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The Beginning
Best Friends becomes the flagship for the no-kill movement.
Rich Avanzino, largely regarded as the Father of the no-kill movement is president of San Francisco SPCA. Avanzino gives notice to the city of San Francisco that the society will end animal control services for the city. -
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The History of the Best Friends Animal Society
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"In the Name of Mercy"
The San Francisco SPCA hands animal control back to the city and the newly formed Department of Animal Care and Control and focuses on making San Francisco a no-kill city.
Ed Duvin writes his revolutionary article “In the Name of Mercy.” Duvin makes a rational appeal for a new ethic in animal sheltering, questioning conventional wisdom about the kindest way to relate to homeless animals. It sets the philosophical stage for the no-kill movement. -
STOP (Solutions To Overpopulation Problems)
San Francisco becomes the nation's first no-kill city when the San Francisco SPCA, under Rich Avanzino, establishes an adoption pact with the Department of Animal Care and Control. New Hampshire, led by Peter Marsh founder and president of STOP (Solutions To Overpopulation Problems), launches the nation's first publicly funded state-wide spay/neuter campaign and first large-scale targeting of low-income pet owners. New Hampshire's intake drops by a third in six years. -
"Disposable Animals"
Doing Things For Animals hosts the first no-kill conference in Phoenix, Arizona, with 75 people in attendance and puts together the first national directory of no-kill organizations. Craig Brestrup, then director of the Progressive Animal Welfare Society, writes the book, Disposable Animals, challenging the commonly held premise that if animals are not euthanized in shelters they likely face fates worse than death. -
Maddie's fund
Dave Duffield, the CEO of People Soft, establishes Maddie's Fund with $300 million to promote no-kill communities and appoints Rich Avanzino as president.
Mike Arms launches Home 4 the Holidays, making the adoption of shelter animals a national mainstream marketing event that leads to several million shelter pets finding home -
No More Homeless Pets
No More Homeless Pets in Utah, a program of Best Friends Animal Society launches the first statewide no-kill campaign. It's funded by Maddie's Fund. No More Homeless Pets in Utah goes on to adopt over 100,000 animals, spay and neuter 237,000, achieve 12 no-kill communities (and counting), and currently has over an 85 percent save rate for dogs statewide. -
Another No-Kill city
Calgary, Alberta, a city of over 1 million residents, becomes the largest no-kill city in the world under the leadership of Bill Bruce at Calgary Animal Services. Bruce achieved no-kill through an enforcement/community relations model. For several years before 2010, Calgary achieved no-kill for dogs under Bruce's leadership.
The city council in Austin, Texas, votes in a plan to make Austin a no-kill city. -
It's spreading
Los Angeles has reduced the number of animals being killed in shelters by 50 percent, and is on-track to become a no-kill city over the next two years. -
APRA (Atlanta Pet Rescue and Adoption)
APRA (Atlanta Pet Rescue and Adoption) joins Best Friends Animal Society and becomes Best Friends Animal Society—Atlanta, leading the way for no-kill to spread throughout the southeast. -
Best Friends
Best Friends is able to determine that the number of dogs and cats killed in shelters nationwide has gradually been reduced to approximately 2 million annually, from 17 million in 1984.
The Best Friends Pet Adoption Center opens in the SoHo neighborhood in New York City. The facility showcases adoptable animals and features interactive displays and maps to inspire and engage people from all around the country to work for no-kill in their own communities.
