Texas Stories

Mackenzie Wilhite sleeping with Nikki the dog on her chest

Opening heart to new dog is adopter’s antidote to grief

After her dog of 16 years passed, Mackenzie found sweet, happy Nikki and turned lo...
Now they're on a new journey together
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Cara and Matt smiling and holding Daisy and Gatsby their cats

Sweet stories of people making a difference for animals

From magic tricks for pups in shelters to a feline wedding surprise, these stories...
Read more for a smile
Best Friends Magazine
Best Friends marketing intern Jazmin Aguilar holding a dog wearing a pink Adopt Me bandanna

Intern makes lasting impact for Brownsville pets

Through her shelter marketing internship with Best Friends, Jazmin is helping home...
Residents encouraged to get involved
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Rowena the calico cat wearing a donut eCollar wlying next to Binx the black cat

Cats tackle life’s challenges together

When they came to Best Friends, Rowena and Binx had more than their fair share of ...
Things looking up for them both
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Smiling husky dog on a leash

Stories of kindness and care toward animals

From the power of photos to the magic of a good haircut, these animal lovers are m...
Bring a smile to your face
Best Friends Magazine
Two people outside wearing protective gear doing a medical procedure with a tube and swqb

Helping animal shelter staff handle disease outbreaks

Best Friends’ national shelter medicine team guides animal welfare organizations t...
Animals' lives saved
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The six people of the surgical team for the Brownsville spay-neuter-a-thon around a surgical table with a sedated black cat

Pet spay-neuter-a-thon erases backlog in Brownsville

A dedicated group of veterinarians and vet techs, organized by Best Friends, bande...
Read how they did it
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Baby Girl the white dog, smiling with tongue out, lying in green grass

Faces of No-Kill: Baby Girl in Brownsville, Texas

Best Friends’ embed program supports a Texas shelter in treating dogs for heartwor...
Embed program saves lives
Best Friends Magazine
Face of Pepperoni, a medium-hair calico cat

Terrific tales from animal shelters across the country

Looking for something to make you smile? These aww-inspiring stories from Best Fri...
Read their good news
Best Friends Magazine
Sheri Giordano putting food down for multiple cats outside of stainless steel kennels

Spreading cheer through kindness to animals

From an escape-artist dog who chose his new home to a pet snake who needed help ge...
Read about their acts of kindness
Best Friends Magazine
Person wearing a cowboy hat hugging a large brown dog

Changing life for pets and people in west Texas

With funds from the Rachael Ray No-Kill Excellence Grant, Fix West Texas offers li...
Read how they embrace their community
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Two dogs outside in the grass in a playgroup, one whose tong is hanging out

Magic of playgroups unveils dogs’ hidden sociability

A five-day seminar for 13 greater Houston shelters showed that even dogs who haven...
Learn about this lifesaving program
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Rexie the dog wearing a decorative protective cone embellished with blue and orange hearts

Rexie the ‘T. rex’ pup loves life in his new home

Found alone on the streets of Houston, a dog with heartworm disease helps a couple...
He fits perfectly with their lifestyle
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Staff from San Angelo Animal Services standing in front of empty kennels

Texas animal shelter gets creative to keep pets at home

San Angelo Animal Services and Best Friends collaborate on lifesaving programs to ...
Offering good programs and a good attitude
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Two people drying a small puppy with a towel

Amazing progress at Brownsville animal shelter

With guidance from Best Friends, a Texas shelter dramatically increased the number...
Read how things have improved
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