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Let's make every shelter and every community no-kill by 2025

In 2021, about 355,000 dogs and cats were killed in our nation’s shelters just because they didn’t have safe places to call home. But people like you are changing that.

Best Friends is leading the no-kill movement by running lifesaving community programs for dogs and cats, providing support and training for animal shelters and rescue groups, and mobilizing community members on behalf of pets in need across the country.

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Is your community no-kill?

Explore lifesaving for dogs and cats nationwide and see how you can help your local shelters save more animals.

Animal shelters, local stakeholders, lifesaving groups, and individual community members are working together to take collective responsibility for at-risk pets right where they live. Together, we can create compassionate no-kill communities nationwide for pets and the people who care for them.

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The path to achieving no-kill nationwide by 2025

Animal shelters, rescue groups and individuals like you are working together to save homeless dogs and cats right where they live. Together, we can create compassionate no-kill communities nationwide for pets and the people who love them.
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Key statistics

Learn about the state of animal welfare today.
Get the facts
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Achieving no-kill by 2025

Lifesaving numbers show great progress.
Read Julie's blog
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How you can help

Perfect storm creates an animal shelter crisis.
Learn more
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Tracking our lifesaving progress with data

Knowing where we stand not only helps determine the best way to move forward, but it also helps track the progress we’re making together.
See the data