; my mom rescued him from the bushes beside the bank."

35. "Rescue #4 Katie: the sweetest, most mellow girl. A family who was moving didn’t want her anymore, and we got the call."

36. "My wife and I officially adopted these two today. After taking care of them for the better part of 3 years, our landlord decided to give them to us. Our hearts are filled with joy knowing we will never have to separate again!"

37. "Happy rescue from Romania!"

38. "Rescued this little boy from the shelter; he will never have another hard day for the rest of his life."

39. "Black hole sun, won't you come... Absolutely in love with this sweet void we adopted last week!"

40. "Just adopted this guy; meet Barry."

41. "Dobby (smol boi) & Kreacher - rarely ever apart."

"My foster fails as I couldn’t guarantee an adoption together, and to be fair, they had already made me their bonded third!"

42. "Meet Jiji! My freshly adopted 10-year-old void."

43. "The girlfriend and I adopted our very own little twin voids 🐈‍⬛🖤🐈‍⬛: Soup (L) and Sandwich (R)."

44. "Went to adopt one kitten and came home with two baby voids! They’re siblings, and I didn’t want to split them up."

45. "Day 10 since I adopted her. Can’t imagine a life without her anymore."

46. "Rescued her 2 weeks ago, and her favorite thing to do is yell at us."

47. "Local vet rescued this little one, hand-reared him for 5 weeks, and he’s too tame to release. Soooo, he’s moved in with me :) Meet Ronnie!"

48. "I'm going to adopt this lil guy tomorrow. Name suggestions? :D He is the sole survivor of the litter."

49. "I adopted two kittens during quarantine, and they immediately became attached to my elderly boy."

50. "My kitten's mugshot from the humane society we adopted her from."

51. "I've been struggling with my mood for quite some time now; never did I imagine becoming a cat dad would have such a good impact on my well-being. Welcome home, Nyx!"

If you're thinking about adopting a pet, now you have proof of how it'll probably go. Not only will the animal be happier, but your life will be more fulfilled.

Hopefully, they infected you today with their happiness. And if you have a pet to enrich this adorable collection and help the contagion of happiness spread faster, please feel free to share it with us.

That last one is pure proof that rescue pets know how to make themselves at home.

For more, see who gains most when newly adopted pets melt hearts in these photos: newly adopted pets guaranteed to melt your heart.

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