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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Salt Lake City, UT

SLCoAS provides services to unincorporated Salt Lake County, Herriman, Holladay, Midvale, & Salt Lake City. These services include animal control & sheltering services as well as low cost clinic services.

Defiance, OH
We Are Their Voice. OUR MISSION: The Fort Defiance Humane Society is a non-profit, compassionate, animal-advocacy organization established in 1966 to provide the Defiance area community with resources to: Rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome abused, neglected, or unwanted animals. Develop and administer programs designed to educate the community on responsible pet ownership. Aggressively control animal abuse and overpopulation. Read moreRead less
Pineville, KY
Bell County strives to ensure safe and healthy living for pets and other animals, as well as the residents that own them. The animal shelter is a place with open doors and warm hearts for every lost, abandoned, abused, temporarily homeless, or unwanted Bell County animal and has many dogs and cats for adoption. Read moreRead less
Meriden, CT

We believe it is our moral responsibility improve the lives of animals in our care and to place them in loving permanent homes. We provide necessary medical care, sterilizations, consistent training, and a safe and healthy environment with unconditional love.

Grand Prairie, TX

The Animal Control Division provides protection of the public health for all citizens in the community; promotes education to the public on humane treatment and care of all animals; and enforces the laws concerning all animals in a competent, courteous, and timely manner.

Derwood, MD
As a significant animal resource in Montgomery County, the Animal Services Division is dedicated to ensure the humane treatment of animals and to serve the community with compassion, integrity and professionalism. Staff are committed to fostering the positive treatment of animals through an innovation and creative approach to animal sheltering, law enforcement, humane education, and community outreach. Read moreRead less
Tulare, CA
The Tulare Animal Services Sheltering Facility is an open admissions shelter serving the community of Tulare and other contract cities. The shelter takes in stray, injured, sick, and surrendered animals from the public and field services. During the animals stay at the shelter, staff, provides humane care, exercise, and assessments in attempts to find permanent placement for adoptable animals. Read moreRead less
Chico, CA

Courteously and compassionately promote the health, safety and welfare of citizens and animals through regulation, protection, and education.

Pahrump, NV

Animal resource center dedicated to the care sheltering of lost or abandoned animals within Nye County.

Brandenburg, KY

The Meade County Animal Care and Control Department is focused on protecting public health and welfare by providing professional services to the community while insuring the humane treatment of animals.

Cleveland, OH
Tails From The City is a non-profit, no-kill, all volunteer rescue that formed in 2011 when a group of acquaintances responded to a call for help with a hoarding situation.Over 100 cats were rescued and brought to our hastily acquired shelter located on the near west side of Cleveland, Ohio.Most of the original cats have found homes, but we saw the need in the community to continue to rescue cats/kittens, so we updated our facility to be able to continue helping more!In 2018, we opened an adoption and activity center in North Olmsted, Ohio.This new facility is a resource to provide education about felines and host cat related activities as well as a new way for us to find homes for even more kitties. Read moreRead less
Salmon, ID
The Lemhi County Humane Society (LCHS) owns and operates the Salmon Animal Shelter, where we provide high quality sheltering services for homeless companion animals. The LCHS also provides funds for public spay and neuter programs in an attempt to decrease the number of dogs and cats entering our shelter. We work closely with law enforcement officials to ensure that all animals in Lemhi County are treated in a kind and humane manner. Read moreRead less
San Andreas, CA
Animal Services' main responsibility is, via licensing, ensuring all dogs have current vaccinations to help prevent the spread of rabies. We strongly encourage spaying and neutering to prevent pet overpopulation. We strive to find forever homes for the animals brought into our shelter, and we work closely with several shelters and rescues to transfer some of our critters to other locations so they can find a forever home there. We are extremely proud of our high rate of good outcomes! We also offer microchipping for $15, and all animals adopted from us leave here with a registered microchip. Read moreRead less
Upper Marlboro, MD

To provide for the health and welfare of the County's animal population through enforcement of the Animal Control Ordinance, resolution of animal-related disputes, and the promotion of adoptions, licensing, spay/neuter, and humane education.

Matteson, IL
The South Suburban Humane Society is dedicated to promoting the well-being of animals in Chicago's south suburbs. Through the care and sheltering of animals needing protection, education of the public as to ownership duties and responsibilities, thorough adoption services, and targeted, high-impact spay/neuter policies, the South Suburban Humane Society will make every effort towards ending animal homelessness, reducing pet overpopulation, and ending cruel, inhumane treatment and abuse towards pets. Read moreRead less
Saint Clair Shores, MI
Detroit Dog Rescue is a 501c3 non-profit registered in the state of Michigan and we are an all-volunteer organization that relies solely on donations.We have received an incredible amount of attention, praise and coverage for our company, and we have also brought to light the epidemic of stray dogs in Detroit. Read moreRead less
Uniontown, PA
Fayette Friends of Animals believes in the humane treatment and improved quality of life for animals. This organization provides a temporary shelter to stray, abandoned or surrendered animals for the purpose of finding them permanent, loving homes. It is believed that educating the public regarding spaying and neutering is the key to solving the problem of pet overpopulation. Read moreRead less
Milton, FL
Santa Rosa County Animal Services is operationally within Santa Rosa County's Public Services Department and has the responsibility for the public's health, safety, and welfare; to promote the statutes, ordinances, and regulations pertaining to animal control and owner responsibility; to instill in the public, through education and by example, proper care and control of animals, owners, and non-owners alike. Read moreRead less
Lake Panasoffkee, FL

Sumter County Animal Services is committed to maintaining a kennel that is clean and healthy to support the five freedoms for animals in Sumter County Animal Services care: freedom from hunger, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, freedom to express normal behavior, and freedom from fear.

Akron, OH

One of A Kind Pet Rescue is a non-profit organization founded in November 2005 and is funded by private donations. The organization is dedicated to saving animal lives, rescuing pets in imminent danger of euthanasia, spaying/neutering, adoption, and advocacy on behalf of homeless pets.

Castroville, TX

Castroville Animal Services is committed to protecting the health, safety and well -being of all people and animals in our community through enforcement of state and local laws and by providing compassionate care for every animal within the city's animal shelter.

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.