Pet adoptions that were meant to be

Need a reason to smile? How about several? Best Friends helps thousands of pets find new homes each year from coast to coast. Here are a few of the dogs and cats who have recently settled into their new lives with their new favorite people.

Archie is settling right into his new home, hanging out with his canine pal Harper, watching the world go by out the window, basking in the sun — and breaking into cabinets to steal food. Hey, if those cabinets aren’t totally cat-proofed, they’re fair game in his book. Archie’s adopters say, “He’s got such a great personality and fits in so well in our family like he’s been here forever. We can’t imagine life without him.”

His adoption bio (written by a sixth grader from a nearby school) went like this: “Hi, my name is Mister Whiskers. I am a playful cat. I love snuggles and sitting on your lap. I will do best being an only cat. I am 10 years old. Please adopt me!” Well, Cheryl and Monty couldn’t resist that. Turns out, Mister Whiskers was the right cat for them, and he’s now a cherished solo kitty, just the way he likes it.

Pharaoh and Oliver are like two peas in a pod. Not only are they practically twins, but they do everything together. Unfortunately, that included landing in a shelter together. But then they came to Best Friends, and Isabella adopted them. She says, “They were the addition we didn’t know we needed. We are so in love with them!” How do the boys feel about their new home? Their photo says it all.

When four Best Friend puppies had their TV debut on the Today show, they caught the eye of millions of viewers, including a security guard at NBC Studios named Alberto. As the pups were leaving, Alberto stopped them to say hello and fell in love with one of the pups, Phantom. The very next day, he went to the lifesaving center in New York hoping to adopt her, but Phantom and the rest of the puppies had vanished. OK, not really. The other three pups had been adopted, but Phantom was still available — she was in a foster home. In no time at all, she appeared (with arrangements made by staff and volunteers) back at the center, and Alberto adopted her and brought her home.

Meeting a new furry best friend can be a job perk if you love animals. That’s what happened to Thomas, who was working on the plumbing at the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in Los Angeles when he noticed Baby. After adopting her, Thomas sent along this note from Baby: “Hi everyone! Remember me? I wanted to say hi and thanks for everything. I really enjoyed my time with all of you. I have to say I won the lottery here with Thomas. There are lots of soft places for me to sleep, there’s one by the window and a love seat on the front porch. Oh, did I mention the bed? OMG, it is so soft, I sleep for hours and I really look forward to bedtime! We went and got a new harness (purple, my favorite) and a dog tag with my name on it (Baby, because I’m a babe). Next week, we are going to get my nails painted before we go on the boat, ruff ruff! I look forward to that!”

Two dogs, four names, endless antics. That summarizes life at Kimberly Kearny’s home these days. First, she adopted Genna (full name: Genna Reign), who settled right into life in her new home. Then super-shy pup Roxie (full name: Foxy Roxie) needed a foster home and came to stay temporarily. Well, that part didn’t go according to plan, because Roxie and Genna became fast friends, chasing each other and playing tug. Roxie was getting more confident by the day, with her new friend showing her the way. And voilà! That’s how a person ends up with a pair of happy pups and a quartet of names.

This article was originally published in the September/October 2024 issue of Best Friends magazine. Want more good news? Become a member and get stories like this six times a year.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill in 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.