No-Kill 2025 Stories

Black and white cat beside a bag in a home

Lifesaving tales: Homeless cats get fresh starts

Best Friends supporters share their stories about the magical day when they brough...
Stories of the day when they adopted their pets
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Gary Slusher holding the Chihuahua-corgi mix he adopted in front of a mural featuring dogs in a covered wagon

Lifesaving tales: Pets who make life better

Best Friends supporters share how their pets have made a significant impact on the...
Stories of how their rescued pets have changed their lives
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Johnney Ehrlich beside a window with a kitten

A little ‘tush push’ is sometimes all it takes

The power of teamwork and a well-timed push can be unstoppable....
A little push helps shelter with TNVR and other lifesaving programs
Julie Castle Blog
Marshall Pet Adoption Center giving an injection to a puppy

Animal shelter saves pets even when the going gets tough

Faced with an overabundance of dogs and cats and a depleted staff, a new shelter m...
Now they're looking ahead with confidence
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Julie Castle with Susanne Kogut and Denise Deisler at the Best Friends National Conference

Celebrating the heart of a champion

The commitment of someone who plays to win, instead of playing not to lose...
Recognizing two lifesaving women
Julie Castle Blog
Dog in create for a flight transport following the Los Angeles fires

An unexpected reprieve in shelters after the L.A. wildfires

Thank you for supporting our second home....
A look back at the Los Angeles wildfires
Julie Castle Blog
Person petting a happy dog wearing a vest

How rescue groups and shelters save more pets together

Across the country, animal shelters rely on rescue groups to help them save more l...
Partnerships saves lives
Best Friends Magazine
Two people outside holding signs at the Capitol in Richmond, Virginia

Virginia is for (pet) lovers

The commonwealth marked a milestone with 80 animal shelters now no-kill....
Successful event at the Capitol in Richmond
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Tanner the man lying next to Tanner the dog

How a Baltimore shelter saved a scared dog named Tanner

The Best Friends embed program supported Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter ...
A plan for every animal
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Multiple people doing medical work on a small brown dog

New animal shelter data reveals nationwide progress

Reporting from animal shelters across the country shows thousands more dogs and ca...
Saving lives in Wisconsin and Nebraska
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Two kittens snuggled sleeping together on a red bed

More shelter pets adopted in 2024, but the fight isn’t over

Data reveals gains in adoption and fewer shelter animals killed, yet shelters are ...
Positive trends but there’s more work to be done
Julie Castle Blog
Shepherd dog with a smiling animal control officer

Animal shelters embrace no-kill philosophy

A mindset to save lives means large animal shelters are maintaining no-kill even w...
They’ve maintained no-kill despite challenges
Best Friends Magazine
Smiling person holding a yawning puppy in a shelter

No-kill 101: The 3 pillars of saving pets in shelters

Three key pillars in modern animal services have been instrumental in saving more ...
Learn these lifesaving practices
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Person wearing a Save Them All T-shirt holding two kittens on their arm

Heartwarming animal stories that made 2024 shine

The most-read stories of the year on bestfriends.org showcase the lifesaving work ...
Read their emotional stories
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Profile of two shepherd-type dogs.

'Let’s stop killing animals in shelters and get more of them adopted out'

Los Angeles Times editorial board calls out the conditions and operations at Los A...
Support the pets of Los Angeles
Julie Castle Blog