Best Friends storytellers' favorite animal tales of 2025

Every year, the Best Friends Animal Society editorial team writes hundreds of stories about animals finding love, safety, and second chances. But we’re readers, too, and these stories stay with us long after we hit “publish.” We invite you to savor these stories and click through to read the ones you might have missed or revisit the ones you loved the first time around.

Here’s to more hope, more homes, and more unforgettable moments for pets in the year ahead.

Story by Christina London, video by Erin Fell

This story is about a handsome tuxedo kitty named Bone Jovi, who was adopted by the staff of Brooklyn’s Bone Museum and quickly became their most popular mascot. I love this story because it reminds us that “home” can mean so many different things. This quote from the story sums it up best: “Bone Jovi’s story shows there isn’t just one kind of home. Home can be anywhere you feel happy, healthy, and safe, whether that’s an apartment, a barn, a retail shop, or even a museum.”

I also love the creative writing and puns: “So if you’re touring the Bone Museum and feel something brush past your leg, it’s not a ghost (probably). It’s just Bone Jovi living his life — no bones about it.”

— Alison Cocchiara, outreach writer and editor

Story by Alison Cocchiara

Bowie came to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary as a dog who was uncomfortable in his own skin, but with the skilled care from Best Friends veterinarians and caregivers, he was able to heal and find joy in life. I love this story because I remember when Bowie came to the Sanctuary, and I even gave him a few of his medicated baths. It was such a special journey to go on with him and see him come out of his shell a little more every day.

I love the ending of the story: “He’s living his best dog life — toys, treats, and tail wags included.” Especially so since Bowie has been adopted and is now a therapy dog spreading that joy he found while at the Sanctuary.

— Cayla Cavalletto, Sanctuary editor and writer

Story by Christina London, video by Erin Fell

Ollie was a 3-month-old little boy when his parents adopted Bruce from Best Friends, a gray kitten who also happened to be 3 months old. Bruce and Ollie immediately bonded, and (under supervision) they grew up playing together, napping together, and going on adventures all over the house.

Now, four years later, their bond is as close as ever. Bruce especially loves how Ollie can now access the cat treats and hand out snacks. And then came the big news: The duo would become a trio with the arrival of Ollie’s baby sister.

I love the way this story shows what homeless pets can become if they’re just given a second chance. They’re family members who shape our daily lives. They’re with us during milestone moments. They’re part of our core memories. And they teach us about friendship, responsibility, and kindness. Bruce was once a kitten in a shelter. But today he’s everything to his family.

— Mary Daly, senior copy editor

Story by Alison Cocchiara

There were so many stories I loved this year, but there was something so sweet about Archie returning to Wild Friends, the state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitation area of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, after she had been rehabilitated and released. She returned to a place where she knew she would not only be safe but where she could be with her owl companion Tali. It was just such a lovely story about trust and friendship — the trust and bonds that can develop between animals (and their caregivers). It was a “bring love home” moment for sure but in a different kind of way.

Another owl story that made a mark this year was Cayla Cavalletto’s piece on the owl who fell into the cement mixer and came to the Sanctuary for rehabilitation — such an incredible story. In addition, the story about Macchiato, a terminally ill dog, was very personal for me. It was a sad but sweet story, and I was honored that Macchiato’s foster caregiver, Mo, shared his family’s journey with me. As I worked on the video, I also appreciated Christina London’s caring approach to the written story.

— Erin Fell, video producer and editor

Story by Alison Cocchiara

It was Mister Rogers who famously said: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Some of my favorite stories from 2025 are about helpers during and after the devastating fires in Los Angeles. Michelle Bertonneau’s home was still standing after the fires, but it was uninhabitable. Being displaced was especially hard on Michelle’s African grey parrot, Z, whom she’d adopted from Best Friends a few years earlier. That’s when Gilles Marini — an actor, Best Friends supporter, and caregiver for an adopted African grey parrot himself — offered to take in Z until her home was habitable again.

This story was one of my favorites because we kept hearing about how people were pitching in to help each other, and we wanted more of that goodness to be shared. It was also fun to read about Gilles and Michelle realizing in their first conversation that Best Friends Animal Sanctuary was a special place to both of them. It’s easy to feel sad, overwhelmed, or even hopeless given the amount of negative news that surrounds us these days. This story is a reminder that there is just as much good news, love, and hope in the world. We just have to notice it.

— Kelli Harmon, associate director, editorial

Story by Alison Cocchiara

Mirage’s story is the one that stayed with me this year. After a tragic fall at Bryce Canyon, search-and-rescue teams found a senior cat in a carrier, alive against all odds. She came to Best Friends for care, and despite everything she’d been through, she was sweet and loving from the start.

What makes this story even better is the ending. Chelsea, the rescuer who first discovered Mirage, never forgot her. When she was ready for adoption, Chelsea came to Best Friends and adopted Mirage in the ultimate meant-to-be moment. After years in the news business, I know how rare it is to find a story that begins with heartbreak and ends with hope. And as a senior pet lover, that detail made it all the sweeter. This one reminds me why we do what we do.

— Kim McDaniel, assignment editor

Story by Kelli Harmon

Kelli starts this story by sharing her own past experience of working in a pet shop that sold puppies and kittens. Several years later, she joined Best Friends and started working on puppy mill initiatives, where she saw the real conditions that the pets she once sold came from.

Since that time, public awareness of puppy mills has boomed, and several states have banned the sales of dogs and cats in pet stores. It’s meaningful progress, but puppy mills have evolved. Many have moved their operations online — buyers can have a pet delivered with just a few clicks — and started using language like “adopt” and “forever home” to soften what’s really going on.

I love this story because it shows why Best Friends’ work is always going to be important. Technologies change. Trends change. People’s behaviors change. There’s always going to be new challenges, which means there’s always going to be a need for someone to be innovating new ideas and solutions to do right by the animals — and it’s always going to start with inspiring individuals.

“It’s really that simple. Each one of us has the power to stop puppy (and kitten) mills by never, ever buying what they’re selling.”

— Christina London, outreach writer and editor

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.