Best Friends Animal Society

At Virginia's Capitol on February 14, Best Friends recognized 80 Virginia animal shelters that achieved or maintained no-kill in 2024. Best Friends Network Partners Richmond SPCA and Richmond Animal League Inc showcased adoptable pets at the event. “Virginia’s progress is an incredible testament to what can be accomplished when communities, lawmakers, and animal welfare organizations come together for a common cause,” says Laura Donahue, Best Friends senior director of advocacy and network. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/e-XaNAew

We won! Best Friends' "Bring Love Home" campaign earned the Utah Business Marketing & Communications Award for Best Integrated Marketing Campaign of the year! With 35,000 adoptions in 30 days, a 55% spike in website traffic, and a 59% increase in donations, this campaign brings us closer to No-Kill 2025. Huge thanks to our community, celebrity supporters, and our partners for making this impact possible! #BringLoveHome #NoKill2025

🚨 Rescues and private shelters: apply by February 28 at 11:59pm ET for an exciting new challenge from Best Friends Network 🚨 Are you ready to ramp up the impact you have on transfers in and adoptions? In the Partner Up Challenge (April 1-30), you'll have the opportunity to: ✔️ Increase adoptions & lifesaving transfers ✔️ Expand transport partnerships with participating shelters ✔️ Earn more grant funding 💰 Participating receiving organizations that complete the Partner Up Challenge requirements will receive a $2,000 grant. The top eight receiving groups with the greatest year-over-year improvement in adoptions and transfers in will receive a $5,000 grant!* You're already an essential lifeline for the animals in your community. This year, we want to help you make an even greater impact. Spots are limited, so apply by February 28. Selected organizations will be notified next week: https://brnw.ch/21wR05f

Are you looking to enhance the partnership you offer source shelters for transfers or transports? Check out this tip from Jess Bridges, Shelter Operations Manager at Peninsula SPCA in Virginia. We asked Jess to recommend just ONE thing a receiving organization could do to boost their transport program. P.S. Are you a sending organization? Check out Jess's tip for you here: https://lnkd.in/eiJdi7Ya

Looking to level up your transport program? Check out this tip from Jess Bridges, Shelter Operations Manager at @Peninsula SPCA in Virginia. We asked Jess if she could recommend just ONE thing a sending organization could do to boost their transport program, what would it be? P.S. Are you a receiving organization? Stay tuned tomorrow for Jess's tip for you!

If your organization has not already completed the Maddie's Fund national foster program survey, be sure to do so by Wednesday, February 26 to be eligible for a $500 grant from Maddie's Fund! https://brnw.ch/21wQVpx The survey will ask you about your organization’s policies and structure related to foster care, but you don’t need to have a foster program in order to complete it. They will only include one response per organization in their results.

Celebrating network partners' amazing accomplishments is one of our favorite things, and there's no shortage of opportunities at Best Friends National Conference. 11 organizations were honored this year with our Network Partner Awards, including the Touchstone Award, the Transformational Change Award, and the Collective Impact Award. 🏆 Collective Impact Award 🏆 Greensburg & Decatur County Animal Shelter (IN - not pictured) Ohio Alleycat Resource & Spay/Neuter Clinic (OH) Southern Pines Animal Shelter (MS) SPCA of Brazoria County (TX) The Little Lion Foundation (CA) 🏆 Transformational Change Award 🏆 Burke County Animal Services (NC - not pictured) Harrison County Animal Control (WV - not pictured) The Animal Foundation (NV) 🏆 Touchstone Award 🏆 Charleston Animal Society (SC) City of Elko Animal Shelter (NV) Nebraska Humane Society (NE) Congratulations to our honorees!

Are you at Best Friends National Conference in Palm Springs? Be sure you make time to visit us at the Best Friends Network Booth at 306C in The Hub. We'd love to chat with you about all the different ways Best Friends Network can support you, from events and challenges to grants, like our conference mystery grant! 👀 There are three more opportunities for BFNC attendees to explore The Hub: 🗓️ Thursday: 5-7pm 🗓️ Friday: 11:45-1:45pm 🗓️ Saturday: 11:45-1:45pm

Are you struggling with being able to offer fewer transfers to shelter partners? Take a tip from Southern Pines Animal Shelter in Mississippi: try doing swaps if you can’t do intakes alone. When they were unable to continue transferring in as many pets as in previous years, they employed shelter swaps to continue helping their shelter partners. Shelter Director Amanda Paris says the fresh start at a new shelter often results in a quick adoption for pets who had been long-timers at their previous shelter.

How are your transfers out holding up? Preliminary 2024 shelter data shows that dog transfers are up 1.7%—unfortunately, that may not be enough to keep pace with intake increases. What can you do if you don't have enough transfers out? One thing Dogs Playing for Life™ founder and CEO Aimee Sadler emphasizes in this situation is playgroup.   "Playgroups have a huge impact on what dogs get on the bus for transports," Aimee says. "It's so much easier for shelters to place dogs we say have been social with dogs while they're sheltered."   Dogs Playing for Life data shows that playgroups can increase dog live release rate and decrease dog length of stay, especially for large dogs. Check out these free resources and trainings: https://lnkd.in/ed9XmWzn