Person sitting with a small dog and kitten

How you can help homeless pets

Everyone deserves a home — and that includes pets in shelters. You can make a lifesaving difference for animals waiting for homes of their own.

When animals don’t have a home, they’re at risk of being killed. In fact, a dog or cat is killed in America’s shelters every 90 seconds just because they don’t have a safe place to call home. But there are so many ways you can help change that.

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No-kill is within reach, thanks to you

You can save the lives of dogs and cats in shelters in your community when you adopt, give, and use your voice to protect homeless pets.

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Adopt

When you adopt a pet from a rescue group or animal shelter instead of buying from a breeder or puppy mill, you’re providing a lifesaving second chance.
Adopt a Pet
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Give

You can donate to honor someone for their birthday, sponsor an animal, and more. Your gift is going to work right away to help homeless pets needing a second chance at life.
Make a Gift
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Win

The animals are so grateful for your support, and we are, too! That's why we're teaming up with Blue Buffalo to give away a year's supply of pet food to show our appreciation.
Enter to Win
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See how your community is doing

With your help we can save every at-risk pet in a shelter this year and secure a better future for our best friends.
Right now, nearly 2 out of 3 U.S. shelters are already no-kill, and hundreds more are within reach of that goal. Working together, we can save the lives of homeless pets in communities like yours — and nationwide — ensuring that the places we call home are better for everyone, pets included.
Is Your Community No-Kill?
Smiling person sitting in front of Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in Salt Lake City with a dog

Salt Lake City: Let’s save our dogs and cats

You can help dogs and cats in Salt Lake City by volunteering, adopting, or fostering today.
Help Salt Lake City Animals
Smiling person outside with a dog in Houston, Texas
Photo courtesy of Erica Danger

Houston: Let’s save our dogs and cats

You can help dogs and cats in Houston by volunteering, adopting, or fostering today.
Help Houston Animals
People attending a pet adoption event in Bentonville, Arkansas
Photo courtesy of Russell Bloodworth

Northwest Arkansas: Let’s save our dogs and cats

You can help dogs and cats in Northwest Arkansas by volunteering, adopting, or fostering today.
Help Northwest Arkansas Animals
Smiling person holding a dog outside of the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in Los Angeles

Los Angeles: Let’s save our dogs and cats

You can help dogs and cats in Los Angeles by volunteering, adopting, or fostering today.
Help Los Angeles Animals
Smiling person sitting in a park in New York City with a dog

New York City: Let’s save our dogs and cats

You can help dogs and cats in New York City by volunteering, adopting, or fostering today.
Help New York City Animals

 

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. 

Here’s my email address — please send me a list of shelters where I live and share more about how I can help save the lives of homeless pets:

More ways to bring love home today 

Every action you take for homeless pets helps to save their lives and gets the country closer to no-kill; we’ll show you how.

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Volunteer near you
Wherever you live, whatever your experience or interests, there are countless ways to volunteer your time for pets in need. Volunteer near you »
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Foster a pet
Welcoming a furry houseguest into your home, even for just a few nights, helps those pets while freeing up space in the shelter to save more lives. The fun of fostering »
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Advocate for animals
You can help create the kind of community you want to live in by teaming up with fellow community members to support pet programs and policies. Advocate for animals »
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Learn with Best Friends
If you’re always learning and eager to create positive change in the world, pursuing a professional certificate or degree in animal services could be your perfect fit. Start learning today »
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Join the Best Friends team
Whether you’re into accounting or animal care, strategy or social media, technology or training, there’s a career waiting for you at Best Friends. Start your career »
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Shop to save lives
Check out our online store where you’ll find clothes, accessories, pet supplies, gift ideas, and more for you and your best friend. All proceeds go straight back to the animals. Shop to save lives »

Pets who found their way home

Check out these pets and their stories of hope, love, and resilience.

Annie the dog on a large cushion with two children who are smiling and holding tablets

Faces of No-Kill: Shelter dog now living on easy street

Annie overcame her challenges with time, support, and lots of broccoli.
She continues to make amazing progress
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Licorice the cat lying on a blanket

The magic of one very lucky black cat

At Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, caregivers turn mobility challenges into magic for Licorice — a little black cat who's all good luck and endless love.
Living a charmed life
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Boo, the black and white kitten, lying on a blanket

Three-legged kitten with a whole lotta heart

From injured kitten to confident cat, Boo’s story is all about second chances and serious charm.
She hit the ground running (on three legs)
Video
Kansas and Twister, the merle-patterned dogs, standing on sand

A remarkable dog friendship built on trust and treats

A blind dog and deaf dog enjoy the good life in their home-between-homes at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
They're perfect complements to each other
Video
Lexi the dog with upright ears

Faces of No-Kill: Support for a special pup

Lexi came to Best Friends as a little puppy who turned out to have megaesophagus, a condition that meant she’d need extra care to thrive.
Now she's queen of the pack
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A couple adventure buddy program participants with a pug wearing a bandanna

Adventures abound for adoptable dogs

Dogs from the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in L.A. share fun-filled outings to help them get adopted.
Adventuring with purpose
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Let's be friends!

Connect with us on social media to stay in the loop about the lifesaving progress we’re making together. And we'll send you all the ways you can help save homeless pets when you give us your email address. 

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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.