April 30 is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, celebrated annually to raise awareness for the millions of animals waiting in shelters to find their fur-ever homes. The day aims to encourage people to adopt. If you are not ready to adopt, you can still support your local animal shelter by volunteering or donating.
This month, NPR's Up First newsletter wanted to participate by sharing stories of how readers' pets have changed their lives. Over 600 people offered up stories of their pets, from rabbits to dogs — all written with love. Pet owners expressed how pets have saved their lives, helped them heal, and provided them with community in unexpected ways. Here are a few of their stories.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Saved my life
"I'm sure you're going to get stories of how the love of an animal can be absolutely life-changing, and it is," Jessa Gillis said. "Levi's impact on my life, however, is literally life-saving." In July 2020, Gillis got Levi when he was a five-month-old puppy. At that point, he had never been in a car. When it was time for his first vet appointment, Gillis knew she would have to lift him into the vehicle. However, she was experiencing back pain. As soon as she went to pick Levi up, Gillis felt a pop in her back and instant, intense pain.
After ignoring it for a while, Gillis finally went to the doctor, where she learned she had sustained a compression fracture in her spine. "I was originally diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2018, but that fracture in 2020 was a sign that it had returned and progressed to stage 4, now present in my bones. If I hadn't picked up Levi and gotten that fracture, it could have taken much longer to be diagnosed and could have progressed farther," she said.
A last wish
Lois Brumfield said her husband's 13-year battle with prostate cancer came to an end in January 2025. He was receiving hospice care at home, and he said hoped Timber, their 9-year-old pitbull mix, would wake her up if he ever died in the middle of the night.
"The night that my husband passed away, Timber did indeed wake me up. He jumped off the bed to get a drink of water, and then refused to jump back up on the bed. I turned on the light and saw that he was staring at my husband in his hospital bed," Brumfield explained. She says Timber had an odd look on his face. After coaxing him back onto the bed, she went to check on her husband. "He took a deep breath and then another, and then his final breath. Timber has been a blessing to me since my husband passed," Brumfield said.
Multiple stages of life
At 26, Cara Loffredo and her best friend quit their jobs and moved across the country to California. They packed up a two-door Toyota Yaris with a suitcase each — and Penelope, of course. One of her favorite memories with her dog happened on this trip. When they made a stop at Colorado's Great Sand Dunes National Park, Penelope saw the big sand dunes and bolted. Loffredo initially thought she had just lost her dog in the desert, but a few minutes later, Penelope came zooming back to her, clearly having a blast.
"I adopted Penelope when I was just turning 24, and now, 15 years later, I feel like I grew up with her by my side and became the adult, business owner, a new mom I am today," Loffredo said. "She has been by my side through every moment of heartbreak and amazing life-changing moment. I don't know me without her."
Service pet
Ammi Midstokke has a seizure disorder. Shortly after bringing Freya home from the shelter, she had one. Freya crawled on top of her, interrupting the seizure. Two weeks later, she did the same thing. "Then she started pre-empting them so I could respond and often avoid having one altogether," Midstokke said. Freya then began working with a trainer to be trained as a service animal.
Before Freya, Midstokke spent her entire adult life impacted by the seizures. Now, they are less frequent. Midstokke says they just celebrated an entire year seizure-free. "Freya has helped me reclaim parts of me I did not know were missing," she said. "She has healed some of my deepest wounds, opened my heart to the sweetness of unconditional and enthusiastic love, and taught me how to play again."
The value of adult dogs
Ruth Cantor says there is a narrative around puppies that you can train them to become your ideal dog. But Cantor's first adult dog, Gemma, made the value of adopting a dog her age obvious.
"Her sweet temperament, desire to please me, fondness for people of all ages, and gentle nature were there from the first time I met her," Cantor said. "What began as a simple act of rescue turned into something much bigger: a dog who now rescues others with her presence alone. Her story is a reminder that love, patience, and purpose can transform a life, no matter where it begins."
Constant companion
Laura McGrath's dog Stu was a constant companion for her through a sorrowful divorce. "When he and I had to leave our house, move out of state, and begin a new life elsewhere, he stayed by my side every day," McGrath said. "One morning in particular, when I was crying from grief, he continued to lick my face until I stopped crying."
McGrath says they have been in their current home for two years, and because of Stu, she hasn't had a single lonely day. "Of course, some days are better than others, but there is much more joy in life when you have a friend," she said.
The more the merrier
Edva Kashi says her family already had two adult cats when they decided to adopt again. The decision came after her father, an Israeli immigrant, died on Sept. 16, 2023, after complications from a surgery. Three weeks later, the Israel-Hamas war started. Shortly after that, her husband's grandfather died, she says. They knew that after feeling miserable, two more kittens would help improve their mood, which is how Sebastian and Sid were added to the family in November 2023.
