Small grey and black dog smiling

Adopt a pet and save a life

You can save the life of a dog or cat by choosing to adopt. In 2024, 425,000 cats and dogs were killed in this country’s shelters, simply because they didn’t have a safe place to call home.


We know millions of households will add a pet to their family this year. If just 1 in 17 more of those families chose to adopt a pet from a shelter, we could reach no-kill nationwide.

So when you adopt from a Best Friends location, a network partner or one of the many shelters and rescue groups around the country, you’re not only adding a loyal and loving companion to your family, you’re helping to save lives.

Smiling person giving a dog an ice cream cone at the Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Bentonville Arkansas

Northwest Arkansas: Bring home your new best friend

When you adopt a homeless pet, you’re not only adding a loyal and loving companion to your family, you’re making room in shelters and helping to save lives.
Smiling person sitting in front of Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in Salt Lake City with a dog

Salt Lake City: Bring home your new best friend

When you adopt a homeless pet, you’re not only adding a loyal and loving companion to your family, you’re making room in shelters and helping to save lives.
Smiling person outside with a dog in Houston, Texas
Photo courtesy of Erica Danger

Houston: Bring home your new best friend

When you adopt a homeless pet, you’re not only adding a loyal and loving companion to your family, you’re making room in shelters and helping to save lives.
Smiling person holding a dog outside of the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in Los Angeles

Los Angeles: Bring home your new best friend

When you adopt a homeless pet, you’re not only adding a loyal and loving companion to your family, you’re making room in shelters and helping to save lives.
Smiling person sitting in a park in New York City with a dog

New York City: Bring home your new best friend

When you adopt a homeless pet, you’re not only adding a loyal and loving companion to your family, you’re making room in shelters and helping to save lives.
Superman cat and dog
Be a hero for homeless pets
To celebrate SUPERMAN in theaters July 11, Warner Bros. Discovery is covering all pet adoption fees 7/1 to 7/10 at Best Friends lifesaving centers across the country and PAWS Atlanta.
Best Friends Animal Society logo mark

Adopt a pet from Best Friends

In addition to running our animal sanctuary in Kanab and partnering with thousands of shelters and rescue groups, Best Friends operates its own lifesaving centers around the country.

Adopt a pet from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

On any given day, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, located in Kanab, Utah, is home to up to 1,600 animals, including dogs, cats, horses, birds, rabbits, pigs and others. Many of the animals arrive needing a little extra care and healing before they’re ready to join a family of their own.

When you adopt a furry (or feathered) friend from the Sanctuary, you’re not only changing that pet’s life, you’re helping to Save Them All.

 

Find a Pet Dog Tag GraphicSearch for a Sanctuary animal

Not sure which animal or what kind might be the perfect fit for you? Please fill out an interest form for a dog or cat and we’ll point you in the right direction.

 

 

Animal Previews
Animal Previews
Animal Previews
Animal Previews
Animal Previews
Animal Previews
Animal Previews
Animal Previews


All the benefits of adopting a pet from Best Friends

When you adopt an animal from Best Friends, sharing your life with an amazing new companion is just the beginning. As a new adopter, you become part of an extraordinary community of people devoted to their own pets — and to saving the lives of others. Indeed, you become part of the Best Friends family. 

We’re with you every step of the way to provide guidance and answer questions as your pet adjusts to being in a new home. 
 

Dog Cat

More places to find your bff

Best Friends is partnering with these communities throughout the country to help save their homeless pets, and you can be a part of that lifesaving when you raise your hand to adopt.

Help your local animal shelter or rescue group 

At Best Friends, our goal is to get more dogs and cats out of shelters and into homes and make every shelter in America no-kill. Each and every one of these shelters needs caring people like you to adopt, foster, donate, volunteer, and advocate to help save the lives of pets in your community. 

Find an animal shelter or rescue group near you today:
4068 found
Search by City/State/Zip
Units: Miles
Address, City, Zip-Code, Country, ...
Urbana, IL
Our mission is to instill respect, kindness, and compassion for animals as community values. We seek to achieve that mission by preventing cruelty to animals; promoting animal welfare; educating the public about the humane care and treatment of animals; increasing public awareness of the companion animal overpopulation issue and working towards solutions; and providing high quality shelter, medical, and adoption services for homeless pets. Read moreRead less
Peconic, NY
Return of lost animals to their homes, Finding suitable homes for homeless animals, Providing shelter and humane care for animals in need, Relief of suffering among animals, Reducing unwanted births of animals, Extension of humane education to prevent cruelty to animals Enforcement of laws pertaining to Dog Control Read moreRead less
Fort Stockton, TX

_The Mission of the City of Fort Stockton Municipal Government is to Promote & Value Public Confidence and Trust by the Accountable Use of Community Resources; to Ensure Public Safety; Improve Public Services; promote Local Recreation and Entertainment; and Generate Economic Development.

Orange, TX

Our mission is to ensure the safety and well-being of stray, abandoned, and abused animals while striving for a no-kill environment. Through education, advocacy, and partnerships, we aim to create a future where all animals find their forever homes and live out their lives in happiness and safety.

