Best Friends Animal Society’s March 15, 2021 magazine article profiles four stories from partner organizations in its network. Each shows a different way a shelter, rescue or program helped animals: free spay/neuter access, public social-media visibility, long-distance transport and adoption paired with a health plan. The figures below are the ones Best Friends reported in 2021. The article is an organizational account, not an independent evaluation, and it does not include later updates on any of the animals.
The introduction refers to “five of our favorites,” but the headline and the article’s four section headings cover four stories, so this roundup follows those four.
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The four stories at a glance
| Story | Partner or program | Approach | Key figure reported (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennywise, a kitten rescued from a storm drain | Go Fix Georgia | Preventive veterinary access (spay/neuter) | The program’s 1,000th surgery |
| Addison, a dog reunited with her family | Kern County Animal Services (Bakersfield, California) | Public visibility through a Facebook Live adoption video | 103 days at the shelter before reunion |
| The Hawaii flight | Wings of Aloha, launched by Greater Good Charities and Wings of Rescue | Transport to mainland shelters | 600 dogs and cats on one flight |
| Lasagna, a 29-pound dog | Animal Care and Control of Philadelphia | Adoption with ongoing health planning | More than 300 adoption applications |
1. Pennywise and the Go Fix Georgia spay/neuter program
Go Fix Georgia is a program that expands access to spay/neuter services for remote and rural animal shelters in Georgia. According to Best Friends, the program is funded by a Rachael Ray Save Them All Grant. The article says the program marked its 1,000th surgery, and that the 1,000th patient was Pennywise, a kitten who had become trapped at the bottom of a storm drain.
The rescuer lowered a basket containing cat food into the drain, and Pennywise climbed in. The article uses the rescue as the milestone story, but its underlying point is preventive: a surgery program that reaches shelters without easy access to veterinary care adds to the number of animals that can be sterilized and placed in homes.
#1 Best Overall
2. Addison’s reunion after 103 days at a shelter
Addison spent 103 days at a shelter in Bakersfield, California. A relative of her family saw a Facebook Live video from Kern County Animal Services that promoted an animal for adoption, and recognized Addison in it. Best Friends reports that the dog was reunited with her family.
The article does not give the date of the reunion or describe any process beyond that recognition. It is a single account of a family finding a pet through a public video, which is useful evidence that shelter video can reach people who know an animal, but it is not a measure of how often that happens.
3. The Hawaii flight carrying 600 dogs and cats
Best Friends reports that 600 dogs and cats left Hawaii on a single flight as part of Wings of Aloha, a program launched by Greater Good Charities and Wings of Rescue. The stated goal was to relieve overcrowding in Hawaii shelters. The animals were taken to shelters in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, where Best Friends says they had a better chance of finding homes.
The accompanying image shows animals in crates being loaded onto an airplane. The article does not describe crate standards, airline requirements or how individual animals were matched to receiving shelters. The four destination states describe where the 2021 flight went, not a route that operates today. Anyone planning a similar pet shipment should confirm current airline rules and crate requirements directly with the carrier.
Rank #3
4. Lasagna’s adoption and health plan
Lasagna arrived at Animal Care and Control of Philadelphia weighing 29 pounds. The article says the shelter received more than 300 adoption applications for him. His adopter had lost 170 pounds herself, and she and her veterinarian mapped out a plan to help Lasagna get healthy.
The article does not name a diet, treatment or product for Lasagna, so none should be assumed from it. Its value is in showing how an adoption can be framed around the animal’s long-term health, with a veterinarian involved from the start, rather than treated as a one-time handover.
Rank #4
Reading these stories accurately
- The source is the organization itself. Best Friends Animal Society published these accounts in its own magazine. The outcomes are its reported claims and have not been independently verified.
- The figures are dated. Every number, including the 1,000 surgeries, the 103 days and the 300 applications, reflects what was reported in March 2021. Current totals and the animals’ later circumstances are not covered.
- One case is not a pattern. A single video reunion, a single flight or a single adoption does not show that a tactic works every time. Social-media recognition, transport and adoption outreach each depend on local conditions that these stories do not measure.
- No direct quotations are attributed. The article paraphrases the partners’ work and does not quote named staff or officials, so the wording here follows the article’s reporting.
Read the original article
For the full magazine piece as published by Best Friends Animal Society, see 4 fabulous stories from network partners on bestfriends.org.
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