Animal Welfare and Adoption Groups

Here are three examples of the many organizations that exist to better the lives of unwanted and abused animals:

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Angel Canyon, Utah, is the nation's largest sanctuary for abandoned and abused dogs, cats, horses, and other animals. Animals come to the 3,000-acre sanctuary from all over the country and each day there are at least 1,800 animals at the facility. Best Friends seeks to place adoptable animals in loving homes. Those who are sick, very old, or who have suffered extreme trauma are kept at the sanctuary for the rest of their lives.

Best Friends was begun in Arizona in the 1970s by a group of animal lovers who rescued animals from shelters, rehabilitated them, and attempted to find homes for them. The number of unadoptable animals grew and eventually a permanent home was needed for the organization. The sanctuary was established in Angel Canyon in the early 1980s.

Hearts United for Animals in Auburn, Nebraska, is a no-kill shelter and animal welfare organization located on two farms with a total of 105 acres. There are approximately 250 dogs at the farms at any one time. They also rescue cats, but their numbers are small. Dogs who cannot be adopted stay at the shelter for the rest of their lives. The largest of the two shelter facilities is located on a 65-acre tree farm and features specialty housing that includes soft beds, covered patios, and dog play houses for dogs up for adoption. On the grounds of the shelter is a spay/neuter clinic, grooming salon, memorial park, and an agility field.

North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington, New York, began its legacy of helping unwanted animals working out of a garage in 1944. Since then, the organization has become one of the largest pet adoption agencies in the world. Animals are rescued from shelters and overcrowded animal organizations throughout the country and brought to North Shore's no-kill adoption center, which houses approximately 350 dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens. Trained counselors work with adopters to ensure that animals are placed in good homes. In addition to rescue and adoption efforts, North Shore also has humane education and public outreach programs.