Watch Joey go from scared to smiling — all thanks to his foster mom’s love and care.

Senior cat Sophie was in a lot of pain from a botched declaw surgery until Best Friends found her the care (and the home) she needed to feel better again.

Foster volunteers in Houston are truly giving dogs at the Harris County Animal Shelter a second chance at life

Feline distemper left this kitten with cerebellar hypoplasia, but wobbly legs and a bobbing head can’t keep Jelly down.

Lego couldn’t always hide his fear, but his new family saw through it and gave him the chance he deserved.

Dogtown team lead Tierney Sain shares what it’s like to work with hundreds of dogs who through the years have called Best Friends their home between homes.

Best Friends helps a cat named Fawkes rise from his days of spitting and hissing at everyone in the shelter, to a wonderful life with an adopter who needed a little happiness of her own.

Volunteers tell us what they love the most about their fabulous, furry and four-legged sleepover guests.

Fiona likes people better than other cats, so at the Sanctuary she gets her own perfect spot to stay.

How emergency surgery for cat with urinary blockage saved Simon’s life, and then he got a new home.

Rescuing a bobcat rescue is all in a day’s work for tireless volunteer.

Surgery saved Shorty the dachshund’s life, love brought him home, and forgiveness helped him make a new friend.

Together, Best Friends and L.A. city shelters are helping puppies with parvovirus beat the odds.

Puppy has a birth defect that made it impossible for him to nurse, but today he’s thriving and utterly adorable.

It took a long time for Swing to join his family, but his happy ending was worth the wait.

For Charger, a paddle-boarding, couch-loving dog who has been blind since birth, the world is his oyster.

Abraham and Alfonso probably wouldn’t have survived on the streets, but at the Sanctuary these young cats with feline leukemia are celebrating milestones.

Hobbes waited longer than most cats to be adopted at the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in Atlanta, but now he’s living large in his new home

From pigs to parrots, puppies and a pony, here are a few joyful snapshots from saving animals throughout the holidays.

After being rescued from a puppy mill in 2009, Piper the pug lived a long, charmed life with her adopter.

In the shelter, this puppy used to curl up in her food bowl for comfort, but now she’s spoiled and on her way to a new home.

Dogs, cats and their incredible stories of overcoming the odds to find safety and love

Heismann is selective about his friends, but at the Sanctuary he has more friends than ever, thanks to a bit of structure and a lot of understanding.

In animal welfare, tech innovation is helping to save lives.

Some are funny, some might make you cry happy tears, but all these moments with animals from Best Friends will make your day a little bit better.

After getting help with her allergies, this former shelter cat has finally landed in just the right lap.

Audrey couldn't even stand up when she came to Best Friends, but now she has a new lease on life.

Pet fostering for your local rescue or shelter makes a huge difference in the life of a homeless dog or cat, and it helps open more space for another pet in need.

Advanced heartworm disease almost took Arrow’s life, but now he’s living his best life in a home.

When an overweight cat named Tortie came to the Best Friends Pet Adoption and Spay/Neuter Center in L.A., the staff helped her slim down and get a perfect new home.

Fostering pets is not only fun, but it’s critical for getting to no-kill.

Volunteer Janice MacMillan has a soft spot for fearful dogs, so when she met Donner she knew she wanted to help her.

Hurricane survivor DoSiDo has anxiety and laryngeal paralysis, but she’s now loving life in her new home.

How Rosie, a dog at a busy Atlanta shelter, received the care she needed at Best Friends to heal from mange and find a home

Meet Michael Moran, a Los Angeles Police Department reserve officer/detective and foster dad who steps up in a big way to help newborn kittens, including kittens with ringworm.

Couple starts scholarship fund and donates handmade blankets and leashes to Sanctuary pets to honor the memory of their daughter, Isabel.

Moose is so smart that he not only mastered the agility course, but he also learned to read.

After extensive medical care and surgery, a young filly trades her painful past for a brighter future.

How Harriet, a sometimes spunky and sometimes cranky senior cat with renal disease, met an adopter who ‘gets’ her

Cisco may have a long list of health challenges, but you’d never know it because he’s living his best life every day.

Megatron might look tough, but he couldn’t be sweeter, and now he’s got a new home.

Alice, one of the most empathetic dogs you’ll meet, helps the people around her. put their best foot forward.

You might be surprised at how simple it can be to love and live with cats who can’t go to the bathroom on their own.

Innovative dog field trip program at Louisville Metro Animal Services, a Best Friends Network partner, pairs homeless dogs with police officers for the benefit of both.

How Vladimir, a once stony-faced dog from Los Angeles, bonded with a volunteer and traveled across the country to become a part of her family

Meet the family who sold everything and moved into a van to travel around the country and help animals, including those at Best Friends.

Elderly cats Lionel and Sylvester may have had stiff competition (thanks to kitten season), but that didn’t stop them from finding one great home.

Volunteer Spotlight: Ron Burd: A data analyst who uses statistics to help get states closer to no-kill

Freelance journalist and president of the Dog Writers Association of America talks about why she loves volunteering at Best Friends.