Governor Sanders Declares April “No-Kill Shelter Month” as More Than Half of Arkansas Shelters Achieve the Lifesaving Milestone

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New Data from Best Friends Animal Society Shows Arkansas Saved 80 Percent of Healthy, Treatable Pets in Shelters in 2024

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has proclaimed April as Arkansas No-Kill Shelter Month, a critical initiative aimed at making Arkansas a no-kill* state this year. This effort underlines Arkansas’ commitment to ending the unnecessary killing of dogs and cats throughout the state’s shelters.  

This proclamation coincides with recent Best Friends Animal Society’s data showing that no-kill programming in shelters nationwide is on the rise due to increasing public demand and support for no-kill. In 2024, Arkansas saved 80 percent of the pets in its shelters, an increase from 79 percent in 2023. More than half of Arkansas’ 92 animal shelters maintained or achieved no-kill, and of the 36 shelters that are not yet no-kill, 22 of them have less than 100 dogs and cats left to save to get there. For Arkansas to become no-kill, 5,800 additional dogs and cats need to be adopted. Throughout 2024, the state saw significant strides with cat lifesaving thanks to community cat programming, particularly in North Little Rock.  

“Arkansas is making substantial progress in pet lifesaving, but requires a collaborative approach among community members, elected officials, and animal welfare organizations,” said Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society. “Governor Sanders’ declaration significantly propels the no-kill movement, encouraging the community to actively participate in helping Arkansas become a no-kill state. We commend the Governor for leading this lifesaving initiative to help safeguard the lives of Arkansas’ dogs and cats.”   

To help propel Arkansas to no-kill, Best Friends is urging Arkansans to call on elected officials to put an end to breed specific legislation and instead implement proven evidence-based practices that focus on individual accountability. In addition, residents of The Natural State can increase pet lifesaving by helping lost dogs find their owners without ever having to enter a shelter. By taking reunification into their own hands, community members can alleviate stress on overwhelmed shelters and keep lost dogs closer to home, as approximately 70 percent are found within a mile of their home. 

Individuals can also contribute by adopting from shelters or rescue groups, spaying or neutering their pets, ensuring pets are microchipped and have ID tags with current contact information, fostering dogs and cats in need, volunteering, and donating.  

To learn more about Best Friends data or how to help take Arkansas no-kill, visit bestfriends.org.  

*No-kill is defined by a 90% save rate for animals entering a shelter and is a meaningful and common-sense benchmark for measuring lifesaving progress. Typically, the number of pets who are suffering from irreparable medical or behavioral issues that compromise their quality of life and prevent them from being rehomed is not more than 10% of all dogs and cats entering shelters. For any community to be no-kill, all stakeholders in that community must work together to achieve and sustain that common goal while prioritizing community safety and good quality of life for pets as guiding no-kill principles. This means cooperation among animal shelters, animal rescue groups, government agencies, community members and other stakeholders, all committed to best practices and protocols. 

About Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America's shelters and making the entire country no-kill. Founded in 1984, Best Friends runs lifesaving facilities and programs nationwide in partnership with more than 5,000 shelters and rescue organizations. From our headquarters in Kanab, Utah, we also operate the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary — a destination that brings our mission to life for thousands of visitors each year. We maintain the most comprehensive animal sheltering data in the country and make it accessible to the public — empowering communities with critical insights into the needs of their local shelters and how they can help. We believe every dog and cat deserves a home. And we believe that, by working together, we can Save Them All®.