More than 200 pets adopted at picture-perfect venue

Nestled in the lush forest of the Ozarks, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, is home to priceless works of art and design from visionaries like painter and illustrator Norman Rockwell and architect Frank Lloyd Wright. But last weekend, the iconic venue had 300 new masterpieces on display: beautiful dogs and cats all available for adoption.

There was Mars, a puppy who seemed to be created with fluffy gold brushstrokes, and Pinky, a statuesque dog whose muted hues looked like a watercolor come to life. They were all part of the Best Friends Super Adoption event, which transformed the museum’s wooded grounds into a picturesque pet adoption center.

Super adoption isn’t only a pet adoption event; it’s a two-day festival for the community. Over the weekend, more than 3,600 attendees explored a colorful scene of vendor and exhibitor booths, giveaways, family-friendly activities, world-class art, and, of course, hundreds of adoptable pets.

Best Friends Animal Society’s goal is for all shelters to reach no-kill, and that means working together with other animal welfare organizations to save pets’ lives. Collaboration is what super adoption is all about. This year, 13 shelters and rescue groups from across Arkansas and Missouri came together to find homes for as many pets as possible.

Jodi Reynolds with Shoal Bay Animal Haven in Logan County, Arkansas, traveled about two and a half hours to attend the event. She was excited for the chance to connect with so many potential adopters.

“There aren’t a lot of places (closer to us) for this opportunity,” says Jodi, whose organization brought 18 cats to the event. By the end of the first day, each one had been adopted.

To encourage more people to choose pet adoption, Best Friends strives to make the process easy and accessible — and that was the name of the game at super adoption. After having a conversation with an adoption counselor, folks could bring their new pet home that very day. As a bonus, Best Friends covered all adoption fees. Plus, every pet was already spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped, meaning they could start their new life on the right paw.

Participating in a large-scale adoption event is no small feat, especially for municipal shelters with limited staff and resources. Best Friends wanted as many pets in shelters as possible to benefit from the super adoption, even those from organizations that couldn’t send anyone there in person. So in the week leading up to the big event, team members from the Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Bentonville visited 12 shelters and took in 140 of their pets who could be showcased and adopted at super adoption.

“We wanted to make it really easy for their pets to participate without being a heavy lift on the shelters,” says Michelle Logan, senior director of lifesaving programs at Best Friends.

One pet who came to the pet resource center ahead of time was Mackenzie, a tan-and-white dog with a smile so big it could have been drawn by a caricature artist. She’s 50% fetch superstar, 50% couch potato, and 100% good girl. Mackenzie found herself at a shelter where she was cared for and adored by every staff member. No one could understand why month after month passed without Mackenzie being adopted.

Everyone hoped that the exposure from super adoption would be Mackenzie’s ticket home — and their wish came true. A family with kids met Mackenzie and knew she was the missing piece of their family portrait. At last, Mackenzie is now living in a home of her very own.

“This event made it happen,” says Michelle. “This got her in front of a different audience.”

After a whirlwind weekend, more than 200 pets went home, including every single cat there. The final adoption came just as the event was ending: a black-and-white kitty with sparkling green eyes named Violanna. A crowd gathered to celebrate not just Violanna but the hundreds of pets whose lives were changed that weekend.

When animal welfare organizations work together, achieving no-kill in the U.S. isn’t just possible; it’s inevitable. Two out of every three shelters are already no-kill, and many more are just within reach. Events like super adoption are an important part of that.

“It’s beyond the 200-plus pets who went home,” says Michelle. “Everyone who attended the festival — even those who just stumbled upon it while visiting the museum or the nature trails — will hopefully think adoption when they decide to get a pet in the future.”

For pets like Mars, Pinky, Mackenzie, and Violanna, the future is right now, and they’re spending it in homes where they’re treasured.

Best Friends would like to extend special headbutts and slow blinks to sponsors Levoit, Blue Buffalo, and Fresh Step for making this event possible.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. 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.