You are here
Proven Strategies, Proven Impact
Best Friends and our 3,100+ shelter and rescue partners are saving lives and achieving no-kill at an unprecedented rate. A no-kill United States is in sight.
Lifesaving Progress Around the Country
When Best Friends was founded in 1984, an estimated 17 million cats and dogs were killed in America’s shelters each year. Since then, much progress has been made. In the last four years, as Best Friends has expanded its national reach and network, and as the no-kill movement has gathered momentum, we’ve made tremendous progress.
More No-Kill Shelters
*4,850 total animal shelters in the U.S.
Millions Of Pets Saved
Since 2016, when we declared our goal to make the country no-kill by 2025, we’ve made incremental progress that adds up to millions of lives saved.
Best Friends Animal Society: 2019 Snapshots Of Success
Lifesaving Where It’s Needed The Most
Last year, Best Friends and our network partners responded to the significant needs in TEXAS, GEORGIA, and CALIFORNIA, three of the top five states with the biggest lifesaving gaps in 2018. The results speak for themselves:
Our Programs Work
Shelters that engaged with Best Friends programs last year reduced the number of animals being killed in their facilities at THREE AND A HALF TIMES the rate than shelters that didn’t engage with us. In other words: because shelters partnered with Best Friends, 63,374 cats and dogs were SAVED in 2019 who otherwise may have been killed.
The Path to 2025
Saving
Animals
We’re expanding and streamlining emergency foster programs, remote adoptions, pet food distribution, virtual vet care, and whole family support to save lives and keep pets and people together.
Supporting
Animal Shelters
We’re helping nearly 3,000 shelters and rescue groups with essential resources and innovative solutions tailored to meet individual communities’ needs and maximize lifesaving.
Connecting
Neighbor to Neighbor
We’re organizing compassionate people in communities across the country to join together, take action, and be a beacon of hope for animals at risk and neighbors in need.
Transforming The Future for Homeless Pets
With your help, we are setting a new standard for lifesaving to lead us into the future. This is our moment to keep changing things for the better and to achieve no-kill by the end of 2025 together.