Stories

Mother cat with her five kittens on a blanket in a kennel

It's kitten season!

“Kitten Season” is the time of year when un-spayed female cats have most of their litters and animal shelters are inundated by orphaned kittens who need intensive care.

Watch the videos

Owl the cat lying in a red and white blanket

Patience, love and sulfur baths help kitten with ringworm

Even when Chayce Lowham learned that the cat he wanted to adopt had ringworm, he didn’t let anything stand in the way of bringing her home.

Ringworm doesn't stop love

Cream Puff the dog smiling with tongue out, next to a tray of food

A deaf dog finds a love story for the books

Two hearts align when an adopter and a scruffy, deaf dog meet at just the right time.

See how he's living his best life

Clark the cat lying on a bed and looking out of a window

Love for cats with special needs runs in the family

When Jill visited the Sanctuary, she wasn’t planning to bring home a new cat whose back legs don’t work — but then there was Clark.

See how it was meant to be

Brown dog looking out the open window of a red truck

Ask Faith: Help for a pasta-loving parrot and a dog afraid of the car

Best Friends co-founder offers advice on how to help an Amazon parrot lose weight and a dog feel more confident on car rides.

Follow Faith's advice

Best Friends Magazine

Person wearing Best Friends hat, hugging a German shepherd, by the Mission Hills location

A new chapter in Los Angeles

Best Friends is centralizing operations in the city.

See what's changing in L.A.

Julie Castle Blog

Brutus the dog looking up and smiling

From a dog out of time, to having the time of his life

After Brutus ended up on the euthanasia list, he came to Best Friends, beat heartworm disease in a foster home, and then found love.

Read Brutus' story

Zoey Crooks the cat sitting on the corner of a carpet

Couple goes the distance to adopt shy cat

Leslie and Keith drove from Reno to Salt Lake City to adopt a cat they can’t touch, but love all the same.

Read how she's fitting in

Intern Jenny Yamaha with a dog

Best Friends-backed degree inspires, guides new animal rescue organization

Jenny Franz shifted the focus of Better Together Dog Rescue to better address critical needs in the community.

Read about her learning process

Hutch the dog, wearing his cast, being held by a smiling person

Dog, adopter take healing journey together

When a terrier mix with a broken leg and a love for life helped foster volunteer Rocio Ritter heal her broken heart, she decided to never let him go.

Read how they all heal

Small black and white dog on a leash

Happy tails from adopted pets

These pets recently adopted from Best Friends are living (and loving) large.

Read their cheerful tales

Best Friends Magazine

Willow the cat lying on a cat tree

Seeing past a kitty’s shyness

Willow was scared when he arrived at Best Friends, but one New Yorker saw the brave, bold cat he truly was.

Read about his transformation

Alida and Gary Oldham with Cleopatra the cat, who is nose-to-nose with Gary

5 men making a difference for homeless pets

This Father’s Day, tip your hat to the men in your community who are helping pets in their own way.

Read about their efforts

Cover of the book, 'Mala's Cat'

Book review of 'Mala’s Cat'

Read the extraordinary true account of how a Polish girl survived the Holocaust with the assistance of a feline guardian angel.

Learn about Mala's angel

Smiling person holding a small black kitten, next to a mobile home

Community conversations help cats in a Louisiana parish

With guidance from the Best Friends national embed program, staff at St. Tammany Animal Shelter talked with neighbors to get them on board to help save cats.

Read about their lifesaving programs