Chicago Ridge, IL
We work to prevent cruelty to animals, provide quality homes for animals through our adoption program and promote respect and compassion for all creatures through humane education. We reduce pet overpopulation through our low cost spay/neuter clinic and provide veterinary care for low-income pet owners. Read moreRead less
Tama, IA

The Tama County Humane Society is an organization dedicated to improving The lives of animals in Tama County and surrounding areas through educating the public, sheltering lost or abandoned animals, alleviating pet suffering and promoting a positive relationship between owners and their pets.

South Bend, IN

SBARC's vision is to serve the South Bend community with programs and services that improve the welfare of animals. With the motto Open door, Open Heart, SBARC will offer resources for animal care, supplies, and education.

Louisville, MS

No description available

Fort Collins, CO
Animal Friends Alliance is a nonprofit organization that offers a safe place for homeless cats and dogs, and also community resources that keep dogs and cats with their loving families and out of shelters. We serve approximately 10,000 animals each year through sheltering and adoptions, subsidized veterinary services, community cat services, and a pet food pantry. Read moreRead less
Douglas, AZ

The City of Douglas Animal Shelter's dedicated Animal Control Officers provide a safe haven for animals, rescuing those in distress and reuniting lost pets. To protect the community, join us by adopting and supporting our mission.

Middleburg, FL
Safe Animal Shelter is Clay County, Florida's largest and oldest no-kill facility. Our goal is to provide a temporary home for lost, abondoned, mistreated and unwanted dogs and cats until they can be placed into a permanent home. We are community advocates for spay/neuter, vaccinations and heartworm preventative. Read moreRead less
Fond Du Lac, WI

The Fond du Lac Humane Society is dedicated to providing humane care and treatment to all animals needing protection, and to enhancing the lives of animals and people through education, adoption, and compassion.

Allentown, PA
Mission Statement: To be the leading advocate for breeds such as pit bulls that often are left behind or ignored by other shelters. To provide high quality medical care for all animals and to offer financial assistance to those pet owners that cannot otherwise afford vet services. To match responsible pet seekers with their next best friend in order to find the perfect home for the animals in our care. Read moreRead less
McPherson, KS

Facilitate responsible pet ownership
Promote and insure public health and safety
Provide education and positive enforcement efforts
Provide prompt and courteous service to our customers

Sacramento, CA

Our mission is to provide public safety and protect the health and welfare of animals in our communities through education, responsibility, and compassion.

Marietta, OH
The purpose of the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley shall be to promote the welfare of the animals within greater Washington County, Ohio. We are saving lives and expanding to also meet the shelter animals' emotional needs in addition to the basic needs of survival. Our Euthanasia rate has decreased every year over the past several years with the exception of cats in 2017. We continue to do everything we can to save lives. Read moreRead less
Plano, TX

Second Chance SPCA's Mission is to rescue dogs and cats at risk of euthanasia from municipal shelters and provide them with quality care in a compassionate, no-kill environment until adopted into responsible, caring homes.

Kurtistown, HI
Rainbow Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kurtistown, Hawaii, has developed 7.5 acres of its owned land into a safe, comfortable and caring haven with dog enclosures and 9 catteries nestled amongst the dracena and shade trees. The 80 dogs and 250 cats in residence are maintained every day by dedicated volunteers who work with love to keep our great group of animals healthy, socialized and happy and to prepare them for their forever home. Read moreRead less
Odessa, TX

To provide humane care and treatment for all animals in need of protection, with an emphasis on locating suitable homes for animals who do not have owners.

Fairhope, AL
The Baldwin Humane Society, formerly BARC, is a no-kill adoption agency. Established in 1979, we were the first animal advocacy group in Baldwin County. Our goal is to eliminate the number of abused and abandoned pets through spay/neuter, education, rescue and adoption. As a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, we rely entirely upon donations and do not receive any government funding. We rescue, rehabilitate, and find homes for hundreds of abused, abandoned and neglected pets annually. Read moreRead less
Boston, MA

We are an unwavering champion for animals in need, committed to keeping them safe and healthy in habitats and homes.

Smiling person holding a small dog in their arms while sitting outside

Not sure you're ready to adopt a pet? Try fostering.

Fostering a homeless pet is a short-term commitment with long-term impact. By opening your home to a dog or cat for even a few days, you can save lives.  

Happily ever afters

Feel all the feels with these stories of hope and healing.
Best Friends Animal Society logo mark

About Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends is working to end the killing of dogs and cats in U.S. shelters in part by getting more pets out of shelters and into loving homes.

We’ve come a long way since the first known city reached no-kill in 1994, and now we’re closer than ever to making the entire country no-kill. Today, roughly 2,500 shelters are no-kill throughout the U.S. — and 700 more are just 100 pets or fewer away from reaching that milestone.

Best Friends is committed to working with passionate people like you to save homeless pets through adoption, volunteering, fostering, and advocacy. In addition to our lifesaving centers around the U.S, we also founded and run the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals.

Working together, we can save homeless pets in our communities and secure a better future for our best friends. Together, we will bring the whole country to no-kill.