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

Before pets come to shelters, they’ve often experienced a hard-knock life. We don’t know much about Annie’s past. However, no matter what she’d been through, she never lost her optimistic spirit — complete with full-body wags and a bright smile. It would take a little time, but the sun would eventually come out for Annie.

Annie looks every bit the leading lady — white fur, big brown spots, and ears that are somehow both pointy and floppy at the same time. The 3-year-old dog came to the Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Bentonville, Arkansas, from an animal shelter to make room for other pets in need. Sweet, silly, and incredibly smart, she was adopted twice and brought back both times, not quite the right fit for those families.

Annie had some behaviors that didn’t mesh with life in the human world, such as loud barking, leash pulling, and going to the bathroom inside. So Best Friends staff devoted extra time to working with Annie, who basked in all the attention. She also did several stints in foster care to help her learn how to navigate life in a home. At each stop, the team learned more about her personality and the best ways to support her.

For what was only supposed to be a long weekend, Annie went to stay with foster volunteer Heather Dark. But Heather became so smitten that she offered to foster Annie until she was adopted.

[Time, training, and love transform nervous dog]

Heather helped Annie learn to navigate the world with more confidence, especially on walks when she encountered dogs, which had been a challenge. However, humans were a different story — Annie adored meeting new people and happily greeted every person they passed. Heather marveled at how intelligent Annie was and gave her puzzle toys to keep her brain busy.

Annie was also on a diet to lose some extra pounds. But luckily, she discovered a delicious low-calorie snack: broccoli. The pup couldn’t get enough of it. She spent the next month receiving lots of love from Heather, rehearsing her new skills, and chowing down on her favorite veggie.

Soon, tomorrow became today, and Annie was adopted. She stepped right into her new role as family pet. This time, it was the right stage with the right cast. Her new family includes Priscilla Beasley, her two kids, a kitty co-star, and plenty of parts to play: sled puller, toy tester, bed hog, and blanket thief.

[Extra-bubbly dog goes from chaos to calm]

Her favorite activity is snuggling on the couch with her people (because you’re never fully dressed without some dog hair). Priscilla picked up where Heather left off with training, and Annie continues to make amazing progress, especially when it comes to interacting with other animals.

Every day is different, but you can bet your bottom dollar that each one is filled with love, fun, and lots of broccoli.

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.