Smiling person holding a small kitten

Be an effective advocate to save animals’ lives

Inspire and create local change to save the lives of dogs and cats, and to help keep them out of shelters by working with others in your community.

Whether you’re new to advocacy or have signed countless petitions on behalf of pets and the people who love them, we’re so glad you’re here. To help you in your efforts, we’ve compiled tools and information to make advocating for the animals easier and more effective for you. 

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How are pets in your community doing?

The first step in saving the lives of homeless pets is understanding the progress being made in your community and knowing how you can help.

The pet lifesaving dashboard tool will help you understand your community’s progress toward no-kill and shine a light on areas that need support. 

How Is Your Community Doing?

Want to see how we’re doing? Knowing where we stand not only helps determine the best way to move forward, but it also helps track the progress we’re making together.

Ready to focus on a specific issue in your community?

Whether it’s ending puppy mills, caring for community cats, ensuring pet-friendly housing or preventing breed-restrictive legislation, there are so many ways you can help.

A small white and brown dog on a person's lap

Help end puppy mills

Help end puppy mills
Ear-tipped black and white community cat on a wall

Care for community cats

Help end puppy mills
Person petting a happy tan, black and white dog whose tongue is out

Ensure pet-friendly housing

Help end puppy mills
Happy pit-bull-type dog sitting between a person's legs who is wearing checkerboard patterned shoes

End breed-restrictive legislation

Help end puppy mills

Lifesaving tools to help you advocate for dogs and cats

These guides and tools are a great place to find the information you’ll need to be an effective advocate for pets in your community.

Advocacy how-to videos

Our collection of training videos covers topics ranging from building your local network to burnout.
Person petting a community cat next to a cat food bowl

Municipal guide for lifesaving policies

This guide provides details on the policies that help save more lives.
Person wearing a badge, like an animal control officer, holding a tabby kitten

Pet lifesaving dashboard

This tool will help you understand your community's progress toward no-kill.
Person holding a small dog in a towel in an area between kennels

Opt-in for mobile alerts

Receive time-sensitive opportunities to support lifesaving legislation in your area.
Smiling person sitting on a bench next to a dog

A guide to change in your community

This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to advocate for the changes your community needs to reach and sustain no-kill. Download the grassroots tool kit in English or Spanish.

Download the guide in English »

Download the guide in Spanish »

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Already a member of our 2025 Action Team? Get the latest action team news, meetings, events and more.     
 

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Person sitting at a desk working on a laptop computer with a small light-colored terrier-type dog in his lap

Build support within your community

By working together with others in your community, you can inspire and create a local movement. Your efforts will help save the lives of more dogs and cats.
Support a Petition
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About Best Friends

Best Friends Animal Society is working to save the lives of cats and dogs all across the country, giving pets second chances and happy homes.

Just a few short years ago, cats and dogs were killed in staggering numbers in this country simply because shelters didn't have the community support or the resources to save their lives. That number is now less than half a million per year, but there’s still work to do to ensure a bright future for every dog and cat in America. 

Best Friends operates the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals and is committed to saving the lives of homeless pets by working with shelters and passionate people like you. Together, we will bring the whole country to no-kill in 2025. Together, we will Save Them All.