saved

For over a decade, Sakae Kato has stayed behind in Fukushima, rescuing cats abandoned by neighbors who fled the radiation clouds emanating from the nearby Fukushima nuclear plant. He refuses to leave. 

His story is one of heartbreak and selflessness, and we are thankful for all the work that he's done. 

"I want to make sure I am here to take care of the last one," Kato said from his home in the contaminated quarantine zone. "After that I want to die, whether that be a day or hour later."

Read more about his incredible story below.

An injured and lost bear cub was rescued this week by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The female cub was wondering around for days in the Electra Lake area, getting into the bird feeders. The poor cub had cut injuries on her paws. And though there's no way of knowing exactly what happened to her, it is assumed that she is one of the survivors from the fires who got lost and couldn't find her way back to her family. Regardless, we are happy to hear that the cub is now in good hands, is being taken care of by capable people, and will be released back into the wild once she'll be healed. 

As reported by The Journal, Joe Lewandowski, a CPW spokesman, said in an email to The Durango Herald: "It had been getting into bird feeders in the area... It's not unusual for bears to go on walkabouts occasionally during the winter," Lewandowski added. "But they usually find a way back to their dens. This one didn't."

According to an official Facebook post, wildlife officials decided that the best course of action for the cub is to be taken into the Frisco Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Center where the "staff will further evaluate and treat its injuries. The young bear will spend the rest of its' hibernation at the facility and be released back into the wild in the spring."

We are so happy to hear that the sweet cub is getting the help that she needs and that she will be released back into the wild. We wish her a quick and easy recovery and thank everyone involved in helping her! For more feel-good bear stories, read about a circus bear who lived in terrible conditions getting rescued and moved to a sanctuary right here.

Moments from being crushed by the machinery at a recycling plant, workers at the plant spotted the kittens and rescued them. The kittens were only a few days old and still had their eyes closed and their cords attached. It is believed that a feral cat gave birth to the kittens in a garbage bin which was then collected and taken to the plant. Thankfully, the babies were rescued in the nick of time. 

As reported by BBC, "[t]he pair of males are now being cared for by the RSPCA." The RSPCA official who collected them, told BBC: "These kittens were incredibly lucky to have been spotted by the eagle-eyed workers. If it wasn't for their quick actions they could have been killed by the machinery at the plant."

"Feral cats can be extremely resourceful and thrive in the wild. But, sometimes, mother cats can choose rather unusual places to give birth," he explained. "It may be that this pair's mum chose a bin for shelter before being separated from her babies when it was emptied."

He added: "They were extremely cold and quite weak but, thankfully, don't seem seriously affected by their ordeal so hopefully they should pull through and, eventually, we'll be able to find them loving new homes." We hope these cuties will be able to find a forever home where they will be treated amazingly as quickly as possible. 

For more wholesome animals stories, check out our collection of the most positive animal news from December!

A lesson learned, never to be repeated again. An owner was walking her tiny 3-year-old dog a bit too close to the edge of More Mesa cliffs on Saturday when the dog slipped and rolled off the the cliff. 

Edhat santa barbara reports that the call to the firefighters came at 3:36 p.m., and the Santa Barbara County firefighters had to rush to to the area of Mockingbird Lane and Calle Las Brisas. There, they found that the little dog, named Louis, had rolled off the cliff during a walk. 

The firefighters heroically enacted a high-angle rope system in an attempt to rescue the dog, and luckily, they managed to carry the little pooch back to safety at the top of the cliff, where Louis was able to get back to his owner. Thankfully, there were no injuries. As the call to the firefighters was made right away, they were able to come help right away, but the lesson was definitely learned by all of us. 

Be extra careful with your little animals. Accidents can and will happen, it's impossible to avoid, but where possible, take extra caution because these little guys rely on us to take care of them forever and always. 

For more positive animal stories, check out our end of 2020 collection of the best animal stories!

An off-duty rescue worker in Thailand, a few days ago, was faced with one of his most challenging situations yet. Having been called in while off duty on a road trip late on Sunday evening, Mana Srivate had to perform CPR on a baby elephant that was hit by a motorcycle while crossing the road. The elephant can be seen lain on its side while Mana gives it two-handed compressions as Mana's collogues take care of the dazed and injured motorcycle rider.

