Saving dogs and cats in Arkansas

No-kill is a community philosophy and commitment to saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved. It's helpful to have a way to clearly measure lifesaving progress as we move forward together, and that's where the 90% benchmark comes in.

Typically, the number of dogs and cats who are suffering from irreparable medical or behavioral issues that compromise their quality of life and prevent them from being rehomed is not more than 10% of all dogs and cats entering shelters. Therefore, we designate shelters that meet the 90% save-rate benchmark as no-kill.

Here in Arkansas, over half of the pets killed in shelters are in just four larger shelters. These shelters are in need of sustainable ways to save lives.

Achieving no-kill is a collaboration between shelters and their community, so the first step is for individuals to understand the progress being made in their own community and learn how they can help.

Once connected, it’s easier for shelters to get the resources they need wherever they are in the state — whether that means working with another shelter, getting training, involving the community, receiving equipment, supplies, or finding mentorship.

To help connect shelters, we’re offering peer-to-peer mentorships where our expert shelter strategists provide guidance, grants, and on-the-ground staff to support program implementation.

We're also giving pets a lift to communities where they have a greater chance of being adopted, hosting multi-shelter adoption events, and growing foster programs to help alleviate the pressure on the most overburdened shelters in the state.

These cats in our communities are frequently brought to shelters by well-intentioned people. But because community cats are not used to living with humans, they're unlikely to be adopted. They need to be returned to their outdoor homes. Inability to return the cats to their outdoor homes often means they are killed.

Together, we can change that and save lives here in Arkansas when our communities use trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) programs to prevent cats from reproducing.

Targeted TNVR is the only humane and effective way to reduce community cat populations and end nuisance behaviors associated with cats reproducing while saving cats' lives. This proven approach ensures that cats in the community won't have more kittens, and that means fewer cats entering shelters. 

Let your family, friends, and neighbors know that together we can make a difference in the lives of animals. Let your city leaders know that saving the lives of dogs and cats in shelters is important to you.

As recently as 2016, 2 million cats and dogs were killed in shelters in this country simply because shelters didn't have the community support or the resources to save their lives. In 2023, that number was down to 415,000, 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. We’re sharing our resources and what we know to help shelters around the country achieve no-kill in their communities. 

Together, we will bring the whole country to no-kill in 2025.