Best Friends Animal Society fights against pet homelessness and euthanasia in America. We make sure every dog and cat finds a loving home. We do this by bringing people together and using our resources wisely. This way, fewer animals are killed in shelters.
Our event, Strut Your Mutt, has been a big help. In New York City, almost 2,500 people walked and raised over $500,000. In 2017, 300 partners helped raise close to $2 million. This shows our joint effort to stop killing more than 4,100 dogs and cats daily by 2025.
Strut Your Mutt proves people care about animal rescue and adoption. It supports important work like spay/neuter services and finding pets new homes. Many groups work with us, showing that teamwork is key to saving animal lives.
Key Takeaways
- Animal rescue and pet adoption are central to our mission.
- Strong community support has helped us raise substantial funds.
- Events like Strut Your Mutt bring significant engagement.
- We aim to end the killing of over 4,100 shelter animals daily by 2025.
- Collaborative efforts strengthen our impact on animal welfare.
Rescue and Adoption Programs
At Best Friends Animal Society, we dedicate ourselves to homeless pets. Our work involves animal rescue operations and adoption events. Since 1991, we’ve significantly helped animals nationwide.
Why Adoption is Crucial
Adopting a pet gives them another chance at life. It also decreases the number of animals euthanized in shelters. We at Best Friends Animal Society are working hard to lessen the number of pets killed in U.S. shelters. Did you know every 90 seconds a pet is euthanized? We’re fighting to change this.
Rescue Operations: Providing Second Chances
We turn despair into hope through our animal rescue operations. Our team saves animals from high-risk areas and disasters. We then care for them until they’re ready for adoption. For instance, during Hurricane Katrina, we were there for eight months helping animals.
In 2007, we also rescued 22 dogs from Bad Newz Kennels. We gave these dogs a new lease on life. Our mission is to provide these second chances regularly.
Community Adoption Events
Our adoption events are crucial for increasing adoptions. They’re held nationwide thanks to our partners. These events make it easy for people to adopt a pet. They’ve successfully found homes for many pets and spread awareness.
Our goal is to reach a no-kill nation by 2025. Through these events, we are making progress. We hope to inspire many to adopt and save lives.
Donation Drives and Fundraising
Animals in need rely heavily on animal welfare donations. These donations are essential. They support medical care, food, and shelter. Let’s see how your generosity can make a real difference.
How Donations Save Lives
Your animal welfare donations have a big impact on homeless pets. They pay for vet care, food, and shelters. Every donation lets us rescue, treat, and rehome more animals. With each dollar, we save lives and offer animals a new start.
Fundraising Campaigns
Our fundraising campaigns happen all year and aim to get support and spread the word. Events like dog walks, pet photo shoots, and dog fashion shows build community support. Through online and local initiatives, we collect funds and supplies to care for animals.
Monthly Giving Programs
Monthly giving to animals gives us a reliable income. It helps us budget and meet both ongoing and urgent needs. This steady support means we can help more animals consistently.
| Donation Method | Impact |
|---|---|
| One-Time Donations | Immediate support for urgent needs |
| Monthly Giving | Sustainable funding for long-term projects |
| Fundraising Events | Community engagement and awareness |
| In-Kind Donations | Supplies for daily operations |
Supporting these programs expands our reach and impact. Your involvement in animal welfare donations, fundraising for pets, and monthly giving to animals is crucial. It helps us save and enhance many animal lives.
Volunteering Opportunities
Our volunteers are essential at Best Friends Animal Society. They help with everything from daily tasks to special rescue missions. If you want to support *pet shelters* or get involved in *animal care training*, there are many ways you can help.
How You Can Volunteer
At the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, you can find many ways to volunteer. Home to around 1,600 animals like dogs, cats, and horses, the Sanctuary needs over 5,000 volunteers each year. You can choose from short shifts to longer stays. Plus, there are remote volunteering options. These need 4-8 hours weekly for about 8-10 weeks, starting in early January 2025. Training is in late December. We welcome volunteers over 18 from the USA, especially encouraging Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and LGBTQ+ folks to join us.
Volunteer Training and Support
We make sure our volunteers are ready with comprehensive *animal care training*. Training sessions help volunteers learn the skills they need. Whether you’re at Cat World with over 600 cats or at places like Ironwood Pig Sanctuary, we cover everything important. We want every volunteer to feel confident and capable in their tasks.
Volunteer Stories and Experiences
Hearing from our volunteers is inspiring. Their stories from Kanab to other sanctuaries like Rooterville in Florida show their impact. We share these stories to inspire more people and show our progress towards a No-Kill USA by 2025. These tales show how volunteer work is critical and transformative in animal rescue and care.
Educational Outreach Programs
At Best Friends Animal Society, we run programs that teach kids to care for animals. This helps shape a community that values animal welfare. By bringing animal welfare education to schools and communities, we aim for a kinder society.
Animal Welfare Education in Schools
We start teaching kids about animal welfare early. This is important to us. So, we’ve designed different programs for various ages:
- Pet Care and Kindness: Great for young kids. It can include 10 to 40 children.
- Crafting Crew: For older kids to teens. This workshop can have 10 to 35 kids and costs $75.
- Your New Best Friend: This fits young to middle school kids. It’s for 10 to 20 kids at $35.
Since 2012, our Read-to-a-Dog Program has helped kids read better. Schools like Animas Valley and Bayfield are part of it.
Community Workshops and Seminars
Our workshops teach community members about responsible pet care and the need for adoption. They’re open to everyone and cover:
- Animal Careers Workshop: This 1-hour event is for teens, great for career days.
- Student Immersion Program: Aimed at 12-16-year-olds, it offers a hands-on look at animal care careers.
- Service Projects: These are for any age. They’re done off-site and come with materials.
