Lakeisha Ethans

Bubbles the horse rescued himself from a Texas kill lot by loading up on the trailer while rescuers were getting mini donkeys ready to take home to their sanctuary. Bubbles knew it might be his last chance and ignored the commands of anyone telling him he was staying. Of course, the rescuers fell in love with his heart and took him too. It’s a good thing they did, or he would have ended up in a Mexico slaughterhouse. Ever since Bubbles made it back to the rescue, he has been strutting his stuff and making friends with all the animals and staffers. When his story broke last month, Bubbles became a loved horse all the world. He soon started receiving fan mail and the letters and packages didn’t stop. Becky’s Hope Horse Rescue (BHHR) posted Bubbles’ wish list from Amazon and people have responded! Not only did people send donated item immediately, but many of them put Bubbles’ name on the packages. Gina, a longtime volunteer for BHHR said “We are profoundly humbled and grateful for the outpouring of support Bubbles that rescue has received. We are an all-volunteer organization and have always been funded exclusively through donations. We have many kill pen and auction intercept horses and donkeys here and these kind donations benefit all of them.” Bubbles enjoys sharing his gifts and is a very sweet horse with an old soul. To donate to Bubbles, click here or get your very own Bubbles t-shirt right here. You can also track Bubbles on his very own Facebook page here. Share away, people! Images & Feature Image Source: Becky’s Hope Horse Rescue

On a street corner in Cleveland Ohio, under the onslaught of a brutal snow storm, sat a box. The box’s thin cardboard walls were the only protection that the four little kittens inside had from the frigid temperatures. The body temperatures of the kittens were rapidly dropping, leading them to a certain death in the cold of the night. A curious woman passing by stopped, peered into the box, saw what it held, and called the police who called the Cleveland Animal Protective League (CAPL). CAPL rushed to get the one grey and three orange kittens before the weather claimed more victims and took them straight to the vet who determined that the little ones had only been out long enough to get the sniffles and not long enough to cause any permanent damage. The four kittens, now named Smalls, Squints, Repeat, and Benny most likely survived the cold weather by clinging together, and they still do today. However, they have also learned that human hands hold a lot of warmth and love. At six-weeks-old, the kittens are already in a great foster home. When they’re big and strong, they’ll be up for adoption into loving, forever homes. Keep track of the Sandlot snow kittens on Facebook. You can also help the CAPL to save more animals like Smalls, Squints, Repeat, and Benny by making a donation here. If, by chance, you are a curious passerby that happens upon a litter of needy kittens, be sure to call the police or animal rescue in your area to get them help. Share away, people. Images & Feature Image Source: Cleveland Animal Protective League

Hex, at only eight weeks old, was surrounded by fire and gave into the darkness that eased her pain. Luckily for her, firefighters were told that a puppy was in the burning home and rushed in to rescue her. When they found her, Hex was unresponsive for about twenty minutes, but the firefighters were not ready to give up on her just yet. The Asheville Fire Department firefighters in North Carolina gave her oxygen and coaxed her back into the light. Hex was lucky just to be alive as she was burned severely in several areas. Staff at the Asheville Humane Society and the Animal Hospital of North Asheville treated her for her wounds and it took months of surgeries and recuperation for her to heal. She showed that she was a fighter and won the hearts of everyone around her. This week, Hex was reunited with the brave firefighters who risked it all for her. It was the first time they had seen her since the rescue and the ceremony was meant to celebrate their bravery as well as Hex’s recovery. Hex will be leaving very soon to go spend the rest of her life with her forever family that has adopted her. She will always have the physical scars showing how terrifying her ordeal was, but she is a happy and healthy pup with a whole lot of people who love her and a second chance at life that she plans on using. You can donate to the Asheville Humane Society to help them save more animals here. Share away, people! Images & Feature Image Source: Asheville Fire Department

A young pup was surrendered to the Lancaster SPCA on July 4th in such horrible condition that volunteers from Speranza Animal Rescue were shocked and heartbroken. When they first saw him, they weren’t even sure he would make it through the night. He was too weak to move and his skin was so horribly infected that it smelled as if it was rotting away as he was one big open wound. Janine Guido, the director of Speranza Animal Rescue couldn’t believe his condition. She took Libre, which means free in Spanish, to the Dillsburg Veterinary Center and they promised to do everything they could to help him.   Libre refused to give up too, but the longer he held on, the more problems the vet found. Libre needed very strong antibiotics, and had maggots living under his skin. Regardless of his abuse, he loved people and was very sweet. A lot of people donated to his care and after days of work, he finally stood.     Libre’s eyes had corneal ulcers, but they began to light up with hope. He was recovering little by little everyday as Guido fight the SPCA to press charges on his former owner. Life was unfair to Libre, but now it’s better. Guido promised him she would take him home if he made it, and she did. He is now a very happy, healthy, and very spoiled dog who got to experience his first snow with his new partner in life. If you want to help the Speranza Animal Rescue save more animals, you can donate here. Share away, people! Images & Feature Image Source: Facebook / Speranza Animal Rescue

Friendships come in all shapes and sizes. For Rick Anderson, his friendship is so far from normal that most people don’t believe it when they hear about the unlikely duo. To go to his friend’s “house,” Anderson must strap on an oxygen tank and dive into the ocean off Nobbys Beach in South Wales, Australia. As soon as Anderson’s nameless friend sees him, she swims right over to get cuddled. The shocking part of this friendship is that Anderson’s friend is a six-foot long female Port Jackson shark. Anderson’s friend has specific markings that he recognizes and she always knows him. He first began playing with her when she was only about six inches long and had to carefully approach her so she wouldn’t swim away. Anderson would gently pat her until she warmed up to him and he could cradle her in his hand and talk to her. Every time he saw her, he would go through the routine and she warmed up to the idea of having a friend quickly. Every season, when Anderson dives, she sees him and swims right up to him. The shark is so comfortable with Anderson that she swims beside him and taps his legs until he holds out his arms for her to snuggle into. Divers with Anderson are always shocked when they get to witness the spectacular scene. Anderson has been a dive instructor for twenty-seven years and hopes his unusual friendship helps people to get over their irrational fear of sharks and understand that sharks are not mindless water monsters. Share away, people! Images & Feature Image Source: Rick Anderson

Five newborn kittens were living in a shelter in North Carolina and had to stay in a tiny cage that was very cold because kittens can’t produce their own warmth. Volunteers knew they needed to get out of the shelter to survive and Susan Spalding agreed to foster them. Since she is also the cofounder of National Kitten Coalition, she had experience with newborn kittens and was prepared for the bottle-feeding and extra care they would need. The kittens were in bad shape when they arrived and one passed away the day after, leaving four kittens. There was only one female, named Bijou, and she was very tiny. As the kittens began to grow, Bijou didn’t and stayed at about four ounces. Bijou would gain and lose grams, but never really had any significant growth. For an unknown reason, Bijou’s health rapidly declined one day and she almost didn’t make it. However, it’s the size of the fight in the kitten and not the size of the kitten in the fight, so Bijou pulled through. Not only did she make it through hell, but she came out stronger. She finally began to grow and at 9 weeks, weighed 8.2 ounces. She is still very small and will always be about half of the size of other cats, but she has a big heart and radiates joy. At eight and a half months old, Bijou weighs 3.3 pounds and it perfectly healthy. When she’s ready, she’ll be up for adoption, but for right now, being loved in foster care is enough. Share away, people! Images & Feature Image Source: National Kitten Coalition