It’s that wonderful time of the month where we share the most wholesome recent photos of adopted pets with all of you Pandas! Our team over here at Bored Panda absolutely can’t wait to share the cutest, cuddliest, meowtastic, and woofstanding pics with you. Remember to give the rescued animals a gentle boop on their noses with an upvote as you scroll down and share your own adopted pet stories in the comment section below.
As always, you’ll find our earlier most recent posts about pets finding their forever homes and new families here: February, January, and December.
The RSPCA told Bored Panda that one of the positives to come out of the countless Covid-19 lockdowns is an increased interest in rehoming and adopting pets in shelters. "We have seen a huge increase," a representative of RSPCA told us. "Since lockdown started, on March 23, to December 31 the RSPCA’s Find a Pet section of the website had 39,835,657 views compared to 23,681,542 in the same period the previous year. This is a rise of 68%. Our fostering page had 470,933 visits in the same period compared to 136,705 during the same period in 2019 which is a staggering 244% increase."
#1 I Found This Little Boy In The Countryside, Alone. Initially He Was Scared, Now He Seems To Be Pretty Comfortable
Image credits: Aritmico
#2 Least To Say That He Was Really Excited To Come Home With Us! Meet Billy Mae! (Adopted)
Image credits: iDontMindu
#3 Mandarin Was The Coolest Cat At The Shelter- I Had To Adopt Him
Image credits: Waggmans
The RSPCA explained that the data shows there's been a surge in pet ownership during lockdown. "Google keyword searches for ‘Puppies near me’ increased 650% between Jan-Jul 2020. ‘Adopting a dog’ saw a 204% increase in searches, ‘kittens near me’ an 188% increase from the previous year," they shared. "Government figures show that the numbers of licenses issued for the commercial import of dogs rose 87% from 14,075 (May-September 2019) to 26,4461 (for the same period this year)."
#4 My Sweet Girl Freya, Adopted Just A Week Ago
Image credits: notblu33
#5 Just Got Home From Adopting This Fella!
Image credits: D_Poner57
#6 My Parents Adopted An Absolute Cuddler!
Image credits: GreatKingCodyGaming
The rise in pet ownership has also been confirmed by the UK's Pet Food Manufacturers' Association in their Covid-19 Pet Survey. According to the survey, 35 percent of young adults (that is to say people aged 24 to 35) confirmed they got a new pet or were planning to get one. That means that around 2.1 million (aka 19 percent) of young people have already got themselves a pet while in lockdown while a further 1.8 million Brits (16 percent) were planning to do so.
Meanwhile, the online marketplace Pets4Homes said that the demand for puppies rose by 104 percent compared to the prior year at the peak of lockdown (i.e. May 2020).
#7 I Adopted A Potato. Meet Argo
Image credits: JeVeuxCroire
#8 My Dad Was Very Against Getting A Dog, Especially A Small Dog. We Adopted Her Anyway And Now They Are Best Friends
Image credits: KGSAUCYBOY
#9 I Think She’s Glad We Went Back And Adopted Her Brother Too
Image credits: thewinds0fshit
The head of the RSPCA's animal rescue teams, Dermot Murphy, said that even though it's wonderful that so many people are adopting pets, there are still some issues with this. "Whilst it’s great that so many people have become pet owners and have found their pet to be a real source of comfort during these challenging times, we are concerned that some people may have bought a pet on impulse without considering how their lifestyle might change once the pandemic ends. On top of that, we are facing real economic uncertainties, and, as in previous recessions, people may simply find themselves unable to afford their pet," he warned.
#10 Y’all Can Keep Your Purebreds. Shelter Dogs Are The Cutest.
Image credits: cammykiki
#11 My Old Man, Adopted Him Last Year. He’s 14 And The Best Roommate Ever
Image credits: Herewegoagain49
#12 We Adopted Our First Cat Today. A 9 Month Old Maine Coon. Meet Caspian!
