Philanthropists, Celebrities, Animal Welfare Advocates and Adoptable Dogs & Cats Attend Best Friends Animal Society’s Benefit to Save Them All

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Best Friends PR Team prteam@bestfriends.org
NYC Event Co-Chaired by Dylan Lauren and Ivy Getty; Father of No-Kill Richard Avanzino Honored

 

Princess Olympia of Greece, Ivy Getty, and Dylan Lauren attend Best Friends Animal Society’s Benefit to Save Them All on October 20, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Best Friends Animal Society) 
 

On Monday, October 20, Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization working to end the killing of cats and dogs in America’s shelters, hosted the sixth Benefit to Save Them All.  

 

The event raised over $1.5 million including a $500,000 match by an anonymous donor. The funds will help Best Friends continue making a positive difference in saving the lives of homeless dogs and cats across the country. 

 

High-profile attendees and animal welfare advocates gathered on the “Orange Carpet” at The Glasshouse in New York City prior to the gala to snap photos with adoptable pets from the Best Friends New York Pet Lifesaving Center, as well as Best Friends CEO, Julie Castle, and Best Friends Founder and Chairman of the Board, Francis Battista. Notable Best Friends supporters who attended the benefit included Sara Haines of ABC’s “The View” who hosted the event, benefit co-chairs Ivy Getty (Philanthropist) and Dylan Lauren (CEO & Founder of Dylan’s Candy Bar and Dylan’s Candy BarN Animal Foundation). The evening honored Richard Avanzino, the man widely recognized as the father of the no-kill* movement for his trailblazing leadership at the San Francisco SPCA and Maddie’s Fund. 

 

Additional attendees included: Broadway performer Sierra Boggess, Johnathan Fernandez, Kadia Saraf, Kelli Giddish, Michael Cyril Creighton; Businessman and Social Media Personality Dave Portnoy, content creators Bryan Reisberg and Maxine, the Corgi, Isabel Klee of Simon Sits, Nisarah Lewis of Dudette with Sign, as well as Andrew Lauren, Natascha Schuetz and Princess Olympia of Greece.  

 

Isabel Klee, Julie Castle, and Sierra Boggess attend Best Friends Animal Society’s Benefit to Save Them All on October 20, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Best Friends Animal Society)  

 

 

 

Kelli Giddish and Michael Cyril Creighton attend Best Friends Animal Society’s Benefit to Save Them All on October 20, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Best Friends Animal Society) 

 

 

Dave Portnoy and Julie Castle attend Best Friends Animal Society’s Benefit to Save Them All on October 20, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Best Friends Animal Society) 

 

 

Andrew Lauren, Dylan Lauren, and Natascha Schuetz attend Best Friends Animal Society’s Benefit to Save Them All on October 20, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Best Friends Animal Society) 

 

 

Richard Avanzino and Julie Castle attend Best Friends Animal Society’s Benefit to Save Them All on October 20, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Best Friends Animal Society) 

 

A new addition to this year’s event, three special pets were celebrated during a “Faces of No-Kill" presentation. The pets, Thor, Indy, and Henry, are all alumni of Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in NYC and their individual stories demonstrate not only their resilience, but what happens when people choose to adopt a pet versus purchasing from a breeder or pet store. 

 

 

Michael Cyril Creighton speaks onstage during Best Friends Animal Society’s Benefit to Save Them All on October 20, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Best Friends Animal Society) 

 

Throughout the evening attendees celebrated the great strides that have been made in pet lifesaving, heard inspirational stories to evoke positive change, and discussed the work that still needs to be done in order to take the country no-kill and save every healthy and treatable pet. Today, two out of three shelters across the country have achieved no kill, and hundreds more are within reach of that goal. 

 

Special thank you to Lucky One Lemonade, the presenting sponsor of the Best Friends Benefit to Save Them All. 

 

For additional information on Best Friends lifesaving work 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 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®.