Stories that celebrate kindness toward animals

Every single day across this country, there are people stepping up to help pets and the people who love them. One thoughtful act can make all the difference between lost and loved, hopeless and heartened. Here are just a few examples of how kindness toward animals can change lives.

Holly the cat was turning 15, and that meant it was time for a kitty quinceañera. Her person, Miranda Gonzalez, had adopted Holly when she was just 6 months old, and she wanted to go all out to celebrate their special bond for Holly’s 15th birthday. So Miranda invited friends and family to an unforgettable event. Holly made her grand entrance to the party in a remote-controlled toy Bentley, a custom cake featured golden cats, and a mariachi band provided entertainment. Holly soaked up the attention, and the event ended up going viral online. Miranda turned that attention into something extra meaningful by asking people to donate to a local Houston cat rescue organization in honor of Holly. And with that, love for one cat turned into love and care for many more in need.

Today, Chewy the shih tzu has a huge family. There’s never a shortage of people’s warm laps to curl up in or friends who will scratch that perfect spot behind his ears. It’s all thanks to Priscilla Duran, who works at a Texas senior care home, where Chewy now lives. Priscilla found Chewy wandering around outside and took him to the vet, where they found contact information for his family on his microchip. However, the family could no longer keep him. Chewy needed a new home, and Priscilla knew just the place. Nowadays, he greets visitors at the front desk, joins the fun on game nights, and even takes rides in the residents’ walkers. And he pays back all their TLC by prompting smiles wherever he goes.

When Maria Yagoda approached her car one morning in New York, she found notes on it from neighbors saying a kitten was hiding somewhere under or inside the car. She called a phone number on one of the notes, and the neighbor came out to help her find the kitten. Soon, a whole group of neighbors — formerly strangers to each other — teamed up to help. They tried playing recordings of cat meows, and the kitten meowed back. But they still couldn’t locate him, even after a local construction company jacked up the car. So they brought in the big paws: An animal rescue group volunteer arrived with another kitten named Lydia, and a neighbor brought out her very vocal cat in a carrier. That did the trick — the kitten finally emerged from the car. The group named him (what else?) Pothole. Pothole and Lydia ended up becoming fast friends and were adopted together.

Wisconsin resident Krysten Klapatauskas was grieving the loss of her beloved 10-year-old dog, Stoli, to cancer when mail carrier Malachi Knox arrived with a package containing Stoli’s ashes. Malachi knew Stoli well from his route; the pup would insist on being petted and receiving belly rubs from him if he was out on the porch when the mail arrived. So when Malachi came to deliver the mail to Krysten that day, he took the time to sit down with her and reminisce about the friendly dog. Krysten says her mail carrier’s act of kindness helped to bring her some peace as she mourned the loss of Stoli.

A little blue parakeet (aka budgie) may not have been on one shopper’s list, but that’s what she found at her local grocery store in Ohio. The parakeet, whom the shopper later found out is named Swiper, was sitting on a grocery cart outside, shivering and clearly lost. The grocery list would have to wait. She scooped up the bird and brought him into her car. Then she posted a notice on a local lost pet social media group. Swiper’s person saw the post and quickly went to pick up his feathered friend. Swiper has a bird girlfriend at home, Sadie, who had been missing him and was so happy to have him back — even if he did forget to pick up her favorite cookies at the store.

This article was originally published in the January/February 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 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.