Sanctuary Stories

Llama the Siamese kitten with blue eyes and paw up in the air

Big new life for a blue-eyed kitten

Orphaned and injured at one week old, little Llama lived thanks to many people’s h...
See how he's thrived
Best Friends Magazine
Captain the dog next to Jill Shaw, who is looking at him, smiling and petting him

Faith leads a dog home

Captain was returned from every home he had and diagnosed with two heart condition...
Faith and the universe guide adoption
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Petunia the pig with her mouth open with a food bowl and some lettuce in front of her

Abandoned pig loves her life on two feet

Petunia’s back legs don’t move well, but her days are so full of cozy cuddles and ...
Meet the life of the party
Best Friends Magazine
Person wearing scrubs and a stethoscope holding a black and white at

Clinical trials aim to save cats from deadly FIP virus

Best Friends participates in clinical trials of potentially lifesaving antiviral t...
Working for a lifesaving treatment
Best Friends Magazine
Samara the black cat sitting on her caregiver's shoulders

Cat’s transformation from scary to sweet

Samara went from hissing and growling to cuddly and confident with help from his n...
See how she's blossomed
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Elton and Hannah the dogs next to Tom, a Dogtown caregiver

A most joyful doggy duo

Feeling the holiday blues? Meet Hannah and Elton, dogs with a chronic condition ca...
Senior duo get lots of love and care
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Person holding Emmett the lamb in her arms

Orphaned lamb is beloved black sheep of the family

Things looked grim for Emmett when he lost his mother shortly after he was born, b...
From bottle baby to adolescent
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Woodrow the cat with Jane Brodziak in the background

Unforgettable 18-year-old cat goes home

A volunteer met Woodrow at Best Friends six years ago, never forgot him and now he...
Worth the wait
Best Friends Magazine
Spiderman the cockatoo holding a toy in his beak

How Spiderman got his groove back

Cockatoo lived in distress for a long time, but now he’s all about dancing and sho...
See how his life has changed
Best Friends Magazine
Person wearing Best Friends sweatshirt walking Willow the mule on a lead

U.S Forest Service mule coasts into retirement

Willow worked for two decades, and now she’s soaking up the sweet life without res...
Retirement suits her well
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Edna the poodle wearing an orange bandanna standing between a person's legs

Blind miniature poodle pup blossoms in foster home

Edna is wobbly, blind and had severe trauma reactions that seemed like seizures, b...
See how she's blossomed
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Jake the dog lying on a multi-colored parachute

From at-risk dog to therapy pet in training

Jake was on a shelter’s euthanasia list before coming to Best Friends, but in his ...
Read about his new career
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The baby hummingbird on a branch next to some flowers

Baby hummingbird flies free

A tiny, orphaned bird gets a second chance at Best Friends
Her road to recovery
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Sansa the dog outside while it's snowing

8 adoptable big dogs destined to be influencers

Instagram is the spot for charming characters, exciting adventures and good-time g...
Meet these picture perfect pups
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Elvis the dog next to Mary inside her house

Anxious hound loves his R & R

Life can get overwhelming for Elvis, but sleepovers with friends ensure this hound...
Elvis' practice for a home of his own
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