Groups nationwide deliver for pets in need

From small towns to big cities, Best Friends Network Partners are going above and beyond to give animals the second chances they deserve. With partners in every state, there’s no shortage of inspiring stories. Here are just a few recent moments that show what’s possible when compassion and collaboration come together.

Dogs Matter, a program of Dallas Pets Alive!, enables people who need inpatient treatment for alcohol or substance abuse disorder to take that necessary step by giving them a temporary safe place for their pets. The founder and executive director of Dogs Matter, Stephen Knight, was named CNN’s 2024 Hero of the Year for his transformative work. The organization has helped 1,200 dogs and their people since 2015. The honor included $100,000 for Dogs Matter’s mission.

When Northeast Missouri Humane Society took in Gohen, a 2-year-old German shepherd, staff were surprised to discover that his microchip traced to a family living nearly two hours away. (Most lost dogs are found less than a mile from their home.) What they didn’t know was that he had been missing for almost a year. When Gohen’s family was contacted, they rushed to the shelter to take him home, thrilled that the dog they had painstakingly searched for had been found.

In San Antonio, Texas, animal services officer Megan Alvarado was enjoying a day off when she noticed an orange tabby cat peeking out from behind a trash can. The cat was friendly but very thin, wheezing, and coated in something sticky. He hopped right into her car, so Megan took him home for some TLC. The next day, she brought him to work, he was promptly transferred to the Animal Defense League of Texas, and he has since been adopted.

Like many other dogs, Franklin spent time in a foster home before he was adopted. But his foster home was unusual — it was a police precinct. In Mobile, Alabama, the city’s animal services department partnered with the police department, and the officers in one precinct not only fostered the pup but also found Franklin a home in time for him to spend the holidays with his new family.

This article was originally published in the May/June 2025 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 in 2025. 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.