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Advocacy & Legislation

Take action and use your voice at the local, state, and national level to support pets in your community.

Inspire and create local change to save the lives of dogs and cats. Whether it’s ending puppy mills, caring for community cats, ensuring pet-friendly housing or preventing breed-restrictive legislation, there are so many ways you can help. Only by working together, can we create compassionate, safe, no-kill communities for dogs and cats and the people who love them.

Resources Just For You

To help you and your supporters strengthen your efforts, we’ve brought together three resources designed to support policy work in communities like yours across the country. 

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People, Pets, and Policies

This manual gives you ready-to-use materials and standardized, humane policy frameworks that can be adapted to meet the needs of your community and maximize impact.
View the manual
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Due Diligence Playbook

Build a stronger foundation for your efforts with practical guidance that helps you understand your community and successfully advocate with decision-makers.
Get the playbook
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Budget Advocacy Handbook

Learn how to navigate complex government budget processes and build a stronger case for the resources you need to support your lifesaving programs and services.
See the handbook
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Get the help you need

Find the answers you need for common questions related to advocacy and legislation.

People, Pets, and Policies Handbook

Your guide to effective programs and policies that keep families and communities together.
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Build Better Animal Ordinances

Practical strategies for implementing animal ordinances that protect pets and save lives.
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Take Charge, Make Change Webinar Series

Learn how to advance local policies and create positive change for your community.
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How to Pass a No-Kill Resolution

Step-by-step guide to building community support for reaching no-kill.
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Add Your Voice & Pass It On

You and your supporters can be part of the Best Friends Action Team, a grassroots, community-driven movement to create lifesaving change for local animals and animal shelters. Sign up and encourage your community to do the same!
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Advocacy & Legislation
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Community Support & Pet Retention

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About the Best Friends Network

The network is a free community of 6,000 animal welfare organizations, including shelters, rescue groups, spay/neuter groups, transport groups, and other support organizations.

The Best Friends Network is your support system in your journey to save the lives of dogs and cats in your communities. Network partners gain access to exclusive challenges, grants, resources, and dedicated support.

Connect with partners across the country, access proven strategies, and collaborate to increase lifesaving nationwide.

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Meet the team

The Best Friends Network team is your lifeline to support for your organization, collaboration with other network partners and connection with Best Friends experts, resources, funding opportunities and so much more.
Meet The Team

Let’s be friends! 

Connect with us on social media to stay in the loop about the lifesaving progress we’re making together.  

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