I just love a well-chosen ending .

Two things will always choke me up when I come across them on the internet: Pets reuniting with their humans who were serving in the armed forces, and pets who look SO sad at shelters and then SO safe and comfortable in their forever homes. Because it would be embarrassing to explain to IT that my laptop got water damage from all the tears I shed watching reunion videos of service members and theirdogs, here’s the latter. I welled up, but kept it together for these 36 photos:

1.These two photos taken an hour apart that show just what a little change of scenery can do.

2.This transformation from a kitty with “not much time left” to a kitty that spent its final four (!) years of its life in a better home.

3.This deflated soul that turned into an upright-standing happy goof when it got adopted.

4.This little furball that looks like it’s finally experiencing comfort for the first time.

5.This frown that quite literally got turned upside down.

6.This shiba whose worrying eyebrows were no more once they found a new family.

7.This absolute ham you can TELL is so excited head pets are on tap now.

8.This lil' lady who finally had a reason to perk her ears up after getting scooped out of a kill shelter.

9.This lonely lad who is probably so happy they have all the blankets in the world now.

10.This purrfect bean, whose entire character arc from shelter to home can be seen in just her eyes.

11.This handsome hairball who had to learn to trust again, but it was totally worth it.

12.This success story that shows just how far a little love can go.

13.This kennel-bound boy, who came to the shelter so injured, they didn’t know he would make it, and is now thriving and rolling in all the patches of leaves he can find.

14.This sweet cyclops who was able to get medical attention and a little eye patch.

Photographic proof:

15.This feral kitten turned family member who reminds me so much of my cat, I can’t help but well up looking at her.

16.This little angel who is finally able to relax poolside.

17.This darling who was in desperate need of medical attention andTLC, but then someone got there just in time.

18.This kitty who is now able to rest easy.

19.This sweetie who was finally able to eat a good meal and get a good brush.

20.This beta fish, who honestly looks like it’s on death’s door when a guardian biped came along.

21.This kitty who miraculously made a full recovery.

22.This dog showing what a difference a year makes.

23.This kitty who can tell you their mood in both images just by body language.

24.This gentleman, scared in a corner, who was given a new human and a new bowtie and now has a glimmer in his eyes.

25.This little kitty who went from sitting on a hard sterile shelf to a warm comfy bed because he was adopted.

26.This sweet pup who got a newleashon life after finding a loving owner.

27.This dog who was abandoned in the snow to guard a shuttered factory, but was then taken in to a nice warm foster.

28.This astute guy named Ricky who went from a pound pup to a tie-wearing fluffball.

29.This dude who was given back to the shelter for destructive chewing, but when another owner gave him a shot, he didn’t chew anything and was just a big bucket of love.

30.This dog who was picked up with a collar ingrown to their neck, and now takes walks with their compassionate new human with a harness instead.

31.This puppy, who, after being found in a school parking lot, was guided to a new home to make a full recovery.

32.This little cutie I can feel taking the biggest sigh of relief between these two pictures.

33.This wumble bumble (a scientific term), who had a tough start, but eventually found their footing.

34.This adorable rescue from the kitten mill that was given a brand new set of lives.

35.This void whose eyes at the shelter look worried and sad, then after adoption, look like “Excuse me, this is my seat. Go sit somewhere else.” Typical cat behavior!

36.Finally, this dumpling who was brought to the shelter to be euthanized, but then found someone ready to nurse them back to health. A real second chance!

Two dogs behind shelter bars; next, same dogs happily seated in a car. Transformation from confined to free and joyful is evident

Two images of a black and white cat: the top shows it covered in dirt, looking disheveled; the bottom shows it clean and wearing a pink knitted hat

Two photos of a pit bull dog, one looking sad and the other smiling happily, possibly showing a "before and after" transformation

Two images of a black and white cat. Top: Cat is lying down, looking tired. Bottom: Cat is sprawled out on its back, appearing relaxed

Two images of a happy, stocky bulldog with a broad face; one sitting and one lying down, both with a red collar

Two images of a happy Shiba Inu, one standing and the other lying down with a person nearby

Dog behind a cage on the left; on the right, the same dog looks happy and content, lying down with its eyes half-closed

Shelter dog standing indoors, looking up, then outside, happy and playful on grass with leaves

Side-by-side photos of a dog: left, curled up sadly in a shelter; right, happily playing on a blanket with a toy

Two Siamese kittens; one sleeping on a towel, the other sitting alert on a patterned cushion

Two images of a black and white cat. Left: Cat in a cage growling. Right: Cat sitting calmly on a couch

Two-image comparison of a cat: top shows a kitten appearing unkempt, bottom shows the same cat as healthy and well-groomed, lying on an ornate shelf

Two images of a young dog: lying down indoors, and playing outdoors while being petted

Two fluffy white dogs, side by side in before-and-after grooming photos; left appears shaggy, right is neatly groomed and smiling

Dog in pirate costume with a hat and eyepatch, sitting on a mat, looking up

Two images of a white cat with patches, first in a carrier, then wearing a collar with a tag, lying on a wooden floor

Two photos of a fluffy dog. The first shows the dog dirty and matted; the second shows the dog clean and smiling by a pool

Two side-by-side photos of a cat. Left: A stray cat looking scruffy. Right: The same cat is clean and relaxed on a bed

Two images of a cat: Top - cat with an injured eye; Bottom - same cat content and relaxed, resting comfortably

Two side-by-side images of a white dog with black ears. The left shows the dog sitting indoors, the right shows the dog sitting outside, looking alert

Betta fish in a container before, looking unwell; vibrant and healthy in an aquarium after

Two images of the same cat: top shows a severely injured face; bottom shows the cat healed and healthy, looking out a window

Two side-by-side images of a dog: on the left, standing in a shelter; on the right, outside on grass, looking healthier with a harness and leash

Two Siamese cats, one in a cage looking cautious, the other lying down, relaxed and alert

Two images of the same black and white dog; one shows it sitting, the other with a red bow tie around its neck, giving a playful look

Person with a mask posing with a resting cat on the left; same cat sleeping peacefully on the right

Before and after images of a rescued dog show its transformation from skinny and frail to healthy and happy

Two images of a fluffy dog: one in snow near a food bowl, and one indoors smiling with a leash, looking healthier

Before and after of a dog: left, behind a fence, shaggy; right, groomed wearing a shirt and tie, indoors

Two photos of a small brown dog sitting, looking up. The dog appears happy and relaxed in both images

Two-panel image of a dog. Left: lying on a tiled floor indoors. Right: sitting outdoors on grass, wearing a harness and looking happy

Before and after photos of a dog. Left: Dog with skin issues. Right: Healthy dog wearing a plaid bandana, sitting outside

Two images of the same fluffy black and white cat. Top: resting in a cage, looking unkempt. Bottom: lounging on a wooden floor, groomed and content

Two images of a cat: a kitten in a cardboard box and the same cat older, lounging confidently on a chair

Left: A fluffy cat sits in a cage beside a food dish. Right: Same cat outdoors wearing a harness, surrounded by greenery

Two images of a black cat with bright eyes: One in a cage, the other lounging on a couch, displaying a relaxed posture

A wet, annoyed cat on the left and a relaxed, fluffy cat lounging on the right

Dog with one ear up, wearing a red collar, stands on a patterned rug near a wooden chair and blue cabinet