Best Friends Network: Save Lives Together
Join thousands of shelters and rescues working together to save homeless dogs and cats.
Best Friends Network: Saving Lives Through Collaboration
The Best Friends Network represents a revolutionary approach to animal welfare in the United States. It is a free community of thousands of public and private shelters, rescue groups, spay/neuter organizations, and other animal welfare groups working collaboratively across all 50 states. At its core, the network is built on a single, powerful mission: to save the lives of homeless cats and dogs through collaboration, information-sharing, and the implementation of proven lifesaving strategies.
Best Friends Animal Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Kanab, Utah, founded and leads this network. The organization operates the nation’s largest sanctuary for homeless animals, spanning 3,700 acres with an additional 33,000 acres leased from the United States Bureau of Land Management. This sanctuary is home to approximately 1,500 homeless animals and serves as the anchor for the entire network’s mission.
What Is the Best Friends Network?
The Best Friends Network comprises thousands of animal welfare organizations dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats. It is a supportive community where partners work together to increase lifesaving efforts in their communities and across the nation. The network recognizes that no single rescue group or shelter can create a no-kill city alone; therefore, collaboration is essential.
What makes the Best Friends Network unique is its inclusive approach. Organizations at all stages of their lifesaving journey are welcome to join, provided they are committed to increasing their lifesaving efforts. This means that shelters and rescues don’t need to be no-kill operations to participate. Instead, the network provides the resources, training, and support needed to help them achieve that goal.
Core Features and Benefits of Membership
Becoming a Best Friends Network partner offers organizations numerous advantages at no cost to their organization. Network partners receive exclusive benefits designed to enhance their lifesaving capabilities:
Exclusive Resources and Tools
Network members gain access to specialized digital tools, research, tech solutions, and resources developed by Best Friends staff members and experts from across the country. These tools are specifically designed to help organizations implement proven lifesaving strategies and improve their operations.
Grant Opportunities
Members can access grants that support effective and innovative lifesaving programs, including adoption, spay/neuter services, and intake prevention initiatives. Best Friends commits substantial funding to support its network partners, with recent years offering millions of dollars in grant opportunities to help organizations expand their lifesaving work.
Dedicated Regional Support
Each region of the country benefits from a dedicated regional team that provides personalized support to network organizations. This support includes coalition-building opportunities, the chance to learn from groups in surrounding counties and states, and assistance in becoming lifesaving models for their communities.
Professional Connections
The network facilitates connections between animal welfare professionals, allowing partners to share best practices, collaborate on solutions, and build relationships with peers who understand their work. This professional community is invaluable for organizations seeking to solve challenges and implement new programs.
How to Join the Best Friends Network
Joining the Best Friends Network is a straightforward process designed to be accessible to qualifying organizations. The application process typically takes about five business days to review, and joining is completely free.
Eligibility Requirements
To become a network partner, organizations must meet specific criteria:
Legal Status: Organizations must be an approved 501(c)(3) public charity or municipal shelter. This requirement ensures that all network partners are legitimate nonprofit organizations committed to their communities.
Geographic Location: The organization must operate in the United States (excluding U.S. Territories) and serve dogs and/or cats and their owners.
Lifesaving Commitment: Organizations must be actively working toward the Best Friends mission of achieving no-kill status by operating or supporting an active dog and/or cat adoption program, transport services, spay/neuter services, or intake prevention program.
Compliance and Care Standards: The organization must be in compliance with all local laws and regulations governing animal sheltering and must provide appropriate daily care to all animals under its care. This includes animals in foster homes or at other offsite locations, with standards covering sanitary living conditions, food, water, enrichment, and shelter.
Good Standing: Organizations must be in good standing with GuideStar Charity Check, which verifies their nonprofit status and transparency practices.
Application Process
The application process is simple and designed to be completed in just a few steps. Once submitted, applications are typically reviewed within five business days. Upon approval, organizations receive an email with website links and other important information to get started as a network partner.
Understanding the Network Structure
The Best Friends Network operates as a decentralized yet coordinated system of animal welfare organizations. Best Friends Animal Society serves as the leader and coordinator, providing strategic direction, resources, and support to network partners across the country.
Network Composition
The network includes a diverse array of organizations:
Public Shelters: Municipal animal shelters that are part of local government systems.
