The National Embed Program places Best Friends staff members in animal shelters and agencies across the country to work side-by-side implementing proven lifesaving strategies that will guide them to achieve no-kill status. Organizations with the highest lifesaving gaps qualify to have leadership staff embedded at their agency for up to one year in order to lead systemic change and coaching in how to sustain new ways of working. These short-term, program-specific embeds are backed by a diverse array of subject matter experts and are designed to help partner organizations accomplish lifesaving outcomes that would normally take years in just months.If you are interested in one of these programs for your organization, please contact your regional team.

The national shelter medicine program provides customized medical support for animal welfare agencies across the country to increase their lifesaving. With a team of experienced veterinarians and veterinary technicians, this team brings years of shelter medicine and operations expertise to the movement. No matter the size of the organization or current veterinary capacity, the national shelter medicine team can help shelters save more lives! If you are interested in learning more, please contact your regional team.

The national shelter support program provides proven lifesaving support and training for animal services agencies, helping create and sustain successful animal welfare operations for all types and sizes of communities throughout the country. The national shelter support team offers opportunities for agencies looking to improve their animal services and shelter operations, create an ideal balance between public safety and animal protection, and improve their agency's reputation through community programs. If you are interested in learning more about assessment, mentorship, training, or emergency response for your organization, please contact your regional team.

The shelter collaborative program matches peer mentor shelters that are leaders in animal welfare with fellows — shelters that are working to achieve a 90% save rate. Every partnership is unique. Some fellows may need help with kitten care, while others need a hand with social media to attract potential adopters and engage the public. The shelter collaborative program team’s role as a matchmaker allows us to look at challenges, leadership, location, and other factors to create the best pairings. When mentors and fellows are matched, they form a plan together — while guidance from Best Friends is always available. The team also provides funding that kick-starts these lifesaving collaborations. Learn more about working with the shelter collaborative program team.