Last summer, I witnessed some of the greatest sporting events of my lifetime while I covered the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. It was one of the most varied athletic events that I had ever seen or could hope to see. And then I was introduced to the Kila Raipur Sports Festival, popularly known as the Indian Rural Games.

Dating back to 1933, the Indian Rural Games may inspire more cringes than oohs and aahs to onlookers unfamiliar with the competitions. Some of the events feature people lifting heavy objects (such as stacks of bricks) with their teeth, speedily tying turbans, and lying on the ground while tractors roll over them. These unusual events are mixed with motorbike stunts, dancing, and a race for participants over age 80. There are also competitions featuring camels, dogs, and other animals.

The three-day festival is a celebration of India's farming communities, and it's gaining attention and new fans around the world. Nearly a million people show up for the event,

Some of our favorite stories here on Trending Now just so happen to be about animals. Whether we were drawn in by their cute habits, clothes, or ability to sing, we just can't seem to get enough of them. So it should be no surprise to fans of the show that today's story is about an adorable shelter dog who has become famous for his facial features, which resemble a human's.

His name is Tonik, a 2-year-old poodle/shih tzu mix who has lived at the Homeward Bound Shelter in Mishawaka, Indiana, since 2011, after having been rescued from a kill shelter. Founder Jen Schwartz told us that Tonik is just one of over 100 dogs waiting to be adopted from Homeward Bound. The photos that have garnered so much attention from sites like Gawker and Huffington Post were taken by Renny Mills, who photographs the adoptable animals for the shelter's website. She hopes the photos show each animal's personality.

Schwartz says that ever since Tonik's pictures went viral, she has received more inquiries about