Saving a shelter dog’s life and seeing fear fade from their eyes is a huge reward. But the real payoff comes when they find their new forever homes. Here are just some of our happy tails…

I never thought a dog could bring me so much laughter and joy. Adopting Bella is one of the best things I've ever done and I'm so glad I was able to provide her with her forever home. I melt every time I see her adorable little face. My entire family has fallen in love with her and she's got us all wrapped around her little paws!

Maddy has been everything and more we hoped to find in a new dog: she's playful, curious, affectionate, sweet, cute, healthy and lots of fun. She wants to meet everyone she sees, dogs or humans. I've attached a photo taken earlier today as she helped Alan with Christmas lights. We love how her front feet are in ballet's "first position". She has been his shadow all weekend (and he's not even the one who takes her on walks!) Kelsey snapped the other one with her phone, so hope it transmits okay. By the way, it was love at first sight when we took Maddy to LAX to meet Kelsey!

I was riding my bike home from the farmers market and decided to stop by the dog adoption I had seen many times. I saw 'Poppet' and thought that she was the sweetest looking dog I’d ever seen. I rode home, told my boyfriend, Morgan about her and didn’t really think i would ever see her again. However, the following weekend we decided to stop by the dog adoption and just hang out with some dogs since both of us are HUGE dog lovers. We locked eyes on then 'Poppet' (now Olive) and Morgan said 'I’d adopt that dog'. The rest is history! It was the best decision of my life because she has warmed our lives in ways we never thought possible. Thank you for ALL THAT YOU DO!!.

Oliver was red-listed at a shelter. For the uninitiated, that means he had less than 24 hours to live. He was a dead dog walking...and wagging. Happily for Oliver and many other dogs, there is a woman named Allison who started Pup Squad Rescue. They go into shelters, rescue red-listed dogs, and work with an amazing vet, Dr. Earl, who donates his time and resources to nurse the dogs back to health and get them "adoptable." They keep and care for the dogs until a good home is found. In this tumultuous time it is comforting to me to know that there are angels walking amongst us. They create miracles every day by doing things that seem superhuman to us, but to them it's just what they know they must do. And, perhaps more importantly, it is proof that one person CAN make a difference.