Smiling person holding a cat on their lap at a pet adoption event

Adopt Utah Pets

Many shelters and rescue groups in Utah are over capacity. By adopting, you give one lucky dog or cat a home and create space for another pet in your community to be rescued.

That's why we're asking pet lovers to locate their nearest shelter and step up to support them by adopting, volunteering, fostering, and promoting the shelter to the rest of their community. 

You can save the lives of cats and dogs in Utah communities when you adopt from your local shelter.

Dog Cat

Featured shelter: Carbon County Animal Shelter

Every month, we’re featuring a Utah shelter and covering their adoption fees.

From October 1-31, 2024, Best Friends is covering all adoption fees at Carbon County Animal Shelter:
2900 E Airport Road
Price, UT 84501
435-636-3747

View Their Adoptable Pets
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Adopt a pet near you and save a life

These shelters and rescue groups in Utah are full of loving cats and dogs looking for loving homes with people like you.


Don't see your local shelter listed above?

With more than 60 shelters in the state of Utah, you can find a shelter closest to your home.

Working together to save lives

The No-Kill Utah Coalition (NKUT) 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 throughout the state of Utah. 

The following animal rescue organizations are NKUT partners and provide an additional resource to find your next pet and bring them home!

Person sitting in the grass with a small dog

Heartwarming adoption stories

Adoption gives homeless pets the second chances they deserve.
Group of people and dogs walking on a path in Strut Your Mutt outside surrounded by trees and grass

Sit, stay, strut: Thousands raised to bring pets home

Best Friends’ 2024 Strut Your Mutt fundraising walk and festival benefited animal welfare organizations in and around Salt Lake City.
Strutting to Save Them All
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Bert the dog lying in the grass on his back with his feet up

Dog’s story of healing will give you all the feels

Surgery would allow Bert to walk and run without pain. But he would need months of special care in a foster home to recover.
Special bond forms at foster home
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Dr. Christina Boekhout holding Stone Cold the cat who is wearing a protective e-collar

Faces of No-Kill: Cat noses way into vet’s heart

During Stone Cold’s time in treatment for a hole in his nose, this charming gray tabby won over everyone he met — including his surgeon.
Now he's found love
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Jaime Gallardo lying on the floor with Dublin the dog

Magical fresh start for senior dog

Dublin needed an adopter who understood his mobility challenges.
See him in action
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Betty the dog sitting in a car seat wearing pearls

Senior dog regains pep in her step

Sweet Betty recovered from surgery and is thriving in her new home despite a cancer diagnosis.
Senior dog now thrives
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Three happy people posing with a calico cat and a Best Friends no-kill 2023 shelter trophy

New data shows encouraging trend for pets in shelters

Monthly data from nearly 800 animal shelters from across the U.S. shows the first lifesaving progress for dogs and cats since 2020.
Positive momentum for shelter lifesaving
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Silhouette of two dogs, cat and kitten

When you adopt a pet, you save lives

By adopting a cat or dog from a shelter or rescue group you’ll not only save a life, but you’ll also you gain a friend — a loyal companion who can offer you comfort and love, no matter what uncertainty life holds.

Adopting from a shelter or rescue group
Smiling person and a cat sitting together in front of a couch

Not ready to adopt?

You can foster a pet to help save lives.

By bringing a pet into your home for a short time, you’re not only helping that animal, you’re helping to make room in shelters for more cats and dogs in need.

Foster a Pet
Dog and cat sitting together on a blue couch

Found a lost pet?

Before taking a lost pet to your local shelter, try visiting a veterinarian’s office to see if the pet has a microchip, then try to reunite the pet with her family via social media.
Reunite lost pets with their people
Best Friends Logo Mark

About Best Friends

Best Friends Animal Society is working to save the lives of cats and dogs all across the country, giving pets second chances and happy homes.

Just a few short years ago, cats and dogs were killed in staggering numbers in this country simply because shelters didn't have the community support or the resources to save their lives. That number is now less than half a million per year, but there’s still work to do to ensure a bright future for every dog and cat in America. 

Best Friends operates the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals and is committed to saving the lives of homeless pets by working with shelters and passionate people like you. Together, we will bring the whole country to no-kill in 2025. Together, we will Save Them All.