Everyday compassion: Communities helping pets

Across the Best Friends Network — a community of over 6,000 animal shelters, rescue groups, and other organizations across the country — compassion shows up in all kinds of ways. These stories highlight the everyday kindness that keeps pets safe, supported, and loved.

As part of their annual homecoming service project, the Florence High School cheerleading squad collected 1,700 pounds of dog food in a food drive and donated it to Rankin County Animal Shelter in Mississippi. They made an outing of dropping off the food and included some playtime with the pups. The shelter received so much food that they were able to share some with neighboring shelters.

When Sandy, a senior shepherd dog, came to Mat-Su Animal Shelter in Alaska, the staff noticed she didn’t seem to be feeling her best. A medical exam revealed that she had bladder stones — and most likely she’d had them for some time. After she got the necessary surgery to remove the stones and was prescribed a special diet, she was on the mend. Through it all, Sandy’s tail kept wagging, and she has since been adopted.

At Furball Farm Cat Sanctuary in Minnesota, the resident cats have many comfy spots to relax. And they don’t mind sharing the space with Bella, a calm 8-year-old dog who goes to the sanctuary every day with Janis, one of the organization’s directors. Having Bella around can even be helpful with adoptions because the Furball Farms team can learn whether a cat can peacefully coexist with a dog. Bella is well compensated for her work, getting plenty of treats and affection from volunteers and visitors.

When a family in Dallas lost their income overnight because of an unexpected immigration crisis, everything was at risk, including their four dogs. Fortunately, Dallas Pets Alive!’s Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender (PASS) program kept the family intact by temporarily housing two of the dogs, Bella and Lucky, and providing vet care, food, and supplies for the remaining two, Blacky and Lexi. Now they’re all together again, safe at home.

A 7-month-old cat in Alabama is getting lots of love in a foster home, unaware that people all over the world are admiring something pretty special about him: He has four ears. Due to a rare genetic mutation, Dobby has extra ears, as well as a short, curled tail and a pronounced overbite that will require surgery. Kitty Kat Haven & Rescue took him in, and now he’s thriving in his foster home while awaiting surgery on his jaw. And he’s being adored from afar by people fascinated with this one-of-a-kind kitty.

This article was originally published in the May/June 2026 issue of Best Friends magazine. Want more good news? Become a member and get stories like this six times a year.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.