This May, the no-kill movement is everywhere

May has always felt a little magical to me. Maybe it’s because it’s my birthday month (please don’t guess how many times I’ve celebrated). Maybe it’s because spring is fully underway, and the world just feels more alive. Or maybe — and I think this is the real reason — it’s because May has become the month where so much of what we work toward all year long actually comes to life in front of everyone.

This May, I want to make sure you know about everything that's happening. So much of it is right near you, and it's never been easier to help change an animal's life forever.

Every year, the Best Friends National Conference is one of my favorite moments in animal welfare. This week, from May 7-9, we’re bringing together shelter and rescue professionals, advocates, veterinarians, fundraisers, and community leaders from across the country in Salt Lake City, Utah, for over 75 sessions, incredible speakers, and the kind of peer-to-peer connection you simply can’t replicate online.

This year’s conference is focused on what actually works to reach that next level of lifesaving — the programs, the policies, and the collaborative models that are getting animals out of shelters and into homes. We’ll talk honestly about what it takes not just to achieve no-kill but to sustain it. I hope to see you there! And if not, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, where I’ll be sharing what I’m experiencing and learning all weekend long.

For the second year in a row, Best Friends is partnering with Walmart for National Pet Month — and this year, we’re going even bigger. Walmart and Blue Buffalo are covering adoption fees at Best Friends locations all month long — making it as easy as possible for people who are ready to say yes. And every weekend in May, Best Friends will host adoption events at Walmart stores with our local partners in communities including Miami, Dallas, Las Vegas, Austin, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Washington, D.C., and more.

Why does this partnership matter so much? Because 92% of animal welfare organizations are within 20 miles of a Walmart. That is a huge opportunity. When you meet people where they already are and make adoption feel accessible rather than complicated, more animals go home. It really is that simple.

And the momentum doesn’t stop at Walmart –– your favorite shoes just jumped on board. BOBS from Skechers has already donated over $13 million to animal welfare and helped more than 2 million animals. And this May, they’re adding to that legacy in a meaningful way.

All 600+ Skechers retail locations nationwide will participate in a register round-up program, giving anyone who walks through the doors a simple way to donate at checkout. Four flagship stores will also host in-store adoption events across the country throughout the month, from New Jersey to Florida, Utah to Pennsylvania. And BOBS from Skechers is once again making a $500,000 donation to Best Friends to accelerate progress toward ending the killing of animals in shelters — bringing their total to $14 million and counting.

What I love most about our relationship with BOBS from Skechers is that it’s purpose-built. They built saving lives into their customer experience, and that’s the kind of partnership that creates lasting change.

In 2016, more than 1 million animals were killed in U.S. shelters. By 2025, that number had dropped to 400,000 — a 60% decrease. Today, more than 2 out of every 3 shelters are no-kill, with hundreds more just steps away. That’s 40 million animals saved since 2016 because folks like you decided it mattered.

We’re not done, but we are closer than we have ever been to a no-kill country. Now it’s time to finish the job.

The partnerships we’re celebrating this month are proof that when businesses, communities, and individuals align around a common goal, the math changes. Fewer animals wait in shelters, more families find their pets, and we inch closer to the day when no healthy or treatable pet loses their life simply because they don’t have a home.

So this May, I hope you’ll find a way to be part of it. Attend a local adoption event. Round up at a register. Visit a Best Friends location. Or simply share what’s happening with someone who might be ready to adopt.

The momentum is real. Let’s not let it slow down now.

-Julie

Follow Julie Castle on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.