Person sitting with a small dog and kitten

SAVING HOMELESS PETS IN UTAH

Every day, homeless dogs and cats are being killed in Utah simply because they don’t have a place to call home. But you can help change that.

We’ve made amazing progress to end the needless killing of healthy dogs and cats in shelters thanks to people like you, but there's still work to do throughout the state of Utah to help the shelters that need it most.

Many of the areas in Utah where the killing is happening lack the resources, professional knowledge, or a significant population to support their lifesaving. We’re working to change that, and we can't do it without you.

We’re advocating for the shelters that need it most by letting local officials know about the needs of the shelter and by taking homeless pets from priority shelters into our care until they find homes of their own. We’re also facilitating transports, adoptions, training and mentorships, and intake diversion. To save community cats who prefer to live outdoors, we’re working to keep them where they’re safest and happiest.

The NKUT (No-Kill Utah) Coalition, led by Best Friends, is at the heart of lifesaving in Utah. Coalition members can receive grants, connect and collaborate with other organizations to help further their work, participate in adoption and fundraising events, take part in mentorship and training opportunities, and more.

You can be a part of the lifesaving here in Utah when you donate, advocate, volunteer, adopt, transport pets to safety, and foster — and we’ll show you how.

Dog Cat

Support change for homeless pets in Utah

Use your voice to advocate for homeless pets in Utah so that every cat and dog can safely find their way out of shelters.

In February 2024, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a historic declaration in support of Utah pets. Gov. Cox declared 2024 No-Kill Shelter Year in Utah — a commitment on a government level for the state to save every pet possible and reach no-kill by the end of the year.

You, too, can pledge your support and commit to helping us save every pet possible in the state of Utah.

I Want to Help
Smiling person sitting with a dog in the grass

The goal of ending killing in shelters is called no-kill

A 90% save rate for animals entering a shelter is a meaningful and common-sense benchmark for measuring lifesaving progress. 

No-kill is a community philosophy and commitment to saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved. But it's helpful to have a way to clearly measure lifesaving progress as we move forward together, and that's where the 90% benchmark comes in.

Typically, the number of dogs and cats who are suffering from irreparable medical or behavioral issues that compromise their quality of life and prevent them from being rehomed is not more than 10% of all dogs and cats entering shelters. Therefore, we designate shelters that meet the 90% save-rate benchmark as no-kill.

Just over 2,000 more cats and dogs would need to be saved in 12 Utah shelters for us to achieve our goal. And two-thirds of those being killed are being killed in Utah County alone, making it the highest priority area in the state.

Here in Utah, NKUT (No-Kill Utah) is an initiative led by Best Friends that brings together passionate individuals, city shelters, and a group of animal welfare organizations to end the killing of dogs and cats in shelters.

To save the lives of homeless pets, we’re focusing on giving lifts to dogs and cats to shelters where they are more likely to be adopted, adoption events, training, and providing mentorships to shelters around the state. We're also taking homeless pets from priority shelters into our care until they find homes of their own.

Achieving no-kill is a collaboration between shelters and their community, so the first step is for individuals to understand the progress being made in their own community and learn how they can help.

See How Your Community Is Doing
Person caring for a cat outdoors

Protecting cats in Utah communities

Community cats are outdoor cats who live in the community and are often cared for by multiple residents. They are among the most at-risk animals in shelters in Utah.

These cats in our communities are often brought to shelters by well-intentioned people. But because community cats are not used to living with humans, they're unlikely to be adopted. These cats need to be returned to their outdoor homes, and inability to return the cats to their outdoor homes often means they are killed.

Together, we can change that and save lives here in Utah when our communities use trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) programs to prevent cats from reproducing.

By implementing TNVR, community cats continue to live outdoors after they’ve been spayed or neutered and vaccinated for rabies, keeping them out of shelters and freeing up resources for other pets in dire need of sheltering and care.

