Today is National Cat Day, a day to celebrate cats and remember the millions still living without a home. One of them was a kitten named Iris. Two years ago, a stray mother cat gave birth outdoors in a California backyard. Her kitten, Iris, was found weighing less than a quarter pound, her eyes swollen shut, with severe infections spreading around her nose and mouth. She was too small and too sick to eat on her own. For seven weeks, someone syringe-fed her by hand every few

October is National Pet Wellness Month, dedicated to helping companion animals stay healthy and improving their quality of life. 59% of dogs and 61% of cats assessed by veterinary professionals in the U.S. were overweight or had obesity. Excess weight can contribute to diabetes, joint disease, breathing problems, and other serious health conditions. Bentley, a four-year-old dog, had become so overweight that he weighed 102.3 pounds and struggled to walk because of severe art

Today is World Rabies Day, a reminder that rabies still kills an estimated 59,000 people every year. A nine-year-old girl in India was one of them. She was bitten by a dog near her home in India. The girl was afraid of the anti-rabies injection and did not receive treatment after the bite. Five months later, she developed rabies and died. Rabies kills dogs, too. The virus attacks the brain and nervous system, causing confusion, agitation, seizures, and paralysis. Once sym

In Sri Lanka, an island nation in South Asia, a visually impaired elephant was searching for food near homes when three men allegedly chased him with flaming torches. One of the men allegedly set fire to his body. The elephant suffered severe burns. Veterinarians tried to save him, but he died from his injuries. His death is a painful reminder of how badly Sri Lanka needs stronger laws against animal cruelty. Sri Lanka’s main animal cruelty law was written over a century ago

For every dog sterilized, more are already being born. Bengaluru, a city of more than 15 million people in India, has announced plans to double the number of stray dogs it sterilizes each year, from about 45,000 to 90,000. Officials hope to achieve full animal birth control coverage within three years. The city has already spent nearly $5 million on sterilization in just the past five years. Yet despite decades of effort, Bengaluru continues to face a serious stray dog cri

She should be able to swim through these waters without finding a wall of netting in her path. A young dolphin was swimming off the coast of South Africa when she became trapped in a shark net. She struggled to escape, but the net held her underwater until she died. Her death was not an accident. Shark nets and baited hooks used along South Africa’s coast also catch turtles, rays, and sharks that were never the intended target. From 2018 through 2022, this gear killed an a

A Florida man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing two cats. After a three-day trial, a jury convicted him of two counts of aggravated animal cruelty and two counts of aggravated stalking. The judge imposed four consecutive five-year prison terms, along with an order for no contact with animals and a DNA sample. The cats were shot in the woods, and their severed heads were later found in a mailbox. Investigators recovered video showing the cats being shot in

Deafness does not prevent a dog from learning. It is National Deaf Pet Awareness Week, a time to raise awareness about deaf companions and challenge the assumption that hearing loss makes them difficult to live with. An estimated 5% to 10% of dogs in the U.S. are affected by deafness, yet they learn, bond, and thrive just like any other companion. Take Xyla, a deaf dog who spent 240 days in a Texas shelter before adoption. Staff taught her hand‑signal commands, showing that

National Dog Week begins today, giving us a whole week to celebrate the dogs who share our lives and encourage people to appreciate and care for them. More than one million dogs are adopted from shelters in the U.S. each year, giving them the chance to become part of a family. National Dog Week is a good time to celebrate the dogs already in our homes while remembering the dogs still waiting for theirs. Here are four ways to celebrate National Dog Week with your dog: 1. Take

There is nowhere to run when the people who came for them arrive. In China, terrified dogs are trapped in filthy, crowded cages where they see and hear other dogs being beaten and killed. Workers grab them with metal nooses, club them, and slit their throats. Some dogs are still alive when workers skin them.  Their skin is turned into leather gloves, belts, jacket trim, cat toys, and other products sold around the world. Congress documented dog and cat fur entering the Unit

