Proven Strategies

No-Kill 2025: Exclusive Preview of Best Friends' Vision for Reaching No-Kill Nationwide

November 6, 2024

This past year, the Best Friends Network reimagined its approach, focusing on how we could most effectively support our network partners, ensuring you have the know-how, tools, and support to save the most lives possible. These shifts have helped us visualize the biggest lifesaving gaps and pinpoint opportunities to address them directly.  

It’s no secret that we are working towards a moonshot mission of getting the entire country to no-kill by the end of 2025.

And now, with December 31, 2025, less than 14 months away, we know many of you are eager to learn how we plan to get there. So, we’re pulling back the curtain on our 2025 strategy to show you how we're working to support you and your communities in reaching this ambitious goal. 

Building a Lifesaving Network   

As of October 1, 64% of all shelters—3,923 in total—are no-kill, and 47 more shelters are trending toward this status, which is phenomenal!  

Now, I know you’re thinking, “64% seems a long way from 100%”, which is why this next stat is so exciting:   

56% of the remaining shelters are on the cusp of no-kill, less than 100 animals away from reaching the 90% benchmark. 

To close these gaps, Best Friends is focused on strengthening our support of communities that are very close to achieving no-kill, and we are using this network to make that happen.  

When we face big challenges and aim for big goals, we must work in lockstep, and we are focused on facilitating that connection. Your organization plays a critical role in the animal welfare ecosystem by easing the burden on other shelters if you’re already no-kill, and as a rescue, transferring animals and facilitating adoptions (and often much more than that), saving countless lives. 

Two cats affectionately rubbing against each other as they walk side by side

Lifesaving in a community will increase when a shelter and its support organizations are aligned—ensuring a transparent, coordinated effort that bridges gaps.

By helping that 56%, which is 529 cusp shelters, close their lifesaving gaps, we are propelling the no-kill movement forward, taking on larger and larger gaps as we go. Now is the time to intensify our progress.  

We have the momentum to achieve no-kill in the U.S., together.   

We’re asking you to approach 2025 with fresh eyes. While this network consists of diverse groups with different approaches, remember that we have the most important thing in common: the goal to save every life that can be saved. When we work together and use data to make lifesaving decisions, we are unstoppable.   

Save These Dates  

As we move into 2025, here’s a preview of the upcoming opportunities we’re cultivating to take your lifesaving to the next level:

  • Rescue Roundtable – January–March 2025  
    Collaborate with mentors to elevate your rescue’s impact and build partnerships with shelters on their journey to no-kill. 
  • Puppy Bowl - February 2025  
    Boost adoptions with this fun and interactive event during the 2025 Puppy Bowl, while tapping into support for your organization.  
  • A Field Services Challenge – March 2025  
    Dive into community-based practices that empower shelters to strategically manage intake and build a sustainable network of lifesaving support.  
  • Transfers and Adoptions Challenge – April 2025  
    Create lifesaving movement in the animal welfare ecosystem by increasing adoptions and creating more transport partnerships, opening up space in shelters for those in need.  
  • Community Cat Challenge - July 2025  
    Reduce the unnecessary intake of healthy kitties by using spay/neuter and vaccines so cats stay in their neighborhood homes. 

*Best Friends Network event and grant opportunities will be available to select audiences based on our tailored approach to individual shelter and rescue needs. Invitations to participate will be sent in the coming weeks and months.  

That is just a small taste of what we've got in store for our lifesaving partners in 2025. If you are ready to save lives right now, we are here to help you make that happen. 

We encourage you to remain open-minded, consider new approaches, pilot something innovative or different, examine your data, and take an honest look at what’s working for your community and the animals in your care, and what’s not.  

Thank you for being an essential part of this mission, we are grateful for the work you are doing. We are excited to take bold steps with you to reach no-kill in 2025. 

Whit and Norah

Whitney Bollinger    
Director of Strategy & Network Operations    
Best Friends Network

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