Volunteer Stories Stories

Bonita Vanderkooi holding a small brown and white dog in her arms

Bonita Vanderkooi finds the perfect fit in Best Friends

When Bonita Vanderkooi and her husband, Doug, considered who was to inherit most o...
Giving it all to their favorite place
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Foster volunteers Lauren Burgess and Jill Church together on a beach

College students save cats’ lives through fostering

Lauren Burgess and Jill Church planned to adopt a pet and instead signed up to fos...
See why they made the leap into fostering
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Black and white dog licking lips after tasting a Frosty Paws from a white cup being held by a person's hand

Volunteers deliver cool treats to Dogtown pups

Get the canine-approved recipe that makes the dogs bark for joy, especially on hot...
Make them yourself
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Foster Tyler Lisonbee wearing a hat and gray T-shirt, holding two black and white kittens in front of him

Volunteer makes a big difference for tiny kittens

Foster volunteer Tyler Lisonbee is an advocate for cats and kittens in Salt Lake C...
Read how he helps the most vulnerable
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Volunteer Betty Grieb wearing a blue protective gown and gloves, holding a puppy on her shoulder

Volunteer prepares puppies for their best lives

Betty Grieb offers the puppies at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary lots of TLC to hel...
Read what motivates her to help
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Steve Pack with kittens on his shoulder and around him

How 2 tiny kittens inspired a life of volunteerism

After Steve Pack’s first foray into the world of trap-neuter-vaccinate-return, he ...
Learn what volunteering means to him
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Volunteer David Sprague lying in a bed with a brown and white dog sleeping and snuggled next to him

New Yorker finds stress relief in volunteering with pets

Nursing student David Sprague fosters dogs, is a volunteer driver, and considers t...
Read what inspires him
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Smiling volunteer Vicki Williams holding Sunny her dog in front of a brick wall background

NYC volunteer is a feline matchmaker

Vicki Williams loves mentoring new volunteers and being a matchmaker for adopters ...
Read what inspires her to volunteer
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Painting of two happy parakeets (one green and one blue) with their eyes closed

Artists spread joy and highlight homeless pets

The team of artists at Art While Apart give pets of all shapes and sizes the model...
See their work
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Susan Fishbein sitting outside in the sand with a large brown dog

Volunteers expand homeless dogs’ worlds

From walks and car etiquette to first-time sleepovers and long-term fostering, Sus...
They've become invaluable team members
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Volunteers Russ and Elizabeth Duszak in front of a display at the Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Northwest Arkansas

Nearly 2 decades of volunteering with Best Friends

Russ Duszak, a commercial pilot, and his wife, Elizabeth, have volunteered in anim...
Helping Best Friends animals around the country
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Group of volunteers from a Best Friends in Houston takeover day at a local animal shelter

Volunteers team up to support Texas shelters

Best Friends volunteers go into shelters for a full day of doing whatever the shel...
Providing extra support and enrichment to pets
Best Friends Magazine
Volunteer Bill Splitter, smiling, between his two daughters Trischa and Elizabeth

Air Force vet to full-time volunteer with dogs

Volunteering changed veteran, dog lover, logistics legend, and epic animal transpo...
Remembering Bill's legacy
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Volunteer Lisa Zarek holding a black and white puppy

From finance exec to service for animals

Lisa Zarek supports new volunteers, coaches foster caregivers, and connects with s...
Read what motivates her to volunteer
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Brenda and Marty Winnick smiling and holding an orange tabby cat

Volunteers work and play hard at Best Friends

For Brenda and Marty Winnick, volunteering at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary means ...
They do a bit of everything
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