Stories

Caregiver Ashley McDaniel holding a cat in front of a flowering tree

Meet the caregiver: Ashley McDaniel

Ashley McDaniel’s passion for saving lives led her to Best Friends and Cat World.
Meet Ashley
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Person holding a puppy on an orange leash next to a Best Friends-branded vehicle

Communication, collaboration and cooperation

People are coming together in the spirit of saving animals and sharing knowledge and experience to save more lives.
Julie Castle Blog
Person wearing a mask and rubber gloves holding Persephone the kitten

Tiny kitten goddess with ‘kittentude’ comes back from the brink

Once ailing kitten, aptly named after the Greek goddess of spring, overcomes illness with the help of Best Friends to flourish in a home.
Read about Persephone's journey
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Cherri Gillmore sitting on a chair holding a gray tabby cat

Foster volunteer prepares to welcome 100th kitten

Cherri Gillmore has a knack for helping unsocialized kittens, and together with her cat, Simon, she’s encouraging children to feel confident reading aloud.
Read her story
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Gloved hand holding a tabby kitten whose mouth is messy from eating from Best Friends in Los Angeles

Kitten showers help shelters prepare for kitten season

Best Friends teams up with shelters from coast to coast to collect supplies and recruit foster volunteers just in time for kitten season.
See how communities stepped up
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Fleury the goat with her baby Ziggy

Watch baby goats kid around at Best Friends

One Sanctuary newcomer became four when Fleury the goat had her babies, and they are cute as can be.
Baby goats? Yes please!
Best Friends Magazine
Jako the cat with his paw up

9 fun feline affirmations

Respect Your Cat Day is March 28, so we’re celebrating it with affirmations from some amazing cats at the Sanctuary.
Learn “pawsitive” affirmations from the best
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Pigeon flying out of box and other pigeons scattered around enclosure

A love story: Former racing pigeons cross finish line to retirement

With their days of long distance flight behind them, these 18 birds are finding love again.
Read about their retirement roost
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Couple adopting a kitten from Little Lion Foundation in front of a backdrop that says I adopted a Little Lion

Embed program helps California kitten rescue expand fundraising

Little Lion Foundation gets help in building financial sustainability to save more kittens.
Meet Owen, the kitten who changed everything
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Norbert the kitten with three legs, lying on the floor wearing an orange outfit

Life on three limbs can’t slow down this kitten

Norbert came to Best Friends missing part of his back leg, but time in a foster home and surgery helped the kitten seize the moment (and the curtains) without missing a beat.
Watch this foster-win
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Tammie Sadler smiling and holding Bella the Maltese-mix puppy

Parvo is no match for Maltese-mix puppy

Bella was just a month old when she came down with parvovirus but with quick action from the shelter and Best Friends, she’s now healthy and in a new home.
Read how Bella gains her health and home
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Two puppies on an orange dog bed with some toys around

6 sweet stories for National Puppy Day

A look back at some of our favorite puppy stories from the past year
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Dallas, a low-rider pit-bull-terrier-like dog

How a challenged Newark animal shelter reached no-kill

After years of challenges, Associated Humane Societies achieved a 91% save rate in 2021.
Read about their lifesaving changes
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Cover of the book, 'No Matter What: Caring for Critters through Hell and High Water'

Book review: ‘No Matter What: Caring for Critters through Hell and High Water’

Critter lady Kelly Meister-Yetter has her hands full in the fourth installment of her popular animal-themed memoirs.
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Person bottle feeding a kitten

‘First responder program’ saves newborn kittens

Foster volunteers can sign up care for kittens during the first 24 hours they’re at Best Friends through the first responder program.
See behind the scenes of early kitten care
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