Visit the Best Friends Pet Resource Center!

Located in the heart of Bentonville, Arkansas, the Best Friends Pet Resource Center is a first-of-its-kind, fully modernized facility that reinvents how dogs, cats, and even humans experience animal sheltering.

Our animal companions are an integral part of our family, and the pet resource center was designed with that in mind. It’s a place for the entire community to connect with pets — a place to adopt your next dog or cat, explore resources for guidance or support with current pets, or simply to gather with and enjoy family and friends.

Since opening its doors in March of 2023, the Best Friends Pet Resource Center has found loving homes for more than 5,000 dogs and cats! Read our second-year anniversary report for more information about the impact of the center in Arkansas.

 

Take a 360-degree look at the Best Friends Pet Resource Center!

This 360-degree tour was created for Best Friends NWA by students at Helen Tyson Middle School in Springdale, Arkansas.

A young woman kneels beside a light brown dog in an orange bandana
Russell Bloodworth

Want to be an ambassador for the animals?

We need your help! As a volunteer ambassador, you'll give tours of the building, greet visitors, and help our team with selling merchandise and signing up new volunteers.
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Connecting pets and people of Northwest Arkansas

The Best Friends Pet Resource Center is more than just a place to adopt a pet. It is a first-of-its-kind, fully reimagined shelter that offers resources and services for both people and pets.

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Meet awesome pets, find your people

Don’t miss these great events.

8 upcoming events
* = registration required
Jul 4 Saturday
Leashes and Lattes at the Momentary
10:00am–11:00am CT

Stop by Onyx Coffee Lab at the Momentary in Bentonville between 10 and 11 am to meet some of Best Friends' adoptable dogs!

Stop by Onyx Coffee Lab at the Momentary in Bentonville between 10 and 11 am to meet some of Best Friends' adoptable dogs!

Jul 4 Saturday
Dog Treat Lab
11:00am–1:00pm CT

Drop in between 11 am and 1 pm to bake some tasty dog treats and learn cooking skills from chef Regina Bowman.

Drop in between 11 am and 1 pm to bake some tasty dog treats and learn cooking skills from chef Regina Bowman.

Jul 12 Sunday
Yoga with Movement Driven Life *
10:00am–11:00am CT
Unroll your mat and find your flow alongside an adoptable pet!

Unroll your mat and find your flow alongside an adoptable pet! 🐾 Enjoy a special edition of Yoga with Movement Driven Life at the Best Friends Pet Resource Center. This small-group class offers the perfect mix of mindfulness, gentle movement, and cuddly company. You’ll leave feeling relaxed, refreshed, and surrounded by furry friend! Feel free to bring your own yoga mat, or use one provided. The class is free, but registration is required. Space is very limited, so be sure to reserve your spot early!
Location: Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Bentonville
Jul 12 Sunday
Summer Market
11:00am–4:00pm CT

Drop by the Best Friends Pet Resource Center to browse goods from local vendors and makers, enjoy a refreshing beverage from Third Space Coffee, and meet some adoptable dogs and cats!

Drop by the Best Friends Pet Resource Center to browse goods from local vendors and makers, enjoy a refreshing beverage from Third Space Coffee, and meet some adoptable dogs and cats!

Jul 17 Friday
Rolls for Rescue *
4:00pm–6:30pm CT
Join us for an evening packed with games and good vibes.

Join us for an evening packed with games and good vibes. Bring your friends or come solo and meet fellow animal lovers while enjoying a variety of games for all skill levels. Between rounds, take a break to learn more about our resources, events, and meet some of our adoptable pets.
Location: Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Bentonville
Jul 18 Saturday
Paws and Pavement Party
2:00pm–4:00pm CT

Join Best Friends and Queer Craft Corner at the Best Friends Pet Resource Center to create some chalk art on the center's spacious patio, meet some adoptable dogs and cats, and get crafty to make some dog toys for the pups in Best Friends' care!

Join Best Friends and Queer Craft Corner at the Best Friends Pet Resource Center to create some chalk art on the center's spacious patio, meet some adoptable dogs and cats, and get crafty to make some dog toys for the pups in Best Friends' care! 

Jul 24 Friday
Gotta Save Em' All Bingo *
5:00pm–6:00pm CT
Get ready for a night of fun, friendly competition, and furry friends at Gotta Save 'Em All!

