Special-Need Animals Stories

Pancake the tortoiseshell cat lying in a bed

Drawn to adopt a cat with special needs

Pancake needs special care due to her incontinence, but Dakota doesn't mind. In fact, it's the reason she decided to adopt her.
See how she fits in
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Tax the dog, looking forward with mouth open in a smile

Anxious dog who’s deaf finds comfort with new family

Life seemed overwhelming for Taz when he arrived at Best Friends, but now he’s learning how to confidently navigate the world with his new family.
Read how he's settled into his new home
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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 broken leg and a terrible respiratory infection, but today he’s thriving in his new home.
See how he's doing now
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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 the Sanctuary, but today he’s stronger and in a home of his own.
See him now
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RoiLie the dog running in his wheelchair

Big love for little dog with wheels

An injury changed RoiLie’s life, but his huge personality and a whole lot of love keep him going strong.
See him in his home
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Precious the black and white cat

Paralyzed cat has sweet spirit that can’t be stopped

Life for Precious hasn’t always been easy or kind, but she never fails to find something to purr about.
Read about her progress
Best Friends Magazine
Leonsio the blind orange tabby cat lying on a couch with a Hello Kitty pillow behind him

Blind cat sees the good in everything

Leonsio couldn’t see at all and was skinny and matted when he was found outdoors, but he still sought love and gave it in return.
See how far he's come
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Dolly Parton the cat lying on a couch behind Scott

Three-legged cat is full of surprises

Dolly Parton’s new family was prepared to make their home accessible to her, and then she showed them how much she could do.
She made herself right at home
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Person holding a smiling Java the Chihuahua dog in a lap

Little dog is living large

Java has spina bifida and had difficulty walking when she came to Best Friends, but today the Chihuahua has found her stride.
Read how she's settled in
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Fawkes the Shar-Pei dog wearing a tag on her collar

Wrinkly dog gets comfortable in her own skin

Fawkes was miserable with patchy skin, painful paws and a double dose of eye issues, but today she feels so much better.
Read about her progress
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Spearmint Sally lying on a dog bed in front of a Christmas tree, a person and three other dogs

Once-paralyzed dog finds her footing with family’s help

Spearmint Sally was paralyzed as a puppy, but now she can stand on her own — and her family’s been with her every step of the way.
Home that was meant to be
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Llama the Siamese kitten with blue eyes and paw up in the air

Big new life for a blue-eyed kitten

Orphaned and injured at one week old, little Llama lived thanks to many people’s help. Now he’s bounding and pouncing through life.
See how he's thrived
Best Friends Magazine
AJ the kitten wearing a collar with a bell

It’s a wonderful life for this three-legged kitten

AJ arrived at a Texas shelter with an injured leg, but time was on his side. Today, the chatty cat with three legs will tell you all about it.
See how he's living large
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Elton and Hannah the dogs next to Tom, a Dogtown caregiver

A most joyful doggy duo

Feeling the holiday blues? Meet Hannah and Elton, dogs with a chronic condition called brucellosis, who are best known for their capacity for love and happiness.
Senior duo get lots of love and care
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Midnight the kitten lying on the floor under a wooden piece of furniture

Blind, deaf kitten shows the meaning of resilience

Midnight had a rough start, but after vets saved his life twice, he’s proven it’s often darkest just before dawn.
See how he's doing now
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