"It's been told a photograph says a thousand words. This one united a thousand hearts." Thus starts an article on a remarkable rescue story, the story of Nico.

I wish the pictures, before and after, could touch everyone's heart.

I won't talk about the photos or the dog or his rescuers. I will talk about all the hundreds of thousands - millions - of dogs and cats and other animals who are in the same situation Nico was in, and who could have the opportunity for the same happy ending. The problem is, we won't see their faces. We won't know their names, species, or breeds, we won't hear their stories - we won't even know how many of them there are.

For most of them, we don't want to know their fates - a bullet in the head in Alaska, the gas chamber in Michigan, a puppy mill in Missouri, a dog-fighting ring in Georgia, laboratory experiments just about everywhere. There will be too few happy endings.

Nico is now an official poster child for millions of homeless and unwanted animals. But these animals don't need to be homeless. Without doing a lot of fancy math, I figure that if every single-pet home took in one "Nico", the overpopulation problem would be just about eliminated. If all the cats and dogs were fixed, the future problem would be prevented. If everyone turned from the cute puppy or kitten in the pet store and found a "Nico" in the local shelter who needed a bath, a few trips to the vet, a bit of EFFORT, I would be out of a job - and so would the backyard breeders, "free kitten" farms and puppy mills.

Nico's story says in two pictures more than any words can say - even the most dejected and miserable creature can triumph, given a home and someone who cares.

So for all the Nicos and Nicas that won't have their pictures go viral, please, open your heart and your home to a homeless animal.....

Update, 31 August 2010: Nico has been diagnosed with an aggressive cancerous tumor in his ear, and will start treatment soon. Please keep him in your thoughts. You can follow Nico on Facebook, he may be deaf, but he's a great typist!.

Petco Scoop: Nico's Story

Nico's Facebook Page