Sanctuary Stories

Priscilla training Lucky the mule to smile

Tricks, treats, and love help mule find her smile

Caregivers at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary prove you can teach an old mule new tr...
Lucky learns a new trick
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Brown tabby cat lying on a blanket

Home and loving it: Stories of adopted pets

Read about a dog birthday celebration, a pup learning the ropes, big cat cuddles, ...
Hear about life in their new homes
Best Friends Magazine
Baja Blast the dog smiling with his tongue out of his mouth

Starved pup thrives with new friends and plenty of food

When Baja Blast came to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, he was in rough shape. But ...
See him now
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The two cavies, Hip and Hup, with one of them eating some fresh green grass

Spicing up life for wild ambassadors at Best Friends

See how caregivers at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary bring joy to wildlife who can’...
Ways to enrich their lives
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Dan with Moogan the dog outside under a tree

Blind dog looks out for the ones he loves

Dogs are human’s best friend, but for one volunteer at Best Friends Animal Sanctua...
Heroism earns him extra treats
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Marilyn Bunroe wearing a bandage and a colorful soft e-collar following her surgery

Resilient bunny zooms into life on 3 legs

When Marilyn Bunroe landed at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, she wasn’t feeling he...
Marilyn Bunroe defies the odds
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Bonito the dog smiling wide in a playgroup with another dog

Faces of No-Kill: Nervous dog becomes ambassador of fun

Bonito came to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary as an anxious pup. Now he’s helping o...
Now he's an ambassador of fun
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Swing the dog lying and the floor wearing sunglasses getting his pretend laser treatment

Dog’s no-laser therapy is almost as good as the real thing

When Swing was diagnosed with cancer, he had to stop laser therapy for arthritis. ...
He still enjoys all the attention and love
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Hutton the kitten with only one front leg on a red blanket with white snowflakes

Kitten thinks TikTok is the cat’s pajamas

Hutton arrived with a broken leg and found comfort in swift vet care, a foster hom...
Three legs don't slow him down
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Peridot the cat lying in the top shelf of a cat tree

Faces of No-Kill: Cat goes from grumpy to cuddly

Peridot used to swat away affection with hisses and growls. Now she’s home, snuggl...
Read about her transformation
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King Julian the dog standing up on his hind legs with his mouth open in a wide smile

Tiny pup goes from bald to beautiful in foster home

When King Julian landed at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, he wasn’t feeling like r...
Now he's all smiles
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Penelope the cat lying down with her leg in a cast in front of her

Faces of No-Kill: TLC saves sweet mama cat

Penelope came to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in rough shape with more than 50 ot...
Recovery leads to adoption
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Emma Odekirk sitting on the ground with Valley the dog and a small brown puppy

Time, training, and love transform nervous dog

When Valley arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, she was anxious about most e...
She's transformed
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Sego the dog sitting on a bench between Sandy and Richard Garrett

Helping a skittish dog learn to trust

Like some people, some dogs just need a bit more time than others to build trust. ...
Now he's blossoming in his new home
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Jack and Rubia the donkeys outside next to each other, with upright ears

New friends help shy donkey duo expand horizons

An adorably fluffy mother-and-son donkey pair found solid footing at Best Friends ...
New friend helps them fit in
Best Friends Magazine