Heartwarming pet adoptions from across the country

Get ready for some happy smiles and lots of love. From coast to coast, Best Friends helps pets go from homeless to home. Here are stories about just a few of the cats and dogs who have recently been matched with new families.

Archie is settling right into his new home, hanging out with his canine pal Harper, watching the world go by out the window, basking in the sun — and breaking into cabinets to steal food. Hey, if those cabinets aren’t totally cat-proofed, they’re fair game in his book. Archie’s adopters say, “He’s got such a great personality and fits in so well in our family like he’s been here forever. Thanks y’all so much for saving Archie. We can’t imagine life without him.”

When four Best Friends puppies had their TV debut on the Today show, they not only caught the eye of millions of viewers but also a security guard at NBC Studios. As the pups were leaving, Alberto stopped them to say hello, and he fell in love with one of the dogs, Phantom. He came to the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City the very next day in hopes of adopting her, but she and the rest of the puppies had vanished. OK, not really. The other three pups had been adopted, but Phantom was still available — she was in a foster home. In no time at all, she appeared (with arrangements made by staff and volunteers) back at the center, and Alberto adopted her and brought her home.

Sometimes, an adopter’s words say it all: “I was lucky enough to adopt the best black cat in the world, Doja, from Best Friends in Los Angeles. I used to volunteer and walk dogs there before I could have my own pet, so I think the karma came back around with my bestie because she is the coolest cat a girl could hope for. We travel to places like Miami and Mount Shasta together, go to art galleries and movies, picnics in the park, and red carpet events.

“When I was in a really dark place mentally, Doja came into my life and gave me a reason to keep living. Without her constant love, cuddles at night, and random parkour zoomies, I don’t know where I would be. She makes me laugh when I’m down, surprises me all the time, and is so cute I feel like I have a real-life anime character in my apartment. I just signed her up to a pet (talent) agency, so watch out, world, Doja is going to be famous! Started from the streets, now living the high life in Hollywood. I am a proud mum, and she has already made it in my eyes.”

Two dogs, four names, endless antics. That’s a summary of life at Kimberly Kearny’s home these days. First, she adopted Genna (full name: Genna Reign), who settled right into life in her new home. Then super shy pup Roxie (full name: Foxy Roxie) needed a foster home and came to stay just temporarily. Well, that part didn’t go according to plan, because Roxie and Genna became fast friends, chasing each other and playing tug. Roxie was getting more confident by the day with her new friend showing her the way. And voilà! That’s how a person ends up with a happy pair of pups and a quartet of names.

This article was originally published in the November/December 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 in 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.