Sanctuary Stories

Peter the dog with his new family (including two other dogs), all on a front porch of a home

Excellent epilogue to a canine cliffhanger

After a harrowing adventure that left him stranded on a cliffside in the desert, P...
Now he's part of the pack
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The face of Spaghetti the dog

Old dog is a diamond in the rough

You can’t help but fall in love with a senior dog who has a heart of gold and a na...
Read about his journey home
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Abdul and Shamiyan holding kittens in front of a window

Saving kittens and raising awareness with social media

Abdul and Shamiyan are kitten-fostering superstars, sharing their fuzzy feline fri...
Learn about fostering and their Sanctuary visit
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The golden eagle being released from the carrier outside by a person after rehabilitation

Golden eagle flies free

After nine months of rehabilitation, a once-grounded eagle returns to the wide-ope...
See his release
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Spearmint Sally lying on a dog bed in front of a Christmas tree, a person and three other dogs

Once-paralyzed dog finds her footing with family’s help

Spearmint Sally was paralyzed as a puppy, but now she can stand on her own — and h...
Home that was meant to be
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Volunteer Karin Hamilton walking Curly Sue the horse in some woods

Curly-coated horse gets a personal trainer

Curly Sue was having trouble standing up after she lay down, but with a volunteer ...
Making exercise fun
Best Friends Magazine
Llama the Siamese kitten with blue eyes and paw up in the air

Big new life for a blue-eyed kitten

Orphaned and injured at one week old, little Llama lived thanks to many people’s h...
See how he's thrived
Best Friends Magazine
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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Petunia the pig with her mouth open with a food bowl and some lettuce in front of her

Abandoned pig loves her life on two feet

Petunia’s back legs don’t move well, but her days are so full of cozy cuddles and ...
Meet the life of the party
Best Friends Magazine
Person wearing scrubs and a stethoscope holding a black and white at

Clinical trials aim to save cats from deadly FIP virus

Best Friends participates in clinical trials of potentially lifesaving antiviral t...
Working for a lifesaving treatment
Best Friends Magazine
Samara the black cat sitting on her caregiver's shoulders

Cat’s transformation from scary to sweet

Samara went from hissing and growling to cuddly and confident with help from his n...
See how she's blossomed
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Elton and Hannah the dogs next to Tom, a Dogtown caregiver

A most joyful doggy duo

Feeling the holiday blues? Meet Hannah and Elton, dogs with a chronic condition ca...
Senior duo get lots of love and care
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Person holding Emmett the lamb in her arms

Orphaned lamb is beloved black sheep of the family

Things looked grim for Emmett when he lost his mother shortly after he was born, b...
From bottle baby to adolescent
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Woodrow the cat with Jane Brodziak in the background

Unforgettable 18-year-old cat goes home

A volunteer met Woodrow at Best Friends six years ago, never forgot him and now he...
Worth the wait
Best Friends Magazine
Spiderman the cockatoo holding a toy in his beak

How Spiderman got his groove back

Cockatoo lived in distress for a long time, but now he’s all about dancing and sho...
See how his life has changed
Best Friends Magazine