Caring for Pets Stories

Baby Girl the white dog, smiling with tongue out, lying in green grass

Faces of No-Kill: Baby Girl in Brownsville, Texas

Best Friends’ embed program supports a Texas shelter in treating dogs for heartworms.
Embed program saves lives
Best Friends Magazine
Poppy the cat lying down on a rug

Cat with bullet wounds gets a new life of love

Despite being shot by a pellet gun, sweet Poppy is so trusting of people.
See her happily ever after
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Reba Schnyder and Elliot Tolkin holding Cricket the puppy, outside on a lawn

Hip hip hooray! Puppy gets life-changing surgery

A total hip replacement would allow Cricket to run, jump, and play like any other dog. But she had to heal first.
Watch her recover
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Sylvia the one-eyed cat with her foster person Melissa

Blind cat with cleft palate gets care, gains confidence

Sylvia was in rough shape when she arrived at the Sanctuary, but with TLC and a good haircut, she’s finally feeling feline-fine.
Read how she's improved
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Prancer the cat with her new family on a couch

Prancer the cat is home for the holidays

She has a condition that makes her wobble as she walks, but it doesn’t keep this jolly kitten from living life to the fullest.
See her now
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Selfie of Sir Karen the cat (looking a little grumpy) with Taylor Seupaul

Faces of No-Kill: Sir Karen the cat fools everybody

A grumpy kitty had some surprises in store for his caregivers at Best Friends, but now he’s fitting right in at his new home.
Now he's all headbutts and biscuit marking
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Pep the black dog, standing outside, wearing a harness, with her mouth open and big pink tongue out

Watch a dog’s first day out after surviving distemper

Pep was sick for months but then got to celebrate her health in the sweetest way at the Sanctuary.
See her in action
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Three kittens playing with a colorful wand toy

Swift teamwork saves kittens with a deadly virus

When kittens at a local shelter suddenly became critically ill with panleukopenia, collaboration with Best Friends and a quick response saved the day.
Coming together to save lives
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Forest the cat on the ground with other cats

Once-scared cat overcomes much to enjoy golden years

It took a lot of TLC to get Forest to come out of his shell — and then veterinary care to save his life.
He's doing better than ever
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Pawrie the French bulldog on a Home Sweet Home doormat

French bulldog goes from homeless to home

Pawrie the Frenchie came from a shelter to Best Friends with multiple medical issues, but a loving foster family helped him on his way to a new life.
It was love at first sight
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Petey the cat with Emily kneeling next to him

Faces of No-Kill: Befriending a fractious feline

Petey was frustrated with people and not afraid to show it — until he got specialized medication and a caregiver earned his trust. Now he’s in a new home.
A family for a finicky feline
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Person's hand holding the paw of a black dog who is lying down on a blanket

The shape of our grief

Coping with the range of emotions, including self-blame, that accompany the loss of a pet
Finding comfort after loss
Best Friends Magazine
Rosita the dog with her new family, sitting outside on green grass

Faces of No-Kill: Loving a dog who has limited time

A senior dog with inoperable cancer, Rosita has her ups and downs — but her family makes sure her tail never stops wagging.
Meet this 'foster win'
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Whitney the puppy wearing a protective cone

Faces of No-Kill: Swift action saves puppy’s life

Whitney needed help fast after swallowing a foxtail.
See how Whitney got the care she needed
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Orange tabby kitten hugging and giving a kiss to Jeff, the blind black and white kitten, while lying together in a bed

Blind kitten gets by with help from his friends

Jeff needed emergency surgery to remove both of his eyes, but the kitten was quickly on the road to recovery thanks to a crew of good friends.
Watch his improvement following surgery
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