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Not long ago, we told you about River, the dog who last month was saved from certain death after he was left caged in rising water.

At the outset, his rescuer, Jennifer Vaz, planned to adopt him, but after her other dog, Molly, had difficulties adjusting to life with a new little brother, she decided to return him to the Monmouth County SPCA.

“After consulting with my family, the SPCA and my vet for the best interest of Molly’s health it would be better if River was fostered by someone else,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “As a (dog) mother, dropping River off was the hardest thing that I’ve ever had to do. Even though I’ve never been a parent it feels like I’m losing a child.”

Vaz discovered River while on a morning walk in the park with Molly; the dog alerted her to something odd in the water. There she found River, a pit bull pup believed to be about 7 months old, trapped inside a wire crate. The rising tide was encroaching.

She contacted animal control and River was rescued with little time to spare.

Vaz was fostering River as the investigation into who had left him to die was underway, and had intent to adopt him.

She dropped him off at the shelter this past weekend, with a bed, toys, food and treats that had been donated. Additionally, more than $1,000 raised in a GoFundMe campaign will be given to his new forever family to assist in his care.

“We’re looking for a foster to adopt, for someone who’s going to keep him forever,” Ross Licitra, the chief and executive director of the Monmouth County SPCA, told NJ.com.

River must be fostered first as he is the subject of an ongoing criminal case. Once that case is closed, the foster family could adopt him officially.

Licitra said he believes River’s boisterous, young-male personality (he is not yet neutered) may have been too aggressive for the setting, leading Molly to become withdrawn. The shelter plans the neuter him and conduct a behavior assessment to see what kind of home he might take to best.

In the meantime, the list of names interested in taking River home continues to grow, he said. Other interested adopters can apply with the shelter.

The man accused of dumping River, Aaron D. Davis, 36, of Long Branch, was arrested earlier this month.

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Though it has a happy ending, the story is sad on multiple levels.

Disabled Marine veteran Don Bordelon adopted a dog named Diesel from the Temple Animal Shelter in Temple, TX, back on July 3, bringing him home to his Moody ranch. He later learned that the dog actually belonged to a U.S. sailor on the East Coast. The adoption was a mistake.

Per the sailor, her brother had been watching the pup for a few months while she was amid medic training in North Carolina. He surrendered her dog without her knowledge or permission.

When she learned that Diesel had gone to a new family, she launched a Facebook plea that went viral and found its way to Bordelon in Texas. The shelter said the adoption was legit; Bordelon was not obligated to return Diesel, but although he had grown very attached to the 2-year-old yellow Lab, he decided he couldn’t keep the dog from its owner.

Last week, a friend of the sailor’s picked Diesel up. The dog will stay with his family in Houston until his owner’s September graduation.

It was heartbreaking, of course. Just last week he went to the shelter, but found the experience too painful. This past Monday, however, Bordelon decided to give adoption another shot!

Yesterday, he met Scooter – a 2-year-old retriever/Great Pyrenees mix – while visiting the Humane Society of Central Texas.

“(He) immediately walked over to me and laid his head in my lap,” Bordelon told KWTX.

Bordelon added that he’d received offers of puppies and adoptions from all over the country when the story broke, but decided to rescue another local shelter dog instead.

He saw Scooter lying up against a fence.

“I took him out into the walk area and he immediately stuck to me,” said Bordelon. “He’s a very gentle giant, when he trots he looks like he’s walking on air.”

Bordelon will pick up Scooter later this week.

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Squish was brutally abused at four months old. His injuries were grave and he was scheduled to be euthanized, but then one of his doctors stepped in and adopted him. After several necessary surgeries, Squish is chasing balls and bubbles and having a beautiful life. He looks a little different than other dogs, but it’s just one of the things that makes him special.

Follow him on Instagram here and/or Facebook, here!

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Sly was up and eating following emergency surgery Tuesday night. And his doctors expect him to make a full recovery.

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The dog’s forecast wasn’t so bright back when a humane officer found him in a park in Chester, PA, CBS Philadelphia reported, quoting the Providence Animal Center’s Facebook page.

“The dog was skin and bones, unable to lift his head,” the post read.

When Sly first arrived, they said, he weighed about 50 pounds, roughly half of what his healthy weight should be. His stomach and leg areas were shaved. Vets suspect he may have had a recent ultrasound or catheter.

Staffers here named the pup Sly, after favorite Philly son Sylvester Stallone and his famed character, Rocky.

“He’s a fighter,” they said.

Surgery was scheduled after X-rays determined Sly had a rope toy blocking his intestines. He was taken to an emergency facility where he received round-the-clock care. As of Wednesday morning, the pup was not only standing, but wagging his tail! He was returned to Providence Animal Center to recover.

He headed home to medical foster with Dr. Gia Croce, one of the doctors who helped save him. She and her family took him for a walk on the wet grass, using towels as slings.

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Caretakers say Sly will make a full recovery, though they found that his right eye has a corneal rupture, which may mean he’ll lose it. It is being watched and treated for now.

