Governor Healey Declares October as Adopt a Shelter Dog Month in Massachusetts

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Best Friends PR Team prteam@bestfriends.org
Proclamation Encourages Pet Adoption and Aims to take the Bay State No-Kill             

 

Boston, Mass. (October 23, 2025) - Governor Maura Healey has officially proclaimed October as Adopt a Shelter Dog Month in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, recognizing the importance of adoption in saving the lives of homeless dogs across the state.  

Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization working to save the lives of dogs and cats in America’s shelters, applauds this proclamation as a meaningful step toward achieving no-kill* in Massachusetts.  

“Governor Healey’s leadership sends a clear message that Massachusetts is committed to giving every dog the chance at a loving home,” said Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society. “By choosing to adopt, residents across the Commonwealth can help save local pets and bring the state closer to becoming no-kill.” 

According to data from Best Friends, dog adoptions nationwide are up 20% in the first part of the year. Shelters across Massachusetts are using proven lifesaving programs, including fostering and adoption initiatives, that have helped save just under 90% of the dogs entering their care.  

In 2024, data shows that Massachusetts had a gap in life-saving gap of 300 dogs and cats – something Best Friends worked directly with the MSPCA-Angell to help address by funding the Massachusetts Animal Shelter Support (MASS) coalition.   

“We’re grateful to Governor Healey for drawing attention to the importance of adopting dogs, especially as the country grapples with a shelter capacity crisis,” said Vice President of the MSPCA-Angell’s Animal Protection Division, Mike Keiley. “In order to address this crisis, shelters need to work together to find solutions, including lowering barriers to adoption, which would allow more dogs to find homes with families who will give them the happy lives they deserve.” 

Of the states 56 shelters, 86% of the shelters are no-kill, reflecting Massachusettsians deep commitment to pet lifesaving.  

"All dogs deserve to have a safe and happy home. By proclaiming October as Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, we hope that more people in Massachusetts consider adopting dogs from their local shelter," said Governor Maura Healey. 

Individuals can contribute by adopting from shelters or rescue groups, fostering, volunteering, donating, sharing on social and advocating for community-based lifesaving programs.  

To learn more about how to adopt, foster, or get involved with your local shelter, 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.     About MSPCA-Angell  The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Angell Animal Medical Center (MSPCA-Angell) is a national leader in animal welfare and veterinary medicine, with world-class hospitals, adoption centers, and community clinics, as well as community outreach, national animal transport, humane education, and disaster relief programs, plus law enforcement and advocacy divisions that better animal lives through law and legislation. Founded in 1868, the MSPCA-Angell is the second oldest humane society in the United States and positively impacts the lives of tens of thousands of animals each year. As a private, non-profit organization, the MSPCA-Angell does not receive any government funding, nor is it funded or operated by any national humane organization, instead relying solely on the support and contributions from individuals who care about animals. Please visit mspca.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for more information. 

About Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America's shelters and making the entire country no-kill. Founded in 1984, Best Friends runs lifesaving facilities and programs nationwide in partnership with more than 5,500 shelters and rescue organizations. From our headquarters in Kanab, Utah, we also operate the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary — a destination that brings our mission to life for thousands of visitors each year. We maintain the most comprehensive animal sheltering data in the country and make it accessible to the public — empowering communities with critical insights into the needs of their local shelters and how they can help. We believe every dog and cat deserves a home. And we believe that, by working together, we can Save Them All®.