30+ Photos of Dogs Before & After Their Adoption That Melted Our Hearts

These two pups were inside, doing a 20-stretch for aiding and a-petting and committing pawjury. But then they gave a visitor their best puppy dog eyes, and who could resist? Soon, they were handed a get-out-of-jail-free card and went from cellmates to lifemates when they were adopted and given a forever home.

Now, the two ex-cellmates, who we’re calling Bonnie and Clyde, act as getaway drivers for bank robbers… when they can remember not to get too excited!

This is Apollo. At one stage, he would fit in the palm of your hand. Even as an abandoned puppy, he was adorable, but he needed a lot of love to grow up to be such a handsome boy.

His name is very appropriate because Apollo is named after the Greek god of healing (among many other things like the sun, music, and archery). Apollo loves walkies, hanging out with his forever dad, and causing havoc! And the bigger he gets, the more havoc he will cause!

“Toby or not Toby? That is the question. Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of living in the pound, or to live like a king, taking up a whole king-size bed.” Poor Toby used to drink water from a metal bucket and use a plastic crate as a pillow.

But after his new owners took him home, he’s the lord of the manor. His new mom and dad have to turn and plump his pillows for him every hour. What a lucky boy!

Vivacious Vizsla Harper had been returned to the shelter three times before her first birthday. But when her new owners saw her, they had to help. They wrote online, “The last year with her has been anything but easy, and she tests us almost every day.”

They continued, “But she is the light of our life, and we couldn’t imagine what we would do without her. We are so filled with joy anytime she smiles and curls up in bed, knowing that she has finally found her home!”

What a difference a few months make. In the first photo, this doggo is cooped up in a cage, pleading to every visitor, “Will you love me?” And in the second picture, he owns the house, not letting anyone else on his couch, saying, “Thank you. I am soooo loved! Now rub my belly!”

His name is Koda Bear, and after getting his daily ration of belly rubs, he likes to request his favorite meal — “Rossijiss.” In human speak, that’s “Sausages.”

We don’t know the name of this Pekingese/Corgi mix, so we’ll call him Bow Tie. When his new owners first got him, he had sad floppy ears and terrible circles under his eyes, making him look like a droopy cartoon character.

Yes, even dogs get eye bags when they don’t sleep properly. This is what two months of love, care, affection, and compassion look like. After being fed properly and getting more rest, he’s now bright, alert, and absolutely dashing. Now, he even has happy ears and a wicked bow tie.

Is the creature in this first photo a puppy or a baby polar bear? It’s hard to tell. She’s actually a Jindo dog from Korea. All she needed was a new mom. Luckily, along came a lady to give her the love, protection, and snuggles she needed.

The first photo shows a sad, lonely, scruffy polar bear cub. After a year and a half with her new mom, though, this beautiful woofer is the queen of hiking and owns the Spanish countryside.

No, this isn’t Marvel comics Cosmo the Spacedog, but she does have a cosmic name — her name is Moon. She was tied up in the dog pound in what her parents call her “prison photo.” But just two months after finding her forever home, she’s ruling the roost because that couch belongs to her now.

We’re surprised she didn’t plant a flag in it like Neil Armstrong did on the moon! Her owners wrote online that adopting her was the “best decision we ever made. We love you, Moon!”

This funny furry little fellow is named King Louie after the Orangutan in The Jungle Book. The cartoon ape was, in turn, named after legendary jazz musician Louis Armstrong. The rescue dog’s proud parents wrote online, “King Louie was surrendered on Saturday after a year of no grooming. Very nice glow-up since being in our home!”

After a year of no grooming, he looked like he’d been in the jungle — but now he looks like the king of the swingers, the jungle VIP… Everybody sing along now!

This is Pablo. According to his new owners, the animal welfare ambulance checking him out was about to abandon him again “because he wasn’t chipped and didn’t have breakages, so that means that they had to leave him behind.”

So, as the ambulance disappeared into the sunset, the couple with hearts of gold took Pablo in and raised him themselves. Look at how happy he is to be off the streets. We’re not sure where he’s from, but we’re gonna call him Pablo Escobark!

This poor husky named Luna was left to fend for herself and ended up malnourished to the point she was just skin and bones. But even after being so mistreated, look how much love he has in her eyes in the first photo. Who could resist her? Well, not her new owners. They took her home and cared for her, and look at her eight months later!

Notice her different colored eyes, like David Bowie. The condition is called ​​Heterochromia, from the Greek meaning different and color.

