Pets living the good life with new families

Theo the dog with his smiling adopter hugging him in the back seat of a vehicle
From cross-species companions to a happy ending straight out of a script, here are six fun stories about pets who recently went home from Best Friends.
By Best Friends staff

No matter how big or small, young or old, it’s a magical moment when homeless pets have new families to love them. The wagging tails, rumbling purrs, and smiling faces are all the proof we need of that. From coast to coast, Best Friends Animal Society helps thousands of pets find new homes each year, and every adoption is a cause for celebration (and maybe a few happy tears).

That joy is worth sharing, so here are just a few of the dogs and cats who have recently settled into their new lives with their new favorite people.

Magazine covers

Full of inspiration and positivity, Best Friends magazine is full of uplifting tales, gorgeous photos and helpful advice.
When you become a member of Best Friends Animal Society by making a donation of $25 or more to the animals, you’ll receive Best Friends magazine for a year. Inside, you’ll read about what Best Friends is doing to save the lives of homeless pets nationwide. 
 

Theo

Sometimes the second time you find love is even sweeter than the first. Theo’s initial adoption didn’t work out, but it only took two days for him to be back in the loving arms of a family. His new adopter says, “Theo has been amazing to my girls and me. We have fallen deeply in love with him. He treats us with nothing but love. Never have I met a dog so calm, smart, affectionate, and playful.”

And Theo clearly think’s they’re pretty amazing, too.

Lillian

Sometimes you sign up for a volunteer shift to help welcome new dogs to Best Friends, and you end up falling in love with a kitten. It’s easy to see how it happened: Lillian is quite irresistible, after all. And once she’d snuggled in and turned on her purr engine, there was no way she wasn’t going home with her new family.

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton has a big name to live up to, but she is a little superstar in her own right. And she has been full of surprises for her new family. Just see what they have to say about her:

“Since her big move to Wisconsin, Dolly Parton has settled in like a champ. The Cat World staff told us that her leg was amputated following a dog attack, so we were concerned that she would be scared of our two dogs. But she is fearless! Her likes include food, watching kitty TV on YouTube and nature shows on Netflix, sneaking up on her big brother (our 17-year-old cat), playing with toys, sleeping in our big bed with all her siblings, and creating general mayhem. She definitely doesn’t let her missing leg slow her down at all. We love her and are grateful to Best Friends for helping us bring her into our home.”

Kobe

When you think adventure dog, you might picture someone a bit larger than cottony-cutie Kobe. But this little fellow is full of get-up-and-go — ready to sniff every smell and tackle every trail, according to his adopter:

“Kobe is making steady progress in becoming a good citizen and adventure dog since his adoption in late September 2022. He has skied into two Idaho backcountry yurts and hiked into a third. He has also accompanied us on many spring camping trips in our small travel trailer.”

Donna

There’s a theory that people sometimes end up in jobs that match their names — and it seems like it applies to adoptions, too. David knew Donna was The One the moment he met her. The pint-sized pup was from a litter named after characters in Beverly Hills 90210, and if you remember how that TV show ended, it will come as no surprise that these two wound up together.

Baby

Is there anything sweeter than cats and dogs snuggling together? Baby the kitten was thrilled to go home and find a snuggle buddy who’s just the right size. And while she may be bigger than her cross-species BFF one day, she’ll never outgrow those quality cuddles. Her adopter says, “Baby is a DogCat just like my dog is a CatDog. They are two peas in a pod.”

This article was originally published in the May/June 2023 issue of Best Friends magazine. Want more good news? Become a member and get stories like this six times a year.