Atlanta Stories

One person holding a Boston terrier while another person administers a vaccination

Helping people care for their pets in difficult times

With support from Best Friends, a neighborhood program in Georgia is making it possible for more pets to stay with people who love them.
Neighborhood Pet Support program to the rescue
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Foster volunteers Lauren Burgess and Jill Church together on a beach

College students save cats’ lives through fostering

Lauren Burgess and Jill Church planned to adopt a pet and instead signed up to foster. Now they’re giving cats with special needs a second chance.
See why they made the leap into fostering
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June the cat wearing a pink collar and sitting on a counter in what looks to be a veterinary exam room

Faces of No-Kill: Injured cat finds comfort in new home

June the cat went from being found alone dragging her back legs to a shelter and then to nightly snuggles in her new home.
Read how a special friendship formed
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Frannie the black and white dog with her mouth smiling with pink tongue out

Two false starts lead dog to true love

Frannie is proof that all it takes is one person who loves you the way you are to change your life for the better.
From homeless to home
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Happy senior dog with two people behind him

6 happy tails from adopted pets

Meet a puppy who can’t believe she got adopted, a cat who snuggles her sloth toy and more pets with new families.
Meet the happy families
Best Friends Magazine
CrossFit Tony in the passenger seat of a car with a hand on him

Big hunk of love dog lands a home

His nickname is “CrossFit Tony” because he’s super fit, but he’s also sweet, loving and finally in a home of his own after months of false starts.
"Crossfit" finds right fit
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Cream Puff the dog smiling with tongue out, next to a tray of food

A deaf dog finds a love story for the books

Two hearts align when an adopter and a scruffy, deaf dog meet at just the right time.
See how he's living his best life
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Bonnie the senior schipperke sitting on the floor

Senior, sassy schipperke finds love, acceptance in her new home

With limited vision and arthritis, Bonnie is not a fan of surprises, but after medical care and time to unwind, she met an adopter who is making her golden years truly shine.
Read about her progress
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Group of volunteers holding the items they sewed for Best Friends

4 volunteers helping animals in unique ways

From teaching cats to “talk,” to creating videos that inspire others to get involved, these volunteers prove there are many ways to support pets in shelters.
Meet these volunteer dynamos
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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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Monesia head bumping Autumn the gray tabby cat

Volunteer teaches foster cats to 'talk'

Recordable buttons ignite training passion for foster volunteer and help kitties get adopted.
Read about innovative foster
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Blu the dog lying on a couch

Sweet lullabies help puppy heal and find a home

Blu was shy and had a painful skin condition, but a foster volunteer helped the puppy grow confidence (plus hair) and he’s thriving in a new home.
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Breonna with Pumba the cat in her lap

Spicy cat’s ‘instruction manual’ helps her get adopted

Best Friends foster volunteers wrote tips for making friends with Pumba, a cat with larger-than-average tortitude, to help her thrive in her new home.
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Mama cat Agave with one of her litters of kittens, licking one of them

A most extraordinary mama cat’s love knows no bounds

First-time foster volunteers team up to care for a mama cat and her family, but little did they know more kittens were on the way.
Best Friends Magazine
Pilsner the dog next to a swimming pool

New ZIP code, brand new life for pit bull terrier

Pilsner had no trouble turning strangers into friends at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, but it wasn’t until he went to Best Friends in Atlanta that he found a home of his own.
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