Artist Illustrates What It’s Like to Adopt a Dog in 14-Part Comic

There’s simply no denying how life-changing bringing an animal into your life can be. Pets need lots of love and attention, and it can be an incredibly rewarding experience watching them develop their own unique little personalities.

That sense of reward is even stronger when the pet you’ve adopted is a rescue.

According to the ASPCA, nearly 7.6 million pets go into shelters annually, out of which only 2.7 million are rescued and adopted into forever homes.

Moscow-based comic artist Bird Born had his own firsthand experience with what it’s like to welcome a previously mistreated dog into your home, and he turned that experience into a series of incredibly moving comic strips:

Rescuing an animal comes with plenty of challenges – what if they were abused in the past, and/or have medical conditions you weren’t aware of?

But despite the difficulties, this artist discovered that love and care win out in the end, and he was rewarded for his patience with an adorable, loyal, loving dog.

SO SWEET!