Volunteer Stories Stories

Volunteer Ben Richards holding a black and white cat in front of some kennels

Labor of love: serving pets and people

Ben Richards has dedicated his life to service and channels his faith into helping homeless pets in Salt Lake City.
Learn what motivates him
Feature
Volunteer Heather Mahood holding a tabby and white cat in front of kennels

Rock star volunteer helps hundreds of cats

Volunteer Heather Mahood, who helps the tiniest kittens and wisest senior felines, also has a soft spot for cats with ringworm.
Learn more about her
Feature
A dog being spayed or neutered in Houston

Surgical superstar volunteers help with pet spay/neuter

More Houston pets are being spayed or neutered each week, thanks to help from an amazing volunteer team.
See the different ways they help
Feature
Ginny and Kenny Popvich with posing on a loveseat with a dog

Mother and son help dogs get adopted, one hike at a time

Volunteers Ginny and Kenny Popovich have been hitting the trails with dogs from Best Friends in Los Angeles for more than seven years.
Learn why they volunteer
Feature
Volunteer reaching down to pet a brown dog in a kennel

Unique volunteer roles at Florida animal shelter

Pasco County Animal Services in Florida welcomes volunteers to help with everything from driving animal control officers to making TikTok videos.
See their innovative opportunities
Feature
Jennifer Ronzello with three orange kittens surrounding her face

Inspiration from a kitten foster volunteer

Jennifer Ronzello is a hero for kittens. Read about how she got started fostering and why she keeps going.
Read about her rescue efforts
Feature
Alida and Gary Oldham with Cleopatra the cat, who is nose-to-nose with Gary

5 men making a difference for homeless pets

This Father’s Day, tip your hat to the men in your community who are helping pets in their own way.
Read about their efforts
Feature
Erik Smith and a woman adopting Nash the dog, holding a 'I saved my best friend' sign

Dog inspires radio DJ to promote pet adoption on the air

Erik Smith and ‘Best Friends Friday’ on 100.3 FM The Bull in Houston help pets go home, thanks to a special dog named Nash.
Learn more
Feature
Alida and Gary sitting with a cat in his lap

Two volunteers, helping animals in countless ways

From transporting pets to fostering cats, Alida and Gary Oldham are always ready to help.
Read how they help
Feature
Group of volunteers holding the items they sewed for Best Friends

4 volunteers helping animals in unique ways

From teaching cats to “talk,” to creating videos that inspire others to get involved, these volunteers prove there are many ways to support pets in shelters.
Meet these volunteer dynamos
Feature
Cherri Gillmore sitting on a chair holding a gray tabby cat

Foster volunteer prepares to welcome 100th kitten

Cherri Gillmore has a knack for helping unsocialized kittens, and together with her cat, Simon, she’s encouraging children to feel confident reading aloud.
Read her story
Feature
Bob and Penny Burleson with some other people standing by the sign at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Retirement for lifesaving: Couple puts in hours for Houston pets

Now that Bob and Penny Burleson have retired from demanding careers, they can finally focus on a cause dear to their hearts ― helping save Houston’s homeless pets.
Feature
Windchimes at Angels Rest with sun shining though them

Volunteer finds happiness at Best Friends

A year after a painful goodbye, Andrea found a place that helped her heal – here’s her story.
Best Friends Magazine
CAR-RI~3.JPG

Meet a dog who loves (as in really loves) car rides

Beefy loves nothing more than going out for a spin, as evidenced by this hilarious video captured by Danny Bress, a Best Friends volunteer in Los Angeles.
Feature
volunteer kitten feeding sophia

Volunteer finds her calling, just keeps going

When Sophia Lim discovered Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, she could hardly believe such a place existed, but now that she’s a volunteer extraordinaire, she does it all
Feature