Stewart’s spine is so curved that it seems very probable that he’s spent his entire life in a cage far too small for him.  He’s badly neglected – his paws are furless and raw, his claws painfully long, he’s peeing blood, and he’s so starved that he resorted to eating metal.  But now this pup is finally getting the help and the love he has needed for years.

This is what Rescue Dogs Rock NYC had to say:

This is what we saw. When we agreed to bring Stewart into rescue, this is all we had to go on, these photos, and the words that Stewart was not only obviously neglected (see his nails?), but he was peeing blood, and was likely in kidney failure. X-rays determined that he has metal in his stomach for reasons unknown. Could this be causing his kidney failure – poisoning from the metal? Stewart was rushed to our veterinary specialists and has now arrived there. He is critically urgent.

We broke down in tears.  Stewart has been suffering for a very long time at the hands of humans! He is 5-6 years old, and we wonder, how much of his life was spent suffering? All of it? In addition to what we already knew, we could see in the rest of these photos that he is emaciated. This did not happen overnight. His spine is curved as if sitting in a too small crate for a very long time. Likely he is also anemic. We are waiting on results from the vet.

PLEASE donate to help Stewart. Thank you for supporting the animals we take into the Rescue Dogs Rock NYC family. YOU make the difference for them! Please don’t turn away – we know the medical cases we take into rescue are overwhelming, and that you may not always be able to help. But even if you cannot donate, you can share his story, and that helps him and other future dogs that will need help by promoting awareness of their plight and generating further support to help others. Please pray for Stewart. He needs us all.

If you would like to donate – even one dollar helps – please click here, and mark your donation “Stewart.”

Frankie and Rebecca Hernandez are no longer a couple, but there is no bad blood between them when it comes to their “child” of divorce:  dad still sends a birthday card and present to his boy Apollo every year.

The pair were high school sweethearts and got married when Rebecca graduated from college.  Frankie joined the Marines, and they moved from their home in Texas after getting married.  Then they adopted one-month-old Apollo and their lives really changed.

“[He is] always doing something he wasn’t supposed to and constantly destroying anything we ever bought him,” Rebecca told BuzzFeed News. “But he is extremely loving and really spoiled by everyone in his life.”

Alas, the couple was not destined to be, and they split up.  Rebecca says they just “were babies who got married young.”

“It’s been rocky.  We’ve had a lot of growing up to do. We still get sentimental when we speak because we will always love each other.”

They have been separated (but not divorced) for two years.  Apollo lives with mom, but his dad still sees him whenever he can.

“When [Frankie] comes down to visit his family he will sometimes come and visit [Apollo],” Rebecca explained. “Apollo goes crazy for him.”

And when Frankie isn’t with his puppins, he’s thinking about him.  He’s been making sure to send Apollo a birthday card and a gift card for his birthday.  This year he penned quite a missive to his boy and included a gift card to Petco.

Rebecca posted photos of Apollo’s birthday mail on Twitter, and they spread like wildfire.

“We are both so overwhelmed by it all. Everyone has hopes for us both. They say they’re crying but I think we are the ones really feeling emotional about it all,” she said.

People have been hoping she and Frankie would reconcile, but what their cards hold is a mystery to all.

“Our families believe that this is what is going to bring us back together again,” Rebecca said.  “Who knows where this will lead for our relationship.”

A New Brunswick cat named Ghost escaped when his family moved and had been missing for six weeks, worrying his mom something terrible.  But when a dog named Cashew was out on a walk with his mom, he found Ghost in the sewer and refused to move until someone helped!

Shelly Collette was walking Cash in Sackville, NB when he stopped dead in his tracks and wouldn’t budge.  The border collie/Lab mix was standing over a manhole, so Shelly peered down through the grate and saw an orange tabby trapped below.

“We were on a walk, and Cash suddenly stopped and wouldn’t move,” Shelly told the Sackville Tribune-Post.  “I looked down, and thought, ‘Holy crow! That’s that missing cat!’”

“I had never met Ghost, but I had seen the missing cat signs around town,” she told Metro.  “Cash was very intrigued and refused to leave.  He wanted to save this cat.”

Shelly called Ghost’s mom, Izzy Francolini, who arrived as soon as she could.

“I was at work and I jumped up and my boss was super lovely and just told me to get him,” said Izzy, who’s employed by a hand-dyed yarn company.

She called municipal workers to lift the manhole cover, but it was so rusted that sledgehammers were required to smash it open.

“The one guy couldn’t get it open on his own so five other guys showed up and they had three sledgehammers going,” she explained.

She knew all the commotion would have scared Ghost away, so she set up camp for herself, hoping he’d come back soon.

“Someone came and gave me a blanket so I made a little blanket fort basically. Every so often friends and strangers came and went. A neighbor charged my phone for me,” Izzy said. Two people brought me dinner. A lady gave me five bottles of water.  It was incredible. It was mind-blowing and heart-warming.”