As CNN reports, "[b]oth the rider and elephant were recovering and neither had serious injuries". Mana, recalling the incident, told Reuters by phone: "It's my instinct to save lives, but I was worried the whole time because I can hear the mother and other elephants calling for the baby."

"I assumed where an elephant heart would be located based on human theory and a video clip I saw online," he added. "When the baby elephant starting to move, I almost cried."

It took almost 10 minutes for the baby elephant to get back up again, but it did. It was quickly taken to another location to be treated, and as soon as possible, it was returned to the scene of the accident in hopes of reuniting it with its family. And in a true Christmas miracle way, the baby elephant was later spotted with a fully grown elephant that is presumed to indeed be its mother. 

A happy ending to what could have ended as an absolutely heart wrenching story, and we can only thank Mana for his incredible work saving the baby elephant. For more amazing animal stories, check out our recap of the most positive animal stories of 2020!

On the way to deliver a puppy to its new family, brothers Henry and Elias Friedman, had a change of plans that changed their lives. The family that was supposed to rescue the pup changed their minds and decided to not adopt the puppy after all, and Henry, instead of bringing the Finn the puppy back, decided to adopt him himself. At the time, Henry had left his career in advertising and was living in a converted cargo van. It was a good thing that the puppy turned out to really, really like traveling.

"It was a test drive, very literally a test drive. I was already living in a van. He turned out to be a really good travel dog," Henry told PEOPLE. "We just got really, really close."

After adopting Finn, Henry started an Instagram account for him called @KeepingFinn, where all of their adventures together are documented, including meetups with some of the account's fans. Finn, who is now 2 years old and 50 pounds heavy, is Henry's official best travel buddy. "You don't feel like a stranger everywhere you go," he said.

Having grown a huge social media following, Henry decided he wants to do more, and he decided to start a project rescuing other dogs in need like Finn. "Each month, the account features a local rescue from the area that Henry and Finn visiting on their travels, helping to raise awareness and funds for the rescue."

Henry and Finn together manage to raise about $13,000 a month and have raised over $150,000 to date. Alongside their monthly dog rescue initiative, "Henry and Finn have hosted spay and neuter clinics, offered free vaccinations, and held pet food drives as well. The duo has also helped more than 60 dogs find forever homes, even fostering pooches in the van while they wait for the perfect match."

"We bring dogs on the road with us, live the van life, bring them on big adventures and find them families," Henry explains. One of their latest achievements was joining Wings of Rescue and The Sato Project and helping them transport over 150 rescue dogs from Puerto Rico to their new adoptive families on the east coast. 

Finn is, of course, loving all of the adventures. "He's never peed in the same place more than once, he is living his best life. That makes me really happy," Henry says. So, not only is this adopted puppy happy, he's making other puppies happy as well, and we're happy for them as a consequence.

Check out some pictures of Finn and Hanry's adventures below! For more wholesome dog rescue stories, read about a puppy left tied to a bench with a note getting adopted.  

There at the right place at the right time, a Hartland family of a husband, wife, and three children was on the way to go sledding when an owl swooped down onto a car in front of them. The owl laid in the middle of the road after being hit while the car that hit it drove away as if nothing happened. Luckily, the Haley family was there to help. 

Canceling their plans, the family got out of their car and went to help the little owl. "(I) just walked over to him, talking like I do to a dog or cat, just reassuring him he was going to be okay and just talking to keep him calm," the husband, Jordan Haley, explained. "He let me pick him up, and he tucked his head back -- almost like he was saying 'thank you.'"

Haley said that the family contacted local wardens to come pick up the owl, but they refused because the owl wasn't severely injured. And though not visibly very injured, the owl wasn't flying away either. He was "awake and very friendly." They had to wait a little longer for Avian Haven to arrive to take care of the owl, and as they were waiting, they wrapped the bird in a blanket, and Haley held the owl on his lap, keeping it warm and safe. Now, the owl is in the safe hands of professionals. 

