Epic number of pet adoptions in New York City
![Two smiling people holding a small white dog](/sites/default/files/styles/story_desktop_1920x1230_/public/story_images/NY_Small-Dog-Saturday_NYC_Trixie_adoption_4336_rs.jpg?h=512ea9b0&itok=jiKp_Hzh)
It was the best kind of whirlwind. Kittens getting adopted as quickly as they arrived, love connections every day between New Yorkers and dogs and cats in all shapes and sizes — that was August at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City. And once the calendar flipped from August to September, there had been a record 284 adoptions, the most in a single month since the center opened.
Best Friends’ goal is to support shelters across the country in reaching no-kill by 2025, and collaborating with our shelter partners to take in and place their pets in new homes is just one of the ways we work together toward that shared goal. The epic month of adoptions couldn’t have come at a better time. “Today, many shelters in the New York City area are full and were full in the summer months, too,” says Amy Gravel, Best Friends marketing specialist. “As word got out that shelters needed help, the community really stepped up to show support.”
The center was bustling all month long. Many days there were people lined up before the doors opened, ready to meet and go home with a new pet. Making adoptions easy was part of the key to saving so many lives. A volunteer was on hand to talk with people whose preferred language is Spanish. Not only were adoption fees waived, but the entire staff and many volunteers were there to assist in matching people with the right pet for them.
Here are just a few photos from the past month. Is there anything better than photos of cats and dogs (and kittens and puppies) going home?
![Family of four holding a carrier with their newly adopted pet from the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City](/sites/default/files/styles/image_small_mobile/public/image/NY1_BestFriendsNewYorkAugustAdoptions5.jpg?itok=MuZpHHbq)
![Tabby cat sniffing the face of one of two people holding him](/sites/default/files/styles/image_small_mobile/public/image/NY2_BestFriendsNewYorkAugustAdoptions4.jpg?itok=_FdJWQtu)
![Adopter wearing sunglasses holding a small white and brown dog at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City](/sites/default/files/styles/image_small_mobile/public/image/NY3_BestFriendsNewYorkAugustAdoptions3.jpg?itok=SqSzRiAm)
![Cat on the lap of a smiling adopter at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City](/sites/default/files/styles/image_small_mobile/public/image/NY4_BestFriendsNewYorkAugustAdoptions2.jpg?itok=ZMuZDgek)
![Small brown dog on the end of a leash being held by his adopter at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City](/sites/default/files/styles/image_small_mobile/public/image/NY5_BestFriendsNewYorkAugustAdoptions1.jpg?itok=epN9vmzj)
![Smiling adopter holding a gray tabby cat wearing a blue e-collar at Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City](/sites/default/files/styles/image_small_mobile/public/image/NY6_BestFriendsNewYorkAugustAdoptions.jpg?itok=wNtdfhWN)
![Family of three with one holding a small white puppy and another holds an "I heart my adopted dog" sign at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City](/sites/default/files/styles/image_small_mobile/public/image/NY7_Best-Friends-New-York-August-Adoptions-7.jpg?itok=KphfKE3f)
![Dog standing on hind legs to kiss the face of his adopter at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City](/sites/default/files/styles/image_small_mobile/public/image/NY8_Best-Friends-New-York-August-Adoptions-6.jpg?itok=JNlqy_Xo)
![Smiling adopter holding a gray tabby at at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City](/sites/default/files/styles/image_small_mobile/public/image/NY9_Best-Friends-New-York-August-Adoptions-5.jpg?itok=W6qukfLa)
![Adopter with blue hair hugging her new dog at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City](/sites/default/files/styles/image_small_mobile/public/image/NY10_Best-Friends-New-York-August-Adoptions-3.jpg?itok=9itEafCj)
![Family of three adopters with one holding a black and white puppy in a lavender blanket and another holding a "I heart my adopted dog" sign at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City](/sites/default/files/styles/image_small_mobile/public/image/NY11_Best-Friends-New-York-August-Adoptions-2.jpg?itok=Er6OJ5Ks)
![Smiling adopter holding a carrier containing his new cat and a sign that says, "I heart my adopted cat" at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City](/sites/default/files/styles/image_small_mobile/public/image/NY12_Best-Friends-New-York-August-Adoptions-1.jpg?itok=dFLLb6F8)
Let's make every shelter and every community no-kill by 2025
Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill by 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets.
Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.