10 before and after photos of rescue animals that prove adopting a pet is the best.

If you’re anything like us, you love animals. Love them. So you can’t understand how anybody could ever be so cruel as to hurt them. Unfortunately, it happens. Probably more times than we would like to think about.

But sometimes these abused and abandoned animals get the happy ending they deserve when they’re adopted into a loving home.

If you ever needed a reason to adopt an animal in need (you know, aside from the endless amount of love and joy your new pet will bring to your life), here it is.

Owners have been sharing before and after photos of their adopted dogs and cats on Reddit. The before photos show their much-loved pets right before they were adopted, often looking sad, scared, dishevelled and unhealthy. The after photos show them after they went to their forever home, completely transformed. It shows that a little bit of love and care can go a long way to making a big difference.

While sometimes hard to look at, the photos and the stories behind them are equal parts heartbreaking and uplifting.

1. “She was heart-worm positive, riddled with bird shot, and dumped at the shelter with her three puppies. Now she’s claimed the best spot on the sofa.”

2. "Luna got rescued from an abusive family in Bulgaria, we adopted her just a week ago and while she is still very fearful, I swear to give her all the love she deserves from now on."

3. "Found her in a field, skin and bones. The vet said she was a year old, but small from malnutrition. Now she’s our fat and happy baby girl!"

4. "Here is my mange survivor, superhero Pops the Puppy!!! He was a Hurricane Harvey pup who is just now starting to feel better all these months later. He's my inspiration with his fighting spirit and good attitude despite all he has been through in his short life!!"

5. "Our pug had a hard start to life. Raised by a trucker who couldn’t take care of him and get him the treatment he needed. Then a vet who didn’t diagnose him correctly. Now he’s a healthy stud-muffin!"

6. "Bonnie and Clyde. From skinny strays to masters of the house."

7. "After breeding her for pups, her owners dumped her off at the shelter and she sat at the reception desk every day waiting for them to come back for her. And after being out on trial with another family and brought back, here she is loving life at her new forever home with me."

8. "Hiding at the shelter. Above was right after I brought him home. Benny likes it here."

9. "He was abandoned, timid and skinny when I got him. Today he's a bit tubby and a confident young man. He still doesn't like strangers, though."

10. "My sweet baby turned 2! We rescued her from a high kill shelter a few hours before her time was up. We didn't know if she would ever grow into those big paws and ears."

Now excuse us while we make a tearful trip out to our nearest animal shelter to adopt our new best friend. If you'd like to do the same, you can find a list of no-kill animal shelters in your state here.

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