Get ready for a night of fun, friendly competition, and furry friends at Gotta Save 'Em All!: Bingo Night! Join us for a Pokémon-themed bingo adventure at Best Friends, where every game helps support pets on their journey to finding loving homes. Test your bingo skills, win exciting prizes, and meet some of our real-life rescue stars who are waiting to be "caught" by their perfect families. Whether you're a lifelong Pokémon fan, a bingo enthusiast, or simply passionate about animal welfare, this event is sure to be an unforgettable evening. Come dressed as your favorite Pokémon Trainer, Pokémon, or in your best themed attire, and help us prove that while we may not be catching Pokémon, we're dedicated to helping homeless pets find their forever teams. Gotta Save Them All! Because every pet deserves a chance to evolve into a beloved family member.
Location: Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Bentonville
Jul 31 Friday
Paint N' Sip *
4:30pm–6:30pm CT
Paint with Purpose: You’ll have the opportunity to paint one of the bright faces of our adoptable animals looking for a home!

Paint with Purpose: You’ll have the opportunity to paint one of the bright faces of our adoptable animals looking for a home! Any artist level is encouraged to come and paint a portrait of any of our adoptable animals that will go home with their future adopter. BYOB!: Feel free to bring a drink or snacks to enjoy as you paint, we'll have limited options to drink for attendees. Don't forget to bring a friend to enjoy the food and fun with! Meet the Models: Get to know the pets you’ll be painting! Before we begin, you’ll have the chance to meet and learn about the furry friends who will be featured in your artwork. Let’s paint a brighter future for our pets, one brushstroke at a time. The event is free, but registration is required. Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot early!
Location: Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Bentonville

Peek inside the Best Friends Pet Resource Center

The space features open areas perfect for getting to know adoptable dogs and cats, fun activities for humans of all ages, a DIY dog-bathing center, a café where guests can hang out with cats and kittens, a pet food and supplies pantry, and much more.

Silhouette of two dogs, cat and kitten

Sheltering without kennels: The model of the future

There are no long-term kennels or cages at the pet resource center, just one of the ways we’re redefining what it means to care for homeless dogs and cats.

While the cats in Best Friends' care reside at the center in our two free-roaming cat enrichment rooms, the dogs we take in from area shelters are placed in foster homes in our community. This eliminates the need to house dogs in kennels or cages for extended periods of time. Every day, a selection of adoptable dogs visit the center where they can meet potential adopters and find a family of their very own. 

Shelters can be noisy, frightening places, causing some dogs to become fearful and stressed. But a loving foster home allows them to relax and learn to trust — and that leads to happier, healthier dogs who get adopted more quickly.

Bright skies for homeless pets, thanks to caring donors

Contributors to our pet resource center aren’t simply animal lovers or donors — they’re life changers and history makers.

Community Giving Tree in Northwest Arkansas

Our community giving tree

Created by a local artist, the 6-foot-tall tree features a shimmering canopy of inscribed pet tags as its leaves — each one a symbol of generosity, compassion and kindness to the animals.

After making your gift, you’ll be prompted to add your name, your family’s name, your pet’s name or the name of your organization to your tag. 

Every time the tree’s tags sway in the breeze, visitors will be reminded of your extraordinary dedication to the animals of this community and to homeless pets around the country.

Be part of the future of animal sheltering

Check out all the ways to get involved and help save the lives of homeless pets in Northwest Arkansas.

Two smiling people sitting in a yard with a happy dog

Adopt a pet

When you adopt a homeless dog or cat from a shelter or rescue group in Northwest Arkansas, you’re making a lifesaving difference for a loving and grateful animal.
Person playing with a tiny kitten in a home

Foster a pet

Welcoming a pet into your home for a short time not only benefits that animal, it helps make room in shelters for more cats and dogs in need.
Smiling person hugging a dog outside

Volunteer to help save pets

From socializing shy cats to walking dogs to driving pets to and from our clinic, there are so many fun ways to make a lifesaving difference.

Visit us! 

Location and parking 

Best Friends Pet Resource Center in NW Arkansas
1312 Melissa Dr    
Bentonville, AR 72712

The pet resource center is in the heart of the Bentonville greenspace that will become the 8th Street Gateway Park. Parking is available at the center.  

Pet resource center hours    
11 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week

Phone
(479) 974-1363

 

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