All dogs are beautiful in their own way, and are deserving of good, loving homes — even the ones that look a little unusual.

Like one very unique dog born with no neck and half a spine, who struggled due to his differences but ultimately found the perfect home.

Cooper, an American foxhound, has a genetic condition referred to as “short spine syndrome” in which his vertebrae are fused together and compressed. According to Daily Mail, he’s one of only 30 dogs in the world with the condition.

“[His spine] is fused in two places – on his neck and on his rear,” owner Elly Keegan explained, per the Daily Mail “He looks like he has no neck and to look behind him he has to turn his whole body.”

The unique-looking dog had a rough start to life. He likely came from a puppy farm in Halifax, Virginia and was abandoned due to his birth defect. It’s also likely his disability was the result of inbreeding at the puppy mill.

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Rescuers found him in 2017, and he was taken to Secondhand Hounds, a shelter in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out in the first home he was placed in, as he liked to chase their cats.

But Cooper soon found his perfect home with Elly Keegan and her family. While many people would pass over such a unique-looking dog — or even worse, he could’ve been euthanized for his disability — Elly has a warm heart towards differently-abled dogs and committed to giving Cooper all the love and help he needs.

Elly says she was aware Cooper would need medical attention but had the support of Secondhand Hounds. Early on, the dog had a few medical setbacks, including a fall that fractured his neck in five places and a bone infection.

But in other ways Cooper’s condition has seen improvements. Elly says that his birth defect left it so he essential had his “butt on his back,” but a surgery has made it easier for him to go to the bathroom on his own.

Elly says that despite everything, Cooper is the “happiest dog,” and people are always happy to see him, too.

“Wherever he goes he draws attention but he really revels in it. He has a lot of fans on Facebook,” Elly told Daily Mail. “He’s such a friendly dog.”

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This is the story of a little dog named Emerson. He made a decision to take action and took his chances with a shelter after years of abuse from his family. The dog was still shaking in fear, but the stability and kindness around him gave him hope for what life could be like.

After a lifetime of poor dental care and many other undisclosed issues, Emerson only had a few teeth left. The dog was also found to be in bad condition due to a wound on his leg where his skin had begun to peel off due to severe matting. They prepared him for surgery and hoped they could save the leg.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t save it. But at this point, everything else was looking up for little Emerson. He now lives with his new mom, Michaela, and family and is absolutely loving life! What a dramatic change and turnaround for a dog who once sat shivering in fear of what would happen next.

Watch this heartwarming story about little Emerson. Be sure to pass this onto a friend or family member!

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Jami Lassell and her friend arrived at an abandoned house in Pennsylvania to clean out an attic. Little did they know, that moment would save a life. The attic had a foul smell of urine and feces. Then, they spotted a Pit Bull trapped up there who was nothing but skin and bones.

It’s unclear how long the dog was stranded in the attic, but somehow she survived with no food or water. Despite the harsh situation, she was incredibly loving and didn’t want to leave Lassell’s side. From that moment on, Lassell knew she had to do everything she could to save the dog.

Clinging on to Life

It’s a miracle that Lassell found the dog when she did. If she hadn’t, the poor canine might not have survived. Lassell has since named the dog Remi, and the pup has been staying with her. After an initial vet visit, Lassell learned that Remi had a lot more health problems from past abuse and neglect.

“Her back leg is broken. It healed on its own, so her kneecap is not connected, and a bone grew behind it,” Lassell said. “She does have a broken nail, too, and they are removing that. We have to take her to get that removed. She has a broken tooth that I have to take her to a doggy dentist to get removed.”

Lassell suspects that some of Remi’s injuries came from trying to escape. It looked like she had been scratching and biting at the walls of the attic to find a way out. No one knows who did this to Remi, but it’s hard to believe that anyone would purposely put an innocent dog through that.

Remi Refuses to Give Up

Remi has a long road to recovery ahead of her, but Lassell is doing everything she can to make it a smooth transition. She gave her a comfortable dog bed to rest in, and she’s pacing her food and water to avoid expanding her stomach too quickly. Vets suspect that Remi is between one and two years old.

Lassell plans to keep Remi even after her medical care is handled. The two have formed a close bond, and they can’t imagine life without each other. Every day, Remi experiences little accomplishments, such as going down the stairs on her own or sitting still for a bath.

“Rescued this little babe a week ago & she looks great a week later. [A] little bit of love and food goes a long way,” Lassell wrote on Facebook next to photos of her and Remi.

To help cover medical expenses, Lassell started a GoFundMe for Remi. Thanks to many kind animal lovers, they have already surpassed their goal of $5,000! Remi will be feeling better in no time.

