Changes to rescue, adoption practices save more animals
I love a challenge! That's what no-kill 2025 is all about — to challenge ourselves and our movement to do the absolute best we can for pets in shelters.
I also love to pass along stories of people who rise up in the face of adversity and step up to another level to defy the odds — especially when it comes to lifesaving.
That’s why I love what 27-year-old Madison Ohler, who runs Wonky Whiskers Rescue in Woodway, Texas, did with a little help from her friends when her operation was up against the wall.
Madison, featured above in this blog’s cover photo, says she was drowning with medical cases and kittens. Her organization does cat and kitten adoptions, supports community spay/neuter, and vaccinates community cats. “I was getting burned out quickly,” she says. And she’s far from alone. At her wit’s end, Madison was ready to try something different.
Then, in June, Best Friends offered our first-ever challenge with the goal of breaking down barriers to pet adoption within shelters and rescue groups across the country. According to our 2023 national data report, pet adoption in rescue groups is down by 26%, and with the restrictions applied during COVID, many of which haven’t been lifted, we aren’t surprised. Participating organizations signed up to try out new operational practices, host adoption events, and/or start or expand their foster programs throughout the month in an effort to increase pet lifesaving in their communities and receive a guaranteed $1,000 grant. Groups could opt to reduce or waive adoption fees, remove the appointment requirements and offer same-day adoptions, or eliminate home and landlord checks, just to name a few of the options.
Madison’s organization, along with 208 others, chose the best option for their needs and the challenge was underway. Wonky Whiskers also decided to hold adoption events around their base in Woodway to find unexpected adopters. “Lowering the adoption fee by 50% was a huge success,” Madison says. “I think having the adoption events in a public place was better than our home (we are foster based).”
Wonky Whiskers’ approach worked. They saw a 2,133% increase in getting pets into homes. The pilot program was temporary, but keeping these changes in place saves lives continuously.
Now, that 2,133% number is a major jump — and it goes to show how small process changes can result in major lifesaving changes. In June 2023, Wonky Whiskers placed three pets into foster or adoptive homes. In June 2024, during the challenge, the group placed 67 pets. Remarkable!
We quickly learned from many different types of animal organizations that putting these challenge parameters in place got more animals into homes all across the country. One Indiana shelter challenge participant opted to eliminate vet checks.
Lindsey Marie Hagedorn, director of the Warrick Humane Society, which received a $1,000 grant and saw a 106% placement increase, says staff buy-in was of utmost importance. “I have wanted to implement this; however, staff is always worried about something bad happening to the animals," she says. "This event showed them that everything was OK. I think them knowing that it was a short-term change allowed them to be open to the possibility. Then, when discussing afterwards, we all agreed to keep this new operating measure in place."
In many cases, this challenge served as a conduit to do the things they already knew they wanted to do, and that is why partnerships are at the cornerstone of what we do. Out of the 208 shelters and rescue groups that completed the challenge, 131 organizations reported an increase in adoption and fostering when comparing June 2024 to June 2023. And even better, 34,557 dogs and cats were placed in adoptive or foster homes in June 2024, which is 3,548 more dogs and cats than the same time last year. Thousands of animals are now living in loving homes thanks to these organizations trying something new.
Overall, Best Friends gave $345,000 in grants to the 208 network partners that completed this challenge. The Best Friends Network is a coalition committed to saving the lives of homeless cats and dogs through collaboration, information sharing, and implementation of proven lifesaving strategies. This challenge is one of many programs that the network offers to further support our partners’ work as they inspire their own communities to increase lifesaving of dogs and cats across the country.
Madison needs no more convincing. “We focused our social media on adoptions more so than usual, which also seemed to be successful,” Madison says. “We asked for fosters more often and created an application for fosters. … We learned that removing barriers for adopters and fosters is crucial. We want to keep our babies in safe homes … but sometimes the barriers prevent them from ever finding one. So far, all the adopters have been wonderful.”
To get more animals out of shelters and rescue groups and into homes, we can’t rest on our laurels. I’m thrilled for these organizations seeing increased lifesaving after changing up some practices, and I’m grateful for their willingness and excitement to try something new. Individuals like Madison are the bedrock of our movement — kudos to her.
We’re all in this together. Let’s keep pushing forward.
-Julie
