This National Puppy Day: Show Up for the Nearly 4% That Need You Most
On March 23, dog lovers around the country will celebrate National Puppy Day and enjoy the wiggles and boundless energy that make puppies impossible to resist. This year, Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats across the country and take the country no-kill*, is calling on the public to choose the adoption option.
Since most people cannot resist puppy breath and a round belly to rub, many puppies are fortunate to leave shelters quickly. In fact, according to data from Best Friends, 88% of puppies get adopted within the first month, with most staying just six days in shelters.
But not every puppy follows that timeline.
Best Friends data shows that almost 4% of puppies entering shelters become long-term residents, staying for more than 60 days. That adds up to more than 20,000 puppies who faced extended shelter stays last year simply because they may have been overlooked due to their size, breed, behavioral quirks or medical needs.
“While Best Friends Animal Society’s data showing that puppies get adopted quickly is encouraging, that also makes it easy to forget about the puppies who end up waiting longer or get returned to the shelter because people don’t realize the steps it takes to set puppies up for success,” said Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society. “National Puppy Day is both a celebration of progress and a reminder that we won’t stop until every puppy, dog, kitten and cat has a loving home.”
To help adopters start strong, Best Friends is offering the below tips that set both puppies and their people up for success from day one:
Socialize thoughtfully and safely: Expose puppies to a variety of sounds, surfaces, people, and experiences to build confidence. Pay attention to body language and let them move at their own pace. Keep interactions positive and avoid high-traffic dog areas until vaccinations are complete.
Teach appropriate play and manners early: Encourage toy play and gently redirect biting or mouthing. Allow well-socialized adult dogs to offer appropriate corrections and interrupt any play that becomes stressful. Early lessons help puppies grow into socially confident adults.
Build independence gradually: Puppies should learn that alone time is normal. After exercise, place them in a puppy-safe space with toys and gradually increase the time apart. This helps prevent separation anxiety and builds long-term resilience.
Throughout the month of March, adoption fees are just $15 at all Best Friends locations across the country, including New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, Salt Lake City, and Northwest Arkansas, as well as the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, UT. When you adopt, you are saving the life of the pet you bring home, as well as creating space for pets coming into the shelter, many of which are currently at or over capacity.
To find an adoptable puppy and resources to help you prepare, 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.