Image credits: theartninja-c137
"We would always urge anyone considering getting a pet to thoroughly do their research to make sure they can give them the time, money, and care they need for the rest of their lives. As the impact of the pandemic puts a strain on people’s finances and as many people start to return to work or some kind of normality, the fear is that we will see a surge in abandoned and neglected animals coming into our care," Murphy said.
#13 Rescued From A Street Two Days Ago. Pickle Is Already So Affectionate!
Image credits: maclikesthesea
#14 Did We Adopt A Baby Hippo?
Image credits: cyrilgoldenrock
#15 I Adopted This 7 Y.o. Lady Just Over A Month Ago. Each Day She Seems Cozier & More Playful Than The Last. She Was In A Shelter Since May 2019 Which Made Me So Sad To Hear When I Met Her. She’s Incredibly Sweet & I Am Very Lucky To Have Her
Image credits: catswinemfm
Meanwhile, across the pond, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) puts the number of cats and dogs entering the country’s shelters each year (pre-Covid) at around 6 to 8 million. While the numbers have gone down dramatically from a whopping 13 million in 1973, they’re still incredibly large and point to how deeply throwaway culture is engrained in society.
#16 I Adopted These Twins Tonight! I Havent Got Names Yet Though
Image credits: jmp040
#17 Reddit, Meet Murphy! Rescued 3 Days Ago!
Image credits: Hauserdontpreach
#18 Found This Little Munchkin Without A Mama, So I'm Now His Mama
Image credits: saidiecat
According to HSUS, there are around 3.5k brick-and-mortar animal shelters in the US and around 10k animal sanctuaries and rescue groups in the entirety of North America.
So while we can be upset that so many wonderful pets are left without a home, we can also be thankful that volunteers take them in from the cold and help them find a better, more stable home. The 4 million cats and dogs adopted from shelters annually are a testament to that. However, the situation isn’t as great for everyone else.
#19 Two Photos Taken An Hour Apart.... Before And After Adoption
Image credits: teepurr
#20 Just Adopted Luna. She Is My Very First Pet. She Is Already My Best Friend !
Image credits: SanaFF_
#21 My Boyfriend Decided To Adopt Garçon!
Image credits: wCodemare
HSUS also points out that even though lots of pet owners adore their furry and fluffy companions, far from everyone has proper access to vet care, as well as spay/neuter services. The sad reality is that most pets don’t enjoy the quality of life that they could be.
#22 Adopted This Little Fella From The Police Today, Everyone Meet Sam!
Image credits: i8mj3llyb3ans
#23 I Adopted This Cat At The Lowest Point Of My Life. He Literally Freed Me From Distress And I Can’t Be More Thankful
Image credits: duythanh_nguyen
#24 We Just Adopted This Sweet Little Girl! Meet Fiona!
Image credits: MrMeritocracy
There are approximately 23 million pets living in such underserved communities which translates to a jaw-dropping 77 percent of all US pets who have never ever seen a vet and 87 percent who have not been spayed/neutered. The numbers really are shocking and it suddenly makes sense why so many pets are abandoned.
#25 Me And My Cousin Adopted These Siblings A Few Days Ago. Probably The Best Decision Of Our Lives. Everyone Meet Jake And Rosa
Image credits: thunderemperor2024
#26 Rescued A Bunny A While Ago Which Turned Out To Be Pregnant They Are Doing Great
Image credits: HeerSneeuw
#27 Found This Little Fella On The Streets. Everyone, Say Hi To Rocky
Image credits: stormshadow1810
What’s more, around 80 percent of the 3 million cats and dogs euthanized in shelters each year are healthy, treatable, and could have been adopted by loving families. Furthermore, a quarter of all dogs in shelters are purebred.
#28 As Soon As I Saw This Photo I Knew I Had To Adopt Her
Image credits: cat_lady_x2
#29 Officially “Foster Failed” Today. I Knew As Soon As I Got Him, He Wasn’t Going Anywhere. Everyone, Welcome Chopper! (Aka Pork Chop)
Image credits: chaoticbellezza
#30 After Years Of Wanting A Dog My Wife And I Got This 8 Week Old Pup From The Rescue. Meet Arwen.