Private Rescue Organizations: Nonprofit rescue groups focused on specific breeds, species, or populations of animals.
Spay/Neuter Organizations: Groups dedicated to providing low-cost or free spay and neuter services to prevent animal overpopulation.
Transport Groups: Organizations that specialize in moving animals from high-intake shelters to areas with greater adoption capacity.
Support Organizations: Groups that provide foster care, medical services, behavioral training, and other support services.
Geographic Coverage
With partners in all 50 states, the network provides comprehensive coverage across the United States. This extensive network allows for coordination and collaboration on lifesaving strategies regardless of geographic location. Best Friends also maintains satellite offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Bentonville, Arkansas; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; New York City; and Salt Lake City, Utah to better serve regional partners.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Friends Network
Q: Can municipal shelters participate in the Best Friends Network?
A: Yes, Best Friends strongly encourages municipal shelters to become network partners. Municipal shelters can be approved 501(c)(3) public charities or municipal shelters and are eligible to join and benefit from the network’s resources and support.
Q: Does an organization have to be no-kill to become a network partner?
A: No. Best Friends accepts groups at all stages of their lifesaving journey into the network provided that they are committed to increasing lifesaving. The goal of the network is to provide organizations with the resources they need to successfully achieve no-kill status.
Q: What if my organization is not currently a 501(c)(3) but has started the application process?
A: Organizations must have their 501(c)(3) nonprofit status approved before applying to become a network partner. Once you obtain your status, you are welcome to apply.
Q: How long does it take to process a network partner application?
A: Applications are typically reviewed within five business days. After approval, you will receive an email with website links and other important information to begin your membership.
Q: What kind of support does the network provide to organizations?
A: The network provides dedicated regional support, access to specialized digital tools and resources, grant opportunities, professional connections with other animal welfare experts, and tailored training and events designed to enhance lifesaving efforts.
Getting Involved and Making a Difference
Beyond organizational partnerships, individuals can also support the mission of the Best Friends Network. There are multiple ways to contribute to saving the lives of homeless cats and dogs through network partners in your community:
Adoption: The most direct way to help is by adopting a pet from a network partner shelter or rescue organization.
Fostering: Many network organizations need foster families to provide temporary homes for animals while they await permanent placement.
Volunteering: Network organizations often need volunteers to help with care, socialization, events, and administrative tasks.
Donations: Financial contributions support the critical work of network partners in adoption, spay/neuter services, medical care, and lifesaving programs.
The Impact of Network Collaboration
The Best Friends Network has established itself as a cornerstone of the no-kill movement in the United States. By bringing together thousands of organizations across all 50 states, the network demonstrates the power of collaboration in achieving shared lifesaving goals. Each partner organization benefits from the collective knowledge, resources, and determination of the entire network.
The network’s model recognizes that each shelter and the community it serves have unique needs and challenges. Rather than imposing one-size-fits-all solutions, the network provides tailored resources and support designed to address the specific lifesaving needs of each organization. This personalized approach, combined with the power of collaboration, has proven effective in helping communities move toward no-kill status.
Conclusion
The Best Friends Network represents a transformative approach to animal welfare, proving that when organizations work together with shared purpose and resources, they can save many more lives. Whether you represent an animal welfare organization looking to join this supportive community or an individual seeking to make a difference, the Best Friends Network offers pathways to meaningful participation in the mission to save homeless cats and dogs. By joining this network of thousands of dedicated partners across all 50 states, you become part of a powerful movement toward a no-kill America where every animal deserves a chance at a loving home.
References
- Best Friends Animal Society – Who We Are — Best Friends Animal Society. 2025. https://bestfriends.org/who-we-are
- Best Friends Network: Join Us — Best Friends Animal Society. 2025. https://bestfriends.org/network/join-us
- Network Partners | Best Friends Animal Society — Best Friends Animal Society. 2025. https://bestfriends.org/network
- Best Friends Animal Society — Wikipedia. 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_Friends_Animal_Society
- Network Partners Map — Best Friends Animal Society. 2025. https://bestfriends.org/partners/network-partners-map
- Best Friends Network Partners: Supporting Network Partners — Best Friends Animal Society. 2025. https://bestfriends.org/no-kill/priorities/supporting-network-partners
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