"It was an amazing experience my family will not forget!" Haley said. "We needed this to reassure us that the world will be okay!"

We're thankful to the Haley family for taking the time and putting an injured animal's needs before their own. People who help animals are truly something to be grateful for, and the Halwy's story is one that proves that it doesn't take much to save an animal's life. All it takes is a little love and a little time. 

Story via NEWS CENTER Maine.

This adorable seven-month-old puppy was abandoned on a park bench and though the start of his story is not the greatest, the ending is as positive as it gets with the puppy getting adopted and finding its new forever home!

PEOPLE reports that Marcela Goldberg, who runs local shelter Mascotas Coyoacá in Mexico, heard about the dog and his story and drove out to find the dog tied to a bench with a note next to it. The note said the following: "It hurts a lot to leave my dog here but I made the decision of leaving him because my family used to mistreat him and it would always hurt me to see him in that condition... If you're reading this and your heart wavers, please adopt him and take good care of him. If not, please leave this note in its place. That way others can read it and adopt him. Thank you."

Read the original note and more about the puppy named Boston below!

Now that the cold has come, we're hearing more and more stories of poor animals freezing outside and looking for shelter. This one, unfortunately, started off even more upsetting than more with the cat - later named Kevin - being abandoned in the cold in a dog crate with some dog kibble. But! This story has a happy ending, with the cat being found, taken into a shelter, and finding his way into its new forever home almost right away!

Read more about Kevin's story and check out his gorgeous pictures below!

Not one but Two! Two happy rescue kitten stories by the same volunteer rescue group, and we are twice as happy. An adorable black kitten, now named Kevin, has been rescued from inside of a car engine in Ballymena. And the other kitten, a calico kitten beauty named Cotton, was rescued after getting trapped in an industrial site under a raised oil tank. Twice the rescued kittens, twice the good news, and twice the gratitude. 

Or tiny little animal friends have a tendency of getting themselves into trouble all the time. Pet owners and pet lovers alike know that. And though normally, it's little things like your cat getting its nail stuck in the curtains or your dogs getting its nose stuck somewhere because puepper just had to try to get that fly, sometimes, things get a lot more dangerous than that, and we have situations where animals truly need us to come to their rescue. 

Every single month, we cover as many stories as we can about these heroes- the people who put everything aside to save the little animals who've gotten themselves a bit too deep into the mud. And every single month, happily, there are too many stories to cover, so we make this little list for everyone, so that we can all give the most deserved appreciation to these heroes. 

Found in below freezing temperatures last month, Xerxes the kitten has officially been adopted by the good man who saved her! She was only five-weeks-old then, hanging off the side of one of the truck tires, with her tail and paws completely frozen to the metal surface, trapping her. 9NEWS reports that to free the kitten without causing her additional pain, the man who found her splashed warm water on the areas of the tire to which her pas and tail were stuck, gently removing her paws and tail from the tire.

The man brought the kitten to the Denver Dumb Friends League (DDFL), wrapped up in tiny blankets to keep her warm, where she received the care she needed as well as the name Xerxes. On Monday, after recovering, she has officially been adopted into the forever home of the man who saved her. "Before her adoption, Xerxes spent time in a foster home where her frostbitten paws recovered, and her initially frightened exterior began to crumble," DDFL recounted. "Healed and healthy, Xerxes is settling in with her new family."

They add that, without the help of the man who saved her, the kitten would have most likely not survived through the night. So, we can only be thankful, encourage others to help the little creatures in need that they come across, and thank every savior we hear about for doing the right thing. 

A story truly fitting the Christmas cheer. A tiny little owl was found inside of a Christmas tree. Yup. Inside of the iconic Rockefeller Christmas tree, workers discovered the tiny owl "clinging for its life to the 75-foot-tall Norway spruce". After surviving a 200 mile journey from Oneonta to Manhattan, the owl was found as the crews that were about to erect the tree were unwrapping it. 

The New York Post reports that strangely, though the bird is tiny and looks like a baby owlet, since owls are born in the spring, it was immediately understood that this owl is not actually a baby. She is a northern saw-whet, a bird that only grows to about 5 inches tall and 2 to 3 ounces in weight. "I thought it was such a heartwarming Christmas story, that there was this secret in the Christmas tree," said Ellen Kalish, the director and founder of Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in New York. 

