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Best Friends National Adoption Weekend

Best Friends National Adoption Weekend is a network partner exclusive event created to help organizations like yours adopt out more animals. Participating partners have access to a robust marketing toolkit, national exposure on the Best Friends website and social channels, local and national press releases, as well as stipends for every animal adopted.

Check out the results from our 2022 events below.

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Another successful adoption weekend with over 10,000 animals finding homes during the 3-day holiday event


Highlights from the December event include:

girl holding a black and brown puppy with a sign saying she adopted him

  • 10,090 animals were adopted
  • 656 network partners participated
  • Participating partners had an overall 53% increase in dog adoptions over the same time period last year
  • 62% of participating partners chose to reduce or waive their adoption fees
  • $358,900 in stipends to be distributed
  • Participating partners had lots of wonderful adoption stories to share, including long-stay and medical-needs animals and pairs adopted together

Check out this program spotlight for a wrap up of the December event: Network partners wrap up 2022 by finding homes for 10,000-plus  animals during the 3-day holiday event

September 3-day event results in over 11,000 animals adopted 

  
Highlights from the September event include:  

Couple each holding a dog

  • 11,420 animals were adopted (15% increase over July event) 
  • 662 network partners participated (66% returning participants) 
  • 64% of participating partners chose to reduce or waive their adoption fees 
  • $300,000 was spent on paid digital advertising in participating partners’ communities, resulting in over 39 million impressions total (7.8 million impressions specifically for Spanish ads) 
  • $409,550 in stipends was distributed directly to participating partners 
  • Participating partners reported that the exposure from the event and reducing/waiving their adoption fees resulted in adoptions for animals that have been overlooked for months 

Check out the program spotlight, Best Friends, network partners team up to deliver most successful adoption weekend yet, for more results from this event.

Nearly 10,000 animals adopted and $700,000 in adoption stipends distributed during the July event


Below are some highlights from the most recent 3-day event: 

Two women and a little girl sitting with a kitten

  • 9,919 animals were adopted 
  • 589 network partners participated 
  • 73% increase in total adoptions over the same 3 day period last year (89% increase for dogs specifically) 
  • 73% of network partners chose to reduce or waive their adoption fees 
  • $300,000 was spent on paid digital advertising in participating partners’ communities, resulting in over 40 million impressions 
  • Many participating partners noted that the event promotion brought in new adopters which helped them find homes for long-time and harder-to-place pets 

Check out the program spotlight, Second National Adoption Weekend results in nearly 10,000 animals finding new homes, for more results from this event.

Over $178,000 distributed to participating network partners during National Adoption Weekend in May

During the 3 day event, participating partners saw huge success:

Couple sitting behind dog with toy in its mouth

  • 4,529 dogs and cats were adopted
  • There was a 96% increase in adoptions over the same 3 day period last year
  • 74% of groups reduced or waived their fees
  • Many partners adopted out longtime residents and animals who had been overlooked

Check out the program spotlight, Best Friends National Adoption Weekend – Take Two!, for more about the results of this event.