Best Friends Animal Society Is Returning with its Third National Adoption Weekend to Help Combat the Growing Shelter Crisis in America
Best Friends Animal Society, a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of cats and dogs in America’s shelters by 2025, is teaming up with more than 600 shelter and rescue partners across the country for its third nationwide adoption campaign in six months to encourage people to choose to adopt, not buy, their next pet.
The campaign coincides with “Puppy Mill Awareness Day,” and is a timely reminder for anyone looking for a new pet to consider adopting from a shelter. When people adopt, they typically get a pet that’s already spayed or neutered, microchipped and vaccinated, and best of all, they can feel good about saving a pet’s life. Adoption also ensures that people don’t support the abusive and inhumane practices of the puppy mill industry through pet stores and online sales.
Recent data released by Best Friends showed that U.S. shelters were seeing an increase in animal intakes and a decrease in pet adoptions from shelters. This has steadily turned into a crisis in the animal welfare community, where many shelters are over capacity. Anyone considering adding a new pet to their family can make a difference by choosing to adopt instead purchasing their pet. In 2021, around 355,000 dogs and cats were killed in shelters just because they didn't have safe places to call home.
"There is a growing shelter crisis across the country and the animal welfare community won’t just sit by and let innocent pets die,” said Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society. "In fact, it’s quite the opposite. We’re joining forces with our vast network of shelters and rescues across the country to host our third National Adoption Weekend since May to incentivize people to get out and adopt.”
Adoption fees will be waived on all dogs, cats, kittens and puppies Best Friends Lifesaving Centers in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Houston, Northwest Arkansas, and Kanab, UT. All pets will be fixed, vaccinated, microchipped, and ready to go home. In addition, more than 600 shelters and rescue groups are participating, many that will be waiving or reducing adoption fees over the three-day weekend.
Currently, there are considerably more pets at-risk of being killed in shelters than at this time last year due to recent problems such as staffing shortages, limited shelter hours, decreased volunteers, and reduced adoption events.
“We have proof that national promotions like the first two adoption weekends we did in May and July work,” said Castle. “Our July National Adoption Weekend saw close to 10,000 animals adopted in a three-day period. I’m confident we can beat that, just as I’m confident we can bring the country to no-kill by 2025.”
For more information or to find a shelter near you, visit bestfriends.org. Follow @BestFriendsAnimalSociety on Instagram and @BestFriends on Twitter to learn more.
About Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters by 2025. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from an estimated 17 million per year to around 355,000. Best Friends runs lifesaving programs all across the country, as well as the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working collaboratively with a network of more than 3,800 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All®. For more information, visit bestfriends.org.