Why We Rescue
Some lovely, heartwarming photos here to remind all of us to adopt shelter pets (or rescue strays off the street). Many more photos at the link 
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It's no secret that photography can be a powerful, transformative tool for shelter and rescue animals, who are often misrepresented in the media as having major behavioral or medical issues.
In the yearlong audio-visual project "Why We Rescue," photographer Theron Humphrey hopes to dismantle these myths by documenting the everyday lives of shelter and rescue animals and their owners.
You may remember Humphrey; he and his beloved, balancing coonhound Maddie (right) have hit the road quite a bit in the past several years. After concluding a 365-day, Kickstarter-funded documentary journey across all 50 U.S. states in 2012, it wasn't long before he kicked off yet another cross-country tour to promote his book Maddie On Things.
http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/blogs/intimate-portraits-spotlight-shelter-animals-and-the-humans-who-love-them?utm_source=Freekibble&utm_medium=Quiz&utm_campaign=march132014
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Thanks for the pictures and the links and all that you do to help animals everywhere. K&R 
thanks for chiming in!
Hope you have a lovely weekend.
Sometimes they are a little slow to overcome whatever trauma they've endured, but once they have a home and a family the vast majority of dogs are very happy playful souls.
We tend to come home with difficult dogs, but we've got plenty of experience.
There has to be some consideration matching personalities and lifestyles. A very high energy dog is not going to do well in a quiet household. A quiet sleep-at-your-feet-while-you-read dog is not going to do well in a high energy household.
These are two of our dogs, both very high energy:
Oh, look what the husky found in my wife's rose garden!
The buried drip irrigation pipe:
Better chew it apart!
Some dogs require patience. They will not be instant "buddies." But some of my favorite dogs have been the biggest trouble when we first brought them home.
what a great photo of your pups!
I have a bunch o' cats, but someday I want a dog or two... and I'm going to ask for those who need help the most. I have no kids, and am a patient woman. I don't care in the least that a shelter pup (or two) would need time to adjust and come out of their shells.
Our big male tuxedo cat is about 20 lbs of pure muscle; when we first plucked him off the street, soaked and sick from being deluged in a hurricane, he was difficult. For about the first year, every time you set him down after holding him for a bit, he'd turn around and bite you. Hard. My hands are scarred. First time he did it was before he'd had his rabies shot, so we had to quarantine him for 10 days. Asshole cat, whom I adore. 
Now he never does it, but he had some issues; nothing that patience and love couldn't overcome.
Best dog I've ever had.
He rescues kitties! 