Targeted TNVR is the only humane and effective way to reduce community cat populations and end nuisance behaviors associated with cats reproducing while saving cats' lives. This proven approach ensures that cats in the community won't have more kittens, and that means fewer cats entering shelters. 

I Want to Help
Tiny kitten outside in grass

You found a kitten. Now what? 

If you find kittens outdoors, bringing them to a local shelter is not always the best option.
Help kittens found outside
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What you can do to save the lives of pets

You can adopt or foster a homeless pet, volunteer with your local animal shelter or rescue group, and join campaigns to show elected officials how important it is to save more lives in your community.

Person cradling a brown and white tabby cat in her arms

Adopt a pet

When you adopt a dog or cat, you’re not only adding a loyal and loving companion to your family, but you’re also helping to save lives by making room in shelters.
Find adoptable cats and dogs near you
Smiling person holding two tiny kittens

Foster a pet

Welcoming a furry houseguest into your home, even for just a few nights, helps that pet while freeing up space in the shelter to save more lives.
The fun of fostering
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Volunteer in your community

There are countless opportunities to help save the lives of homeless pets, no matter where you live in Utah.
Getting started as a volunteer
Bulldog surrounded by a loving family outside in front of some folliage

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 progressive pet programs and policies.
Advocating for animals

Helping pets stay with families

From promoting pet-inclusive housing to reuniting lost pets with their people, you can help pets stay in their homes right here in Utah.

Two people interacting with a large white dog

Reunite lost pets with their people

Before taking a stray pet to your local shelter, try visiting a veterinarian’s office to see whether the pet has a microchip; then try to reunite the pet with their family via social media and talking to your neighbors.
Reuniting pets with people
Smiling person sitting with a dog outside on some steps

Promote pet-inclusive housing

Ensure the availability of more pet-inclusive housing to keep pets with their families.
Promoting pet-inclusive housing
Person using a stethoscope to listen to the chest of a husky dog

Keep your pet healthy

Spaying and neutering are routine medical procedures that not only help prevent unintended litters, but they may also prevent medical and behavioral problems.
Learn about spay/neuter
Two smiling people sitting on the floor with a dog in a veterinary clinic

Microchip your pet to keep them safe

A veterinarian or shelter staff member will scan for a microchip when lost pets are brought to them, so this safe and effective technology can help get your pet back to you quickly if they’re ever lost.
Microchipping your pet

You can help a Utah shelter or animal rescue group

Best Friends Network Partners are made up of thousands of public and private animal shelters, rescue groups, spay/neuter organizations, and other animal welfare groups, all working to save the lives of dogs and cats here in Utah and across the country.

Each and every one of our network partners needs caring people like you to adopt, foster, donate, volunteer, and advocate to help save the lives of pets where you live.

Find an animal shelter or rescue group near you today: 

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Make your voice heard

If you can’t adopt or foster, you can spread the word about the importance of stepping up to save the lives of cats and dogs.

Let your family, friends, and neighbors know that together we can make a difference in the lives of pets.

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Show your support

Do you believe that the killing in shelters needs to end?
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About NKUT

No-Kill Utah (NKUT) an initiative led by Best Friends that brings together passionate individuals, city shelters and a group of animal welfare organizations to end the killing of dogs and cats in shelters throughout the state of Utah. 

In 2016, Best Friends committed to bringing the whole country to no-kill by 2025, and while incredible progress has been made, we need your help now more than ever to get across the finish line.

Achieving no-kill is a collaboration between shelters and their community, so the first step is for individuals to understand the progress being made in their own community and learn how they can help.

Our plan is straightforward: provide spay/neuter services where they are needed most so that fewer animals enter shelters and increase adoptions so that more animals are placed in loving homes. Working together, we can Save Them All. 

To become a member of the No-Kill Utah Coalition, you'll first need to sign up to become a network partner. Once you become a network partner in Utah, you will automatically become a member of the No-Kill Utah Coalition.