No-Kill 2025 Stories

Family adopting Jewel the dog in front of a window

Easier adoption process saves more dogs and cats

A chance meeting with a Best Friends staff member caused an Iowa organization to change the way it viewed adoptions and save more animals.
Read how they embrace change
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Turtle the kitten wearing her protective helmet

Faces of No-Kill: Kitten with serious head wound gets custom helmet

Shelter collaboration, community support, and TLC help Turtle the kitten survive and thrive.
Joint effort helps save special kitten
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Person running the Grand to Grand Ultra

Runners accept ‘ultra’ challenge to save dogs and cats

To this trio of animal lovers, raising funds for Best Friends by running the Grand to Grand Ultra will be just as important as finishing the race.
Support their efforts
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Smiling person petting a cat in a clean kennel

Animal shelters are partnering with a purpose

The Best Friends Network equips organizations with the tools to save lives.
Collaborative efforts to save lives
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Smiling person looking at a cat they're holding in animal shelter setting

Q&A: Best Friends national shelter embed program

Michelle Logan answers questions about a one-of-a-kind program that places Best Friends staff in animal shelters to support them reaching no-kill.
See how it supports shelter staff and animals
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Smiling person sitting on a couch while holding a cat

National adoption weekend for dogs and cats

Thinking of adopting a pet? The time is now.
Learn more
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Group of people surrounding a dog outside a wire crate

How animal services officers are saving more pets

Best Friends works with animal services officers to reduce shelter intake and reunite more pets with their families.
See how their work affects no-kill 2025
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Two brown puppies wearing shirts sitting on a chair

Supporting California animal shelters to reach no-kill

Best Friends’ shelter collaborative program leverages one shelter’s no-kill status to save pets’ lives at another.
Read about their new lifesaving efforts
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Black and tan dog standing on a gray cushion

Best Friends’ 2022 dataset points to no-kill progress

Let’s make every shelter and every community no-kill by 2025
See the big picture
Julie Castle Blog
Green cart holding a litter of five black and white puppies

Lifesaving soars with new shelter practices

Lehigh Valley Humane Society celebrates reaching a 90% save rate for the first time in its 117-year history.
See what's changed
Best Friends Magazine
Several dogs snuggling together on a dog bed

27 dogs and cats find sanctuary at Best Friends

A mystery in the middle of the desert, these dogs and cats needed help — but now they’re on the path to new, loving homes.
From the Sanctuary to homes of their own
Best Friends Magazine
Person wearing an animal services officer shirt holding a small dog or puppy backwards over his shoulder in a kennel area

Helping small animal shelters has a big impact

Best Friends is leveraging the power of networking and peer mentoring to engage organizations and help save lives.
See how mentorships help save cats and dogs
Best Friends Magazine
Volunteers Russ and Elizabeth Duszak in front of a display at the Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Northwest Arkansas

Nearly 2 decades of volunteering with Best Friends

Russ Duszak, a commercial pilot, and his wife, Elizabeth, have volunteered in animal care, done transports, worked events, and fostered kittens for 17 years.
Helping Best Friends animals around the country
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Volunteer Lisa Zarek holding a black and white puppy

From finance exec to service for animals

Lisa Zarek supports new volunteers, coaches foster caregivers, and connects with shelters, all without leaving home.
Read what motivates her to volunteer
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Volunteer wearing a Best Friends T-shirt sitting down and hand-feeding a treat to a dog

An enormous thank-you to Best Friends volunteers

This week is for you.
Celebrating volunteers who help animals nationwide
Julie Castle Blog