Sanctuary Stories

Swing the dog lying and the floor wearing sunglasses getting his pretend laser treatment

Dog’s no-laser therapy is almost as good as the real thing

When Swing was diagnosed with cancer, he had to stop laser therapy for arthritis. ...
He still enjoys all the attention and love
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Hutton the kitten with only one front leg on a red blanket with white snowflakes

Kitten thinks TikTok is the cat’s pajamas

Hutton arrived with a broken leg and found comfort in swift vet care, a foster hom...
Three legs don't slow him down
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Peridot the cat lying in the top shelf of a cat tree

Faces of No-Kill: Cat goes from grumpy to cuddly

Peridot used to swat away affection with hisses and growls. Now she’s home, snuggl...
Read about her transformation
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King Julian the dog standing up on his hind legs with his mouth open in a wide smile

Tiny pup goes from bald to beautiful in foster home

When King Julian landed at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, he wasn’t feeling like r...
Now he's all smiles
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Penelope the cat lying down with her leg in a cast in front of her

Faces of No-Kill: TLC saves sweet mama cat

Penelope came to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in rough shape with more than 50 ot...
Recovery leads to adoption
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Emma Odekirk sitting on the ground with Valley the dog and a small brown puppy

Time, training, and love transform nervous dog

When Valley arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, she was anxious about most e...
She's transformed
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Sego the dog sitting on a bench between Sandy and Richard Garrett

Helping a skittish dog learn to trust

Like some people, some dogs just need a bit more time than others to build trust. ...
Now he's blossoming in his new home
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Jack and Rubia the donkeys outside next to each other, with upright ears

New friends help shy donkey duo expand horizons

An adorably fluffy mother-and-son donkey pair found solid footing at Best Friends ...
New friend helps them fit in
Best Friends Magazine
Highway the cat head-bumping Lisa Anderson

Touch-sensitive kitty blossoms in foster home

Highway wasn’t a fan of being touched when he arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanct...
Read about his progress
Best Friends Magazine
Kona the dog wearing a collar with mouth open in a smile

Calming care for a pup with special needs

When Kona arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, she spun in circles compulsive...
Now she's back home
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Lauren Ross and Brianna Vlach holding the golden eagle in a towel

Eagle displaced by wildfire on road back to the skies

It was a race against time to save a young, distressed golden eagle found near a w...
His progress is slow and steady
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Smiling caregiver holding one of the neonatal dragon kittens in gloved hands

Foster caregivers team up to save orphaned kittens

Sometimes it takes a village to save lives, and a team of foster caregivers did ju...
Meet the cutest dragons ever
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Bug the horse outside with another horse behind her

The courageous journey of a quirky, resilient horse

From injured foal to happy horse, Bug’s story is one for the books. Now she’s snug...
It was fate
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Person competing in a past Grand to Grand Ultra high desert foot race

Runners face a desert challenge to help animals

Best Friends employees and supporters are among 61 hardy souls who will take on th...
Meet this year's participants
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Amra and Rhonda the dogs beside a pick-up truck at Dogtown

40 fun facts about Best Friends Animal Society

Celebrate Best Friends’ 40th anniversary with little-known fun facts about the San...
Learn more
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