Friends For Life Animal Shelter

12/05/2025

Angel is feeling the holiday love ✨
Her foster mom brought her in for a wellness check today, and we couldn’t resist snapping this sweet photo of the two of them in front of our lobby tree.

Angel’s story started in a heartbreaking place.

She and her grown puppies were rescued from a situation where the dogs were severely neglected and starving. Little Smooch, one of her pups, was found in a kennel next to a deceased littermate.

Angel, Smooch and Copper came into our care that day, and slowly, gently, they began to heal. (Smooch recently found his forever home! 🥰)

What amazes us most is Angel herself. She is the most outgoing, optimistic dog — all smiles and wiggles — and you’d never guess the tragedy she’s survived. She’s soaking up love in her foster home and proving every day just how much joy she has to give.

Angel is ready for a home of her own… maybe even yours. 💛

(Link to her bio is in the comments).

12/05/2025

We are so grateful for Gillman Subaru Southwest for their love for animals! ❤️ They have been supporting our mission since 2019! Thank you for Sharing the Love. We love you back! 🐶😻

We’re proud to partner with incredible national and local charities, including our friends at Friends for Life. ❤️

When you purchase or lease a new Subaru, you can give back and make a difference in our community. There’s no better time to upgrade your vehicle and spread some love. 🚗💙

12/04/2025

A sense of awe is definitely what we feel on meeting the students of J. Mark Price's Reading and Writing workshop. These remarkable young people came to visit our animals and dropped off donations they collected for them. But wait. It gets better. They brought books to read to the animals who absolutely loved it. That activity was particularly apropos because everyone reading to our animals is a published author!

A Fragile Sense of Awe is an engaging, poignant collection of 76 stories and poems written by students ages 6-22 at the J. Mark Price Reading and Writing Workshop in Houston, Texas. Royalties from sales of this book benefit the animals at Friends For Life waiting for their forever homes!

If you want to support young talent and help animals find forever homes, have we got the perfect gift for every list this holiday! Check the link in the comments!

12/03/2025

Each time you hear us say “We have a match!” there’s an animal-loving human making it happen.

Yesterday, on Giving Tuesday, that human was Holly Bronson who stepped up with a generous gift to inspire more support. Holly is the trifecta of FFL awesome: volunteer, foster, and adopter.

She also has another passion: running. How does that tie back to animals? Because in the last seven years, our charity running team has grown into a powerful fundraising force — and Holly’s gift went straight toward supporting our runners and the animals they’re helping. (Every penny raised by runners is passed directly to animals.)

If you donated yesterday, here's a note from Holly:

"Thank you all for helping to spend my money. And thank you for all your support in raising funds for the animals at Friends For Life Animal Shelter. Three of my five fur-babies are from Friends For Life, and I can’t imagine my life without them or the friends I’ve made at the shelter."

P.S. Curious how charity running works? Keep reading!

In 2019, we were accepted as one of the official charities of the Chevron Houston Marathon weekend, an event that draws around 30,000 runners every year. The weekend includes three races: a 5K on Saturday, and both a half marathon and a full marathon on Sunday.

Most runners simply register and pay the standard entry fee. But a special group chooses charity running instead. In that setup, a nonprofit covers their registration fee, and in return the runner commits to raising funds for the charity. The marathon committee sets the minimums: $250 for the 5K and $500 for the Sunday races.

What started in 2019 as just a handful of Friends For Life runners has been steadily growing. Last year, our group reached 107 runners. And then… our 2025/26 Running Team Chair, Lisa Cari-Kahru, kicked things into a higher gear — helping Friends For Life grow the team to 210 runners!

Also good to know: You don’t have to fundraise to be part of the team. Some runners simply choose to make a direct donation to their own fundraiser — and this year, about 20 runners did just that.

Click the link in our comments below to help a runner meet their goal!

12/02/2025

Parvo. A broken leg. No home.
Miles didn’t have many things working in his favor.

He and his siblings were roaming the streets when they got sick with parvo. It could’ve gone badly fast, but with treatment, all three pups pulled through.

