Special-Need Animals Stories

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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Daisy the dog, lying next to a person whose hand is hugging her

Dog has two legs, unlimited supply of love

Daisy went from a shelter to a home with an adopter who can’t get enough of her en...
See Daisy in action
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Leon the blind orange tabby kitten lying on a blanket

Blind kitten with the heart of a lion

Leon lost his eyes when he was a tiny kitten, but today he’s having the time of hi...
Read about his progress
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Float the dog smiling and lying against a person whose arm is around him

Lessons from one blind dog led adopters to another

When a retired couple on vacation met a blind dog named Float, they knew their pas...
See how he fit in
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Bonnie the senior schipperke sitting on the floor

Senior, sassy schipperke finds love, acceptance in her new home

With limited vision and arthritis, Bonnie is not a fan of surprises, but after med...
Read about her progress
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Moogan the dog looking up with a toy between his front feet

Blind dog can still find his favorite things

When he was younger, Moogan’s vision started to fail, but he doesn’t let anything ...
Read about his zest for life
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