This little bundle of fur was rescued by a lady and her husband off the streets of Guam. The Young Americans wrote, “He was covered in ticks and burs, and his back leg was broken presumably from being hit by a car. And he was only two months old! Now, he’s six months old and lives in Hawaii with six humans that adore him. Rescue is beautiful.”

They named him Bowie because he’s a Diamond Dog. That’s a reference to the name of a David Bowie album, in case you were wondering.

Everybody say hello to Possum. Her owners gave her that name because her poor tail was limp and hairless, like a possum’s. She had to be sheared as she was covered in fleas. Now, she has a bright shiny, long coat, and just check out the difference in her eyes. Even her eyes shine more brightly.

Possum’s hobbies and interests include long walks, swimming, getting petted and groomed, getting her owners wet when shaking off water, eating snacks, fetching sticks, hide and seek, and playing possum.

We don’t know who looks more distressed in this first photo, the dog or her rescuer! This brave young man rescued Syvli from terrible conditions in a police pound in China in 2017. Her owner said, “Fast forward to 2021, and she’s a completely different dog. For most of 2018, she adjusted.”

He continued, “She wouldn’t walk on a leash, wouldn’t go to the bathroom outside, never played with toys, she had no idea how to be a dog. Now, she’s livin’ life by the ocean, and she is amazingly happy.”

This is Ricky. Say hello to Ricky. When he came to the shelter, he had long, matted hair and looked like he’d been dragged through a hedge backward. He was given a forever home by a young man who takes really great care of him. Now, sometime later, Ricky scrubs up quite nicely.

With his collars, tie, and name badge, it’s either Ricky’s first day of school photo or he has an important new job to report to. We think Ricky might be the Wolf of Wall Street!

Pancake looks a bit like Dorothy’s dog in The Wizard of Oz, but she isn’t a Cairn Terrier; she’s an Idaho Shag. This poor pup had to have one of her legs amputated in 2021. Having three legs meant she was less likely to find a forever home. But then, one lady saw her and fell in love.

Pancake loves hiking, car rides, rolling in grass, and swimming. She recently went on a road trip to Utah and Colorado, so here’s a photo of her thinking, “This ain’t Kansas!”

This is Teddy, or going by his name tag, Teddy Pretzels. His new owners posted on Instagram — “We found Teddy’s shelter picture, and it’s heartbreaking. we’re so glad he came into our lives and is letting his sweet, goofy personality shine! Hopefully, he knows that he’ll be safe, clean, fed, and loved for the rest of his life.”

Even though Teddy is a boy, he’s fit for a queen. That’s because he’s got some Corgi in him, and Corgis were the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite breed.

The first picture of this adorable Golden Retriever/Pyrenees mix was taken many years ago. How do we know? Well, after many years working as a service dog, perhaps as a guide dog for blind people, or a hearing dog for deaf people, she’s now retired!

As an old-aged paw-sioner, she gets to laze in the sun all day. And do you know what? She deserves it after dedicating her life to others as a service dog. You lap up every sun drop, girl!

These two stray Saluki mixes lived on the streets of Doha, Qatar, until a compassionate local couple took them in. We’re not sure if they were adopted by a soccer fan attending the 2022 Soccer World Cup, but it’s possible. Temperatures in the Middle Eastern country regularly hit 113° Fahrenheit.

So, we’re not sure how Archer and Zuma reacted to their new home in Canada when they stepped off the plane. But three months later, they love snowy Canada as much as Jack London’s White Fang.

Before he was fostered, this poor doggo was full of ticks and scars and a dirty brown color. Luckily, he was fostered by a loving human, who named him Teddy because he looks just like a cuddly teddy bear.

After nine months of being described as “a bundle of joy,” he was finally adopted by someone in Canada and will soon go there. If you can’t adopt a dog for life, have you thought about fostering? Yes, it’s tough to see them go, but it’s a massive help.

Gizmo was named after the cuddly Mogwai in the 1984 classic film Gremlins. His new owner posted, “I had to convince my husband he was cute under all that hair because he thought “that’s the ugliest dog I’ve ever seen!’” His new owner gave Gizmo the love, care, and shelter he needed, and look how bright-eyed and bushy-tailed he is now!

The new owner was given three rules when adopting Gizmo. Don’t get him wet, avoid bright light, and don’t feed him after midnight… else he’ll turn into a Gremlin!

This first picture was taken in the British Virgin Islands. The British overseas territory sits on a volcanic archipelago in the Caribbean, known for its rainforests, white sandy beaches, and stray doggos — who are known as Caribbean Coconut Retrievers!

