Foster Programs Stories

CrossFit Tony in the passenger seat of a car with a hand on him

Big hunk of love dog lands a home

His nickname is “CrossFit Tony” because he’s super fit, but he’s also sweet, loving and finally in a home of his own after months of false starts.
"Crossfit" finds right fit
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Elvis the dog next to Mary inside her house

Anxious hound loves his R & R

Life can get overwhelming for Elvis, but sleepovers with friends ensure this hound dog isn’t “cryin’ all the time.”
Elvis' practice for a home of his own
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Winter the kitten lying on her back with her paws up over her head

Joining forces to save a newborn kitten

Best Friends medical team and volunteers team up to save a struggling, days-old kitten.
Winter gets twice the love and care
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Heather holding Goose the dog

Lucky Goose: Shy pup finds his person

Goose was scared and needed heartworm treatment when he first came to Best Friends, and now he’s living the good life.
Goodbye heartworm, hello love
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A hand reaching down to pet the mama cat with the kittens in the foreground

Cat family finds help at a local construction site

When construction workers spotted a litter of newborn kittens in the middle of their work zone, they made sure they got them somewhere safe.
Read about the team effort
Best Friends Magazine
Smiling person sitting on a bed with a happy dog

Best Friends satellite foster programs take off

Best Friends teams are building foster programs remotely for shelters all across the country
See how it works
Best Friends Magazine
Peanut Butter the tortoiseshell cat with Jasmine behind her

From cat curious to fans of felines

Peanut Butter the cat shows a kind couple how much fun it can be to have a feline in your life.
They all hit the jackpot
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Tres the dog wearing a purple harness and lying on a blue blanket

Front row seat for a scared dog’s transformation

First-time foster volunteer shares her story about helping a scared Chihuahua find her rhythm and then a home.
Read Tres' story
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Child affectionately petting the face of a foster dog wearing an orange bandanna

How one family helped save 20 dogs (and counting)

A busy Houston family of five makes time to foster homeless pets and memorializes each one in a paw print memory book.
Read how the whole family helps
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Dione the kitty lying on a couch with a ball of yarn toy in front of him

Wobbly kitten gets by with help from his friends

Dione has cerebellar hypoplasia, and though he can’t walk upright, he’s made fast friends with other kitties in his foster home.
See how he blossoms
Best Friends Magazine
Hank the husky mix dog, standing outside with his mouth open smiling

Husky mix gets help just when he needed it the most

Time was already running out for Hank when he arrived at the shelter, but the team that helped save his life was closer than anyone could have imagined.
Read how fostering helps
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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 fostering pets.
Read about this fostering innovation
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Sage the dog on a couch with three kids from the Brooks family

Big-hearted family making a big difference for dogs

Members of the Brooks family turned to fostering after losing their beloved dog, and now they’re on a mission to help as many dogs as they can.
See how lives are changed
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Meri and Janelle the mama cats snuggling while kittens nurse

Meet the adorable kittens who have two moms

Meri and Janelle are the proud mommas to five fluffy kittens, and these feline family members are just as sweet as they look.
Co-parenting at its best
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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 team and a wonderful foster family, she’s now living her best life in Los Angeles.
See how she's living her best life
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