There's a reason why a lot of people say "adopt, don't shop" when somebody is thinking of getting a new pet. There are a lot of animals that would love nothing more than to find a nice home, but only seem to experience abuse or neglect before a shelter takes them in.
But as much as the people in those shelters may care for these animals, there's only so much they can do before someone comes along and adopts.
And these photos offer a revealing look into both the challenges and the rewards of taking that step.