Friday

Thank you, Alice Walton!

The love that Alice and Friday shared will live on and is honored here at the Best Friends Pet Resource Center.

heart with paw print

In loving memory of Friday

On his namesake day in April 2006, Good Friday Walton wandered up to the home of philanthropist Alice Walton. From that day forward, the two were best friends for the rest of Friday’s life. This sculpture captures his smart, intuitive, and pleasing personality. In Alice’s own words, Friday is a great reminder that “if we could all listen and be as sensitive as dogs are to our needs and emotions, the world would be a better place.”

In addition to being honored at the Best Friends Pet Resource Center, Friday is also celebrated in a sculpture near the south lawn of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and in a children's book called Friday Comes on Tuesday, available in the museum store.

You can help keep Friday's legacy alive

The Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Northwest Arkansas is a first-of-its-kind, fully reimagined animal shelter designed to support both pets and the people who love them.

As the future of animal sheltering, the Best Friends Pet Resource Center is more than just a place to adopt a pet. It’s a community destination that gives people better connection to adoptable pets and to each other, provides support for families to keep pets in homes, and offers opportunities for animal lovers to help make the state of Arkansas and the entire country no-kill in 2025.

It's also a place where we pay tribute to beloved pets like Friday with the sculptures you see displayed around the center and grounds, and a place where we express gratitude for generous donors like Alice Walton.

You can save the lives of homeless dogs and cats in Northwest Arkansas and help keep families together.

Make a Lifesaving Gift
Pair of people sitting on a couch, one holding a tri-colored puppy

Adopt a pet and save a life

Millions of cats and dogs enter shelters each year. One of them may be your new best friend.

When you adopt from a Best Friends location, or from one of the many shelters and rescue groups around the country, you’re not only adding a loyal and loving companion to your family, you’re helping to save lives.

View Adoptable Pets

You can also help today by adopting, volunteering, fostering and advocating for the pets who need you most in your community.

Smiling person holding a tabby kitten

Volunteer to help pets

There are countless ways to save lives by volunteering your time for pets in need.
Become a Volunteer
Smiling person outside with a brown and white dog whose paws are over her shoulder

Foster a pet and save lives

Welcoming a pet into your home for a short time not only helps that pet, it saves more lives by freeing up space in shelters.
Save Lives by Fostering

More stories from Northwest Arkansas

Looking for more inspiration? Check out these pets and their stories of hope, love and resilience.

Franklin and Nigel the cats in the vintage shop

10 inspiring pet adoption stories from 2024

Enjoy some of the year’s most heartwarming tales from around the country of pets going home.
Read the most heartwarming adoption stories of the year
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Sabine the dog in her foster home

Faces of No-Kill: Dog goes from shut down to shining

Sabine’s story shows that even the most broken spirits can heal.
Foster care transforms her
Video
Pumba the dog with mouth open in a smile

Watch: Heartwarming reunion between dog and his person

Pumba’s person never intended for him to end up in a shelter, and everyone could feel the love when the two were reunited.
See the love
Video
Best Friends Logo Mark

About Best Friends

Best Friends Animal Society is working to save the lives of cats and dogs all across the country, giving pets second chances and happy homes.

Just a few years ago, cats and dogs were killed in staggering numbers in this country simply because shelters didn’t have the community support or the resources to save their lives. As of 2023, that number is 415,000 per year, but there’s still work to do to ensure a bright future for every dog and cat in America.

Best Friends operates the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals and is saving the lives of homeless pets across the country by working with shelters and passionate people like you. Together, we will bring the whole country to no-kill in 2025. Together, we will Save Them All.

Cream colored tabby cat with a smiling person lying down behind him on some colorful pillows

Let’s be friends!

Connect with us on social media to stay in the loop about what’s happening at the Best Friends Pet Resource Center.

Follow along to see photos and videos from our events, hear about upcoming adoption events, admire adorable adoptable pets, discover kitten care tips, check out foster success stories and so much more. 

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