Workers at the Rockefeller Center, after the New York Post reached out for a comment, said: "We inspect each branch of the tree individually before it's wrapped, but birds sometimes can find their way into it on the journey." For three whole days, the owl didn't have any food or water, but once in the hands of Kalish, she got all the mice she wanted. 

Today, in an update to the story, we found out that the little birdy has been set free at last to its natural habitat to continue her migratory journey. And though her journey was harrowing and incredibly long, she's gotten herself a little Christmas miracle in not only being found and rescued but also in making a full recovery and getting to continue her life in the wild as she was meant to. 

Check out pictures of the owl and her release below. And for another story of an incredibly feisty owl with singed wings getting rescued from a fire, click right here. 

Richard Wilbanks, a 74-year-old man from Florida had his instinct take over when his 3-month-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Gunner, was grabbed from an alligator and dragged under the water. 

The scary moment took place in Wilbanks' backyard pond in Estero, and the moment Wilbanks jumped into the pond to rescue Gunner was recorded on a surveillance camera. The dramatic footage reveals Wildbanks waist-deep in the pond as he wrestles with the gator's jaws to free his dog Gunner from them. 

Wilbanks describes the terrifying moment to CNN, "We were just out walking by the pond and it came out of the water like a missile. I never thought an alligator could be that fast. It was so quick. I just automatically jumped into the water." He also added that opening up the gator's jaw was "extremely hard" and that his hands were left "chewed up" afterward. He also added that he went to the doctor afterwards for a tetanus shot. And Gunner was of course taken to the vet after the incident where he was treated for one puncture wound in his belly.

Thanks to Wilbanks courage and rescue without hesitation, his adorable pup Gunner is doing just fine. From now on, Wilbanks will be keeping Gunner on a leash and far away from the water's edge. 

"Our pets, they're just like family to us," Wilbanks concluded. 

Story via Insider

On Monday, Fysik, an 11-year-old retired jumping horse, sunk and got stuck up to his neck in a hole of freezing muddy water. "He was shivering and I just knew when I saw him that there was no way I was going to be able to get him out of that myself," his owner, the operator of Adorado Nino Horse Rescue and Sanctuary near Leduc, Alta, Tracy Benkendorf, told CBC news. 

Knowing that she couldn't do it alone, she called 911 and posted a picture of the horse on Facebook, asking if anyone knows what to do to help it. "I'm just absolutely beyond grateful for these people that came together in such an incredible, amazing way," she says about the firefighters, the RCMP, her neighbors, her veterinarian and some other people she didn't even know who arrived to help. 

Read more and see Fysik standing strong and covered in blankets below!

Earlier in the summer, a fluffy cat appeared in Lisianne's garden in Canada. It looked lonely and hungry, so Lisianne put out some water and food for it. That was the start of the most wholesome friendship. Becoming fond of the cat, Lisianne named her Usagi, and continued caring for Usagi every day when she showed up in her garden. After a while, the kitty started getting bigger, but not from food. It was because she was pregnant. 

As reported by Unilad, a Facebook post by a local rescue group, Chatons Orphelins Montréal, wrote: "This lady with a big heart for this cause was watching her, she put food and water in order to help her… a routine has settled between this kitty and her good fairy. With this routine, the lady gained her confidence and the kitty started getting closer."

Usagi, after giving birth outside, continued coming back to eat at Lisianne's, and soon, the gorgeous black cat brought her tiny kittens to Lisianne's porch, one by one, setting up a nest near the woman's house where she and her babies will be safe. Lisianne, being an absolute angel, decided to help the kittens further, getting them a room in with the local rescue group, and saving their lives. 

Lisianne decided to keep Usagi, a friend of hers adopted one of the babies, while the other five kittens stay at Chatons Orphelins Montréal and get treated, because it turns out that all five of the kittens had "breathing issues and conjunctivitis." They were treated for their issues are are now better, all thanks to the help of this one person who saved their lives.

For more amazing rescue stories, click here!