Best Friends Animal Society to Host Virtual Two-Day Bring No-Kill Summit
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Best Friends PR Team
prteam@bestfriends.org
Communities Nationwide will Gather Online to Advocate for Ending the Killing of Pets in U.S. Shelters
Best Friends Animal Society, a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America's shelters, is hosting a two-day advocacy summit on Thursday, June 12 from 1-5 p.m., and Friday, June 13 from 1- 4:15p.m. EST. This virtual experience will be accessible to animal advocates nationwide and will mark the conclusion of the organization’s series of “Bring No-Kill Home Summits”.
According to data from Best Friends, in 2024, Americans saved four million dogs and cats last year from dying in U.S. shelters. Best Friends attributes the positive pet lifesaving numbers to a trend showing increased support and momentum for no-kill* shelter programs across the country. Over the last eight years, shelters have seen a nearly 60 percent reduction in the number of pets being killed for space.
This increased support for no-kill programing, would not be possible without passionate individuals advocating for the lives of cats or dogs that would otherwise be killed simply for not having a place to call home. Now, even more individuals can explore and equip themselves with proven tools and strategies to help save pets lives.
The two-day virtual summit will feature keynote speeches, workshops, and breakout sessions to explore ways to help solve for the for the unnecessary killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters regardless of where people live.
According to data from Best Friends, in 2024, Americans saved four million dogs and cats last year from dying in U.S. shelters. Best Friends attributes the positive pet lifesaving numbers to a trend showing increased support and momentum for no-kill* shelter programs across the country. Over the last eight years, shelters have seen a nearly 60 percent reduction in the number of pets being killed for space.
This increased support for no-kill programing, would not be possible without passionate individuals advocating for the lives of cats or dogs that would otherwise be killed simply for not having a place to call home. Now, even more individuals can explore and equip themselves with proven tools and strategies to help save pets lives.
The two-day virtual summit will feature keynote speeches, workshops, and breakout sessions to explore ways to help solve for the for the unnecessary killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters regardless of where people live.
“Driving national change through local action has been at the heart of the Bring No-Kill Home Summits,” said Laura Donahue, Senior Director, Advocacy and Network, Best Friends Animal Society. “Right now, we are seeing positive pet lifesaving momentum, and if 1 in 17 more people chose to adopt versus purchase a pet from a pet store of breeder this year, we would become a no-kill country.”
Sessions include:
- Big dogs, big data: How man’s best friend became our biggest challenge
- Our pets, our problem: Exploring the role of the community (and you!) in shelter diversion
- Setting the TNVR record straight: Common objections and how to counter them
- Intro to legalese: Navigating the not-so-scary world of laws and ordinances
“Collective action can create big change, and we can’t do this alone. Our goal is for attendees of the virtual summit to walk away with everyday actions to use to help us take the country no-kill,” said Donahue.
Those interested in attending the June 12 and 13 virtual event can register here. Best Friends also encourages advocates to sign the no-kill pledge.
To learn more about Best Friends, visit bestfriends.org.
* No-kill is defined by a 90% save rate for animals entering a shelter and is a meaningful and common-sense benchmark for measuring lifesaving progress. Typically, the number of pets 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. For any community to be no-kill, all stakeholders in that community must work together to achieve and sustain that common goal while prioritizing community safety and good quality of life for pets as guiding no-kill principles. This means cooperation among animal shelters, animal rescue groups, government agencies, community members and other stakeholders, all committed to best practices and protocols.