Sanctuary Stories

Dog who was once completely feral was afraid of almost everything, including riding in a car. With help, he slowly begins to overcome his car anxiety.

A bloodhound dog helps socialize a litter of hound puppies, teaching them appropriate ways to interact and play.

Horse trainers answer questions about how horses are trained, the philosophy behind the training program, and how horses are prepared for adoption.

Cat with pancreatitis and stomach issues, which caused nausea and appetite suppression, is put on feeding tube. He is feeling much better now.

Dog who was found as a stray in a forest gets specialized fearful dog rehabilitation, which includes fun outings and exposure to new experiences.

Incontinent kitten who doesn't have use of her back legs gets extra care. She needs help with expressing her bladder and sometimes her colon.

From Villa Park, Illinois, Billie Johnson shares her experience of volunteering at the Sanctuary and working for a no-kill society by 2025.

Family of adopted dog with health challenges, including canine lupus and fibrosarcoma cancer, is determined to give him the best life possible.

Veterinarians carefully redfeed severely malnourished, underweight, starving horse to avoid refeeding syndrome symptoms like bloating and colicking.

Hurricane Harvey survivor cat recovers from a terrible head wound and badly infected sinus and is now looking forward to being adopted.

Standoffish, cautious and uncertain dog is learning to trust more as he is introduced to more people and is shown patience and understanding.

Stray cat had an ear infection and skin cancer. After treatment, this survivor is now cancer free and ready for adoption.

After losing his home where he was overfed, pig comes to Best Friends where he has reached a healthy weight with diet and exercise.

Couple takes volunteer trips to help animals at Best Friends. They renew their love for one another while falling in in love with all the animals.

One puppy from a litter survives parvovirus. Now 10 years later, this parvo survivor is still going strong and thriving in her adoptive home.