Los Angeles Stories

Captain the dog next to Jill Shaw, who is looking at him, smiling and petting him

Faith leads a dog home

Captain was returned from every home he had and diagnosed with two heart condition...
Faith and the universe guide adoption
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Bud the dog with his two adopters sitting on the couch behind him

From underdog to super hero: Bud saves the day

When a fire threatened a dense southern California neighborhood, Bud the wonder do...
Meet the local celebrity
Best Friends Magazine
Hollywood the dog sitting on an orange chair next to a stuffed toy

Channeling a dog’s boundless energy into a new home

Hollywood was stressed out and struggling when he lost his home, but a team of peo...
Memories old and new
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Hulk the dog lying on a wooden bench, smiling

Dog named Hulk lands a home with a bodybuilder

Hulk is big and exuberant enough to easily knock people over, but now his days are...
Big dog, big love
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HarlieQ and Nicholas the kittens lying next to each other

Wobbly kitten is steadfast lover of life

Nothing (and certainly not cerebellar hypoplasia) stops Harlie Q. and fellow kitte...
Read their story
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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,...
Learn more about her
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Lisette the cat in a kennel lying on a colorful matt

Adopters see shy black cat for the rare pearl she is

What does a shy, middle-aged, jet-black female cat in Los Angeles have in common w...
Read about this rare gem's journey
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Chris Alton sitting next to a dog in their RV

Couple converts RV into foster pet crash pad

Cat’s fear of dogs prompts Los Angeles family to get creative in order to continue...
Read about this fostering innovation
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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 Be...
Learn why they volunteer
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Nancy Stewart and Juve Vique adopting Banjo the cat, who is wearing his hat

A most memorable cat named Banjo

Adopting one cat with FIV leads to another for an L.A. couple, and now Banjo is li...
Read Banjo's story
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Lil the cat lying on Kelly's chest

Cat gets comfortable in her own skin

Lil came to Best Friends with a bad skin condition, but with help from the medical...
See how she's living her best life
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Person wearing Best Friends hat, hugging a German shepherd, by the Mission Hills location

A new chapter in Los Angeles

Best Friends is centralizing operations in the city....
See what's changing in L.A.
Julie Castle Blog
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 ...
Read about their efforts
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Leon the blind orange tabby kitten lying on a blanket

Blind kitten with the heart of a lion

Leon lost his eyes when he was a tiny kitten, but today he’s having the time of hi...
Read about his progress
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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 ...
Learn more
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