The Providence Animal Center Humane Officers are seeking information from local vets regarding Sly’s condition, and ultimately, his abandonment.

Anyone with information is asked to call (610) 566-1370, extension 214, or email [email protected]

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A young woman who died trying to save her beloved dog is remembered today in her home state of Virginia and beyond.

Katie Mason, 28, was driving her Toyota Camry on I-95 South when her car ran off the road, striking a guard rail. When she opened her car door, her small, black pug, Stella, ran from the vehicle and into the high-speed traffic. Mason gave chase.

Both were struck and killed by a Honda Civic, the driver of which, say Virginia State Police, was unable to swerve to avoid them. Both Mason and Stella died at the scene.

Mason was a member of the Virginia National Guard who spent time at Virginia Commonwealth University. She lived with her dog and parents in Aquia.

“Katie was always kind, sweet and had a huge personality,” a family friend told News4. “It’s so heartbreaking.”

Fellow service members shared their grief on social media.

“It’s a sad day for the 266th MP family. Rest in peace Katie Mason,” one wrote on Facebook.

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In 1980, at the age of 21, Malcolm Alexander was convicted of rape and sentenced to life in prison. From day one, he proclaimed his innocence and has maintained it in the decades since.

When the Innocence Project, a nonprofit legal organization dedicated to exonerating the wrongfully convicted, got behind Alexander’s case in 1996, they fought long and hard and this year, on January 30, he walked free from Louisiana’s infamous prison at Angola, absolved by DNA evidence. He is now 58.

But he’s not alone.

The day after leaving prison, Alexander was gleefully reunited with Innocence (“Inn” for short), the black Lab he raised while incarcerated.

“You ain’t got nothing to worry about no more…. I told you they was gonna get us out,” he told the 9-month-old pup.

Inn was delighted to see her old friend, rolling over for tummy rubs. She had spent an additional night at Angola; Alexander had left her, along with other belongings — but Vanessa Potkin, an attorney with the Innocence Project, returned to bring her home to her human.

Watch the ENTIRE reunion here:

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The dog was born at the prison to another dog, the runt of a litter of 10. She lived at Alexander’s work sites: the metal shop and wood shop. He fed her and cared for her.

“To have a dog is a privilege,” he told TODAY. “It makes the world different.”

Alexander also returned home by his 82-year-old mother, his son and grandson (both named Malcolm) and other relations. He learned carpentry, woodworking and jewelry-making during his time in prison and hopes to be working very soon. Alexander and Inn will be staying with his son’s family until they get a place of their own.

“I feel beautiful,” Alexander said. “I feel happy. Very happy.”

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When Washington, D.C. ABC affiliate WJLA launched an investigation following the death of Nikki Mael’s dog, Talula, what they found would create a ripple that would eventually reach the manufacturer and then the FDA.

Big Heart Brands makes Gravy Train, one of the brands involved in the investigation. It also makes​ Meow Mix, Milk Bone, Kibbles’n Bits, 9 Lives, Natural Balance, Pup-Peroni, Nature’s Recipe, Canine Carry Outs and Milo’s Kitchen, Alley Cat, Jerky Treats, Meaty Bone, Pounce and Snausages according to a report by KHQ.

If you want to contact the FDA, Smucker’s or Big Heart Brands regarding this issue:

FDA: 888-463-6332
Smucker’s: 888-550-9555
Big Heart Brands: 415-247-3000

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Pete was a 14-year-old senior, an English setter and former hunting dog who had only been with Stephen Parisi and his family (and four other dog siblings) for 18 months. They were good ones, spent running in the woods in a happy-go-lucky manner.

And that’s how his family wants to remember him.

Pete was hiking with Parisi and the other dogs at Monksville Reservoir in New Jersey this past weekend when they came upon a black bear.

It is believed the bear was sheltering and, because of that and the recent rain, was unable to smell them coming and so they surprised it.

Brave Pete held the bear off while Parisi made off with the other dogs, securing them in a safe spot, then returning to shoo the bear.

Parisi’s wife, Cathi Henn, told the BBC: “The bear’s only exit was a 180-degree turn and the bear was never going to turn its back on something that it was scared of, so it came for Stephen and the dogs.”

Sadly, Pete’s injuries were grave, among them a broken back. Parisi, unable to carry his friend, wrapped him in a waterproof coat and dragged him along the ground by its hood for more than a mile before reaching the car. Cathi and a family friend helped take him to Oradell Animal Hospital.

Upon thorough examination, which revealed injuries that would have left him unable to walk again, Parisi and Henn made the decision to let Pete go peacefully and without pain.

“I want to remember him as the happy-go-lucky dog he was. I want to remember him running through the woods, always with his tail wagging,” Henn said.

Since posting the story on Instagram, Pete has gone viral, with people from all over the world responding and paying tribute. It has been a surprise to the couple, who took Pete in as a foster 18 months ago. He was originally from Ohio, given up by his owner when he became too old to hunt.

