It’s a doggone heartbreaker
Pups getting a new lease on life strikes a ‘deeply primitive’ instinct
Grab the Kleenex box ’cause you’re gonna cry like a baby!
The tale of how Eric O’Grey rescues Peety from a dog shelter near his home in San Jose, Calif., and Peety rescues Eric from miserable health and obesity will crush you. This video has been viewed by 26 million and counting.
Then there’s Chi Chi’s incredible story of survival — recently rescued from a dog meat farm in South Korea, the golden retriever mix lost all four paws, but got a new family in Arizona.
Caitlyn is an Internet sensation. This young Staffordshire terrier mix was found with her muzzle ducttaped shut in South Carolina. With her tongue caught between her teeth, she had no way of eating or drinking. She captured our hearts and is healing in a new home — she also made the 2016 Charleston Animal Society firefighter calendar.
Now they have fame and fortune — Internet fame and the fortune of being saved and making amazing recoveries. We love tales of dogs getting a new leash on life, of being healed because it heals us.
“Social media allows us to connect with others and share a deeply primitive instinct to coexist, collaborate and care for animals,” says pet advocate and vet Dr. Ernie Ward. “In our increasingly complex, cold and seemingly uncaring world, animal rescue stories remind us of our humanity and humaneness.”
We spread these heartbreaking and heartwarming stories because they exemplify the best of human actions: Caring for those that cannot care for themselves, says Ward, of Drernieward.com.
And everyone loves a happy ending. Dogs and humans share a unique evolutionary relationship that compels us to eternally root for the underdog — “They aren’t called man’s best friend for nothing. We’ve been betting on them to win for tens of thousands of years.”
We’re definitely cheering for Smiley, the therapy dog born without eyes, and so too the mama dog reunited with her puppies at the Marin Humane Society in California. Add to the mush and gush the awesome community program of kids reading to shelter dogs in Missouri.
According to Ward, these stories tap into our most sincere protective instincts. “Nothing creates more universal outrage than the mistreatment of a child or companion animal. Our stewardship of animals is hardwired in our human DNA and we can’t stand to witness any injustice or harm toward those defenceless, whether children or animals.”
As we become more socially isolated, the importance of connecting with another being, even an animal, becomes more critical, says Ward. Animals are an emotional lifeline for an increasingly stressful existence.
We need pets more than ever before, he adds. “These four-legged healers make us whole when life breaks us apart. As technology moves much of our social interaction online and out of touch, being able to pet your cat while you work on your computer or share a walk with your dog to decompress and share your thoughts with after a stressful day is vital to our emotional well-being.”
Ward adds that witnessing rescues allows us to connect with animals on an even deeper emotional level and bring about much-needed social change. “Imagine accompanying animal experts liberating dogs from a puppy mill, stalking illegal poachers in Africa or riding on a boat blocking illegal whale or dolphin hunts. These visceral experiences will promote positive change and allow officials to better understand the plight of these suffering and endangered animals. This will happen within the next two to three years.”