Network Partners Stories

Roger the cat lying on paperwork in the clinic

Helping community cats thrive in California

Stanislaus Animal Services Agency helps twice as many cats live their best lives t...
Helping more cats this year than ever before
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Cricket the dog holding a stuffed hedgehog toy in his mouth

Dog foster program helps Indiana shelter reach no-kill

With help from Best Friends, Jeffersonville Animal Shelter and the public came tog...
A fresh start for Cricket
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Two people holding puppies at a Best Friends adoption event in front of a Walmart store

National Pet Month events send over 400 pets home

Best Friends and Walmart teamed up to make pet adoption easier and more accessible...
Making adoption easy and accessible
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Dez the dog lying down with tongue out

Texas animal shelter goes from hidden to hopeful

How Alpine Animal Services in Texas transformed from an isolated shelter into a li...
Saving lives together
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Regan the dog showcasing her large ears

Celebrating 6,000 Best Friends Network Partners

The Best Friends Network reaches over 6,000 partners, as shelters, rescue groups, ...
Celebrating Hamilton’s Healing Hearts
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Best Friends CEO Julie Castle addressing the audience at the Best Friends National Conference with a large slide behind her featuring Angel Canyon with the words Save Them All

Overheard at Best Friends National Conference 2026

Three days of learning, inspiration, and possibility.
When a movement becomes ours, it becomes durable
Julie Castle Blog
Linus the English bulldog pup in a wheelchair with a person's hand touching him

Mississippi animal shelter celebrates 10 years of no-kill

Small but mighty Southern Pines Animal Shelter has become a national blueprint for...
From crisis to compassion
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Rosie the dog in a vehicle

Doggy delivery program drives adoptions

All it took for Rosie to get adopted was someone to give her a ride.
Meeting adopters where they are
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Two black dogs in the back of a vehicle

Everyday compassion: Communities helping pets

With cheer squads, vet teams, foster heroes, and more, these animal shelters and r...
Partners offer everyday kindness for pets
Best Friends Magazine
Lil Debbie the dog in her wheelchair

Miracle for a paralyzed dog

Lil Debbie couldn’t use her back legs at all when she landed in an Arizona shelter...
Now she’s able to run and play
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Lucy the dog with a person beside a Bark Box kit of supplies

Busting barriers between adoptable pets and home

Creative adoption practices help thousands of animals move out of shelters and int...
Small shifts make big ripples
Best Friends Magazine
Black dog with upright ears

Small shelter makes big difference for Kentucky’s pets

With help from Best Friends, rescue groups near and far, and local volunteers, Har...
A new outlook for pets and people
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Boy holding a black and white cat in his lap

Local animal shelters unite to save lives in Texas

More than 120 pets moved out of shelters and into new homes during the first-ever ...
Shelters come together for a shared goal
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Melissa “Missy” Kidwell and child sitting on the floor with a dog

West Virginia animal shelter a lifesaving powerhouse

Mineral County Animal Control and its committed leader are proving that you don’t ...
A new outlook on lifesaving
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Rock formations at Big Bend National Park in Texas

Lost in Big Bend, found by kindness: How 2 dogs got home to Mexico

While a story of unlikely heroes saving lives feels like it should be a blockbuste...
Multiple acts of kindness save two dogs
Julie Castle Blog