While the other dogs placed in the death chamber were killed, this Beagle mix survived and then, per shelter policy for animals that survive the carbon monoxide-like poisoning -- received a reprieve from death. Here he gets snuggles from his new owner Joe Dwyer, of Nutley, N.J. in a moment captured by AP photographer Julio Cortez.

After his amazing survival, Daniel was placed in the custody Eleventh Hour Rescue, an organization that saves abandoned animals from "death row" and finds them new homes.

"We can’t deny he has a purpose," says Dwyer, a motivational speaker who is lobbying to help ban gas chambers in the 31 states that still use them. But Dwyer promises that his new pooch "won’t be exploited. His life as a part of this family is paramount."

Daniel is among the most famous of animals united or reunited with owners with the help of nimal lovers and activists. One such group is Operation Roger, comprised of truckers who transport pets as they deliver freight all across the country. It was founded by Sue Wiese, 68, after she was touched by news accounts of the estimated 250,000 pets abandoned after Hurricane Katrina. The organization has relocated 600 pets since 2005.

“My heart was just breaking from all the stories about the pets,” Wiese told MSNBC, which did a feature on the organization this week. "I was driving down the road and I was praying, ‘Lord, what can I do? I’m just a truck driver.’ And then I heard one word: Transport.”

“I just love doing this,” says one volunteer Robert Montagna of Michigan. "I always say that if I won a big lottery, I’d buy a big RV and I’d call Sue up and say, ‘Where’s the dog at? I’ll deliver it.’ ...I’d just keep doing this all over the country.”

Similar support is given through efforts like Pilots N Paws, an association of pilots who transport animals to new homes, and even in the lost and found column written by Rose Panieri for the Herald-News in Joliet, Ill. While Panieri has helped readers' recover everything from diamonds to a 150-year-old tombstone, this week she reunited two lost pets -- Drifter the beagle and Oliver the cat -- with their owners.

"I’ve had a lot of touching pet reunion stories," said Panieri via email. "...Many wonderful people out there."

Sometimes that's easy to forget.