Dear Friend,
No matter what life throws your way, one thing’s for sure: Whether you volunteer, advocate, foster or donate, homeless pets can count on you. As we look back on what we accomplished for dogs and cats this past year, that’s never been clearer.
Truly, it has been one of the most incredible and life-changing years ever for the animals. Animal lovers used their voices to send legislators nearly 34,000 messages to save homeless dogs and cats, and our 2025 Action Team grew to more than 41,000 members, representing all 50 states.
And together, we’ve helped to make policy changes and enact legislation that will have a lasting impact on animal welfare and bring the country closer to achieving no-kill by 2025.
Here are some of the wins
you made possible this year:
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- Four major animal welfare bills were signed into law in Illinois. These bills promote humane pet sales, help end dog breed discrimination by insurance companies, make housing more pet-inclusive, and increase non-surgical sterilization options for dogs and cats in Illinois shelters.
- In Nevada, a bill was signed into law that ends breed discrimination by insurance companies.
- Together, we reached a huge milestone, enacting more than 400 humane pet sales laws across North America, a big step toward bringing an end to puppy mills.
- Important policy changes were made in Hawaii that will preserve existing community cat programs. Those changes are crucial because the save rate for cats in Hawaii is low and community cat programs are the best way to immediately increase cat lifesaving.
- In Overland Park, Kansas, we helped secure the repeal of a breed ban that has been in place for 15 years, prohibiting residents from owning pit bulls or pit bull mixes as pets.
- We collaborated with groups across the country, including the American Bar Association, to have a provision placed in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to develop a uniform policy for dogs on military bases based on the behavior of the pet, not the breed.
- Together, we helped secure $10 million in the California state budget to fund pet-inclusive homeless shelters, allowing the pets of the state’s most vulnerable residents to stay with their families, keeping those pets from being surrendered to animal shelters.
With your help, we’re making wins like this possible for dogs and cats every day. We’re keeping community cats safe, ending breed bans and shutting down puppy mills. We’re driving positive change for cats and dogs and for the people who love them.
Thank you for continuing to give homeless pets the safe, bright future they deserve. Together, we will Save Them All.
Julie Castle, CEO
Best Friends Animal Society
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