After residents complained about a smell coming from a neighboring apartment, the building's management company left several notices and tried to contact the tenant. But after getting no response, company staffers entered the apartment, where they found this abandoned puppy, less than 5 months old, who had been left tied to a radiator. So they contacted PETA.

PETA's caseworker quickly contacted local animal control officials and asked them to pick up the dog right away. The poor pup was in good condition, but her tether was very short. She was surrounded by her own waste and had no food or water. The puppy was brought to a local animal shelter, where she was given veterinary care and was spayed. Now she's been adopted by a loving family, who will never leave her behind—and in return, she'll give them her whole heart.

So that's the happy ending, and here's the moral of the story: This puppy could have easily starved to death if apartment management hadn't helped by contacting PETA. If you ever find an animal in need, speak up.

Like her namesake, 4-month-old pup Snow White was in dire need of rescue when Animal Rahat, the animal-relief organization that PETA helps fund in India, got the call. The frightened puppy had tried to negotiate a busy road, only to be struck by a speeding bicycle. Running blindly, she was hit again by another bicycle, leaving her bruised and bloodied, with a gaping wound on her leg.

The Animal Rahat team rushed to the scene, scooped up the frail puppy, and  took her back to the sanctuary, where the veterinarian and other staff members cleaned her wounds, treated her for fleas, and fed her what was probably her first square meal in her entire short life. Her stomach full, Snow White curled up and conked out, fast asleep.

This energetic puppy is now a cheerful addition to the sanctuary and has made friends with all the former working animals who are retired there. 

But Snow White is still waiting for her Prince Charming—a sponsor to help Animal Rahat with her care. Can you help give her a fairytale ending? Make a generous commitment to Snow White and other animals rescued by Animal Rahat to help working animals of India.

One day 18 years ago, I was out walking my dogs along a bike trail when I saw a bicyclist stop and do something peculiar: He took out his water bottle, and instead of taking a swig, he opened up the top and dumped a pile of cat kibble onto the ground. He was immediately swarmed by cats, who, I later learned, were being fed scraps by a trio of elderly brothers who lived nearby in a dilapidated shack (which dated back to the days when the trail was a railroad track).

Over several weeks, I trapped the cats, who were initially terrified, having had very little human contact. But all of them were born lap cats and quickly decided that life in a warm, cozy house with three square meals a day beat hiding under piles of junk and scrounging for scraps of stale bread and days-old meat.

Outgoing Ziggy, whom I adopted along with three of his relatives, was the fastest to decide people weren't such a bad lot, and today, he acts as ambassador to all human and animal visitors. If he's awake, he's purring (and sometimes he even purrs in his sleep!). I've had many cat companions over the years, but only Ziggy has earned the title of Best Cat in the Universe for his unfailing graciousness, dignity, and sunny disposition. If he were a human, he would be Prince Charming.

© Kencredible
Best Cat in the Universe

As Ziggy can attest, life for "outdoor cats" is no walk in the park. Over the years, Ziggy has had several bouts with diseases that could have led to a lingering, painful death if he had not received veterinary care. That's why it is vital always to trap stray and feral cats and either bring them indoors or take them to a reputable animal shelter. Even if homes can't be found for them, at least they are safe from the many dangers that they face outdoors, including attacks by dogs and wildlife; being poisoned, shot, or hit by cars; and contracting deadly contagious diseases.

A PETA staffer walking to the Los Angeles office one morning spotted an opossum sitting in the middle of the road, bleeding from her mouth. Several men were jabbing her with sticks.

Look closely: Even when injuries aren’t obvious, an animal may be suffering.

With the help of several coworkers, the staffer cleared everyone from the area. Then she gathered up the opossum and drove to the nearest animal shelter so that the injured animal could be assessed. Shelter staff determined that the opossum was a mother carrying a pouch full of babies and that her injuries were quite severe: Euthanasia was deemed the most merciful option for both the mother and her babies. The staffer's speedy response saved this opossum family from being hit by another car, being further tormented by cruel people, or suffering and slowly dying from their injuries or from heatstroke, dehydration, or starvation.

