Arkansas Stories

Officer Ben the brown dog outside wearing a blue leash

Dog’s overnight antics caught on camera

Discover how Officer Ben went from homeless pup to canine security guard to beloved family pet.
His great escape
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Olivia the kitten peeking out from an orange tube

Kitten becomes poster girl for pet adoption

Olivia had an injured eye that made her path to a home longer, but she had a friend who always saw and shared the best in her.
Look at her now
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Selfie of Sir Karen the cat (looking a little grumpy) with Taylor Seupaul

Faces of No-Kill: Sir Karen the cat fools everybody

A grumpy kitty had some surprises in store for his caregivers at Best Friends, but now he’s fitting right in at his new home.
Now he's all headbutts and biscuit marking
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Caesar the dog with his new family outside in front of a Best Friends sign

Faces of No-Kill: Dog goes from depressed to loved

Caesar was sick, in pain, and scared when he first came to Best Friends. A foster family changed his life, and he did the same for them.
See him now
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Eeyore the cat in a harness on the back of Allen Burkhart, who adopted him

Cat is a combat veteran’s new best friend

Eeyore the tabby cat not only accompanies Allen wherever he goes, but he’s also a source of comfort from PTSD.
See them together
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Dolly Jean the puppy looking up from sitting on a tile floor

Skinny puppy is now living her best life

Dolly Jean was too thin and had a belly full of worms when she came to Best Friends, but now she’s thriving.
See how she's now thriving
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Taylor Hill with Kiba the dog in her lap

Playgroups at Arkansas shelter let a shy dog shine

Kiba was standoffish around people, but around other dogs she proved she’s a social butterfly ready to put her best side on display.
Proof that initial dog labels can be flawed
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Selfie of Milo the dog lying down next to Amber

Finding an 80-pound senior dog’s happy place

Eight-year-old Milo appeared to want to scare away every other dog he met, but it turns out that his story proves the age-old saying: “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”
How he blossomed
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Group of people surrounding a dog outside a wire crate

How animal services officers are saving more pets

Best Friends works with animal services officers to reduce shelter intake and reunite more pets with their families.
See how their work affects no-kill 2025
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Selfie with Rachel and Katt

Sweet senior cat wins the heart of loving adopter

Katt won the hearts of everyone he met, including an adopter who had no plans to adopt a cat the day she met him.
He still has lots of love to give
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Kya the dog in the back seat of a vehicle

Dog gains the courage to trust

A once fearful pup finds safety with a patient, loving family who accepts her for who she is.
See her progress
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Watson the dog lying on a couch

Senior dog is thriving with 2 octogenarians

Linda and Bill Farrell took one look at Watson’s silver-threaded muzzle and knew he was the dog for them.
It was love at first sight
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The outside of the Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Northwest Arkansas at dusk

The next wave of animal sheltering is here

Celebrating the grand opening of the Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Northwest Arkansas
Read about history being made
Julie Castle Blog
Eeyore the kitten on Allen's shoulder

How a dog guy became a cat person

Allen Burkhart had no idea he had an affinity for felines until he met a kitten named Eeyore.
Now the two are almost inseparable
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Two people holding puppies standing in front of dog kennels

Pine Bluff Animal Control makes huge lifesaving strides

Best Friends embed program helps Arkansas shelter save more dogs and cats.
Read about their big changes
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