Outreach and Embed Programs Stories

Two people drying a small puppy with a towel

Amazing progress at Brownsville animal shelter

With guidance from Best Friends, a Texas shelter dramatically increased the number...
Read how things have improved
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Mojo the dog in the lap of one of his adopters

How a Tennessee animal shelter is saving more pets

Rhea County Animal Shelter is making strides toward no-kill as part of Best Friend...
See how small changes are making a big affect
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Turtle the kitten wearing her protective helmet

Faces of No-Kill: Kitten with serious head wound gets custom helmet

Shelter collaboration, community support, and TLC help Turtle the kitten survive a...
Joint effort helps save special kitten
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Smiling person holding a large puppy outside some dog kennels

California adoption events send dogs and cats home

Collaboration among Best Friends, the local community, and central California anim...
Read how they're working together
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Taylor Hill with Kiba the dog in her lap

Playgroups at Arkansas shelter let a shy dog shine

Kiba was standoffish around people, but around other dogs she proved she’s a socia...
Proof that initial dog labels can be flawed
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Calico cat lying on a cat tree in the Benson Animal Shelter shed

Keeping cats cool

Benson Animal Shelter in Arizona gets a new climate-controlled space for cats, plu...
Read how networking helped
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Community service officer Sean Bus giving a thumbs up sign with Wilson the pug

The right tool reunites lost pug with family

The day after officer Sean Bus received a microchip scanner, he put it straight to...
Wilson's now reunited with his family
Best Friends Magazine
Smiling person looking at a cat they're holding in animal shelter setting

Q&A: Best Friends national shelter embed program

Michelle Logan answers questions about a one-of-a-kind program that places Best Fr...
See how it supports shelter staff and animals
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Group of people surrounding a dog outside a wire crate

How animal services officers are saving more pets

Best Friends works with animal services officers to reduce shelter intake and reun...
See how their work affects no-kill 2025
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Person wearing a dog T-shirt with arm around a smiling pit-bull-type dog

Historic victory for dogs in Florida

Passage of legislation moves the state one step closer to a day when no breed can ...
Learn how the legislation was overturned
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Two brown puppies wearing shirts sitting on a chair

Supporting California animal shelters to reach no-kill

Best Friends’ shelter collaborative program leverages one shelter’s no-kill status...
Read about their new lifesaving efforts
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RJ the cat in a kennel

Working together for pets at California shelter

Best Friends and several other organizations came together to take in 32 cats and ...
See how collaboration saves lives
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Group of dogs in a play group, some in a purple kiddie poop

Kansas animal shelter staff sees dogs in a new light

By changing the way staff members evaluate dogs, Helping Hands Humane Society gain...
See how the mentorship is helping
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Green cart holding a litter of five black and white puppies

Lifesaving soars with new shelter practices

Lehigh Valley Humane Society celebrates reaching a 90% save rate for the first tim...
See what's changed
Best Friends Magazine
Person wearing an animal services officer shirt holding a small dog or puppy backwards over his shoulder in a kennel area

Helping small animal shelters has a big impact

Best Friends is leveraging the power of networking and peer mentoring to engage or...
See how mentorships help save cats and dogs
Best Friends Magazine