We also have scholarships for those who can’t afford our programs. Thanks to donations, we offer workshops worth $300-$400. This way, everyone can learn about animal welfare education.
Our goal is to build a community that cares deeply for animals and understands pet ownership responsibilities. To help out more, check this out for ways to support local animal shelters or rescues.
Partnerships and Collaborations
Best Friends Animal Society shines because of its strong partnerships and collaborations. We team up with local shelters, national networks, and corporate sponsors. These alliances help us grow our resources, reach more areas, and care for more animals.
Collaborating with Local Shelters
Our work with local shelters is core to what we do. Together, we share resources, extend rescue missions, and exchange knowledge. This teamwork boosts our impact on animal welfare locally. It builds a better safety net for homeless animals.
For instance, Best Friends works with nearly 3,900 rescue groups and shelters nationwide. These partnerships aim to achieve shared objectives, benefiting countless animals.
National Partnerships and Networks
On a larger scale, being part of animal welfare networks lets us address widespread challenges. The Best Friends Network includes over 2,000 organizations across the U.S. This wide network boosts our collective effort to end the euthanasia of dogs and cats in shelters by 2025.
We also use advanced analytics to move animals to areas where they’re more likely to be adopted. This ensures every animal gets a chance.
Corporate Sponsorships
Corporate donations are crucial for expanding our funding and outreach. Partners who donate $25,000 or more play a big role in our work. For example, Sonesta International Hotels Corporation supports us while spreading our message through its brand.
These sponsorships fund important projects. They help us move closer to our goal of a no-kill nation by 2025.
How Do the Best Friend Animal Society Help Others
At the Best Friends Animal Society, we work hard to save animals from euthanasia. We create loving homes for pets and advocate for animal welfare in the community. Our goal is to foster a world where animals are treated with compassion.
We are dedicated to promoting pet adoption. We want to end the problem of homeless pets. By working with shelters and organizations, we help more animals find homes.
We invest almost $100 million each year in donations to help animals. A big part of this money supports our network partners and other animal groups. In 2020, we spent over $7 million to help animals in our community, according to our Annual Report.
| Year | Funding Provided | Adoption Events |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $2,000,000 | Strut Your Mutt |
| 2020 | $7,895,826 | Virtual Adoptions |
| 2021 | Increasing | Continuous Support |
We do more than give money. We also educate people about pet adoption. Our social media shares stories and interactive content to spread the word.
We hope to close all kill shelters by 2025. It’s a big goal, but with your help, we can change how society cares for animals. Let’s work together for the animals’ sake.
Conclusion
Founded in 1984, Best Friends Animal Society is a leader in animal welfare. It runs the nation’s largest animal sanctuary. Here, animals find refuge, medical care, and hope.
This organization is committed to cutting down pet overpopulation. It does this through spay and neuter programs. Their rescue and adoption efforts help thousands of pets find homes each year.
We invite everyone to help with pet rescue efforts. You can adopt a pet, donate, or volunteer. Your involvement is crucial in making a positive change.
Best Friends also focuses on teaching responsible pet ownership. It uses educational programs and community projects. These efforts support stronger laws for animal welfare.
Thanks to innovative programs, fewer animals are euthanized in shelters. In 2020, the number of euthanized animals dropped by 44.6%. This is a big win for us all.
Even though 2020 posed challenges, we saw progress. The national save rate for shelters in the U.S. went up by 4%. Nearly half of U.S. shelters now have a no-kill status.
We are dedicated to ensuring every pet finds a loving home. By backing animal welfare, we can make a huge difference across the nation.
FAQ
Why should I consider adopting a pet?
Adopting a pet gives them a crucial chance at a better life. It lowers the number of animals put to sleep in shelters. Plus, you get a loving friend to bring joy to your home.
How do rescue operations work at Best Friends Animal Society?
Our rescue missions save animals from dangerous places. We then take care of them until they’re ready for a new home. They get medical care, rehabilitation, and stay in foster homes.
What happens at community adoption events?
These events are key for raising awareness and helping pets get adopted. They make it simpler for people to meet pets that need homes.
How do my donations help save animals?
Your donations go into programs that provide medical care and shelter for homeless pets. This money is vital for our day-to-day and urgent needs, allowing us to help more animals.
What types of fundraising campaigns do you have?
We run various campaigns like events, online drives, and social media efforts. These help engage the community and raise important funds for our rescue and adoption work.
What is a monthly giving program?
This program lets supporters donate regularly to Best Friends Animal Society. It provides us with a steady flow of support. This is crucial for our ongoing animal rescue efforts.
How can I volunteer with Best Friends Animal Society?
Volunteering is vital to us. You can help with daily tasks, rescue missions, or adoption events. To learn more and join us, visit our website.
What training do volunteers receive?
We ensure volunteers are ready for various tasks with comprehensive training. They learn about animal care, handling, and how to respond in emergencies.
Can you share some volunteer stories?
Of course! We’re proud of our volunteers’ impact and love sharing their stories. For inspiring volunteer stories, check out our website.
How does Best Friends Animal Society educate children about animal welfare?
We reach out to schools to teach kids about treating animals with kindness from an early age. The programs cover responsible pet care and why adoption matters.
What kind of community workshops and seminars do you offer?
Our workshops and seminars teach people how to look after pets properly. These efforts help improve how the community treats animals and support animal welfare.
How do you collaborate with local shelters?
We partner with local shelters to strengthen our rescue efforts. This teamwork helps us save more animals and find them loving homes faster.
What are national partnerships and networks?
Our national connections help us do more across different states. By working together, we can save more animals from unnecessary euthanasia.
How do corporate sponsorships help your cause?
Corporate sponsorships boost our funds and raise awareness about our work. These partnerships help us take on bigger projects and make a greater impact.
