Animal Welfare United States Project #72799

Support Best Friends Animal Society

by Best Friends Animal Society

Project Report | Oct 6, 2026
Hundreds of Pets Find Homes Through Collaboration

By Kayla Smith | Corporate Relations Specialist

Every adoption represents one life changed. But when shelters, rescue groups, volunteers, supporters, and entire communities come together, hundreds of lives can change in a single weekend.

This summer, Best Friends Animal Society brought its Super Adoption event back to northern Utah, creating an opportunity for animal welfare organizations across the region to come together with one goal: helping more pets find loving homes.

More than 3,600 people attended the two-day event, where adoptable dogs and cats from nearly two dozen shelters and rescue groups had the chance to meet their new families. By the end of the weekend, more than 450 pets were headed home.

Among them was Pony, a 113-pound, 9-year-old dog who caught the attention of an employee at the event venue. He hadn't planned on adopting that day, but after meeting Pony, he called his wife and the rest of the family came to meet him. Soon, Pony was leaving the event with a family of his own.

Stories like Pony's are why collaboration is so important to our work. Large-scale adoption events don't just connect individual pets with families. They create space in shelters, bring greater visibility to pets who may otherwise be overlooked, and give animal welfare organizations an opportunity to work together toward a shared goal.

And there is still important work ahead. The latest national shelter data shows that the U.S. is saving 82.5% of dogs and cats entering shelters. Of the approximately 3,900 shelters across the country, around 1,300 have not yet reached no-kill — but nearly half of those shelters are within 100 additional lives saved of getting there.

That means every adoption, foster home, volunteer, partnership, and donation matters.

Thanks to supporters like you, Best Friends can continue bringing people and organizations together, supporting shelters and communities, and helping more pets get the second chances they deserve.

Together, we're moving closer to a future where every shelter and every community is no-kill.

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Jun 11, 2026
Creating a No-Kill Future

By Kayla Smith | Corporate Relations Specialist

Feb 16, 2026
Expanding Lifesaving Impact Nationwide

By Kayla Smith | Corporate Relations Specialist

Over the past several months, support from GlobalGiving donors has helped advance lifesaving efforts led by Best Friends Animal Society and partners across the country. High-quality shelter data continues to guide this work, helping identify where resources, training, and community support can save the most lives. According to recent national shelter data, approximately 4.74 million dogs and cats entered U.S. shelters over the past year, and shelters nationwide are realizing an overall save rate near 82%, moving closer to the 90% benchmark that defines no-kill communities.

One especially inspiring example comes from early January, when Preciosa, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, arrived at a city shelter and could have easily become just another statistic. Thanks to collaborations with shelter partners and Best Friends staff, she was brought into a Best Friends adoption center where she received care, enrichment, and foster-based support that helped her thrive. Eventually, Preciosa was matched with a person whose life she now helps every day as his trained service dog — sensing changes in his body and offering comfort and assistance through daily challenges. Preciosa’s transition from at-risk shelter dog to life-changing companion illustrates how support for rescue and training efforts not only saves animal lives but also enriches human lives.

Since our last update, support through this project has helped expand access to adoption resources, provide critical supplies to shelters in need, and assist families working to keep their pets during challenging times. By investing in both prevention and lifesaving programs, we are helping reduce shelter overcrowding and moving closer to a future where every dog and cat who can be saved is given the chance to live in a safe, loving home.

We are grateful for the continued support that makes this lifesaving work possible. Together, we’re helping communities build compassionate, no-kill futures for pets and the people who love them

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