The first time Rudy laid eyes on Topa, he knew instinctively she was his dog. And now, lying in a tunnel in a rubble pile, he hoped Topa felt the same way.

Driving back to Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, after the shooting, Ivy was scared....She didn’t know how to navigate the road ahead—the school’s plans for reopening seemed haphazard at best—but she knew Luigi would be there to help. That would have to be enough.

“Who is going to adopt that dog?” thought Stephanie, a volunteer at Animal Farm Foundation in upstate New York. Whatever had happened to Sherryl before the shelter was written all over body. “She wore her story,” says Stephanie. “She didn’t need to tell you.” 

We periodically review true stories from around the world for Mutual Rescue’s films, social media, and website. If you’ve been saved by a companion animal you rescued, we’d love to hear from you!

Three-minute reel with scenes from Mutual Rescue’s first 13 films, from “Eric & Peety” (2016) to “Kimo & Jazz” (2022).

CLICK TO LISTEN: VoiceAmerica’s “Psych Up Live,” March 9, 2023, Dr. Suzanne Phillips in conversation with Mutual Rescue's Carol Novello (49:35). In this broadcast, Novello returns to “Psych Up Live” with an exciting and expansive focus on the power of people-pet rescue and connection. Discussing the stories captured in a new set of award-winning short films, Novello considers how Mutual Rescue addresses trauma, pain, othering, bias, and loneliness.

CLICK TO WATCH: TEDx Talk by Carol Novello, March 7, 2022, Boston (9:22). By opening our hearts to a rescue animal, our minds can be changed in an instant. This act teaches us about connection and dissolves the “other” to which we are unconsciously biased.