Foster Programs Stories

Earth the dog in a small blue pool nursing her puppies

Mama dog and pups get their day in the sun

After mama dog Earth delivered six puppies at a Salt Lake City shelter, they all c...
Watch them grow
Video
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 fos...
See why they made the leap into fostering
Feature
Simon the dog lying on the floor, smiling with tongue out

Foster caregivers help dog heal

Simon beat a serious skin infection with the help of modern medicine and two wonde...
Watch as he improves
Video
Pickle and Chip the kittens sitting next to each other on a tiny pink couch

Faces of No-Kill: Kittens heal from contagious condition

All you need is a bathtub and an open mind: how Best Friends cat expert Samantha B...
Learn how to step up
Feature
Jax the dog in a person's lap while being cradled in her arms

Faces of No-Kill: A scared dog learns to trust

With time, patience, and TLC, Jax went from a fearful dog who needed a home to a h...
Read how a special friendship formed
Feature
Foster Tyler Lisonbee wearing a hat and gray T-shirt, holding two black and white kittens in front of him

Volunteer makes a big difference for tiny kittens

Foster volunteer Tyler Lisonbee is an advocate for cats and kittens in Salt Lake C...
Read how he helps the most vulnerable
Feature
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 t...
Read how a special friendship formed
Feature
Tami and Troy

Tami Brown hits the legacy trail with Troy

Two souls in search of a better life reach new heights together....
Her will is her way of giving back.
Feature
Aragon the dog in the foreground with a smiling person behind him, both outside in a yard

Video convinces mom to adopt a dog

Allison Botwinick wanted to adopt the family’s foster dog Aragon, but first she’d ...
Meet the "foster win"
Video
Spartacus the cat lying on a plaid blanket next to a blue bowl

Miracle cat's healing journey

Faces of no-kill: Beautiful, blue-eyed cat Spartacus came to Best Friends with a b...
See how he's doing now
Video
Sweet Baby James the puppy in a wheelchair

Foster home helps puppy stand tall

Faces of no-kill: Sweet Baby James could hardly even crawl when he first came to t...
See him now
Feature
Elle the smiling white puppy with blue eyes outside on grass

Puppy takes leg surgery in stride

Elle no longer has a front leg, but that doesn’t stop her from living life to the ...
See her recovery
Video
Bunny the puppy in her foster home

First-time dog foster volunteer helps puppy heal

An energetic puppy with a broken leg receives crate rest and lots of love in her f...
Bunny gets the care she needed
Feature
Maryanne Dailey with Rosie

Maryanne Pagonis: Her will is her way of giving back

There is nothing Maryanne Pagonis wouldn’t do for her beloved dog Rosie — nor for ...
Her will is her way of giving back.
Feature
The torbi cat looking at the camera

Cat conquers ringworm, finds confidence in foster home

Savannah was shy and had a bad skin condition — two issues that only strengthened ...
Read about her overcoming challenges
Feature