CNBNews

Trenton N.J. (May 12, 2025) — Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters, released new data indicating New Jersey is on the cusp of achieving no-kill* with 89.5% of cats and dogs in shelters statewide saved in 2024—only 1,700 more pets need to be saved for New Jersey to achieve no-kill.   

Of the 70 animal shelters in New Jersey, 52 maintained or reached no-kill in 2024 and an additional 13 shelters have fewer than 100 animals to save achieve this lifesaving milestone. Nearly 95% of the pets dying unnecessarily in New Jersey shelters are cats. New Jersey can achieve no-kill with the passage of Compassion for Community Cats Act (A3635, S261), which would remove unnecessary barriers that cost communities and taxpayers excessive resources to operate trap-neuter-vaccinate-return programs (TNVR) to manage outdoor cat populations. The bill would make it more efficient and economical for local governments that choose TNVR to run their programs and increase opportunities for public-private partnerships in animal care and control.   

“New Jersey is incredibly close to becoming a no-kill state — a milestone that reflects the dedication of shelters, rescue groups, and communities across the state,” said Aurora Velazquez, East Region Director, Best Friends Animal Society, and New Jersey native. “Passing the Compassion for Community Cats Act is the final push we need. It’s a commonsense, cost-effective solution that will empower local communities to humanely manage outdoor cat populations and ensure more animals stay out of shelters and in the communities, they call home.” 

To continue the lifesaving momentum and to reduce the number of cats unnecessarily killed in shelters, New Jerseyans are urged to let their lawmakers know they support the Compassion for Community Cats Act by sending a message from bfas.org/nj25. Choosing to adopt, temporarily fostering a pet, supporting a local municipal shelter by volunteering or donating are also essential for achieving and sustaining no-kill throughout every community in New Jersey.  

No-kill is within reach for hundreds of shelters across the country. Of those that have not yet achieved this benchmark, nearly half are less than 100 pets away from the milestone. 

Best Friends’ latest annual data report shows Americans saved nearly four million dogs and cats from being killed in U.S. shelters last year. Best Friends attributes the positive pet lifesaving trend to the public’s increased support and demand for no-kill shelter programs across the country. Over the last eight years, shelters have seen a nearly 60% reduction in the number of healthy and treatable pets unnecessarily dying due to space.  

“Millions of U.S. households will add a pet to their family this year,” said Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society. “If just 1 in 17 of those families chose to adopt from a shelter instead of purchasing from a pet store or breeder, we could reach no-kill nationwide. This is solvable – we can end the unnecessary killing of our nation’s pets – their lives are literally in all of our hands.”  

In 2024, 4.8 million dogs and cats entered America’s shelters, down 12% compared to 2016. To put that in perspective, in 2016, over one million dogs and cats were killed in shelters. Last year that number dropped to 425,000— a 59% decrease, with nearly two out of three shelters achieving no-kill. There has been a 10.5% decrease in the number of cats killed in shelters since 2023, meaning the number of cats killed in shelters is now at the lowest point in history.  

To further lifesaving momentum, governors and legislators nationwide are aligning with no-kill trends as evidenced by 12 states having issued no-kill proclamations or resolutions since 2024 – including Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.  

 To learn more about Best Friends’ data or how to help make New Jersey no-kill, visit bestfriends.org.   

*No-kill is defined by a 90% save rate for animals entering a shelter and is a meaningful and common-sense benchmark for measuring lifesaving progress. Typically, the number of pets who are suffering from irreparable medical or behavioral issues that compromise their quality of life and prevent them from being rehomed is not more than 10% of all dogs and cats entering shelters. For any community to be no-kill, all stakeholders in that community must work together to achieve and sustain that common goal while prioritizing community safety and good quality of life for pets as guiding no-kill principles. This means cooperation among animal shelters, animal rescue groups, government agencies, community members and other stakeholders, all committed to best practices and protocols.  

 About Best Friends Animal Society Data  

Best Friends Animal Society has the most comprehensive and accurate dataset in the industry, providing key insights and analytics from more than 10,000 shelters and rescue groups across the United States, and sharing it in the most transparent way possible. This data is publicly available through our pet lifesaving dashboard down to the shelter level. Best Friends believes trusting the public with this level of data transparency is critical for a community to achieve no-kill. Our lifesaving dashboard is the ONLY centralized place where you can go see individual shelter data, including data that Best Friends actively sought out through open records requests and publicly accessible sources to provide the most complete picture possible.  

About Best Friends Animal Society   

Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America's shelters and making the entire country no-kill. Founded in 1984, Best Friends runs lifesaving facilities and programs nationwide in partnership with more than 5,000 shelters and rescue organizations. From our headquarters in Kanab, Utah, we also operate the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary — a destination that brings our mission to life for thousands of visitors each year. We maintain the most comprehensive animal sheltering data in the country and make it accessible to the public — empowering communities with critical insights into the needs of their local shelters and how they can help. We believe every dog and cat deserves a home. And we believe that, by working together, we can Save Them All®.  

###