“Thanks to everyone who have offered their condolences, I didn’t expect anything like this,” said Henn. “We were just upset about our dog. We are just devastated. All this love for Pete is great but we’d happily trade it for just one more day with him.”

Henn and Parisi said that Pete loved to be the center of attention and would have enjoyed all the fuss.

“Older dogs can give so much love, Pete turned out to be our hero too.”

Warning: Graphic Images

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Warning: Graphic Images

It doesn’t matter how much you’ve seen while working in dog rescue. No one could get used to this level of cruelty. That said, the shepherd-rottweiler mix Detroit Dog Rescue volunteers have named Courage is now safe and getting the care and love he needs.

The 3-year-old dog was discovered by Detroit Animal Control officers. He was gravely injured, his neck infected from the metal carabiner piercing his flesh. He was weighed down by a 15-pound tow chain.

“This isn’t something we normally see on the street — just carelessness for life,” Kristina Rinaldi, executive director of Detroit Dog Rescue, told FOX2 reporters after the organization took over the dog’s care on Monday. “It’s horrific.”

Authorities are investigating to find out who’s responsible; they hope to be able to press charges. In the meantime, Courage — so named for his sweetness and resilience in the face of such an ordeal, will recover. DDR is looking for a special foster who’s up to the task.

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“This needs to be a home with no children or other animals so he can decompress and we can care for him,” Rinaldi said Tuesday. “DDR will provide food and medical care. We just need someone to provide a loving home.”

Courage was rushed to Oakland Veterinary Referral Services in Bloomfield Hills. His necrotic tissue and heartworm were treated. Medical staff estimated Courage had been pinned for at least several weeks, Rinaldi said. “He was suffering in the cold, basically chained down with a metal piercing in his neck.”

Despite all, his personality shines.

“He is about the sweetest dog you will ever meet,” Rinaldi said. “He’s very happy. He came to us wagging his little nub of a tail and was very grateful someone rescued him. He’s warm and friendly with every doctor. He just has so much courage to go through this and come out on top with his personality like he does.”

Courage will need roughly six months of medical fostering before being permanently adopted. DDR was seeking $6,000 to cover his vet bills but on Tuesday, Bissell Pet Foundation offered to cover the treatment, Rinaldi said. However, “if anybody wants to donate, that money is going to go to any legal action on Courage’s behalf.”

To donate, visit Detroit Dog Rescue’s website.

Warning: This happy-ending story does contain some graphic and disturbing images.

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A Pinellas County, FL, animal shelter is warning people not to dye their pets’ hair with dye intended for humans after an adorable maltese-mix dog suffered life-threatening injuries.

Pinellas County Animal Services posted disturbing photos to its Facebook page depicting the sad, painful journey of Violet, a 5-pound dog who came to them with severe burns after she’d been dyed purple with hair dye meant for humans.

It nearly killed her.

“Violet’s eyes were swollen shut, she was limp and listless, she had obvious burns to her skin – we gave fluids, pain meds and we gently washed as much of the chemical dye off as we could, we bandaged her up. Then we waited – Violet went home with our veterinarian and we waited,” said Pinellas County Animal Services on social media.

“…We were amazed that she had made it through the night. But still we waited. She wasn’t out of the woods but she was alert and freely offering kisses,” said PCAS.

After carefully shaving the dog to assess her injuries, they were horrified to find her skin begin to slough off. Three months of antibiotics, fluids, honey treatments and of course, pain meds, followed. The love and care Violet received paid off.

“Violet began to tell us what to do – it started with a little noise; not really a bark, not really a cry. But then she found her voice and she never, ever, EVER stopped.

Her recovery took three months. Photo: PCAS

She began to walk the halls, visiting each office requesting treats or hugs or gentle pats, always in the lead with our veterinarian in tow. It was clear – Violet was on the mend and she wanted everyone to know it.”

They worried about her eyes. And her skin. And whether her hair would ever grow back.

“When the final bandages came off we breathed a collective sigh of relief – Violet was beautiful,” said PCAS.

Now, Violet’s difficult journey is mercifully at an end.

She has wonderful new owners who happen to specialize in beautifying pets, the PCAS staff wrote!

Now, Violet is a brand-new dog with a brand-new life. She’s got a great forever home! Photo: PCAS

Good for you, Violet!

And we’ll leave you with some wisdom from the PCAS Facebook post:

“Pet makeovers are wonderful – they come out smiling after a new haircut, nail trim, maybe a little bow or bandana. They smell so good, they feel so soft and they prance around showing off. Great stuff, right! We do our own hair – funky styles and colors are on the rise. Express yourself, but please do not use hair dye intended for humans to express your pet’s style. Let’s all say that together – Do NOT, under any circumstances, use hair color intended for humans on your pets. Chemicals in hair dye are TOXIC causing a wide array of external injury to your pet – possible burns, blindness and because an animal’s first instinct is to lick, it can cause poisoning or internal burns. Just don’t.”