Pet Adoption Stories

Annie the dog on a large cushion with two children who are smiling and holding tablets

Faces of No-Kill: Shelter dog now living on easy street

Annie overcame her challenges with time, support, and lots of broccoli.
She continues to make amazing progress
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Kenobi the black and white cat lying down

Shy cat’s leap of faith leads to love

A shy cat at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary steps out of the shadows and into a home with her new bestie, a 12-year-old boy named Avery.
One moment changed everything
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Ayo the tortoiseshell cat lying in a cat bed

Life is sweet for once-shy cat

Patience and lots of treats were what Ayo needed to go from under the dresser to on top of the world.
Squeeze treats help Ayo to trust
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Rydell the German shepherd mix with his tongue out being scratched on the hind end by a person

Faces of No-Kill: Water-loving pooch finds his flow

Rydell made a splash during training sessions at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary — and landed right where he belonged.
He just needed structure and patience
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Winston, Waldo, and Albert wearing birthday hats and eating watermelon

Life’s a party for 3 little pigs

From splashy pool parties at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary to birthday bashes at their new home in L.A., three little pigs are living large.
Now they're living the sweet swine life
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Boo, the black and white kitten, lying on a blanket

Three-legged kitten with a whole lotta heart

From injured kitten to confident cat, Boo’s story is all about second chances and serious charm.
She hit the ground running (on three legs)
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Lexi the dog with upright ears

Faces of No-Kill: Support for a special pup

Lexi came to Best Friends as a little puppy who turned out to have megaesophagus, a condition that meant she’d need extra care to thrive.
Now she's queen of the pack
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Baby and Celine the French bulldogs sleeping next to each other

Faces of No-Kill: From puppy surgery to sister snuggles

A French bulldog named Baby came to Best Friends in crisis. Now, she has a clean bill of health, a cozy home, and one sassy sister.
A family that’s meant to be
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Jonathan Ramirez next to his mural of a dog with the word, Adopt

One special dog inspired this artist to give back

Adoption gave a dog named Russell a second chance, but it also inspired his adopter to use his talents to help more dogs find homes.
Artist creates mural at Florida shelter
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Mirage being adopted by the pilot who found her.

A new home for the miracle kitty

After surviving a devastating fall at Bryce Canyon, a senior cat’s story comes full circle — thanks to the search-and-rescue pilot who never forgot her.
Overcoming the odds
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Indy the cat, lying on a blanket

Shy cat sprinkled with love

Sometimes, all it takes is adding a little bit of sparkle to help a timid pet shine.
Colorful collars made her even more adorable
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Cloud and Sol the puppies being adopted in front of Walmart

Aisles of smiles: Hundreds of pets adopted at Walmart events

Best Friends teamed up with Walmart to host pop-up pet adoption events at select stores from coast to coast.
Bring Happy Home adoption event is a huge success
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Llorona the black puppy smiling and sitting outside on the sand

No contact, no problem for a sweet pup

When rabies quarantine was a must for a young puppy, staff found ways to keep her happy and healthy for three and a half completely hands-off months.
Now she's catching up on her puppyhood
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Trinity the blind calico cat on some blankets

Faces of No-Kill: Brave cat is full of love

Trinity is blind, but she doesn’t let that hold her back from pursuing her true passion: making biscuits.
She received just the right recipe for healing
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Smokey the gray cat lying on a couch

Shy no more: One cat’s beautiful breakthrough

Thanks to time, patience, and chin scratches in his foster homes, today 10-year-old Smokey is exactly where he belongs.
New home, new beginning
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