Then came Miles’ leg. It wasn’t a simple fix — our vets really worked to save the limb instead of amputating, which meant a more complicated surgery and a tougher road. But it paid off. Miles kept his leg, and he’s using it like a champ.

Now this tough little guy already has an interested adopter — fingers crossed the sleepover works out for him.

If you want to help with Miles' medical bills this Giving Tuesday, we’d be grateful. 💚

12/02/2025

Giving Tuesday just got even better: our charity running team unlocked a $2,500 matching gift! Every dollar you give to a runner goes twice as far today.

Choose “An individual fundraiser” at checkout to find the runner you want to support.

Donate here: (pick a runner via "individual fundraiser")
https://fundraisers.hakuapp.com/teams/friends-for-life-6?partner=94bc412b572b1fb669be
Every penny goes to shelter animals.

11/30/2025

You asked for "awkward," and our artists are absolutely delivering! (Although, let’s be honest, some are landing closer to "awesome." 😎)

It’s Day 3 of 3 for our Awkward Pet Portraits Fundraiser, and there are just 4 hours left to get your submissions in!

We’ve been blown away by the hundreds of requests we've received, and our talented artists are working hard to bring your furry (or scaly, or feathery) friends to life in the quirkiest way possible.

Please give us up to 72 hours to return your art, especially if you’ve requested a specific artist.

Here’s a sneak peek of the fun creations happening this weekend—just a tiny fraction of the awesomeness! Enjoy! 🐾

To submit your request, check out the link in the comments below.

P.S. If you already received your portrait, let us know in the comments if you find it awkward or awesome. 😊

11/30/2025

Sammi and Lettie fought hard for their babies.

They had barely been surviving on their own—no home, no steady food, no safety—when suddenly they were responsible for vulnerable newborns who needed everything from them.

They kept their pups alive, warm, and safe—pure love and instinct carrying them through every day. We’re thrilled that both girls found their way into our program.

Now that their puppies are weaned, it’s finally their turn to be cared for. And honestly? It always tugs at our hearts when the puppies get scooped up right away and the moms are left waiting. These two went through motherhood long when they were in a bad place, and they deserve the same soft landing their babies get—maybe even more.

Like so many Houston dogs who’ve gone without proper vet care, both girls tested positive for heartworms. The silver lining: treatment these days is incredibly successful, and Friends For Life covers every step of it.

Sammi and Lettie are only about 2 years old—basically big puppies themselves—and they have so much love left to give. They adore people. They soak up affection. And they’re so ready for a home where they get to be the ones doted on.

If you’re looking for a dog who will be endlessly grateful for kindness, come meet Sammi or Lettie. 💛

11/29/2025

Tinker Bell update! It’s been one week since her life-saving surgery to repair her pr*****ed intestine, and this brave girl already ditched the e-collar. She’s bright, playful, and soaking up every toy she can get her paws on.

Thank you to everyone who supported her medical fundraiser!

11/29/2025

From goofy to downright gorgeous, awkward pet portraits are rolling in, and we are loving every single one.

That’s the magic of this fundraiser: you never quite know what you’ll get, but every portrait celebrates the animals who mean the world to us. And every dollar goes right back to helping the pets in our care.

Want to choose your vibe? This year, you can order an Upgraded Portrait and pick the artist who’ll create your awkward work of art.

We wrapped up Friday with 124 portrait requests, and today has been just as wonderfully busy. We’re so grateful for the enthusiasm, the shares, and the orders. Thank you for showing up for our shelter animals!

Portraits are $25, or upgrade for $100 if you want to pick your artist.

Ready to order? Head to the link in the comments.

11/29/2025

Welcome to our next installment of “injured kittens who got really lucky.”

A Good Samaritan pulled into a Burger King drive-through hoping for lunch… and left with something far more exciting.

She spotted an orange kitten who clearly needed help and scooped the baby up.
A closer look showed the kitten’s lip was degloved—an injury that often happens when an animal lands on its face after an impact.

This little girl (now called Lippy) was rushed to the vet for stitches. Otherwise healthy, she’s now recovering comfortably in a medical foster home.

P.S. Check the video in the comments. This five-month-old adventurer is supposed to be resting, but she’d much rather be exploring.