Small acts of love for the animals this Valentine's Day

Flowers and candy, dinner and a movie, or a long walk on one of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary’s trails through Kanab, Utah’s gorgeous red rocks? Luz knows which one she’d choose.

What really wins the senior pup’s heart, though, isn’t anything extravagant or tied to a holiday. She’s far more interested in the everyday gestures of love — people coming by to say hi, bamboozling someone out of an extra treat by being extra cute, someone making sure she has her favorite blanket (the one with her face on it, of course) for the ultimate snuggle session.

This Valentine’s Day — and every day — there’s love all around Luz and the other dogs, cats, horses, birds, pigs, and more who call the Sanctuary their home-between-homes.

After arriving at the Sanctuary from a shelter, Luz needed some help building her confidence. It was the simple things — like a daily routine she could rely on — that helped her shine.

From knowing that her early morning walk will be on a certain trail with one of her favorite people (who will have her favorite treats) to waiting patiently at her door as soon as the clock chimes that it’s dinner time, Luz appreciates the calm assurance that routines bring. These seemingly small moments thread themselves into something much larger — and life-changing.

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Luz offers small acts of love back in her own way to each person she meets. Her expression softens, and she’ll trot right over for a greeting. When it’s time for a walk, she’ll stand ever so patiently for her harness to be clipped into place. And as she romps through her favorite play park at the Sanctuary, she’ll look back with her doggy smile to share her joy.

Everywhere at the Sanctuary, that same kind of love quietly unfolds day after day. In Cat World —where over 600 kittens and cats (on any given day) receive the individualized care they need to land homes of their own — it’s in the gentle offering of a tasty treat to a shy newcomer.

In Horse Haven, the home-between-homes to a variety of equines, it’s in a senior horse receiving a massage from a caregiver to soothe her achy joints. In Parrot Garden — where the avian residents enjoy nutritious meals, top-notch vet care, and the attention they need to recover and thrive — it’s in the volunteers making toys to give to the birds.

In Bunny House, where rabbits (and a few guinea pigs) stay, it’s in the volunteer-made blankets so each furry friend has a cozy spot to lie. In Wild Friends — the Sanctuary’s state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitation and education center to help injured or orphaned wild animals — it’s in the thoughtfulness taken to ensure each animal receives exactly what they need to thrive.

These gestures may seem so small on their own, but together they build upon each other and create a place where animals feel seen, safe, and cherished.

It’s the same for pets at home, too. A Valentine’s Day treat or toy sparks immediate joy, but what they treasure most are the simple moments we share with them: the morning chin scratches, the Sunday trip to the park together, the goofy nickname that couldn’t be further from their “real” name, the way you curve around them on the couch because you couldn’t possibly move them. Those are the gestures that tell them they’re loved — today and every day.

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For pets in shelters across the country, love still finds its way to them. It shows up in volunteers who spend extra time earning trust, in caregivers who make sure each animal feels safe and known, and in communities committed to no-kill. Best Friends’ goal is for all shelters to reach no-kill , and people who step up in what might seem like small ways — through adopting, fostering, volunteering, donating, using their voices — are making a huge lifesaving difference. They’re giving pets like Luz the time, care, and patience they need.

There might not be heart-shaped candy in Luz’s future, but she’s surrounded by something so much sweeter: people who show their love in all the ways they show up for her. It’s only a matter of time until she makes a love connection that brings her home to a family of her own.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. 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.