This poor shaggy beast rocked up to this lady and won her heart. After a short time in quarantine, he and his new mom now live in Florida. By the pool! Yes, this ex-stray dog from the dusty Caribbean street now lives a more rockstar life than you!

Six-year-old Sophie was recused from a puppy mill. These are commercial dog breeding facilities characterized by quick breeding and poor conditions. According to the World Animal Foundation, there are over 10,000 puppy mills in the USA.

Luckily, this puppy farm was discovered and closed down, and little Sophie was rescued. 18 months later, she’s living her best life. Her owner describes her as “full of fluff and mischief,” and the “little crime queen” was recently caught “frolicking” in the yard with a baby deer!

They say the camera never lies, and this first picture shows how timid and nervous this poor dog was on the day he was adopted from a shelter in Romania. You can almost feel him shaking with fear. Fast forward to today, and he’s blossomed into a fine handsome boy living in the United Kingdom.

And dare we say, he looks a bit like Lassie. In fact, he’s so good-looking he should appear in dog food commercials as the perfect example of a pooch with a glossy, shiny coat.

If there’s one downside to giving a stray puppy a forever home, it’s not knowing what breed they are or how big they might grow. This tiny brown mongrel was discovered living on the streets of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

The only thing his rescuer could say for sure was that he wasn’t a Burmese cat or python, so he took the little fella back to the States. There, he grew into this huge, healthy, hungry, handsome, happy, huggable hound!

When Paisley was weighed at the shelter, he defied physics by weighing a negative number of pounds and ounces. He was lonely, abandoned, and traumatized. Then, came along a guardian angel who adopted him and gave him a better life. And now, just a matter of weeks later, look at Paisley go! This is the power of giving a puppy a forever home.

You can literally save a dog’s life. So, why not contact your local rescue center? Becoming a guardian angel is a click and phone call away.

This is Rosie before and after adoption. In her first five years, she lived a life of fear and neglect in at least two puppy mills. The unscrupulous, criminal puppy farm owners used poor Rosie for breeding. She had mange caused by mites that burrow into the skin and cause hair loss.

Luckily, that didn’t put off her potential parents. But, not even their optimism could have foretold what a mighty beautiful beast Rosie would become. Talk about the ugly duckling transforming into a beautiful, elegant swan!

This poor black and white abandoned pooch used to be chained up in Romania as a guard dog to protect animals. But when some good samaritans saw him, they just knew they had to help. Presumably, they unchained him and ran away with him — which is what you must also do if you see any animal chained up. Unless it’s a bear!

Now, when he’s not being mistaken for a dairy cow, this woofer loves lying in the sun. Check out the difference. We love his ears!

The owner believes this sweet boy is a Shiba Inu with some Labrador. This poor puppy was living in a shelter, sad, lonely, and depressed. Dogs and cats get depressed and feel traumatized, just like us humans. But then, his forever parent came along and adopted him.

Cherry BlossomAs The Beatles sang, “All you need is love” — this doggo is a true testament to that. The semi-professional photography definitely helps but even so, this guy looks like he’s living his best life, running wild in the Japanese cherry blossom and loving it.

Hands up who’s heard of Pavlov’s Dogs? Well, who’s heard of Maslov’s Hierarchy of Needs? It states that humans have a pyramid of needs, from food and shelter at the bottom, through health and friendship in the middle, to self-respect and becoming the best version of yourself at the top. And Maslov’s Hierarchy of Needs applies just as much to our furry friends.

Luckily, someone saved five-year-old Golden Retriever Georgia from a Chinese puppy mill associated with the dog meat trade. Even better, her new owner gave her food, shelter, warmth, and love to become the best version of herself.

This is Peach and Chubbs. They didn’t find a home for a long time as they were bonded and needed to be adopted together. A lady and her husband always wanted a dog, but when they saw these bundles of canine joy, they ended up with two!

She wrote, “These pictures are only three-ish months apart. They went from scared and anxious pups to the two happiest dogs I’ve ever met. They are truly the best dogs and complete our little family, and we can’t imagine life without them.”

Tiny Chloe Bear was rescued from the pound, where she was so scared she’d shake, rattle and roll like a 1950s rock n’ roll singer. Fast forward one week — yes folks, you read that right, one week — and look at her go! She looks ready, willing, strong, and able enough to take on the world.

Yes, Chloe Bear’s been well-fed, sheared, and groomed, and she has a little diamante flower on her collar, but that’s not the reason she looks better. It’s all down to one thing… love.

This first photo is just heartbreaking. It proves that dogs have souls and need just as much love and affection as we humans. Without it, they become depressed, lose their boundless energy and sense of identity, and often give up. Seriously, who could do this to a man’s best friend?

