Dog Stories

Baja Blast the dog smiling with his tongue out of his mouth

Starved pup thrives with new friends and plenty of food

When Baja Blast came to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, he was in rough shape. But he never lost his friendly spirit.
See him now
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Bonny the dog with adopters Bevin and Cam

Doggy dating event helps pup find true love

Bonny went from solo to soulmate with the help of a dedicated foster volunteer.
Blind date leads to love
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Logan and Doug the dogs lying next to each other on a raised bed outside

Pit bull terriers living the good life in Miami

With the lifting of a 33-year pit bull ban last fall, more dogs are getting second chances to go home in Florida’s most populous county.
New lives and opportunities available now
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Greggy out with two other dogs, all happy

Sunny pup doesn’t let injury slow him down

Greggy came to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary with an injured leg and found his footing again in a foster home.
He's now blossomed into a well-rounded, confident companion
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Selfie of Katie holding Berry the dog, who is wearing a pink jacket

Dog goes from face in the crowd to one in a million

After coming from a house with 70 other dogs, Berry is happy being the center of attention with her new family.
A berry happy ending
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Veteran hugging his dog courtesy of K9s for Warriors

Veterans and shelter pets healing together

How dogs like Thunder bring hope and purpose to veterans facing life’s darkest moments
Groups save lives on both ends of the leash
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Best Friends co-founder Francis Battista with his dog Jasper

The dogs who shaped me

Best Friends co-founder shares how each of his dogs has been an essential part of the story of his life.
Read how they touched Francis' life
Best Friends Magazine
Dan with Moogan the dog outside under a tree

Blind dog looks out for the ones he loves

Dogs are human’s best friend, but for one volunteer at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Moogan the dog is both human’s best friend and hero.
Heroism earns him extra treats
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The litter of Little Rock puppies sleeping in a pile together

Neighbors team up to save orphaned puppies

With the local animal shelter at capacity, an Arkansas family rallied their neighbors to care for 11 tiny homeless puppies.
Collaboration saves lives
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Bonito the dog smiling wide in a playgroup with another dog

Faces of No-Kill: Nervous dog becomes ambassador of fun

Bonito came to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary as an anxious pup. Now he’s helping other dogs find their confidence through the power of play.
Now he's an ambassador of fun
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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. But that didn’t mean the therapy sessions he loved so much had to stop.
He still enjoys all the attention and love
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Athena holding a smiling Gremlin the dog in her lap

From shy to safe: Dog with megawatt smile goes home

Gremlin needed a friend to help calm his nerves, which ended up leading to the match of a lifetime.
Now he's all smiles
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The face of Coral, the mama dog, wearing a red collar

Faces of No-Kill: Mama dog beats the odds

How a dog without a home hung on until she and her pups landed the good life
It was destiny
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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 royalty. But with some time and TLC, now his health reigns supreme.
Now he's all smiles
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Bert the dog lying in the grass on his back with his feet up

Dog’s story of healing will give you all the feels

Surgery would allow Bert to walk and run without pain. But he would need months of special care in a foster home to recover.
Special bond forms at foster home
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