Let us have a look at some of the most heartwarming stories of adoption and rescue that will restore your faith in humanity.

1. Otitis: He lost his ears and his family abandoned him, but now he’s starting life afresh with his new mom

After developing a rare disease, this senior cat had his ears removed. Life changed for him and initially, he was not moving and was miserable. The kind of pain that he must be going through while moving and playing around is hard to imagine. His family couldn’t afford the surgery and so they surrendered him to a rescue home which raised money for his operation. Grad student Molly Lichtenwalner found him and now he has a new mom. She got him home and was warned that he might take sometime to adjust. Otitis is deaf, but very empathetic towards everyone around it. This happy animal is also on Instagram and has a massive fan following.

2. Vivo – Survived two accidents and is still going strong

Vivo found a home with four fellow Indies on a farm close to Tamil Nadu, at Melissa Marak and her husband Sandeep Reddy’s house after he got in an accident and broke a hip, a leg and smashed his testicles. There was little hope that he would survive. Since September 2014, the couple has been taking care of Vivo who is now a healthy and happy pup. However, Vivo met with another accident a few months later and this time it was a spinal injury. Vivo got run over by a truck. It was a roller coaster ride for the couple but they were determined to give Vivo the life that he deserved. Vivo survived and now serves as a daily inspiration to the couple who simply look at him and feel that if this dog could endure so much and still survive, everyone could.

3. Chris P Bacon Pig – The social media king in a wheelchair

Chris P. Bacon is a very popular pig in a wheelchair. His veterinarian Dr. Len Lucero decided that he needed to be given a second chance after a young woman reluctantly brought him to Dr. Lucero and asked him to euthanize the little piggy because she did not know what kind of life he would have. He had a congenital defect that affected his rear legs. He went home with Dr. Lucero that day, who made him a tiny wheelchair from toys. Mr Bacon now lives in Florida and loves his new life. He is also a YouTube sensation. You may find CP Bacon on Facebook too. 

4. Hope – This dog with no legs was put on a wheelchair by his human, who too is specially-abled

Hope was found with cut-off back legs in the countryside and brought to an animal asylum when it was four-months-old. Regine Grosinger’s, who is also specially abled herself, took the dog home two months later and had a wheelchair manufactured for it.

5. Hei Hudie – She was saved by doctors after falling 10 floors

After falling from the tenth floor of a building, Hei Hudie, meaning “black butterfly”, had four surgeries within five months with the help of some good Samaritans and finally managed to live on with both of its hind legs disabled. A special wheelchair was given to the 8-month-old to help it walk around which was later replaced with a prosthetic two-wheel device, at a veterinary hospital in Chongqing municipality.

6. Hofesh – The sea turtle who thinks he is a fighter jet

Hofesh, the sea turtle whose name means freedom in Hebrew, was accidentally caught in a fishing net in 2009. He was so brutally wounded that veterinarians had to amputate the flippers on his left-hand side. Hofesh had difficulty swimming and was not able to balance his weight on either side. 

With the help of technology, a team of designers including an industrial design student named Shlomi Gez made Hofesh a new prosthetic fin using not one dorsal structure, but two, based on the design of the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter – a familiar shape to many from its appearance in popular films. This increased his mobility. Now his keepers are hopeful he will start a family with another turtle he shares his tank with, a female named Tsurit. How nice!

Indian horse nicknamed “Macho”, got his front right leg amputated after he was found on the highway in Mumbai, bleeding from a leg wound. The animal welfare group in Mumbai was the one who found him. The procedure especially in horse is very difficult and usually the animal succumbs to his injuries. But thanks to the help of the doctors and the animal welfare group, he is safe and sound. 

8. Fuji – The first Dolphin to receive a prosthetic fin

Fuji, a Japanese dolphin, was diagnosed with a skin disease due to which its tail had to be amputated. Fuji’s handlers at the Churaumi Aquarium in Japan’s southern most island of Okinawa got her a prosthetic tail that saved her life as she had put on dangerous amounts of weight from being inactive after she lost her tail. Her cholesterol levels were too high. A friend of the handler’s, who works at Japan’s leading tyre company Bridgestone, made Fuji a tail which is a rubber prosthetic device, slightly smaller than the tail of a dolphin of Fuji’s size. Fuji unfortunately died of liver disease at an age estimated to be about 45.

9. Ciuchcia – Left to die, run over by a train, Ciuchcia survives with a little help from his hooman friends

Ciuchcia (Polish for “steam train engine”) is a German shepherd who was paralysed when he was run over by trains after being abandoned on tracks. He was later found by a homeless animal shelter in Poland who provided Ciuchcia with a wheelchair. This has enabled him to have a better life. He loves chasing cats. 

10. Kalu – The dog who survived all odds and grew a new face

This is a remarkable tale of Kalu, whose entire face had been eaten by maggots. It was so bad that his entire skull was visible. But, when Animal Aid workers in India found him, they were not ready to give up on him. Kalu was resilient to fight back, he was administered several drugs to remove the infestation. As more time passed the wound started to heal and later hair began to grow on the dog’s once destroyed muzzle.

11. Bijli – The homeless horse who got a new lease of life, thanks to her prosthetic limb

Bijli was found and rescued by Animal Warriors, who back then had no experience with horses. They later found out hat she had a fractured left foreleg, which had to be amputated to save her life. They got in touch with Dr Tapesh Mathur, who runs an animal prosthetic limb centre in Jaipur. Bijli is the first of her race to have worn a prosthetic in India, successfully.

Know of any animals like these who have been adopted and rescued? Share their pictures and tell us their stories.