Familiar ‘Fido’ faces at Best Friends

Variety is the spice of life. At Best Friends Animal Sanctuary’s Dogtown, that means we take care of big dogs and tiny dogs — short, squat dogs and tall, willowy ones. Each is a unique individual, and while most of them are one-of-a-kind blends of breeds, recently we’ve had several come to us with the familiar faces of purebred or “designer” dogs. It’s a reminder that even pups someone may have bred or bought can fall on hard times and need new homes.

There’s the unmistakable mug of Cobra, an English bulldog and friendly couch potato who lost his home because he was diagnosed with brucellosis, a bacterial infection that means he can’t live with other dogs who don’t have the disease. But Cobra can still look forward to a long, happy life in a home, and we’ll help him get there.

Then there are the three dogs who arrived after being found alone in the desert and another one from a shelter where he’d been returned after being adopted. Their long snouts, even longer legs, floppy ears, and curly hair are hints that they are “doodles” (poodle mixes) of some kind. They may be the decade’s most popular sort of dog, as people seem to keep breeding more and more of them. Three of those new arrivals to Dogtown were adopted in short order, while Gaston, who is quite shy, is just beginning to trust that people can be his friends.

Steve and Dizzle, two tiny puppies who appear to be French bulldogs, were found abandoned in a park when they were just a day old. They were brought to safety and then to the Sanctuary. Dizzle, unfortunately, came down with pneumonia, and despite all efforts to save her, she passed away. But her brother Steve, with bottle-feeding and lots of TLC, blossomed into a healthy, happy, and goofy little dog who soon got adopted and went home.

Gentle giant Klondike, a sweet Great Pyrenees, came to the Sanctuary from a shelter in New Mexico with a little shyness in his step. But as he got to know his caregivers and met other dogs in playgroups, he quickly warmed up to all his new friends. He even spent time in a foster home with cats, who found him to be the perfect big, fluffy pal for cuddling. Then his easy, go-with-the-flow personality won over a family who fell in love and brought him home.

In the end, what matters most for any dog is to be loved and cared for. Whether they happen to be a beautiful blend of varied and unknown parentage or the same breed that won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this year doesn’t matter either. They’re all champions to us, and they all deserve homes.

This article was originally published in the March/April 2024 issue of Best Friends magazine. Want more good news? Become a member and get stories like this six times a year.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill by 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.