Over the last decade, the number of animals that get euthanized in kill shelters has decreased significantly.

From about 2.6 million in 2011, recent statistics indicate that this number has gotten down to 920,000.

Specifically, 390k dogs and 530k cats.

This difference is owed to various factors.

First of all, more and more people decide to adopt instead of buying pets from breeders.

Lost pets are easier to find.

At the same time, many strays are tracked down and returned safely to their owners.

However, this doesn’t mean that having to euthanize about a million animals per year is acceptable.

They should all get the chance to be loved and find a forever family because they definitely deserve it.

There are some lucky ones who are taken to no-kill shelters, but some are not as fortunate.

Kill shelters end up euthanizing some of the unwanted pets because of a number of reasons.

It could be because they’re ill.

Shelters try to keep the kennels and all their facilities clean, but sometimes euthanizing an ill animal may be the only way to prevent an outbreak of the worst diseases.

Another reason could be aggressiveness, which would make it unsafe for potential owners to take the pet home, and, finally, overpopulation.

Peanut the dog was at risk.

A few years ago, she was taken to a kill shelter in Arizona.

The young dog stayed in the shelter for twelve days, and she was scared of everything around her.

She didn’t have a happy life as a young dog, and being taken to a shelter running the risk of euthanasia did not make things any better for her.

Thankfully, Peanut was lucky.

She soon found her forever family. A man who recently lost his dog decided to adopt her when he realized that his other dog needed a friend to distract him from the loss.

“My dog of almost 10 years passed away a few months ago. It’s been lonely. My other old dog has been depressed since her passing. I thought getting a younger dog that would keep him and I company and would make a great addition to the family,” the man told Viral Hog at the time.

The man himself faced some difficulties.

“I’m disabled with muscular dystrophy and stay at home a lot,” he explained.

And, what better way to spend your days indoors than enjoying cuddles and kisses from your loving pets?

Although Peanut was shy and hesitant when she first moved in with her new family, she soon got used to her new home.

“She was deathly afraid of everything when she got to her new home,” the man recalled. “In the first two weeks, she quickly became the big baby in the house and loves dad!”

In a video posted on Facebook at the time, Peanut can be seen licking her dad’s face non-stop.

She really couldn’t thank him enough for saving her and providing her with a forever home.

Watch Peanut smother her dad with affection in the heartwarming video below!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: ViralHog – Facebook, ASPCA