If you spot an injured animal on the road, please don't leave the animal to suffer. If you can safely collect the animal, transport him or her to the nearest animal shelter or vet's office for assessment and/or euthanasia. If you don't think that you can contain the animal, call the police or animal control, stress the urgency of the situation, and stay with the animal until help arrives. If all local options fail, please call PETA.

A former PETA staffer in Seattle was on her way to work when she spotted a pigeon whose leg appeared to be broken. When the pigeon didn't try to fly away and let her gently wrap him up in a sweatshirt, she knew he also likely had other injuries or hadn't been able to forage for food and was weak from hunger or illness.

The former staffer called PETA, and we put her in touch with a local wildlife rehabilitator, to whom she rushed the injured bird.

It took only a few minutes out of her day to get help for the bird, and she saved him from suffering for days or even weeks from his injuries and possibly starving, being killed by a predator, or being hit by a car.

Her actions serve as a reminder to all of us that we are never "too busy" to help an animal who is in need.

I work in the Human Resources Department at the PETA Foundation, which I love. Knowing that I get to advocate for animals and also take care of my colleagues who advocate for them is rewarding and fulfilling. But I recently spent a day doing something that not many people will experience in their lifetime: riding along with a staffer with PETA's Community Animal Project (CAP), the people who crawl under houses, sludge through storm drains, and face neglectful owners to save animals from suffering.

My day with CAP was eye-opening, to say the least. I knew about the work that CAP does in the areas surrounding our Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters, but seeing it for myself was an experience I will never forget.

In a rural area of North Carolina, we found a terrified dog who was forced to live under a trailer with no food or water. His "owners" ("guardians" are people who actually care for their animals) weren't home, so we did the only things that we could do: We gave him food and water and left a note for his owners. We plan to check on him again soon. In another area, we found two dogs who were covered with ticks and supplied their owner with flea- and tick-control medication and instructions. We talked to a person who had a puppy living outdoors—the pup's littermate had already been fatally hit by a car—and tried to educate him about how to do better for the surviving dog. Stories like these repeated themselves throughout the day as we visited more and more animals in need of help.

All of us can make a difference for animals in our own communities. We could offer to walk chained dogs and give their owners information about housetraining and bringing them indoors. Or we could offer to transport pregnant cats to a low-cost spay-and-neuter clinic. Much like CAP's work, all our small acts together can add up to big improvements in the lives of a lot of animals.

Written by Kim Argobright

I was in Sardinia last week, and as I drove along the highway, I caught a glimpse of tan fur. I did a U-turn and discovered two dogs who were sitting in a pull-off area. They ran away the moment the car door opened. However, poking about in the bushes, I found a saucepan, a water bowl, and a makeshift doghouse. I left food and a note with my contact information. The woman who was feeding them e-mailed me, and I was able to persuade her to arrange for the dogs to be trapped and neutered with PETA's help.

Thirty minutes later, I was walking down a dirt path and heard a plaintive meow. Here we go again, I thought: a stray cat. But no, not one cat—instead there were six, eight, 10 …! In all, there were 22 cats. One was clearly nursing, all were as thin as pencils, at least two had injured eyes, and some were missing large patches of hair. The whole lot of them were living under a large bush. 

Although they were so desperate to eat that they came within a foot of me, they were wary and wouldn't let me touch them. I contacted PETA's U.K. affiliate, and it was able to track down some wonderful local activists. All 10 adult cats and 12 kittens were trapped and are now at the local animal shelter, being given veterinary care and sterilized. Longtime member Maria Blanton has made a generous donation toward the cost of caring for all 22 animals. You can help animals just like these rescued cats and kittens right now—just click here!