After six hours, Ghost still hadn’t made a reappearance, so she made the decision to go home.  Three hours later, a friend called to say they had walked past the site and heard meowing.  This time Izzy came armed with food to lure him out, and it worked.

“I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and took him home,” she said.

Ghost had lost about three pounds and had a couple of ticks on him, but was in otherwise good shape.  Izzy said that if it hadn’t been for Cashew, Ghost might never have been found.  The kitty was aptly named, as he’s known for being elusive.  He once found himself lodged in a wall and it took nearly a month to capture him.

“I love that dog dearly,” Izzy said, laughing.

Shelly says that though Cash is “a goofy dog,” he is a marvelous tracker.  One time he led her to a dead deer in the middle of the woods, and another time was able to find his way out of a corn maze.

Texans Neydi and Carlos Romero have been married for three years, and on each of their wedding anniversaries they have celebrated by adopting a dog.  Hopefully they’ll be happy together for a long time, and hopefully they have enough

room!

The Bedford couple didn’t plan to make this their tradition, but growing up, Neydi wasn’t allowed to have dogs, so she knew as an adult that she wanted a houseful of them.

“We’ve always liked dogs, but my mom never let me have them,” she told BuzzFeed News.  “As soon as I moved out and started my new life with Carlos, we knew we wanted a dog.”

But getting one actually came as a surprise for Neydi.

“Carlos got our first dog, Captain, as a surprise for me,” Neydi told The Dodo.  “We had talked about getting a dog since we got married, so he got him for the first-year mark.

“Captain is a sweet, smart, and independent dog.  He is the one that takes care of me when I am sad or sick,” she said of the Australian shepherd/blue heeler mix.  “He loves to go to the park and get chased by his doggie friends.

“Then for the second anniversary, we brought in Teddy.  Carlos [and I] were talking about how we get a dog every single year and we were talking about continuing with the tradition.

“He was infected with tapeworms and severely underweight when we first got him,” she said, explaining how the Lab/beagle mix was being given away for free on Craigslist, and that a year later he was vibrant and full of life.

“Teddy is funny, super energetic and crazy.  He loves to cuddle and give a ton of kisses.  Ever since he was little we have taken him to the dog park and he is always the life of the party.”

Then year three rolled around, and in came Chewy.  The shepherd/husky mix wasn’t Neydi’s choice, but when she saw what the shelter was like, she knew they had to save him.

“He is a super smart and funny boy.  He is still a baby and it’s too early to say what he will be like in the future, but I know he is a great dog.”

At first, adding a puppy to the mix was a bit stressful, but now they seemed to have found their groove.

“This is how the dynamic works in this household:  Captain is always trying to stay out of trouble, Teddy is always starting the trouble and Chewy likes to get involved,” Neydi said.  (Sounds like a typical sibling dynamic!)

“They all have such different personalities, but they get along regardless of their differences.  At one point in the day they could be fighting and the very same day I will find them napping together.”

Neydi’s sister Odalis shared the family’s custom on Twitter, and now it’s got a lot of people thinking about boosting their own #relationshipgoals.

“I was glad to know my sister wanted to shelter these dogs and make them a part of her family.  They’re like my nephews,” Odalis Herrera said.  “I really do feel like having them has taught my brother-in-law and sister a lot more about patience and love.

“I hope others are inspired to adopt/foster a dog from a shelter or other ethical methods.  There are countless dogs who are in need of a loving home.”

However, Neydi wants people to realize that pets aren’t just gifts, but family members for life.

“A lot of people look at dogs like presents.  Each dog I got, I knew the responsibilities I was getting into,” Neydi explained.  “All dogs have a capability of living a long life.  I don’t think some people realize they’re living things.”

But the Romeros don’t have infinite funding or room, so they’re setting the limit at five.

“We’re going to try to push till our fifth anniversary, and from there we’re going to stop,” Neydi said laughingly.

But their ultimate goal is to one day turn their home into a rescue where they can foster dogs.

“It makes more sense.  If we keep going, it’s going to be pretty wild.  In a perfect world we would be getting dogs every year… but it’s the real world.”

A sanitation worker named Mark was picking up trash from his usual route when he noticed something disturbing, writes ilovemydogsomuch

While emptying one of the trash cans, he spotted an unnatural movement in a tightly sealed plastic bag. He quickly tore the bag open, and was horrified to find a suffocating Calico kitten gasping for air.

Without wasting another second, Mark, who works for the Upper Darby Township Sanitation Department, rescued the kitten and took her to Animal Control. The kitten was named “Grundgetta”, and transferred to Pennsylvania’s Providence Animal Center for further care.

After a vet assessment, Grundgetta was found to be heavily weakened. She was estimated to be around 3-4 weeks old, and had to be bottle fed for the first few weeks. Soon, she was placed with a wonderful foster parent, who helped her get healthy and strong. Despite being tossed away like trash, Grundgetta blossomed into the sweetest kitten who adored anyone willing to cuddle with her!

