Texas Stories

Person wearing a cowboy hat hugging a large brown dog

Changing life for pets and people in west Texas

With funds from the Rachael Ray No-Kill Excellence Grant, Fix West Texas offers li...
Read how they embrace their community
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Two dogs outside in the grass in a playgroup, one whose tong is hanging out

Magic of playgroups unveils dogs’ hidden sociability

A five-day seminar for 13 greater Houston shelters showed that even dogs who haven...
Learn about this lifesaving program
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Rexie the dog wearing a decorative protective cone embellished with blue and orange hearts

Rexie the ‘T. rex’ pup loves life in his new home

Found alone on the streets of Houston, a dog with heartworm disease helps a couple...
He fits perfectly with their lifestyle
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Staff from San Angelo Animal Services standing in front of empty kennels

Texas animal shelter gets creative to keep pets at home

San Angelo Animal Services and Best Friends collaborate on lifesaving programs to ...
Offering good programs and a good attitude
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Two people drying a small puppy with a towel

Amazing progress at Brownsville animal shelter

With guidance from Best Friends, a Texas shelter dramatically increased the number...
Read how things have improved
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Girl Scout Troop 1019 together at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary with a dog

Young activists doing good for animals

Pets around the country have these kids to thank for making their lives better.
See the amazing work they're doing
Best Friends Magazine
Black and white dog on a leash with a person whose hand is on his back

Bringing joy through random acts of kindness to animals

People who show kindness to cats and dogs (and geese and octopuses, too) are all a...
Read for a smile
Best Friends Magazine
The face of a black and white cat in front of a PCV piping cat bed

Good news from animal shelters across the country

Need a mood boost? These cat and dog stories should do the trick.
Read their happy stories
Best Friends Magazine
Smiling person petting a cat in a clean kennel

Animal shelters are partnering with a purpose

The Best Friends Network equips organizations with the tools to save lives.
Collaborative efforts to save lives
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Volunteers Russ and Elizabeth Duszak in front of a display at the Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Northwest Arkansas

Nearly 2 decades of volunteering with Best Friends

Russ Duszak, a commercial pilot, and his wife, Elizabeth, have volunteered in anim...
Helping Best Friends animals around the country
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Group of volunteers from a Best Friends in Houston takeover day at a local animal shelter

Volunteers team up to support Texas shelters

Best Friends volunteers go into shelters for a full day of doing whatever the shel...
Providing extra support and enrichment to pets
Best Friends Magazine
Ira and Vanni with two other people and a mascot wearing a cowboy hat with the word "Texas"

Friends speak up for pets in local shelters

Meet two 2025 Action Team volunteers in Weslaco, Texas, committed to saving pets i...
See grassroots advocacy at its finest
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Potato the blocky-headed pooch with his new family

Dog’s new family is just his type

Potato is a dog with nine lives. He was at risk in a shelter, then beat heartworm ...
His long road to home
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Dilute calico on a wooden shelf

Random acts of kindness toward animals

Get ready to smile (and maybe have a few tissues handy) because these stories are ...
See their good news
Best Friends Magazine
Geoffrey's wife in a vehicle with Pepper the dog looking over from the back seat

The Other One

Meet Pepper, an athletic, larger-than-life dog, and Fernie, who is none of the abo...
How a stray dog becomes family
Best Friends Magazine