Maeve Dunigan

Inside a kennel at the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA), you’ll find a sweet senior dog named Chessie snuggled on a blanket. You wouldn’t know it from her affectionate expression, but Chessie’s life wasn’t always so comfortable.

Wandering through a village in Bali, Indonesia, a scared dog tried his best to survive alone. With no one caring for him, the pup’s coat had slowly withered away. His hair stood out in patches against his blotchy skin.

Rushing through Bolivia in a taxi, a woman named Krista noticed a flash of fur darting behind her vehicle. There was a dog chasing after her car, weaving through the streets to keep up.

Shannon Mortlock was heading home from work recently when she saw something strange in the road. As an animal advocate and the founder of Whisker Woods Sanctuary, Mortlock knew to look closer — and it’s a miracle that she did.

Early last month, a woman in South Africa entered her kitchen and saw what she thought was a patterned scarf nestled on the floor beneath her countertop. Stooping down to pick it up, the woman quickly realized things were not what they seemed.

On the first Friday of every month, humans and felines gather in the back room of the Brooklyn Cat Cafe, a nonprofit animal rescue center, to enjoy a rotating lineup of standup comedians. Tens of cats and kittens, all of whom are looking for a home, roam freely throughout the performance, ensuring a uniquely entertaining and occasionally rowdy night.

Last month, a rock climber named Kelston was scaling the natural walls of Susquehanna Riverlands State Park in Pennsylvania when he eyed something strange — a pair of wings awkwardly poking out from under a boulder.

When a Good Samaritan on their way to Las Vegas recently spotted a scared little dog just outside of Primm, Nevada, the concerned driver swiftly pulled over and called local animal authorities for help.

When a large buck recently got his antlers tangled in a soccer net in Durango, Colorado, the anxious animal thrashed and struggled to free himself, only making his situation worse.

Walking through the River Arts District in Asheville, North Carolina, earlier this month, a trio of friends stopped short when they heard a faint, desperate sound.