Special-Need Animals Stories

AJ the kitten wearing a collar with a bell

It’s a wonderful life for this three-legged kitten

AJ arrived at a Texas shelter with an injured leg, but time was on his side. Today...
See how he's living large
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Elton and Hannah the dogs next to Tom, a Dogtown caregiver

A most joyful doggy duo

Feeling the holiday blues? Meet Hannah and Elton, dogs with a chronic condition ca...
Senior duo get lots of love and care
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Midnight the kitten lying on the floor under a wooden piece of furniture

Blind, deaf kitten shows the meaning of resilience

Midnight had a rough start, but after vets saved his life twice, he’s proven it’s ...
See how he's doing now
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Valentina the black and white kitten being held by gloved hands and you can see wounds on her face

Fearless kitten meets life’s challenges head-on

With a difficult first two months behind her, Valentina shakes off adversity for a...
Read about her care
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Benedict the kitten sitting on a cat tree

Kitten seizes life on two legs

Benedict’s hind legs are paralyzed due to spina bifida, but that doesn’t stop him ...
Meet this foster-win
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Edna the poodle wearing an orange bandanna standing between a person's legs

Blind miniature poodle pup blossoms in foster home

Edna is wobbly, blind and had severe trauma reactions that seemed like seizures, b...
See how she's blossomed
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HarlieQ and Nicholas the kittens lying next to each other

Wobbly kitten is steadfast lover of life

Nothing (and certainly not cerebellar hypoplasia) stops Harlie Q. and fellow kitte...
Read their story
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Leanne Parker smiling and holding Stannis the cat on her shoulder

Diabetic senior cat finds his place in adopter’s lap

When Leanne visited the Sanctuary, she said she had a good home for a cat with spe...
Read how they're both adjusting
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Stormy Shafer holding Abby the Siamese cat

Two blind cats, an RV and a happy life

After a difficult goodbye to her blind cat of 17 years, Stormy’s life and RV are a...
Learn about their life on the road
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Dione the kitty lying on a couch with a ball of yarn toy in front of him

Wobbly kitten gets by with help from his friends

Dione has cerebellar hypoplasia, and though he can’t walk upright, he’s made fast ...
See how he blossoms
Best Friends Magazine
Larry the cat with his new family

Overlooked cat is fabulous first feline

Larry’s special medical needs meant it took a while for him to get adopted, but he...
See how Larry fit into the family
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Smooches the kitten on a fuzzy blanket

Tiny but mighty: a kitten’s journey

Born with three legs, Smooches came to Best Friends for special care when she was ...
Watch this foster-win
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Person lying on the floor next to Gia the cat

Healing help for scared, blind cat

Gia was lost in a world she couldn’t see, but with help now she’s safe and sound....
See how fostering helps
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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 ti...
See how he's living his best life
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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...
See how it was meant to be
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