In the US, approximately 6.3 million companion animals enter shelters every year (of those, approximately 3.1 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats). Some estimate that this number has declined from approximately 7.2 million in 2011.

To both celebrate the improvement and remind ourselves that we can still do better, we at Bored Panda are continuing our monthly series, showcasing the sweetest newly adopted pet pictures we can find.

Continue scrolling to meet the growing families, and for more feels, take a look at our earlier collections: September, August, July.

#1 Rescued This Older Gal Recently

This is Molli. She’s 13 and this is the first time she snuggled with me like this since I got her

Image credits: idkmaria

#2 We Adopted Luna Last Week And She Had Her First Grooming Appointment Today. I’m Not Sure We Got The Same Dog Back

Image credits: Squirrel338

In 2020 and early 2021, the world saw record pet adoption rates, providing happy tales when they were needed the most. But now, in 2022, many of our shelters are swamped again.

“Shelters who haven’t had to euthanize in 10 or 15 years are having to again,” said Tammy Dodson, a long-time rescue advocate who coordinates rescue transports out of Wise County, Virginia, moving dogs and cats north to rescues and adopters via the Animal Rescue Coalition.

#3 We Adopted Flower A Few Weeks Ago After First Fostering Because We “Weren’t Ready For Another Dog”. She Very Much Loves My Boyfriend And Also Sits Like This

Image credits: pastelmonsters

#4 Rescued This Little Guy From The Hood Of A Car A Few Days Ago

Image credits: dreamsswt

#5 I Heard A Kitten Crying Through An Open Window Last Night. I Think He’s Glad To Be Rescued

Image credits: corobe11

It’s not that a higher percentage of pandemic adoptions are resulting in returns. For example, the return rates for dogs have remained around 10 percent.

But 10 percent of recent adoptees will result in a much higher total number than in the years prior

#6 Not Only Is He Illegally Small, But This Is The First Brown Cat Our Rescue Has Ever Pulled Out Of Thousands! How Cool Is He?

Image credits: grayshush

#7 I Adopted The Shyest Cat At The Shelter And They Said He May Never Warm Up To Humans. We Are Doing Good

Image credits: Duck__Holliday

#8 Flora Was Rescued From Neglectful Owners And Due To Illness Can’t Close Her Mouth Fully. Now She Has A Perma-Blep, Good Thing She Doesn’t Seem To Care

Image credits: drekinn_riddari

#9 My Smol Rescue, I’m In Love

Image credits: mmkmakar

Dogs are being surrendered to shelters and rescues in record numbers. At Big Dog Ranch in Florida, they normally take in one owner surrender a day, but they’re currently taking about seven. It’s a similar story at one shelter after another.

Some of these dogs are young purebreds purchased during the pandemic whose breed eccentricities or needs were too much for a new owner, but many are being given up because their owners can no longer afford them, or their work or housing situation has changed drastically.

#10 I Volunteer At A Shelter And Had Managed To Refrain From Adopting A Dog For Years, But A Month Ago This Girl Instantly Obliterated My Resolve. Her Adoption Is Finalized Tomorrow

Image credits: plentyoflasagna

#11 We Just Adopted This Goofy Big Boy Named Barnacle – 15 Weeks Old And Bigger Than Our Two Year Old Cat!

Image credits: DonutPlains

#12 This Is Jagger At The Saveafox Domestic Fox Rescue. He Just Got A Pumpkin As A Treat

Image credits: mac_is_crack

#13 Adopted A New Kitten And My Void Instantly Accepted Him!

Image credits: jess_611

#14 My GF Recently Adopted Old Man Sampson(18) He’s Mostly Def And His Back Legs Are Getting Worse, But He Still Loves Sniffing Around And Going For Walkies

Image credits: loneliness_sucks_D

#15 Couldn’t Decide Which To Adopt, So I Kept The Family Together & Adopted All 3

Image credits: CatDaddyWhisper

#16 This Illegally Smol Criminal Has Been Living In My Back Yard. No One Wants To Adopt Her So I Guess She Is Now My Illegally Smol Criminal

Image credits: 6018674512

#17 Jellybean Rescued My Husband This Weekend And Now They Are Inseparable

Image credits: hastag_cats

#18 George Is The Name Of The Little Kitten That My Sister Adopted

When I enter the room, it waits for me hidden to play with its little claws and teeth. I have a feeling that when it grows up it will be terrible but it doesn’t matter, my heart is yours

Image credits: latindollbaby

#19 A Pile Of Rescue Voidlings

Image credits: Mundane_Ostrich

#20 This Is My Grandderp, Leo. My Husband Rescued Him Right After This Picture Was Taken

Image credits: AwkwardAquarian

#21 Rescued This Kitten From Behind A Dumpster, Meet Mittens!

