Pet Adoption Stories

Brown tabby and white cat with a dark background

Magical pet adoption stories to lift your spirits

A dog who smiles all the time. A puppy who landed a new home at a business conference. These pets are living the good life after being adopted from Best Friends.
Meet the happy families
Best Friends Magazine
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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Hanjae the dog with Caroline Moss and Jeanhee Yu

A senior dog’s journey home

Hanjae was at a shelter with a life-threatening medical condition. Today she’s thriving in her new home.
Cat volunteer brings home a dog
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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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Eeyore the cat in a harness on the back of Allen Burkhart, who adopted him

Cat is a combat veteran’s new best friend

Eeyore the tabby cat not only accompanies Allen wherever he goes, but he’s also a source of comfort from PTSD.
See them together
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Person's hand giving a dog biscuit to Ken Garff the dog

Pet adoption updates that are cause for celebration

From a pup’s epic adventures to three bunny siblings who’ve found comfort and friendship, these pet adoption stories are sure to make you smile.
Celebrate along with them
Best Friends Magazine
Person sitting on the grass petting a small black and white dog

Hundreds of pets go home from L.A. super adoption

Two days of adoptions in a park with shelters and rescue groups leads to more than 400 homeless dogs and cats saved.
Read about it
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Hand petting the top of the head of a smiling orange tabby cat

1,000 adoptable dogs and cats in a park: The return of Best Friends Super Adoption

Let’s get these pets adopted, Los Angeles.
Find your new best friend
Julie Castle Blog
Dixon the tabby and white cat lying on a lap

Faces of No-Kill: Cat thrives after FIP treatment

Dixon’s FIP diagnosis once might have spelled the end, but after taking part in clinical trials for a treatment, her future is looking bright.
Read about his lifesaving medical care
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Rico the dog, sitting outside and smiling

Skinny dog blossoms in foster home

Rico was stressed and kept dropping weight, but a loving foster home was just what the doctor ordered to help him bulk up and feel safe.
Read how things turned around for him
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Shane the cat in an area with an orange blanket

Faces of No-Kill: Shy senior cat gets a chance to shine

Space, patience, unconditional love, and a feline friend help 10-year-old Shane come out of his shell.
See how he's found his place
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Ruthie the dog with three people (two in military uniforms) in front of a large vehicle

Faces of No-Kill: 3-legged dog earns her military stripes

Ruthie went from a scared, injured puppy in a shelter to bringing joy to combat veterans who defuse bombs for a living.
She's loving her therapy dog training
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Family adopting Jewel the dog in front of a window

Easier adoption process saves more dogs and cats

A chance meeting with a Best Friends staff member caused an Iowa organization to change the way it viewed adoptions and save more animals.
Read how they embrace change
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Turtle the kitten wearing her protective helmet

Faces of No-Kill: Kitten with serious head wound gets custom helmet

Shelter collaboration, community support, and TLC help Turtle the kitten survive and thrive.
Joint effort helps save special kitten
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Two smiling people holding a small white dog

Epic number of pet adoptions in New York City

A record 284 animals were adopted from the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City in one month.
See their happy faces
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