Faces of No-Kill: Meet Taquito, the puppy coach

Just call him the puppy whisperer. Taquito, a playful pooch with a blocky head and squishy smile, has a knack for charming both humans and dogs — especially precious piles of puppies.

Taquito came to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary from a nearby shelter, and because of past behavior challenges, the Sanctuary is now his permanent home, where he’s surrounded by a loving family of caregivers and volunteers. He spends his days joyfully splashing through creeks, frolicking with his best doggy pals, and taking long walks with his favorite humans. He’s also turned out to be just the teammate caregivers needed to tackle a pint-sized puppy predicament.

Puppies need socialization to grow into happy, well-adjusted adults, and play is key to their development. But until they’re fully vaccinated, it’s not safe for puppies to play with other unvaccinated pups (besides their own littermates). So to help expand the social circle of puppies at the Sanctuary, caregivers needed a fully vaccinated dog with the patience to handle a playful pile of pups and teach them important life skills. The solution? Send in “Coach” Taquito.

[Dedicated mama dog saves another puppy as blood donor]

“He has such great dog skills,” says caregiver Janna Kruse. “Puppies need good role models, so they can learn proper dog language. We've done playdates with him with just one puppy, but we've also done eight at a time. Not all dogs can handle that and with good reason. Puppies can be a little wild at times.”

But talented Taquito handles it all in stride. After a few rowdy minutes of greeting the cheeky pups, he’ll start zooming around the grassy play yard with the pups racing behind him. And if he encounters nervous puppies, he’ll patiently sit and give the shy pups time to feel comfortable.

Not only does he help puppies learn how to act around other dogs, but his affectionate bond with caregivers at the Sanctuary also shows the pups that people are friends. Watching him patiently guide a wobbly-legged puppy through their first social outing is like seeing a coach mentor a rookie athlete.

“Playing with the puppies is another way to enrich his life, and he really enjoys it,” says Janna. “It’s so good for the puppies, too. He’s their hero now.”

[Blind dog looks out for the ones he loves]

After his romps with the pups, Taquito plops down on the grass, a circle of tired, wiggly puppies sprawled around him like little fans celebrating their favorite coach. With a satisfied sigh and a wag of his white tail, he glances at Janna as if to say, "Another win for the team."

Because in the game of life at the Sanctuary, Coach Taquito isn’t just leading the puppy pack — he’s showing them how to play, love, and live like champions.

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.