If you have had the pleasure of caring for a four-legged animal companion, then you know that dogs and cats are so much more than just “pets.” Before we even bring these animals into our homes, we go through painstaking preparations, setting their perfect little bed, making sure they have the best food to eat, and buying all the toys and goodies they could ever want to keep them happy and entertained.

Some people would even liken adopting a new puppy or cat to the feeling one would have welcoming a newborn child into the home! We have to admit that the show and celebration we put on for our fur-babies probably came pretty close to this (there may or may not have been a cake with our new kitten’s face printed on it the day Whiskers came home…).

After that initial period of introduction and adjustment, new pets become irreplaceable members of the family. Just take this hilarious photo from Imgur user MFCK82 for example.

When it comes time to take family photos … it’s really no question whether or not the household pup should be included.

Yup, that happy face says it all, this pup has found his forever home!

Sadly, not all dogs and cats get this sort of fairy-tale ending. It is estimated that there are 70 million stray dogs and cats living in the U.S. and only around six to eight million of them will ever find their way into the shelter system, let alone get adopted into a forever family. The good news is we can all help lower this startling statistic by always choosing to adopt and not shop when adding a four-legged friend to our families.

It is also important to remember that if you are considering adopting, it is indeed a lifelong commitment to that animal. Dogs and cats are returned to shelters all too often after their guardians realize they can’t manage to care for them.

Every dog deserves to find a family whose photo they can complete (and in the case of this pup, improve!).

Image source: MFCK82/Imgur