California Stories

Smiling person next to Tanya the dog, who is also smiling

Skinny, sick dog finds new hope, new life

Tanya came to Best Friends with sarcoptic mange, but after medical care and plenty of love in a foster home, she’s now part of a big happy family.
Read about Tanya's improvement and adoption
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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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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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Monica the cat lying on a cat tree

One kitty’s transformation from scaredy-cat to queen of her castle

Monica’s fear put her life on hold until her photo caught the attention of a good-natured cat person.
Read about her progress
Best Friends Magazine
Sherman the dog wearing an orange bandanna and in a person's lap

Scruffy dog has trouble walking, lands his perfect home

Sherman’s foster family couldn’t let him go, so they adopted him and got creative when an old leg injury made it challenging for him to get around.
Watch Scruffy's video
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Orion the dog outside with a person standing over him

Prison program, trainers put adoption in the stars for a spirited dog

Orion needed training help so, through a partnership with Paws for Life K9 Rescue, he headed to prison.
Read Orion's story
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Malcolm the black and white cat lying next to some books

Adopted cat lands a job and lives a life worthy of a storybook ending

Malcolm, a three-year-old tuxedo cat, gets a new career in a beachside bookstore patrolling for cuddles from customers (and also for rodents)
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Molly the dog with Madison sitting in an entryway for a door, between two bushes

Inspired by one extraordinary senior dog to adopt another

After fostering a dog who required a little extra time to get used to living in a home, a couple is inspired to adopt a dog with the same need.
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Beefy the dog sitting in an orange chair

Adopter saw nothing but love when she met Beefy the dog

Beefy is a big pit bull terrier mix who had trouble finding a home, mostly because of the way he looks, until he met an adopter who saw nothing but love.
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Ranko holding Soba the senior dachshund in front of a pine tree and blue sky

Out of more than 100 foster pets, volunteer adopts the blind senior dachshund

A long-time foster volunteer yields to temptation and adopts a senior dachshund with special needs.
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Family of three (including a toddler) looking to adopt a kitten

Advocacy and action make 2021 a banner year for lifesaving

Looking back on an incredible year of driving positive change for cats, dogs and the people who love them
See legislative wins
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volunteer kitten feeding sophia

Volunteer finds her calling, just keeps going

When Sophia Lim discovered Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, she could hardly believe such a place existed, but now that she’s a volunteer extraordinaire, she does it all
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