Best friends animal society looking to make no-kill 2025 a reality
This year is a big one for Best Friends Animal Society. Julie Castle, the organization’s CEO, calls 2025 the group’s “Super Bowl year.”
Having made incredible progress over the last 20-plus years, Castle and Best Friends believe they’re right on the doorstep of a monumental milestone. They’re aiming to achieve no-kill status at animal shelters nationwide in 2025.
“We’re at a tipping point,” Castle says. “When you think about non-profits, they have a lot of great causes but they don’t always have a cure. We have a solution. We know exactly how to do this and we can do it in our lifetime.”
Over the last four decades, Best Friends and its influence has grown tremendously. Castle has had a front-row seat for a while now, coming on board as Best Friends’ 17th employee in 1996, after deciding to join the organization on a whim. Nearly 30 years later, Best Friends has become a national leader in its mission to “save them all” —making the United States and its many animal shelters no-kill, meaning that 90% of cats and dogs coming into a shelter must be saved or placed in their forever homes.
Even Castle can’t believe how far they’ve come.
“In 2000, we declared to take Utah no-kill, and when we did that, 45,000 animals were dying each year. Now it’s down to 1,600,” she says, adding that 48 of the 59 animal shelters in the state are no-kill. “If you had told me that 20 years ago, I would have laughed at you.”
Best Friends Animal Society
5001 Angel Canyon Rd., Kanab
435-688-2327 | bestfriends.org
We know Utahns love making a difference, so our 2025 Jan/Feb issue we are spotlighting some of the most impactful philanthropic endeavors from around our state. These are the folks that strengthen our communities, tackle tough issues and create lasting change. Find them all here.