Located right in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Sardinia is teeming with stray and abandoned animals. Whenever you go abroad, please be sure to keep your eyes peeled for animals in need. If you see one, check with your hotel concierge about local animal protection groups, veterinarians, and animal shelters. Plan ahead by looking up local groups and veterinarians online before you embark on your trip, and keep their phone numbers handy. If you get stuck, contact PETA's closest affiliate.

PETA helps animals all over the world—including neglected dogs left chained up in rising floodwaters in Pakistan, bullocks and donkeys trying to eke out an existence at garbage dumps in India, and homeless cats living under trailers in some of the most impoverished counties right here in the U.S.—and we'd love to have your help. 

Help animals now by supporting PETA's rescue work!

A PETA Community Animal Project (CAP) fieldworker spotted a lone pit bull sitting in a trash-strewn patch of dirt behind what appeared to be an abandoned house. A heavy chain was wrapped around his neck, preventing him from reaching even a single blade of grass. He had no food or water, and his dilapidated doghouse had no floor. When the fieldworker offered him a big bowl of water, the dog lapped it up as if it were the first drink he'd had in a very long time.

Knowing she couldn't legally take the dog, whom she was calling "Dusty" because of his dirty surroundings, the fieldworker forced herself to leave—but not before she left plenty of dog food with the neighbor and implored him to continue to feed Dusty and give him water.

A public-records property search yielded the homeowner's name, and when the fieldworker called him, he said that he was having work done on the house and would be moving back in soon. He refused to part with Dusty but let PETA replace the heavy metal chain with a lightweight tie-out, give Dusty a new doghouse, and move him to a grassy area.

While he still isn't living indoors with his family—the kind of life every dog deserves—Dusty is at least more comfortable. When fieldworkers check on him, he has food and water, and his owner has agreed to have him neutered in PETA's mobile clinic. 

Their stories rarely make headlines, and in fact, many people aren't even aware of how much suffering PETA fieldworkers spare animals like Dusty every day. But PETA can't do it alone. If there is a Dusty in your neighborhood, please alert animal control. And if officials are unresponsive, please contact PETA for help. We will never turn our back on an animal in need.

The first time that PETA staffer David Perle saw Dizzy, the hamster was nestled in the arms of a young girl who had rescued him from an apartment complex parking lot and was searching for his owner. A group of boys had tried to tell her that he was theirs, but she suspected their motives were less than pure and refused to hand Dizzy over. (A PETA staffer in the making, perhaps?) When she happened upon David, he agreed to take the little hamster in if no one claimed him.

So that very night, David's two cats, Ella (after Fitzgerald) and Billie (after Holiday), welcomed their new roommate. When a friend sent David a picture of Dizzy Gillespie with his cheeks puffed out as he played the trumpet juxtaposed next to a picture of a hamster whose cheek pockets were stuffed with goodies, the resemblance was uncanny, and the hamster was named, completing the jazzy family. It's a wonder that Dizzy didn't get dizzy rolling around the apartment inside his plastic hamster ball.

We'll never know how Dizzy's life started—it's possible that someone purchased him from a pet store and then dumped him outdoors when he was no longer wanted. But we know that he was happy and loved after he was lucky enough to be rescued by a wise little girl and adopted by a caring guardian.

Do you have a great animal-rescue story? Share it in the comments.

Many of the rescue cases that PETA handles involve animals in immediate peril. But even when the risks aren't so obvious, it's still important to lend a hand when animals need any kind of help.

Here's a case in point: When a kind lady saw these unfortunate sheep with heavy, matted coats near a Hayfork, California, hotel, she called PETA for help.

PETA's caseworker persuaded the animals' owner to shear them soon afterward. Since the sheep were otherwise in good health and reasonably well cared for, no charges were filed, but—thanks to one concerned person who spoke up—these animals' lives have been made brighter and more comfortable.

Please always remember: Whenever you see animals in trouble, don't look away—do something.