Image credits: iamtombombadil
Animal shelters and organizations do what they can to help pets get rescued. However, having a big heart and a strong desire to help aren’t always enough. Sadly, housing, feeding, and treating animals is expensive. HSUS states that humane organizations spend around 2.5 billion dollars each (that’s around 8 dollars per capita) while animal control organizations spend 800 million to 1 billion dollars (aka 4 dollars per capita).
#31 Day 2 With Our New Rescue Baby! First Night Was A Little Rough. Hoping She Sleeps Better Tonight!
Image credits: kbpig
#32 Just Adopted This Baby Yesterday And Found Out Her Birthday Was The Day Before, March 10th!
Image credits: karebear9340
#33 I Was Really Worried My Cat Wouldn’t Get Along With His Adopted Brother
Image credits: djnicnasty
#34 My New Rescue Pup
Image credits: imissyoudjh
#35 This Is My Flatmate Sleeping And Right Next To Him Is Our Adopted Kitten Olive. At The Time Of This Photo She Is 3 Days Old In Our House And She Has Already Taken Over Everything. She Is Our Queen Now!
Image credits: LuellaDeluca
#36 Jackson On His First Night In His Forever Home
Image credits: softlyfox
#37 Update: I Finally Adopted This Baby A Week Ago, And His Name Is Dooby! (“Teddy Bear” In Hebrew)
Image credits: thelionmermaid
#38 Frankie Was Adopted From The Shelter One Year Ago, Best Decision!
Image credits: cavashkie
#39 Adopted My First Cat Today. This Is Quesadilla And She Already Owns My Heart
Image credits: operachick209
#40 Handsome Rescue
Image credits: yobahid
#41 I Just Rescued This Little Guy. Say Hello To Banks
Image credits: KushPapi
#42 Rescued In Puerto Rico, Adopted In New York, Passed Out On The Way Home.
Image credits: unplugnothing
#43 Somehow This Little Guy Went An Entire Month At The Shelter Without Being Adopted! Welcome Home, Kaiser!
Image credits: suhmarine
#44 14 Years Old And He Has Finally Found His Forever Home. Adopting A Senior Cat Is The Best Thing I Have Done.
Image credits: shaaane92
#45 This Is The Same Man Who Continuously Told Me, “We Don’t Need Another Freaking Animal In This House” When I Insisted We Adopt A Male Kitten. Now, They Rarely Nap Apart!
Image credits: Jailey0504
#46 6 Years On The Streets. 3 Years In The Shelter. 13 Years Old And She’s Finally Home ?
Image credits: Gland120proof
#47 My Two New Adopted Cats!
Image credits: leed6
#48 Tuckered Out After Her First Day In Her Forever Home.
Image credits: NotoriousAnt2019
#49 Adopted This Sweet Baby Yesterday, Meet Penelope!
Image credits: dr_john_twinkletits
#50 Adopted This 12 Year Old Senior Kitty Today
Image credits: Adoptdontshop838
#51 We Finalized Our Rescue Puppy's Adoption Today; We Named Her Pacha
Image credits: Cassper
#52 This Is Our Girl Sia, My Wife And I Recently Adopted Her
Image credits: Grevbingo
#53 It Is So Glad To See My Girl Lives Harmony With Her New Friend In The Adoption Family
Image credits: BingoPawBest
#54 My Recently Adopted Senior Cat, Grandpa Todd
Image credits: Typical_White_Girl
#55 Adopted This Beautiful Girl Saturday
Image credits: reallynothingtodo
#56 My Boss Caught A Hungry Stray. Dude Has Made It His Full Time Job To Try To Adopt Me.
