Share Your “Who Rescued Who” Story
We believe every rescue animal has a story of how they rescued their family right back. Tell us about your special bond and inspire others to adopt!
Every rescue creates two heroes – the animal who found safety and the family who discovered love. Share how your rescue pet became your family’s greatest gift. Your story could inspire someone to adopt their best friend and help us show the world that rescue animals don’t just get rescued – they do the rescuing. Join our growing community of families sharing their heartwarming rescue stories as we prepare for Giving Tuesday, on December 2.
Every action matters.
When you donate, share our posts, or simply tell a friend about Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh, you help us show up for animals and the people who love them—day in and day out.
Share your story below and make a Giving Tuesday gift to help us continue providing lifesaving care, compassionate shelter, and vital community support.
Featured “Who Rescued Who” Stories
Read these heartwarming stories from Pittsburgh families whose rescue animals became their heroes.
5 Days Can Change Everything
Cassie & Fendi
When HARP called to say we could pick up our new pup, I was sitting in the emergency room at Shadyside Hospital with Matt. He’d gone to urgent care for what we thought was pneumonia, but further testing and scans told a different story. Not even twenty minutes before I got HARP’s voicemail, a doctor walked in, pulled up the images, and said the words no one expects to hear at 28 years old: “You have cancer.”
Love Finds Us Anyways
Cathy & Helen
I didn’t realize it at the time, but when I adopted Helen, a sweet golden retriever with kind eyes and a goofy soul, in October, something bigger was at work. She came into my life with her tail wagging and the usual golden enthusiasm. I thought I was doing a good thing, giving her a second chance. I thought I was the one doing the rescuing.
Then, just a few months later, in January, my husband of 28 years passed away. Suddenly and without warning. Grief hit like a tidal wave. The quiet in the house felt crushing. Everything was heavier—getting dressed, eating, even breathing some days. I didn’t know how to keep going.
But Helen did.
Cathy & HelenAngels Arrive on Time
Jayme & Apollo
I had been so sad and depressed since my 10-year-old Dalmatian died from cancer only a few weeks earlier, and my 13-year-old bulldog passed just a month before that.
I was almost living in a fog without any dogs when my sister suggested I do a search. “Just look,” she said…
The Day I was Found
Alex & Ham
I had always wanted a dog—but never felt ready for the responsibility. Then one day, after watching my sister’s dogs (something I’d done for years), I felt a sadness I couldn’t shake. I missed them more than ever before, and suddenly I knew: I was finally ready.
I began searching. I met a few dogs along the way—each of them sweet—but there wasn’t that spark. No connection. And then one day, a sweet block-headed boy walked right over to me…
His Love is Changing Their Lives
Rylee & Miles
Miles came to me when I needed him most, shortly after graduating college, moving into my first apartment alone and in a new city. I grew up volunteering with my local rescue in Ritchie County, West Virginia and knew I would one day find my new best friend there. The second he dropped to the floor belly up waiting for pets, I knew it was him. I couldn’t have imagined a better 2 years than the ones I’ve gotten to spend with him and he inspired me to pass that love onto others & work at HARP as an Animal Welfare Counselor. Because of that, I have now been able to travel to Ritchie County and transport some of their cats to Pittsburgh…
They Gave us Hope
Emma, Kobe & Mya
We adopted Kobe from the East End shelter after losing our first dog unexpectedly. He became such a light during a really dark time that we decided to sign up as HARP fosters, hoping to give other animals the same safe, loving space Kobe found with us.
The question was, how would Kobe do with the change?
I Didn’t Know I could Love This Deeply
Jennifer & Chandler
My daughter came home from the military with her cat, Pineapple. It was wonderful having a cat in the house again. But when they returned to California, the house felt noticeably emptier. We all felt the void.
My son suggested we go to the Humane Society and adopt a cat of our own. He kept sending me pictures from the website, but I kept saying, “Eventually you’re going to move out, and you’ll take the cat with you, and I’ll be heartbroken all over again…”
I Learned What “Mine” Meant
Alicia & Rio: Rio’s story
I don’t remember much about my earliest days, only that I was far away from the place I’d one day call home. I came from a shelter in Texas where time was short and hope was even shorter. Then a group of kind humans brought me all the way to Monroeville to live with a foster family who kept me safe until the right person came along. And then… she did.
On a Saturday morning, she walked in with her dad and a toy in her hands. A toy just for me. I’d never had one before—didn’t even know what to do with it at first, but that day I learned what “mine” feels like. I think she knew in that moment I was hers, too.
She Helped Me Even More
Sadie & Rumor
Rumor originally came into my life as a last minute foster when the shelters lost power from the storm last April. As a volunteer at HARP, I was more than happy to lend a hand as we worked through the power outage. A weekend retreat for Rumor at my house until power was restored quickly turned into forever.
Growing Up Together
Kota the Dog & Lemon the Bird: their POV
I still remember the day I left Humane Animal Rescue’s Northside shelter back in August 2020. I was a little scared, but then I met my boy—he was younger then, but he had the happiest laugh. One day, I heard Mom say he has Down syndrome. I wasn’t quite sure what that meant… We played in the yard, curled up in bed, and every day felt full of love.
Now my boy is 12, and we’ve grown up together. We still have our yard games, our snuggles, and our quiet moments where he tells me all his secrets…
Something to Come Home to
Hanna & Lumie
I’d just gotten clean, left a long relationship, moved back to pgh alone, lived alone. I had extreme undiagnosed mood disorders, I was still working with animals. Petsitting, boarding, play-all-day. Mentally and emotionally I wasn’t really here anymore. My home was ok, but it was dark and sad. I needed another heartbeat.
I’d just gotten clean, left a long relationship, moved back to Pittsburgh alone, lived alone. I had extreme undiagnosed mood disorders, I was still working with animals. Petsitting, boarding, play-all-day. Mentally and emotionally I wasn’t really here anymore. My home was ok, but it was dark and sad. I needed another heartbeat.
My Heart Cat
Camille & Callie
Callie was the first cat I ever owned—and the one who changed me into a cat person. On my second day enrolled at the Vet Tech Institute of Pittsburgh, I was assigned to practice feline handling with her. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but she was endlessly patient. Before long, I found myself visiting her between classes, just to be near her.
Camille & Callie