Every homeless cat deserves the chance to be safe. Today is International Homeless Animals' Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the millions of dogs and cats around the world living without a home. The world's 600 million stray dogs and 87 million stray cats give birth to more than 1 billion homeless puppies and kittens every year. Every homeless animal has a different story. Today, we'd like to introduce you to a few of our Pilot Pups whose journeys began without

Wolf pups deserve to grow up with their family. Right now, one of Yellowstone's best-known wolf families is living under the threat of being killed. Mollie's Pack is raising five young pups outside the safety of Yellowstone National Park after leaving in search of food during an unusually mild winter. Beginning September 15, hunters can legally kill up to four wolves in the area where the pack is now living. Among those at risk is Wolf 1090F, the pack's 12-year-old matriarch

For many cats, the streets are the only home they have ever known. Today is International Cat Day, a time to celebrate cats while raising awareness of the challenges millions still face around the world. Animal shelters and rescues across the U.S. took in approximately 3 million cats in 2025 alone. Earlier this year in New York City, a 15-year-old cat named Thai survived nearly a week alone inside her apartment after her guardians unexpectedly passed away. She was eventuall

Sugar’s body showed the strain of surviving on scraps. When we found Sugar, she was picking through piles of garbage in an empty lot. Plastic bags, food wrappers, and other waste covered the ground around her. Her head stayed low as she moved from one pile to the next. Her fur was dirty and filled with lice. Despite her condition, she walked straight toward us and allowed us to place a leash on her. Her gentle nature stood out from the moment we met her, and it was the reason

Every monkey deserves a life free from fear, pain, and exploitation. A Florida man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for distributing more than 40 videos showing monkeys being tortured, mutilated, burned, and sexually abused. Investigators found that he created and managed private online groups where the videos were distributed. The court found that his leadership role in those groups was one of the reasons he received the five-year prison sentence.  The ju

Kiki did not run from anyone. She seemed to believe that being gentle would keep her safe. We found Kiki lying on dusty ground beside stacked bricks at a construction site. The sun was scorching, and she had no shelter. It was not a place any dog should live, but she had nowhere else to go. She had no food or water, and the dirt beside the bricks was the only spot she could lie down. When we approached, Kiki was gentle and friendly. She lifted her head, wagged softly, and a

A registered microchip is only as useful as the information linked to it. Today is National ID Your Pet Day, a day dedicated to helping companion animals find their way back home if they ever become lost. It serves as an annual reminder to check collars, ID tags, and microchip information so companion animals can be reunited with the people who love them. After disappearing in 2014, Sierra was found 12 years later in a Florida shelter, more than 1,400 miles away from where s

Fireworks can turn celebration into panic and escape. July 4th celebrations last a few hours. For some dogs, the consequences can last a lifetime. For weeks, the Orcas Island community in Washington searched for a young dog named Kai. He bolted from the West Beach Resort into the dark after being startled by the sudden explosion of July 4th fireworks. Everyone on the island came together to look for him. But despite all their hard work and massive search efforts, Kai was nev

I had no one to come looking when things got hard. My name is Blair and I’m a Pilot Pup rescued by Team 600MillionDogs. Every June, the U.S. celebrates Father’s Day, a time to recognize and appreciate fathers and father figures for the care and support they give in families. I grew up without a father figure to protect me from a harsh life on the streets. My body was weak from dehydration and exhaustion as I stood alone in the grass near a village road. I felt abandoned, watc

Behind closed doors, thousands of shelter animals still face the terror of Japan’s gas chambers. Dogs and cats in parts of Japan’s public shelter system are still euthanized inside carbon dioxide gas chambers known as “Dream Boxes.” These sealed metal chambers are designed to kill multiple animals at once by pumping in carbon dioxide gas until the animals suffocate. Investigations described dogs howling, clawing at metal walls, trembling, gasping for air, and collapsing duri