Image credits: AnOccasionalRedditor
#57 I Did It!! After Weeks Of Feeling Doubtful, I Finally Adopted A Cat!! Reddit, Meet Princess Peach, A Partially Blind Grandma That Loves To Cuddle
Image credits: AphroditeFlower
#58 Just Adopted This Sweet Nugget. Meet Waterloo And Her Precious Little Bowl Head
Image credits: AmicaAsterum
#59 Hi. I Got Adopted!!
Image credits: throwawayhealing
#60 Isn't She Lovely? Sky Has Been Adopted!
Image credits: throwawayhealing
#61 Adopted This Handsome Young Man At The Local Spca Today!
Image credits: _SunbrosAnonymous
#62 Nobody Wanted To Adopt Him Cause He Only Has 1 Eye
Image credits: AutoCrosspostBot
#63 My Recently Adopted Stray Cat Sleeping Off The Anesthesia After His Corrective Surgery For Hernia!
Image credits: anmolgoyal29
#64 Adopted Our Man Vinny On Saturday, And Last Night He Fell Asleep Cuddling My Ankle In His Little Arms. He’s Been Attached To My Hip From The Moment We Left The Shelter, And We Just Love Him So Darn Much
Image credits: pippipdoodlydoo22
#65 Say Hello To Hank, We Adopted Him Today!
Image credits: Neeraja_Kalrapindhi
#66 Just Adopted Nala. She's Everything!
Image credits: ledbuddha
#67 Just Adopted Her From The Animal Shelter Last Week, Meet Mocha!!
Image credits: skunk2025
#68 My Shy And Scared Of Everything Kitty Decided To Lay Down With Me On A Couch For The First Time Since Adoption 6 Months Ago. I'm Not Crying, You're Crying
Image credits: Nyszolow
#69 My In-Laws Newly Adopted! She Was In The Shelter For 2 Years And Finally Found Her Forever Home. Meet Jane!
Image credits: MadalinaMadalin
#70 My Boyfriend And I Adopted This Tiny Fluff 3 Days Ago, And We Are Just In Love. Reddit, Meet Sergueï!
Image credits: Camille_keys
#71 Meet Charlie Penguin. He Was In Rescue As A Feral For Over A Year And Ran And Hid From Potential Adopters. When I Brought Him Home I Discovered He Is Totally Deaf. He Is Now Learning Baby Sign Language And Knows Four Signs!
Image credits: vodkamakesmemouthy
#72 They Say Black Cats Are Less Likely To Get Adopted.... I Can See Why, They Are Hideous.... Meet Sam
Image credits: mike9941
#73 I Adopted Morticia Today On A Friday The 13th, Six Years Ago! My Lucky Bat ?
Image credits: noirxkitty
#74 Meet Miyuki. We Adopted Her A Few Months Ago And She Is Fitting In Well
Image credits: AnKatrino_Neutrino
#75 Mozzarella, Our Foster Kitten Just Had Her Baby Cheeses: Cheddar, Feta, Gorgonzola, Brie, Camembert, Velveeta . Adopt, Don't Shop! And Spay And Neuter
Image credits: cultureShocked5
#76 Just Adopted This Little Thing. He Was On The Street And Would Always Ask Random People For Pets And Love. Now He Has A Home (And Also A Brother And A Sister!). This Is Neptune!
Image credits: fabiohotts
#77 My Boyfriend And I Adopted These Guys In November 2020. At The Time We Were Extremely Nervous That They Would Not Get Along....looks Like Everything Worked Out Just Fine!
Image credits: threatlvl0
#78 The Odds Were Stacked Against This Little One. She Was Born In A Barn, Her Mom Was Eaten By A Coyote, And She’s Black (Apparently Black Cats Are Last To Be Adopted.) Despite Her Challenging Kittenhood, She Now Spends Her Days Peacefully Napping And Making Biscuits
Image credits: TonyaLasagna2020
#79 Living Their Best Lives: Both Were The Only Survivors Of Their Respective Litters. Adopt! Don't Shop
Image credits: voyeurcouple24
#80 @germ843 And I Adopted This Sweet Girl Yesterday. Void - V For Short
Image credits: SpookiSteph
#81 I Was Recently Adopted By My First Ever Black Cat And I'm In Love
Image credits: WigglesMcJiggles
#82 Luna - 10 Years Old - Adopted Last Year
Image credits: revidt
#83 The Vet Once Told Me Black Cats Aren't Adopted Because They Are Scary. I Beg To Differ.
