No-kill resolution toolkit
How to start, pass, and celebrate a no-kill resolution for your community!
Introduction
You can help save cats and dogs by working with your city council or other local legislative body to pass a no-kill resolution. No-kill resolutions show a local government’s commitment to creating and sustaining a no-kill community.
Below you will find a step-by-step guide to passing a no-kill resolution.
What it means to be a no-kill community:
A no-kill community is one that acts on the principle that every healthy or treatable dog and cat should be saved. This community focuses on saving as many lives as possible through increased adoption, spay/neuter, trap-neuter-return (TNR), return-to-owner (RTO), and other programs that keep animals out of shelters.
No-kill, as a philosophical principle, means saving every dog or cat in a shelter who can be saved. But it's helpful to have a way to clearly measure lifesaving progress and that's where the 90% benchmark comes in. Typically, no more than 10% of dogs and cats entering shelters are suffering from irreparable medical or behavioral issues that compromise their quality of life and prevent them from being rehomed, so a shelter is considered "no-kill" when at least 90% of the animals who enter leave alive.
Steps for pursuing a no-kill resolution in your community:
First, find out if your community has already passed a no-kill resolution. Call your city or county clerk’s office and ask.
Step 1: Identify and contact your elected officials.
Identify your council members via your city or county’s website.
Contact the council member who represents your district; if there are no districts, reach out to all council members.
Request a brief meeting or phone call to discuss animal sheltering and your community's current save rate. Community shelter data and save rate info can be found on the Best Friends pet lifesaving dashboard.
Step 2: Meet with your elected officials and discuss passing a no-kill resolution.
Before your meeting, prepare a simple, clear set of talking points for yourself and any information you want to leave with the elected official.
During your meeting:
Present your shelter’s current save rate.
Discuss what it means to be a no-kill community.
Share the reasons you believe the council should “go on record” with a resolution supporting saving animals’ lives.
Provide them with a draft of the resolution or offer to do so as a follow-up to the initial meeting.
Ask the elected official if they will sponsor the resolution.
Step 3: Provide information or language for your elected official to file the resolution.
Public officials are busy, and they’re approached frequently with ideas about a wide range of issues. Make this an easy task for them by being prepared with proposed language for a no-kill resolution.
Best Friends has drafted a model no-kill resolution that is concise and positive — use this as a starting point.
Customize the model language: Make the resolution personal to your community!
Include your community's current and past save rates, data, and statistics from the pet lifesaving dashboard.
Name the specific government departments, organizations, and community groups that will help your community reach 90%.
Include a deadline for the community to reach no-kill by the end of 2025.
Step 4: Engage the community to advocate for no-kill.
Once the elected official has agreed to sponsor the resolution, support them by calling and emailing their colleagues on the council to ask for their vote in favor of the resolution. Communication from voters like you — such as meetings, phone calls, letters, and emails — affect elected officials’ decisions. Phone calls are often the most effective means for communicating with local officials, but a well framed email can have strong impact as well. A mix of both methods of communication is ideal.
Communications to elected officials should include:
The name, title, or identification number of the resolution.
A short summary of what the resolution does or means.
How you would like them to vote.
Your contact information, including your address.
Start a digital petition and spread the word.
Build a digital petition. Include a summary of the proposed no-kill resolution and how the public can contact their elected officials.
Social media is a powerful tool. You can quickly generate awareness and support for your petition with posts on Facebook, X, Instagram, Pinterest, Nextdoor, and similar platforms.
Local media outlets will likely be interested in what you’re proposing in the community. Send letters or emails outlining your proposed resolution to the editors of local newspapers and websites. Describe the resolution and reasons to support it.
Step 5: Attend meeting(s) when the resolution will be discussed and voted on.
Find out when the resolution will be introduced, voted on, and when public comment is appropriate to time your communications. Remember, it can take months of meetings before a public comment or final vote, so be patient!
As a community member, you have the right to speak at public meetings, local rules permitting. Use your time to provide additional facts and figures in support of the resolution.
As local rules allow, hold signs, wear t-shirts or stickers that support the resolution.
Consider bringing along a carefully selected ambassador dog or cat. Ambassador animals should be well-behaved and relaxed in hectic, unfamiliar public environments.
Step 6: Passage or not, make sure to thank the elected officials who supported the resolution.
Follow up after the vote and thank the elected officials who supported the resolution by sending them cards or emails.
Government moves slowly sometimes, and the timing of your first try may not have been right. Don’t let this discourage you. Take time to regroup and do the following:
Re-examine all efforts to learn where adjustments may need to be made and how your strategy may need to be altered. Best Friends is happy to help.
Increase your outreach, including communications with officials.
Keep going to city council meetings and speaking up. Double your efforts to encourage supporters to attend meetings with you and provide input.
What happens after your community reaches 90%?
After achieving a commendable 90% lifesaving goal for shelter pets within the community, it's crucial to maintain and further enhance this achievement. Building upon this success, it's important to focus on sustainability by implementing long-term strategies that ensure the welfare of future animals in the community. One way to do this is by passing another resolution or proclamation to celebrate the achievement.
Celebrating your community's achievement of reaching a 90% lifesaving goal for shelter pets is not just a recognition of success but also a testament to the collective effort and compassion within the community. Acknowledging the dedication of volunteers, staff, donors, and advocates who tirelessly worked towards this milestone is extremely important. You not only boost morale but also inspire others to join the cause and continue supporting animal welfare efforts.
What if your community doesn’t make it to 90% by the deadline set in the resolution but has made progress?
Even though the community did not meet the deadline, passing a resolution to celebrate gains in the lifesaving rate of shelter pets is still essential for encouraging ongoing progress. Another resolution will reaffirm the government and community’s commitment to animal welfare and encourages perseverance in striving for further improvements. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on strategies, identify areas for enhancement, and galvanize support for ongoing initiatives, ultimately paving the way for a more compassionate and responsible community.
What if your community has a 90% lifesaving rate but didn’t previously pass a no-kill resolution?
Passing a resolution to celebrate a 90% lifesaving rate of shelter pets, even if the community has not previously passed a resolution aimed at reaching this milestone, holds significance for several reasons. Firstly, it serves to recognize the progress made in animal welfare within the community, highlighting the dedication of volunteers, organizations, and individuals who contributed to this achievement.
Such a resolution fosters a sense of pride and unity among community members, encouraging further involvement and support for ongoing efforts to improve the lives of shelter pets. Additionally, celebrating the milestone signals a commitment to continue prioritizing animal welfare and encourages collaboration with local stakeholders to sustain and enhance these efforts in the future.
By formally acknowledging the achievement through a resolution, the community reaffirms its values of compassion and responsibility towards its animal population, setting a positive example for others to follow.
For sample resolution/proclamation language, email legislative@bestfriends.org.