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At the ripe old age of 18, Figgy the Toy Poodle found himself blind, toothless… and abandoned. Who could do such a thing?

The elderly pup was surrendered to a vet clinic where he could have met his ultimate fate. But by a stroke of good luck, the confused, scared senior made his way into the loving care of the Muttville Senior Dog Rescue in San Francisco, California.

When he arrived with his paperwork, staff and volunteers were shocked to see the reason for his surrender: his owner’s wife “didn’t like him” because “he’s stupid.” Unbelievable!

What’s more, according to the paperwork, it doesn’t look like they had the poor pooch for very long. It’s possible that he’d lived in a few different homes already.

But thanks to the Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, Figgy was finally surrounded by people who truly appreciated him. And it wasn’t long before the senior sweetheart got the best news of all: he was going to move into a forever home!

Watch a video on Figgy’s journey below:

Eileen is an experienced hospice caretaker who is going to love Figgy for the rest of his days! We are so glad to see that this small pup, with his big heart, is finally going to learn what it’s like to be unconditionally loved.

Thanks to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue volunteer Patty Stanton for letting us share this wonderful story!

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You might not guess by looking at him, but Murray is a Weimaraner. His unusual looks are the product of rough circumstances, but he and his family haven’t let it bring him down.

While still just a pup, Murray was dumped by his family on a beach in Puerto Rico. The spot they chose to leave him is such a popular dumping spot it’s known as Dead Dog Beach. Though the area is populated mostly by dogs, there are good people out there doing what they can to save them. The Sato Project provides food, fresh water, medical care, and love to the homeless dogs who wander the beach.

While treating Murray a veterinarian discovered that he suffered from distemper. The disease is highly contagious and if left untreated, it can lead to death. Because there is no cure for distemper, the vet felt there were few choices available. Murray was scheduled to be euthanized. However, only a few moments before he was meant to be put down, Murray began to wag his tail. The small gesture caused the vet to have a change of heart and saved Murray’s life! It was decided that he would be flown to the states to find a family instead.

Murray landed in Boston, Massachusetts, and into the care of Boston for the Dogs, but it wasn’t long until he found a family of his own!

The Gallant family offered to foster Murray, and fell in love! He became their “foster fail,” and has been with them for over four years now!

Over time, his distemper has caused his features to change, and his teeth to fall out, leaving his tongue hanging from the side of his mouth, but nothing could cause his family to love him any less. Mackenzie Gallant tells Barcroft Media,

“The signature tongue out is just the cutest thing, and his crooked features, if you look at his face closely you notice his ears aren’t aligned right on his head. His quirks make him even cuter and more special.”

His family hopes that his unique look and incredible story will help raise awareness about a few of the issues he has faced in his life.

“We made his Instagram when I left for college for friends and family to follow but over the past year he has gained a lot of followers and helped raise awareness of rescue dogs, The Sato Project and distemper.”

You can follow Murray on Instagram. Learn more about how The Sato Project is battling the stray dog problem in Puerto Rico here.

Please SHARE to pass on this story to a friend or family member.

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It’s amazing how dogs have the social skills to make friends with other dogs. Many pet owners know of the special relationships they can form with the dog next door.

That’s certainly the case for two caring dogs, who are always there for each other right on the other side of the fence.

Two dogs named Messy and Audi live across the street from each other in Thailand. Audi is often left home alone when his owners go to work, and doesn’t always take it well… but Messy’s owner, Oranit Kittragul, knows her dog is just the thing to cheer him up.

“When he feels lonely and cries, I always ask my dog to see and talk to him,” Oranit told The Dodo. “My dog just looks from my fence and sometime he barks to [Audi]. I don’t know what they are communicating, but he stops crying.”

The two formed a bond over time, with Messy always cheering Audi up with his visits. But one meeting was extra special.

One day, Audi’s owner left the gate unlocked and he was able to get out… and he ran right for Messy, where the two friends hugged each other:

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“He ran to my dog and they hugged each other,” Oranit said.

Oranit captured the precious moment on camera. It showed her just how deeply these two dogs cared about each other—that they had formed a real bond over their visits and just wanted to be together.

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Oranit shared the photos on social media, where they quickly went viral. Everyone loved this sweet moment between these dogs.

“My purpose is just to share a nice photo and story,” she told Today.

She said that the two dogs still hadn’t gotten to play together since they became famous, but she continued to bring her dog over to Audi’s house.

What a beautiful friendship! We’re glad these dogs have each other to turn to when they’re feeling down or alone.

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