Image credits: kevinbenoit2
#84 Azula, 5 Months Old And Newly Adopted
Image credits: SqWR37
#85 Just Got Word We’ll Be Able To Officially Adopt This Angel In April!
Image credits: thesimsarequiethere
#86 Two Years Since Adopting This Rare Pupper!
Image credits: h0494
#87 This Is Bella, She Has Heterochromia. We Adopted Her Yesterday, She Is Currently Sleeping
Image credits: Kaiokeno
#88 Little Man Just Got Adopted!
Image credits: throwawayhealing
#89 I Had No Idea I Adopted A Cinnamon Roll!
Image credits: butterflybyloona
#90 Adopting Her Wasn’t Even A Question. Meet Honey
Image credits: Tight-Start1795
#91 We Just Adopted Him Today, Any Name Ideas?
Image credits: Awkward1Lesbian
#92 My Baby Girl Berenjena (Eggplant For The English Speaking Redditors), It's Been 2 Years Since Her Adoption. Look How Cute She Is.
Image credits: Vox020
#93 My Husband: “No! We Don’t Need A Cat! They’re So Much Effort And We Already Have A Dog.” My Husband One Week After Rescuing Sava:
Image credits: TanichcaF
#94 This Is Belle, I Rescued Her 4 Years. She Is Border & Rough Collie, Malamute, Husky, Staffie & Pomeranian.
Image credits: mellymoos16
#95 Ruben The Rescue Is A Sharp Dressed Man!
Image credits: Ruben_steel_frenchie
#96 My Rescue Bun Came To Me With His Chinchilla Buddy. They Are Inseparable
Image credits: rats4lifes
#97 My Girlfriends Rescue Kitty Leia. The Force Is Strong With This Sassy Cat
Image credits: Medicalrhythm
#98 My Mystery Mutt Rescue Dog Looks Like An Ewok, And Like He’s Still A Puppy At 15 Years Old
Image credits: ReyRey5280
#99 Rescued This Little Cuddlebug Last Night After I Kept Seeing Him On The Street
Image credits: NileCrocodileSmile
#100 A New Puppy That We're Fostering
Image credits: Man-carrot
#101 Two Photos Taken An Hour Apart.... Before And After Adoption.
Image credits: teepurr
#102 My Friend Let Me Adopt Her Cats Only Kitten Almost A Week Ago Now. I Was Struggling With Almost A 2 Year Long Depression Problem. Now I Can't Stop Smiling When I Am Home. I Have Two Other Cats And Having Them Is The Best
Image credits: sweetyang
#103 I Always Wanted To Adopt A Dog With My Fiancé, But We Ended Up Taking In His Brother’s Cat. And Now I’ve Spent Way Too Much Money Buying Her Treats, Toys And A New Cat Tree. But She’s So Gorgeous And Now My Sweet Little Monster. Meet Daisy
Image credits: listenup_fool
#104 Still Not Convinced I Didn’t Actually Just Adopt A Gremlin. Meet Olive!
Image credits: imlostifitpops
#105 Adopted My First Cat Today, Everyone Say Hi Nathan!
Image credits: scaryarri
#106 Waited 10 Years To Get My First Dog. Now At 30 I Was Lucky Enough To Adopt Canyon!
Image credits: Soggy0atmeal
#107 High Chance That I Will Adopt This Little Gremlin Tomorrow. Any Name Suggestions? Spooky And Fantasy Names Please!
Image credits: ceeashi
#108 So Lucky I Got To Adopt This Goofball
Image credits: bunnybundoly
#109 I’ve Waited So Long To Adopt. This Is Judah!