Kashi says even though having four cats was more chaotic than two they have brought more joy and laughter into her family's lives. "Since we got the kittens, our family has experienced several serious health issues, one major surgery, a handful of minor surgeries, grief, mourning, and the general stress of trying to survive the times we live in," she said. "The cats keep me grounded because no matter what, they need to be fed, their litterboxes need cleaning, and they need attention. That forced outward focus keeps me moving even when I'd rather hide from everything."
Workplace joy
Steven Shutt works for the High Point Rockers, a professional minor-league baseball team. Team president Pete Fisch and his wife Melissa adopted Ruby after she was airlifted from Asheville, N.C., because of Hurricane Helene. She was sent to a shelter in Winston-Salem, N.C., which was in desperate need of people to foster the dogs coming from Asheville.
Shutt says Ruby has the sweetest disposition and knows which office staff member has the best treats. He says their team of 15 employees takes turns walking her and playing on the field with her. "Local TV crews have covered her since we 'signed' Ruby to a contract as our canine ambassador. She is good for each employee's mental health," Shutt said. "I'm not sure that she has saved any of our lives, but I feel like we saved her and she is now able to enjoy her best life."
Pet advocacy
Olivia Poelmann's American mix rabbit, Sirius, has been with her for about seven and a half years, seeing her through many stages in life. He moved with her cross-country at least three times, saw her complete two degrees, get married, and even got a special shout-out in her college thesis.
Because of Sirius' impact on her life, Poelmann got involved in house rabbit advocacy by constantly fighting for the rights of these small creatures to be treated with kindness and fairness. "Rabbits are still treated as livestock animals in many states, and there are many people who still raise them for meat. There is no difference between 'pet rabbits' and 'meat rabbits'. They deserve rights," Poelmann said.
Breaking breed perceptions
Colette Henderson says that after she adopted Ollie, she learned very quickly how "polarized people are about pit bulls." She also didn't know that she would have to build a thick skin to the perceptions people have about the breed. This pushed her to learn more about him in a short time.
"My ultimate conclusion was it's my job to set my dog up for success and to know his weaknesses and strengths. People who learn this about having a dog rarely have a dangerous dog, meaning they tend and care for that dog so it's safe, regardless of its issues," Henderson said. "I know there are always exceptions, but the more I dig deeper into dog bite stories, the more I learn those exceptions are rare, and usually a lack of experience or understanding is the problem."
Travel partner
When Jenn Stone met Sanchez, a dog was not part of the picture, as she was focused on travel and making a meaningful impact on the world through science. However, she learned that Sanchez was the friend she never knew she needed.
Stone and her partner adopted Sanchez while on a journey across Thailand. She says that she has watched Sanchez, a reluctant rescue, transform from a dog once too timid to walk around the block to one that blazed through wilderness trails with abandon.
"Without Sanchez, we never would have explored the U.S. and Canada to the extent we have over the last five years. She's given us the gift of adventure, shown us how to live in the moment, allowed us to spend way more time in nature, and taught us compassion and perseverance," Stone said.
"Sanchez wasn't the path I had planned, but she gave me a renewed sense of purpose. I haven't yet gone on to be the next great scientific mind, but I'm right where I need to be," she continued. "Hanging on tight to the end of a 30-foot lead while this loveable mutt chases her best life — and the occasional squirrel."
Taking a risk
Melanie Gniewek says her dog Scarlett was tortured, abused, and abandoned outside of her first family's home during a Midwestern winter for a month. Scarlett had no food, water or shelter. She was 22 pounds when she was found, but should have been 75 pounds.
"She was not expected to live through the night, but she did. She then went on to survive cancer, a coyote attack, heart failure and so much more. It seemed this dog could not catch a break, but Scarlett didn't let any of it define who she was," Gniewek said.
Gniewek said Scarlett remained loving. Every time she looked at her, she would think about how much of a gift it was to have her there. Scarlett died on Dec. 24, 2024, after eight years with Gniewek.
"The last thing I said to Scarlett before she died was that she changed my life and that I loved her. And I know if she could have talked, she would have told me the same, that she loved me and I changed her life," Gniewek said. "And that's the thing with a shelter pet, you have no idea what you are going to get. You take a risk with them, and they take a risk with you. Scarlett was a challenging dog. She was my imperfectly perfect dog. She cost me a fortune in medical bills, but the love we shared is impossible to describe and impossible to put a price on."
This story has been edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
Copyright 2025 NPR