Spontaneous acts of caring for animals

Kindness is contagious, and even the simplest act to help an animal, the environment, or another person can inspire more positive action. That’s why Best Friends’ vision centers on creating a better world through compassion for animals. Every day, animal lovers everywhere are making an impact, bringing us closer to a no-kill nation in 2025. We’re delighted to share some of their stories here.

Sabrina Moore of Dirty Paw Photography doesn’t only specialize in professional pet photos that are oozing with personality. She also uses her talent to give back to homeless pets. A good photo can make all the difference when it comes to catching a potential adopter’s eye and showcasing the true nature of a pet. And Sabrina has seen this firsthand. She offers free portrait sessions for shelters and rescue groups (but will accept doggy kisses as a form of payment) and uses Dirty Paw’s social media accounts to share information about their adoptable pets. Over the years, she’s had a hand in helping many pets get the second chances and loving families they deserve.

A clever kitty knew just what to do when he needed help finding a home: He “delivered” himself right to the doorstep of the York County SPCA in Pennsylvania, which is how he earned the name Grubhub. Folks at the real Grubhub (the food delivery company) caught wind of their feline namesake and were smitten. The company offered to sponsor Grubhub’s adoption fee and even gave him a role in one of its ads. And now Grubhub has been adopted into a home of his own, where he can enjoy food deliveries with his new family.

Three buddies in Michigan were having their weekly backyard cookout when a sneaky raccoon stole a piece of cheese. The friends were happy to let the theft slide, but then they noticed the raccoon appeared to be choking. So one of the trio immediately sprang into action, thumping the raccoon on the back to help dislodge the food. The raccoon seemed to realize the man was helping and stayed put until the offending piece of cheese came back up and landed on the ground. Then, as the friends celebrated saving the raccoon, the little bandit scampered off, likely to think twice about joining the next cookout.

Jeff and his dog Rocky were out on a boat in South Carolina when the vessel accidentally crashed into a dock. Both man and dog were launched into the water, and amid the chaos Jeff lost sight of Rocky. He searched for as long as he could but then had to go to the hospital to tend to his own injuries. The community rallied to find Rocky, with some people out on the water searching and others using drones. Rocky was finally spotted nearby on land and doing well. Jeff credits Rocky’s life jacket with saving his pal, and now other boaters who heard about his story are making sure their pets have life jackets, too.

Blueberry the cat wasn’t acting like her normal happy self, so her people immediately took her to a veterinary clinic. When the technicians took X-rays, they saw something abnormal inside Blueberry that would require emergency surgery to remove. But there was another problem: The roads had become too icy for driving, and the veterinarian, Dr. Nicole Martin, was stuck at home 3 miles away. That didn’t stop her though. She set out on foot to the clinic, only thinking about saving Blueberry during that chilly, slick hike. She made it in time, and the surgery was a success. Seeing Blueberry feeling better and reunited with her family warmed Dr. Nicole right back up.

A Texas couple was out walking their dog, Ice, when they saw something fall from a nearby bridge. Ice went down to investigate and came back gently carrying a tiny black-and-white kitten in his mouth. Worried that the kitten might be hurt, the couple contacted Austin Pets Alive!, which treated him for injuries from the fall. The kitten then went off to a foster home to continue to recover. As for Ice? He got heaps of praise for being the best canine guardian angel a kitten could ask for.

This article was originally published in the November/December 2024 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.