Julie Castle with Sunny the dog

Julie Castle's Blog

Julie Castle is Chief Executive Officer of Best Friends Animal Society. Read More @BFAS_Julie

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Double rainbow over Angel Canyon
After 30 years, there's still no place like home
Reflecting on my past three decades and the simple, persistent truth that there is no place like home.
Memories from Best Friends' employee number 17, now CEO
Julie Castle Blog
Child and dog looking over a brightly multicolored, striped blanket in the back of a vehicle
Spring break plans? How about an adventure buddy?
From couch hangs to day trips, spring break is made for foster pet fun.
Help care for a pet who needs it most
Julie Castle Blog
Orange tabby cat with eyes closed and tongue sticking partly out
What happens when shelters make pet adoption easier?
The latest Bring Love Home Challenge answers that very question.
Empowering groups to try something new
Julie Castle Blog
Happy, smiling dog with tongue out looking out the window of a vehicle with a Save Them All magnet below him
The perfect home and a mistaken identity
Trading in “gotcha” applications for conversations to find the perfect home.
Julie's personal learning opportunity
Julie Castle Blog
Person wearing a Best Friends T-shirt with a tabby kitten at an outdoor adoption event
The myth of the Perfect Adopter
Real-life adopters beat perfect-on-paper ones every time.
There is no one “perfect” person for pets
Julie Castle Blog
Bianca the brown and white puppy next to a football
Puppy Bowl XXII pet-time report: Being the '12th man' to our animals
Getting more pets adopted is what this game is all about.
Let’s keep that energy going
Julie Castle Blog
Person wearing a 'Bring love home' sweatshirt holding a white puppy
Carrying love home, tonight or 55 years down the road
Watch the Bring Love Home PSA now.
'Every pet deserves to feel what home feels like'
Julie Castle Blog
Gray and white cat with a crown of red flowers over her head
2026 is the new 2016 ... but not for animals
A lot can change in 10 years — not just trends but lives. For animals in this country, 2026 looks nothing like 2016, and thank…
Lifesaving trends are built to last
Julie Castle Blog
Tan and white dog with mouth open in a smile outside on a leash
The law is (finally) catching up to our pets
It didn’t happen overnight, but the law is beginning to reflect what people have always known: Pets aren’t possessions — they’re…
This is what progress looks like
Julie Castle Blog
Bryan Reisberg smiling while carrying a dog in a backpack
Why we love a viral animal story
Sharing small moments can create lasting positive outcomes.
Chain reactions change outcomes
Julie Castle Blog
French bulldog on a leash sitting down
2025 wasn’t the finish line but the turning point for pets
The astounding progress made because of one bold goal
Our commitment to saving lives has never been stronger
Julie Castle Blog
Best Friends CEO Julie Castle with her dog Sunny
Why life is better with our pets beside us
Our pets have a remarkable way of transforming the ordinary.
Our pets make every single day matter
Julie Castle Blog
Person petting a black and white dog who has his eyes closed and mouth open in a smile
2025 moments that carried an entire movement forward
Reflecting on the lifesaving gains that shaped this banner year As the year comes to a close, as the roads quiet and the air…
This movement continues to rise
Julie Castle Blog
Best Friends CEO Julie Castle with her dog Shadow in front of a large window
Welcoming winter: A tale of frosty faces
A reflection on senior pets, the seasons of our lives, and the quiet magic of loving an animal through their winter years.…
When you love a senior pet, you see the world differently
Julie Castle Blog
Gray tabby kitten playing in some autumn leaves
Giving Tuesday, but make it a way of life
Magical moments to be replicated every day of the year. Well, it’s Wednesday. But what I saw yesterday, on Giving Tuesday,…
Giving animals in shelters the chances they deserve
Julie Castle Blog