It was only a matter of time that Grundgetta found her forever home. Her new mom, Sabrina, is totally enchanted by her innocent eyes and comforting personality. The wee love bug has been rechristened as “Agatha”. Needless to say, she is no longer a “worthless piece of trash”, but someone’s much cherished treasure!

Click the video below to watch how a conscientious sanitation worker saved the life of a helpless discarded kitten.

A good citizen spotted this poor dog family in a garbage pile. The mama dog was in very bad condition. She could not even stand up but she tried to feed her babies.

The good citizen drove them to a safer location and enlisted the assistance of a local rescuer. She gave them some food and water while waiting for rescuers. It’s heartbreaking because the poor mama was on the verge of passing away.

They were taken to a shelter for animals. They are a stray dog family, and the mama was badly injured due to skin disease. Her puppies are all healthy and do not have any serious health issues.

The mama made a full recovery and is now reunited with her babies in their safe haven. They have a happy health and live their best lives together. It was heartbreaking at first, but it soon became heartwarming.

We are grateful for the help and for giving this family a second chance. They would not have survived if it hadn’t been for your kindness and love.

It’s amazing the difference a makeover can have on a dog’s life. It’s more than just about looks: a good grooming goes a long way in keeping a pet happy and healthy.

Katie Newhouser is a UPS driver in Rancho Cucamonga, California.  Whenever she would pull up to the apartment complex Leo lived in, he would greet her and jump in her truck.  And when she found out that Leo’s mom died, she volunteered to foster him, but he became so bonded with his new brother that she decided to make the arrangement permanent!

“I met Leo and his mom Tina on my route – they lived in condo complex that I deliver to,” Katie told Life With Dogs.  “He would always bark for her to let him come down to the truck to see me.  He would hop into my truck and make himself at home!”

About a year ago, Katie had gone on vacation, and when she returned to her route she noticed Tina’s son, Canon, leaving the complex with furniture in the back of his truck.  Tina had told her that the association was hassling her about Leo – residents had complained that he should be wearing a muzzle (despite him being a friendly boy) – so she thought Tina was moving.  When Katie checked the woman’s Facebook page, she was sad to discover that she had died.

Canon was completing training for the Marines, so Katie reached out to him and offered to take Leo in until he returned.  But during the time she had him, he had fallen in love with her Lab mix, Moose, and both agreed that they couldn’t be separated.

“He realized that Leo had bonded with my dog Moose and he couldn’t go back to being a single dog.”

In addition to Moose, Leo now has three other siblings: a terrier mix named Bailey, and two cats, Madison and Mocha.  Though Leo has adjusted very well to his new family, it was clear that in the beginning he really missed his mom.

“At first it was a little sad, he would whine a bit at night. I believe that he missed Tina,” Katie explained. “He is the biggest cuddle bug that you will ever meet. There are many times when I wake up and he is resting his head on mine.”

You probably didn’t know (I certainly didn’t), but there is an awesome page on Facebook called UPS DOGS.  It’s literally just all the amazing dogs UPS drivers meet while making deliveries.  Katie posted about Leo there, and her story spread like wildfire.

Until getting Leo, she had no idea just how bad the stigma surrounding pit bulls was, and now happily advocates for them by telling people about what a darling Leo is, and how much personality he has.

“He love to snag things off of the counter and have you chase him,” Katie said.  “He is a character! He really is the best dog.”

Leo is clearly no longer wearing the prong collar here.  ?

A New York dog out for a walk on a beach got the chance to be a hero when he dove into the water and pulled out a fawn who had darted out into the waves and couldn’t make its way back to shore.

Mark Freeley was walking on a beach in Port Jefferson with his dogs Sara and Storm when they spotted a fawn that had gotten itself into some trouble.

“Storm just plunged into the water and started swimming out to the fawn, grabbed it by the neck, and started swimming to shore,” he told CBS New York.

The English golden retriever lived up to the name of his kind and duly fetched the stranded baby and pulled it all the way onto the sand, protectively lying down next to it.

“And then he started nudging it, and started pulling it to make sure it was gonna be ok I guess,” Freeley explained.

The dog dad called rescuers, but when they arrived the poor thing was frightened back into the water, possibly by the dogs. Freeley said that “this time it went out even further,” so he and Frank Floridia of Strong Island Rescue waded out in the water to save it together.

Tension filled the air for the eight minutes it took for them to get a rope around the fawn and reel it in.  Floridia says much of the credit belongs to his partner, Erica Kutzing, who ran about a mile on the beach to help with the rescue and carried the ailing animal to their van.

The baby was loaded with ticks and had sustained an eye injury, but is now being cared for at a local rescue group until it is well enough to be released back into the wild.

Beneath the mounds of matted fur, an adorable dog waited to break free.  She had clearly suffered for a long time, but now that she’s been groomed and is happy in a loving new home, her smile stretches from ear to ear!

Ellen was very lucky to be saved by Trio Animal Foundation in Chicago, because they gave her the care that the underfunded open access shelter simply wasn’t able to provide.  Because of TAF, Ellen is healthy and loved today.  Her happiness makes our hearts smile!