Faces of No-Kill: From puppy surgery to sister snuggles
“Mom, she’s touching me!”
“Mom, she isn’t sharing!”
“Mom, she’s wearing my sweater!”
If Baby and Celine were human sisters, their discourse might sound a little something like this. The two pups aren’t related by blood, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that by looking at them — or by watching them. These French bulldogs tussle like siblings: chasing one another, wrestling, knocking each other over for no reason at all. Call it sisterly love.
[French bulldog goes from homeless to home]
Nowadays, Baby’s biggest problem is thinking she’s not getting the exact same number of treats as her sister. (“Mom, she ate my treat!”) But not long ago, the problems she faced were much larger.
This story is a part of our Faces of No-Kill series, highlighting the journey of pets who lost their place to call home. These pets are thriving today thanks to animal shelters that said yes to lifesaving and found a way to save them. Best Friends’ goal is for every shelter and every community to reach no-kill in 2025, and this story shows why that’s so important.
Oh, Baby
Baby came to the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in Los Angeles from a city shelter in January 2025 — right in the middle of devastating wildfires. She was just a puppy, not yet a year old, and in urgent need of medical care. Baby had a severe rectal prolapse, meaning part of her intestine was exposed. The condition was painful, dangerous, and required immediate surgery.
The sweet pup sailed through the procedure. As she came out of anesthesia, her tiny tongue peeked out of her mouth from inside a cone that was bigger than her whole body.
A family that’s meant to be
With surgery behind her, Baby needed a quiet place to rest and recover. She went to stay with foster volunteer Jennifer Ung, who had some experience with French bulldogs (aka Frenchies). Jennifer had adopted her current dog, Celine, from Best Friends and thought Celine would enjoy Baby’s company. What she didn’t know was just how quickly the two would become besties.
[A most adorable pair of adopted dogs]
After several weeks of TLC, Baby got the all-clear from the vet, and it was obvious to everyone that she was already home. Jennifer officially adopted Baby, and Celine welcomed her with sisterly love.
Sure, they squabble. But afterward, they sweetly snuggle up and go to sleep together. Baby and Celine are sassy sisters and best friends who were simply meant to be.
Let's make every shelter and every community no-kill in 2025
Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill in 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets.
Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.
You can help save homeless pets
You can help end the killing in shelters and save the lives of homeless pets when you foster, adopt, and advocate for the dogs and cats who need it most.
Saving lives around the country
Together, we're creating compassionate no-kill communities nationwide for pets and the people who care for them.
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