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.

 

 

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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:
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Houston, TX
Harris County Pets, resourced by Harris County Public Health, provides veterinary care and adoption services for homeless pets, a pet wellness clinic for the public, zoonotic disease surveillance, responsible pet ownership education, as well as animal control services in neighborhoods throughout unincorporated Harris County. Read moreRead less
Smithville, MO
Friends of Megan_s Paws and Claws is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization founded in 2022 and is comprised entirely of volunteers. FOMPAC_s primary mission is to financially support Megan_s Paws and Claws, the dog pound located in Smithville, Missouri, founded in honor of Megan Kitchen, an avid animal lover. Read moreRead less
Lincoln, NE
The mission of The Cat House is to adopt cats into caring, permanent homes and to improve the lives of feral cats. We will accomplish this by: Finding homes for stray, neglected, abused, and unwanted cats, Providing shelter and medical care to all cats in our care, regardless of age, health, or behavioral issues, Promoting spay/neuter as the only humane means of reducing the number of unwanted cats, Educating the community about the care and welfare of all cats, Working with local veterinarians, city officials, and designated caregivers to maintain a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program for feral cats. Read moreRead less
Atco, NJ

Our Mission at TrustRescue is to unite dog lovers in a shared pursuit of ending unnecessary euthanasia. Through education, direct lifesaving, relationships, and innovation, we act with integrity, faithfulness, and love to ensure a brighter future for adoptable dogs.

Cherryfield, ME
The ARK is committed to providing compassionate care and placement of homeless animals, alleviating overpopulation of companion animals by promoting low cost spay/neuter programs, and promoting and improving the welfare of all animals through community outreach and education. The Ark is dedicated to the care of homeless, unwanted, or displaced animals. As a no-kill shelter, The Ark does not euthanize unless a serious medical or behavioral problem exists. Read moreRead less
Carrollton, GA
We, the Carroll County Animal Shelter, believe in the dignity and sanctity of animal life. We believe that companion animals are a product of human intervention and that we have an obligation to them in regard to humane treatment and responsible stewardship. We will alleviate suffering, prevent cruelty and will treat every animal as kindly as possible. Read moreRead less
Lexington, KY
Lexington Humane Society (LHS) mission statement: "To advocate the compassionate treatment of animals; educate the community on responsible, lifelong pet ownership; and promote adoption as the best option when searching for a new pet." Among other things, LHS is the largest pet adoption agency in Central Kentucky, we care for over 4,000 homeless animals every year, we are an educational resource promoting a more humane community. Read moreRead less
Georgetown, TX
The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter (WCRAS) is a collaborative effort between Williamson County and the cities of Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, and Hutto. We provide a safe environment and emphasize humane care for the lost, abandoned, and homeless animals of these jurisdictions. We strive to save every companion animal by returning lost animals to their families and adopting animals into permanent, loving homes. Read moreRead less
Dayton, OH
The Humane Society of Greater Dayton is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded more than a century ago by a group of concerned citizens with a desire to ensure that "all animals will be wanted." Today the organization is a "no-kill" animal care agency and it still operates with the purpose of building loving relationships between people and pets. Read moreRead less
Montgomery, AL
The Montgomery Humane Society prevents cruelty to animals by operating an animal shelter for homeless, abandoned, and unwanted animals; by operating an adoption center for healthy animals; by investigating cruelty and abuse cases; by educating the public in animal owner responsibility; and by helping at-risk families keep their pets. Read moreRead less
Visalia, CA
Our goal is to promote and ensure public health and safety. To facilitate responsible pet ownership. To care for the lost, abandoned animals of the communities we service while providing education and positive enforcement. To ensure that every healthy, friendly animal get another opportunity to find a forever home. Read moreRead less
Conway, AR

Conway Animal Welfare is dedicated to the protection of people and animals in the City of Conway and rehoming displaced animals.

Rosenberg, TX
Rosenberg Animal ControlShelter is a small, municipal animal control facility on the southwest outskirts of Houston. In 2018, the City passed a No Kill resolution, and in January 2020, the shelter attained a No Kill status. This was after saving more than 90% of its shelter pets over the period of one year. The shelter strives to do all it can, medically and behaviorally, to save more lives beyond that percentile. Read moreRead less
Buchanan Dam, TX

Dedicated to finding each animal a loving caring home, while helping to control the ever increasing stray/ intake numbers by providing access to spay/ neuter and microchipping.

Louisville, KY
Louisville Metro Animal Services (LMAS) is committed to finding every healthy, adoptable animal a home! The department is dedicated to educating and reaching out to all members of the community to make sure responsible pet ownership and compassion are at the forefront. LMAS has a fundamental MISSION to protect public health and safety, ensure the humane treatment of animals and provide quality customer service to the public. Read moreRead less
Franklin, TN

Making Williamson County Tennessee better for animals through adoption, education, enforcement and pet population control.

Casper, WY

It is the purpose of the Casper Humane Society (CHS) to find homes for homeless animals, to encourage spaying/neutering of pets, to prevent and alleviate cruelty to animals and to provide humane education to the community.

Hampton Bays, NY
The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation is committed to the mission of providing for the welfare of animals and reduce the number of homeless pets in and around our community. We are a 501(c)3non-profit and rely on the generosity of our community members. The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation is one of the most progressive shelters in the country. We are very proud of our 96% live release rate. Read moreRead less
Leander, TX
Tag Line: It does not take a cape to be a hero, just love. Mission: To save the lives of adoptable dogs and cats from shelters throughout Texas that are often forced to euthanize for space, decrease overpopulation of animals through low-cost veterinary services, and enhance the lives of pets through educational resources for our community. Read moreRead less
Liverpool, NY

To provide our community with an animal shelter that shows compassion and respect for life by following a no-kill philosophy and by striving to provide the cats and dogs entrusted to our care with permanent, loving homes.

Stillwater, OK
The Humane Society of Stillwater is a nonprofit, adoption-guaranteed animal shelter that serves homeless dogs and cats in the Stillwater and surrounding communities. The purpose of the Humane Society is to facilitate the placement of stray animals into desirable homes and to establish and maintain an animal shelter and associated procedures which promote the health, care, and handling. Read moreRead less
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.