But, there’s good news. After this handsome doggo was adopted from the pound, he reclaimed so much self-esteem, ego, pride, and dignity that he looks more like Simba from The Lion King standing on Pride Rock, surveying his kingdom.

Wynter’s tale is a great rags-to-riches story. She was fending for herself, living on the streets, underfed, underweight, and underappreciated — until her hero and guardian angel saved her. A lady who rescues dogs found her wandering along a country road and paid for all her injections.

With love and care, she grew into a fine Malamute/German Shepherd mix… with a little bit of Swiss Shepherd. When the temperature drops, Wynter loves playing in the snow.

Ripley is an apt name for this adorable dog because, just like the heroine of the Alien franchise, she’s been through hell. She was rescued from the muddy streets of Iran, where she had to fight packs of roaming dogs. But then she was rescued and brought back to the United States, where she looks insanely happy taking a bath.

While some of these dogs have been rescued from other countries, we must point out that some dogs in foreign countries are well looked after, and some woofers in the USA live on the streets.

Everybody, this is Hank. Hank, this is everybody. What do you mean you’re too excited to meet so many people? You’re always excitable, Hank! Sadly, he was badly mistreated and left with many scars. His puphood trauma caused him to be incredibly withdrawn and timid.

His new owner wrote, “The local humane society didn’t know what his story was because he was found as a stray at only four months old, but now he’s four, has a family, and a best friend (me).” We’re not meant to have favorites, but this is our fave photo.

Can you believe this poor dog was left to perish in a park? Luckily, someone who actually had a heart and soul found her and rescued her. We don’t know her name, so we’re calling her Happiness. Her new mom nursed her back to health and later had a message for the cruel misfit who abandoned her.

They posted online, “To the person who left her in a park… two years ago… look at her now! With your horrible neglect came a whole lot of happiness.”

This sweet girl was in the pound but thankfully was rescued from being put to sleep because she had a minor skin condition. Her name is Scarlett, and if you look closely, you can actually see she’s crying in the first photo.

Now, Scarlett regularly quotes Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With the Wind, “As God is my witness, as God is my witness they’re not going to lick me. I’m going to live through this, and when it’s all over, I’ll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk.”

Luckily, someone fell in love and saw the potential in this tiny pup. He was rescued from the pound looking well… like a lost puppy. He was adopted, cared for, and groomed, and now he looks like he’s the king of the world.

Just a few months after his adoption, here’s the little fella romping around in his happy place. Lucky’s enjoying life so much that he actually looks like he’s laughing. Can dogs laugh? We need answers, please.

This loveable little ball of fluff is Kasper. Sadly, he was one of the millions of dogs around the world who grew up in a dog shelter, relying on rescue workers and charity. But, then someone from England adopted him.

He traveled all the way from Romania to the UK and look at the difference. He’s even got his own bow tie! His owner posted online that Kasper “has yet to integrate and learn the language. Very good boy nonetheless.”

We like to think that Annie was named after Annie the Musical, which was named after the comic strip Little Orphan Annie. Even before she was at the pound, she learned “it’s a hard knock life” and while she was waiting for her savior, she must have thought, “Tomorrrow, Tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow, You’re always a day away…”

But her guardian angels did show up, and you’ll be surprised to hear that these two photos were taken just one week apart.

Poor little Rey was just one day away from being put to sleep in Los Angeles. But, then a compassionate Los Angelino plucked her up in their loving arms and gave her a forever home. And look at how happy she is now! It’s no wonder Los Angeles is named the City of Angels because Rey’s new parent is a real-life angel.

We’re guessing that she was named Rey after the Star Wars character, even though she looks more like Chewbacca or maybe an Ewok!

Charlie is a Pitbull that was rescued and then went viral. His new owner’s sister posted on Twitter, “My sister adopted her very first dog, and his before and after pics have me crying.”

We don’t know if she was crying at his plight in the shelter or whether she was crying with laughter at the sight of a tough Pitbull wearing flowers in his hair! Nowadays, Charlie loves playing fetch on the beach with a tennis ball and being an internet sensation. He even signs autographs!

This good boy was literally begging for someone to rescue him from the shelter. And how could anyone resist those big brown eyes? They’re almost saying, “Pleeeeeease take me home with you. I’ll be your best fwiend forever and ever and ever.”

Cut to a few months later, and this good boy is enjoying a car ride on his way to his favorite destination for walkies! With his tongue lolling, this good boy just wants to say thank you to all the animal lovers out there for making his life, all our featured doggos’ lives, and the world a better place.