Foster Programs Stories

Wilbur the orange tabby cat wearing a sweater

Faces of No-Kill: Senior cat mentors foster kittens

This 15-year-old orange tabby teaches us that senior pets still have a lot of life...
See him at work
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Emily snuggling with Hale the cat, face-to-face, with her arm around him

‘Hands-off’ cat learns to show his sweet side

Hale expressed himself with his teeth and claws when he came to the Sanctuary, but...
He's now blossomed
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Jalapeño the dog, smiling, while sitting on sand in front of some trees

Helping a shy dog spice up his social life

Found as a stray pup, Jalapeño was shy and shut down around people, but his foster...
How he's warming up
Best Friends Magazine
Peter the rabbit nose-to-nose with an orange tabby cat, beside an orange rolling ball cat toy

Once-stray bunny shows his silly side in foster home

Don’t let his stoic expression fool you; Peter is a fun-loving bun who’s full of s...
He fit right in
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Dealla the dog outside on a path in the woods with five other dogs

Dog goes from shy to social butterfly in foster win

Dealla was shy and unsure of people when she arrived at the Sanctuary, but after g...
Meet the foster win
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Rexie the dog wearing a decorative protective cone embellished with blue and orange hearts

Rexie the ‘T. rex’ pup loves life in his new home

Found alone on the streets of Houston, a dog with heartworm disease helps a couple...
He fits perfectly with their lifestyle
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Pawrie the French bulldog on a Home Sweet Home doormat

French bulldog goes from homeless to home

Pawrie the Frenchie came from a shelter to Best Friends with multiple medical issu...
It was love at first sight
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Hanjae the dog with Caroline Moss and Jeanhee Yu

A senior dog’s journey home

Hanjae was at a shelter with a life-threatening medical condition. Today she’s thr...
Cat volunteer brings home a dog
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Lizel Allen with a brown tabby kitten on her shoulder

Foster caregiver drawn to cats with special needs

Lizel Allen has fostered 165 pets (and counting!) since 2014, and she still finds ...
See how it became her passion
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Orange tabby kitten hugging and giving a kiss to Jeff, the blind black and white kitten, while lying together in a bed

Blind kitten gets by with help from his friends

Jeff needed emergency surgery to remove both of his eyes, but the kitten was quick...
Watch his improvement following surgery
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Earth the dog in a small blue pool nursing her puppies

Mama dog and pups get their day in the sun

After mama dog Earth delivered six puppies at a Salt Lake City shelter, they all c...
Watch them grow
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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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Simon the dog lying on the floor, smiling with tongue out

Foster caregivers help dog heal

Simon beat a serious skin infection with the help of modern medicine and two wonde...
Watch as he improves
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Pickle and Chip the kittens sitting next to each other on a tiny pink couch

Faces of No-Kill: Kittens heal from contagious condition

All you need is a bathtub and an open mind: how Best Friends cat expert Samantha B...
Learn how to step up
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Jax the dog in a person's lap while being cradled in her arms

Faces of No-Kill: A scared dog learns to trust

With time, patience, and TLC, Jax went from a fearful dog who needed a home to a h...
Read how a special friendship formed
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