Those of us involved in animal rescue know that the variety of animals available for adoption on any given day is, to put it simply, just astounding. Often, the problem for potential adopters isn't just finding the right animal — it's finding only one that's a perfect fit!

When it comes to adorable animals, we all know that pictures speak louder than words, so we figured we'd take the opportunity to use our web presence for a good cause: showcasing homeless pets. Each animal in this slideshow is available for adoption (or was at the time of publication). They're all shapes, sizes, ages and colors, and they represent shelters in cities all across the country.

Homer: Adult, Male, Hound Mix

Homer: Adult, Male, Hound Mix

Adopt him: Phoenix Animal Rescue, Gainesville, Fla.
He might only have three legs, but Homer has a heart of gold. This sweet boy loves car rides, water (splashing in the pool is his favorite!), and going for walks. He even has a special cart to make his longer walks a little easier to manage.

Sidney: Young, Female, Pit Bull/Hound Mix

Sidney: Young, Female, Pit Bull/Hound Mix

Adopt her: Peace for Paws Ohio, Dublin, Ohio
Sidney is almost a year old and loves playing with other dogs. She’s good with dogs, cats and children.

Bear: Adult, Female, Shepherd/Hound Mix

Bear: Adult, Female, Shepherd/Hound Mix

Adopt her: Pup Squad Rescue, Houston, Texas
Bear is a sweet, year-old mixed breed who gets along well with other dogs and would love to join an active family.

Lala: Baby, Female, Domestic Shorthair Mix

Lala: Baby, Female, Domestic Shorthair Mix

Adopt her: Southern Animal Rescue, Atlanta, Ga.
Lala is a loving kitten who comes as part of a package deal with her sister, Mellie, which makes them ideal for someone who works during the day. These kitties will entertain each other! Lala is an expert lounger who practices her craft daily, but she still makes time to explore every nook and cranny of her foster home.

Betty Boop: Adult, Female, Boxer

Betty Boop: Adult, Female, Boxer

Adopt her: Save the Boxers, Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
This beautiful brindle girl is about 3 years old; she was surrendered to the shelter by her owners when they determined she needed too much attention. She's sweet and silly and loves toys but is startled by loud noises and sudden movements, so she needs a home without young, rowdy children.

Chase: Adult, Male, Miniature Pinscher

Chase: Adult, Male, Miniature Pinscher

Adopt him: Peace for Paws Ohio, Dublin, Ohio
Timid but sweet, Chase was rescued from a cruelty case in Kentucky. He’s good with other dogs and kids and is working on housebreaking and crate training. He has a bit of hair loss due to demodectic mange, but he is starting treatment and his coat should grow back normally. Chase is not available for out-of-state adoptions.

Duke: Adult, Male, American Bulldog Mix

Duke: Adult, Male, American Bulldog Mix

Adopt him: New Beginnings for Animals, Mission Viejo, Calif.
Shortly after Duke’s mom was rescued from a high-kill shelter, she gave birth to Duke and 12 other puppies. He was adopted as a baby but returned a year and a half later when his family no longer had time for him. He loves to hike, jog, go to the beach and play fetch and has exhibited good social skills at doggy day care. He’s housebroken and knows basic commands, although this big boy will do best with an active, dog-savvy owner.

Peppermint, Zazzles, Onyx and Othello: Young Adults, Domestic Shorthair and Longhair Mixes

Peppermint, Zazzles, Onyx and Othello: Young Adults, Domestic Shorthair and Longhair Mixes

Adopt them: Humane Society of Elkhart County, Bristol, Ind.
We couldn't showcase just one of these pretty kitties, now, could we? Clockwise from the upper left corner: Peppermint is a 2.5-year-old female, while Zazzles (almost 2 years old), Onyx (1.5 years old) and Othello (3 years old) are all males. All of them are spayed/neutered, up to date on shots and ready to go home with the right family.

Simone: Adult, Female, Chinese Crested Dog

Simone: Adult, Female, Chinese Crested Dog

Adopt her: Humane Society of Flower Mound, Flower Mound, Texas
This 6-year-old, 11-pound pup is outgoing and affectionate. She gets along well with the other dogs, cats and kids in her foster home but doesn’t like being left alone, so her ideal forever home is one where people are around most of the time.

Chica: Young, Female, Pit Bull Terrier

Chica: Young, Female, Pit Bull Terrier

Adopt her: Treat ’Em Right Rescue, Houston, Texas
Chica was rescued at the last minute from a high-kill shelter in Fort Worth, Texas, and has come a long way since her close call! She has put on some much-needed weight but is still just 45 pounds. Intelligent, affectionate and spunky, she is full of personality, always alert and eager to learn new things. She’s enrolled in obedience classes and is even learning some pool skills. She loves children, but because she’s so energetic, she’s best suited for a home with older kids.

Electra: Adult, Female, Domestic Shorthair

Electra: Adult, Female, Domestic Shorthair

Adopt her: Ocean County Animal Facility — North, Jackson, N.J.
This housetrained beauty is just waiting for her loving forever home! Potential adopters will need to have proof of home ownership or a lease showing a pet policy that will allow cats.

Francis the Great: Adult, Male, Pug

Francis the Great: Adult, Male, Pug

Adopt him: DFW Pugs, Grapevine, Texas
This is a special guy in need of a special family. The 9-year-old senior Pug was relinquished by his family to the local shelter when they could no longer pay for his medical care. When DFW Pugs rescued him, Francis was suffering from a painful eye ulcer and a UTI, both of which have healed; he also has severe arthritis in his hips and back legs. He has been responding well to acupuncture treatments and would love to spend a few more years snuggling with a loving family.

Nadia: Adult, Female, Domestic Shorthair Mix

Nadia: Adult, Female, Domestic Shorthair Mix

Adopt her: Brownstone Animal Shelter, Brownstone, Mich.
This gorgeous gray cat is a sweet and docile girl who prefers lying around and being petted to playing with toys — unless you find just the right one, that is. She's a bit shy around other cats so would do best in a home without feline housemates, although given time and the proper attention, she'd likely be fine in a multicat home.

Ollie: Adult, Male, Hound Mix

Ollie: Adult, Male, Hound Mix

Adopt him: Eleventh Hour Rescue, Rockaway, N.J.
Ollie is an active young hound mix who loves going for walks. He also really loves "his things," so while he's good on leash and knows his commands, he needs a home with a strong owner who will continue his training (which includes learning to share). He's good with other dogs but would prefer a home without children.

If you're ready to give an animal a forever home, Petfinder is an amazing resource for locating pets available in your area. Not able to adopt right now but still want to do your part to help homeless dogs and cats? Think about volunteering at a local shelter. Shelters need all sorts of assistance: If you're the creative type, you can use your talents to support the paws cause, like the artists involved with HeARTs Speak, who supplied us with many of the incredible photos in this slideshow.

Have a heartwarming story about your rescue pet or local shelter? Please share in the comments!