Image credits: H0lsterr

#22 Recently Rescued This Little Old Lady And From The Looks Of It She Loves Car Rides

Image credits: island_toy

#23 I Posted A Few Days Ago About Old Man Earl At The Shelter I Volunteer At

 Well I adopted him today. He is skeletal and I think he needs a sweater. So far he enjoys squirrel watching on the open window sill

Image credits: outlander345

#24 We Adopted A Very Shy Kitten Last Sunday. This Morning He Came Up To Me And Sat On My Lap All On His Own For The First Time

Image credits: GrindinMolcajete

#25 Passionfruit Wants To Thank Everyone For Supporting Our Rescue

Image credits: PupsandKittens1512

#26 Adopted The Goodest Boy Today

Image credits: tanner1111

#27 My Rescue Overlord Loaf

Image credits: moth-on-ssri

#28 This Little Guy Just Adopted Us… Walked In To The House Right Behind Me

Image credits: MadmanKe_254

#29 My Life Has Become So Much Brighter Since I Adopted Sofi

Image credits: FiveOhFive91

#30 Just A Little Rescue Cat. She Is Wonderful

Image credits: DTMBBQ

#31 I Can’t Believe You Adopted Us Both! Happiness Will Rule After The Shock Wears Off

Image credits: Kimmer2022

#32 Adopted These Two Today

Image credits: AHalfEatenBowl

#33 Adoption Day For Our New Sic!

Image credits: sami_claire

#34 Just Adopted This Fluffy Old Lady With A Little White Mustache!

Image credits: Chandra_Nalaar

#35 He Was A Stray I Found Outside Our House, And I Fed Him. A Little While Later, He Dozed Off On My Lap. I Decided To Adopt This Tiny Fella

Image credits: ingarobs

#36 Can’t Tell If I Adopted A Rabbit Or A Cat

Image credits: Southern_Solution_54

#37 Today We Adopted Our Second Greyhound, Lily. I Think Her And Hank Will Get Along Just Fine

Image credits: Mstngairplane

#38 This Is My Sweet Foster That I Ended Up Adopting

She was found starving with her siblings in a container at a week old. What color and pattern is her coat? She is now 2.5 months old and seems to me like a snowshoe/tabby to me because she has white boots and stripes

Image credits: linichi62

#39 Our Little Rescue. She’s 5 Weeks Old With Development Of A 3 Week Old . She Was Also The Runt Of The Litter

Image credits: mollysinz

#40 I Adopted A Fur-Baby 2 Weeks Ago

Image credits: salice93

#41 My 4 Rescues

Image credits: FirstAd4471

#42 This Is Piper. She Showed Up On My Aunt’s Property And Decided To Adopt Us. I Stopped By To See My Aunt And Gave This Girl Some Head Massage. She Passed Out Like That

Image credits: DSEnMe

#43 Oh Gosh I Rescued A Vampire! What Do I Do?!

Image credits: porklorneo

#44 New Pup Rescued – This Is Rori!

Image credits: RedxPandaOSU

#45 Thought I Should Share My 4 Recently Adopted Babies

Image credits: Bearchiwuawa

#46 Adopted A New Baby Today, Her Name Is Fran

Image credits: tttrashley

#47 Detained With The Evidence Still On His Face!

Our first rescue bottle baby ♡ approx 2.5 – 3 weeks old

Image credits: SAJ88

#48 Officially Adopted Our New Baby & Brought Him Home Today!! He’s So Excited To Be Home & Such A Sweetheart

Image credits: Rainyx420

#49 I Finally Adopted My First Kitten. This Is Tofu And I Love Him So Much It Hurts

Image credits: Time2kill

#50 Our Sic We Rescued A Month Ago. Named Her Maybelline. “Maybe She’s Born With It, Maybe It’s Maybelline.”

Image credits: ladyvont321

Source: boredpanda.com