When Zach Skow rescued his three dogs from a shelter, he had no idea that it was them who would be rescuing him instead. Tug, Marley, and Buddy became his reason for living.

Zach started drinking when he was just 16-years-old. His problems escalated and peaked in the mid 2000’s while he was working at a comedy club in Arizona. By the time he was 28, doctors gave him three months to live if he didn’t get a liver transplant.

The problem was, Zach couldn’t get a transplant until he was sober for at least six months. That’s where his faithful canine companions came in. By the time Zach met the trio, he was a skeleton of the man he used to be. He had very little will to live.

But his canine buddies depended on him, and that provided him an incentive to get up every morning. He says his dogs looked at him like he was the sexiest man alive. They couldn’t see the desperation. They simply saw a man they loved and wanted a future with him.

Caring for pets, however, involves more than just feeding them. Zach soon found himself exercising with his dogs and eating healthier than he ever had. He was working hard to stay sober. He continued to see the doctor regularly and had routine blood tests.

Zach recalls the doctors looking at him puzzled, and then one day, they made a miraculous announcement. With the help of his dogs, Zach had turned his life around so much that he no longer needed a liver transplant.

He now calls himself a professional dog rescuer and people saver. Zach founded Marley’s Mutts, a non-profit organization that rescues, rehabilitates, trains, and finds homes for dogs that have been rescued from high kill shelters. They have saved more than 5,000 dogs.

Marley’s Mutts also brings their furry friends to visit veterans, hospital patients, and people with special needs so the dogs can work their therapeutic magic on them like they did with Zach.

The organization also pairs dogs with inmates who help train and socialize the dogs which in turn, increases their chances of being adopted. But the dogs are making a difference in the lives of the inmates too. Take Robinson for example.

In his pics, he tried to look tough, but he couldn’t resist the power of Tyson the Yorkie. Robinson has been in prison for almost 10 years and he’s only 27-years-old. He’s been working on his own non-profit organization while in prison and Zach believes he has a bright future ahead of him.

Zach’s successes with the “Pawsitive Change” program has recently lead to an advertising stint with Jockey’s “Show ‘Em What’s Underneath, Show ‘Em Your Jockey” campaign. The campaign features every day heroes that show it’s what’s underneath that matters.

Zach says the dogs are the same way. They don’t care what you look like on the surface. For them, what matters is on the inside. Luckily, Zach’s love for his rescue dogs was enough to overpower his demons and together, they rescued each other.

Be sure to share this amazing, heartwarming story with your family and friends.