Image credits: Lt-Cmdr-Data
#110 If You Ever Need Help Locating The Heat Vents In A Building, Adopt A Cat
Image credits: -Xyriene-
#111 After Getting Hit By A Car This Polite Young Lady Decided To Adopt Me. She’s Undergoing A Surgery Tomorrow So Wish Her Luck Guys!
Image credits: dmnthtslt
#112 My Girl Came From An Overcrowded Shelter In Korea Where She Was Involved In A Group Dog Attack And Lost Her Eye/ Had Her Ear Torn. The Rescue I Foster For Saved Her From There. I Saw Her Pics And Knew We Needed Each Other. She Will Be Safe For The Rest Of Her Life Now
Image credits: sackaroooooo
#113 Bald Spot I Think Was From Her Harness Being Left On... Now It's Grown In. Rescue Said She Was Dog/Dog Aggressive, Now She Makes Friends. She Gets So Much Love, Walks, Treats, Toys And Cuddles Now In Her Forever Home
Image credits: cindy2291
#114 Found Abandoned And Then Returned To The Shelter Twice Before She Was Even A Year. Needless To Say, She’s Found Her Forever Home. This Fur Baby Is My First Dog Ever And I Couldn’t Be Happier
Image credits: AHerdOfAngry_Kittens
#115 This Sweetheart Is Fritz. He Just Found His Forever Home With Us. Our Home Finally Feels Whole Again With A Cat In It
Image credits: Meagazilla89
#116 Excited To Arrive At Her Forever Home
Image credits: MoustacheDreams
#117 Meet Solomon. Now In His Happy Forever Home.
Image credits: indiasnow
#118 This Is Kelly! We’re Transitioning From Being His Foster Home To His Forever Home. He’s Our First Greyhound. Any Advice?
Image credits: jesskisit
#119 Here Is My Sienna, In Her New Forever Home! I Adopted Her From A Hoarding Situation
Image credits: sneezypeasyqueezy
#120 Adopted This Big Boy 2 Weeks Ago. He’s About 5 Years Old And Was Found Living On A Cemetery. Now He Has His Forever Home, Safe And Warm, With Healthy Food And Other Cats To Play With
Image credits: ahalgana
#121 Cooper Tired Out After Coming To His Forever Home
Image credits: rherubberjam
#122 Just Brung My Boy Back To His Forever Home Today
Image credits: jackbell1
#123 Meet Kakoa She's The Newest Adoptee To My 6 Akita Family Happy We Found Each Other Baby Girl! Ill Never Give Up On You, You Finally Found Your Forever Home Time To Build Great Memories!
Image credits: KakoaAslan
#124 Meet Wrigley, My Newly Adopted Cat. While He Is Was Still With His Mom And Litter, This Was One Of The Pictures Sent To Me By Owner To Select A Kitten. I Knew As Soon As I Saw Those Kitten Mittens: Wrigley Had A Forever Home
Image credits: PaperCritCH
#125 Forever Home - Found! Lots Of Driving Today, But Totally Worth It. This Pretty Lady Will Never Be Force Bred Again. Welcome Home, Baby
Image credits: mckenner1122
#126 First Day In His New Forever Home
Image credits: c_om
#127 Adopted My Fur Baby Two Days Ago And She Is So Well Behaved. Hope She Enjoys Her Forever Home
Image credits: mikesspaghetti
#128 Meet Little Man. Isnt He A Handsome Boy? We Rescued Him And We Intended To Foster Him, But He Decided This Is Home, So He Now Has A Forever Home With Us
Image credits: Beautiful_Dust
#129 Foster Failure! Harley Q Was Supposed To Be With Us Until She Found A Forever Home. I Guess She Did
Image credits: Santiaghoul
#130 He Looks Like He Has Never Seen Leaves Before. Welcome To Your Forever Home Marti
Image credits: ItsOnlyHate
#131 Day One In His Forever Home
Image credits: electroweakly
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