Strategic Summary

Mission
To bring about a time when there are No More Homeless Pets®. We do this by demonstrating and promoting exemplary animal care, and building and promoting community programs and partnerships.

Strategy
To decrease shelter intakes and increase national save rates, with a focus on improvement in seven program cities: Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, and Atlanta.

A powerful source of inspiration is embodied in Angel Canyon (home to Best Friends and the Sanctuary): the place, the people, and the animals. Our proposed strategy is to enhance the sense of being part of a special family, with a special home and the special aim of all working together to achieve No More Homeless Pets. The strategy:

• Mainstream the No More Homeless Pets message
• Innovate and promote advanced standards in animal care as well as programs and policies that save lives
• Make the Angel Canyon experience educational, motivating and inspiring
• Grow our membership and increase member engagement
• Improve our organizational health and effectiveness

Capacity
The strategic goals are guided by the principle that our strength is in our membership (presently 250,000 strong). Therefore, the more we grow, engage and diversify our membership, as well as inspire our members to increased action nationally on behalf of animals, the more our mission will be advanced.

We also feel strongly that Best Friends should lead the way for other organizations and communities by developing and showcasing innovative programs and policies that save lives. Best Friends recognizes that animal welfare groups must work together to truly create a time of No More Homeless Pets. To help fulfill this mission, Best Friends created Network Charities, a program that provides rescue groups with the tools and support they need to fundraise, increase adoptions, and connect with their local community to promote their organization and increase the number of volunteers. At the present time, there are more than 170 charities participating in the Network Charities program.

Metrics
Best Friends will use national animal statistics and program area statistics(dogs and cats); specifically, save rates, intake rates, and adoption rates, to measure progress.

Some Examples of Progress To Date

Salt Lake City, Utah: Salt Lake County Animal Services Pit Crew
Salt Lake County Animal Services partnered with Best Friends Animal Society to develop a program focused on increasing the number of pit-bull-terrier-type dogs adopted from the Salt Lake County shelter. Several key components have made this program unique and successful: a free spay/neuter program for pit-bull-terrier-type dogs in Salt Lake County Animal Services' jurisdiction, low-cost or free Canine Good Citizen classes at the shelter (free with adoption or foster), a reliable and experienced foster parent network, special adoption days and other special events, and dedicated volunteers who help with enrichment for the dogs at the shelter and at the events. Through outreach programs, breed education, and positive media coverage of sponsored events, the project seeks to transform the image of pit-bull-terrier-type dogs in the community.

Progress to date: Compared to the same time last year, the euthanasia rate of pit-bull-terrier-type dogs is down by 10 percent and adoption of these dogs has increased by 10 percent.

Jacksonville, Florida: Feral Freedom
Feral Freedom, a collaborative effort among the City of Jacksonville, First Coast No More Homeless Pets (FCNMHP), the Jacksonville Humane Society, and Best Friends Animal Society, is an innovative program designed to promote TNR (trap/neuter/return) as the preferred method of dealing with the feral cat population. TNR reduces the number of feral cats humanely. Instead of being brought to shelters and then euthanized, all feral cats taken in by Jacksonville Animal Control now bypass the shelter system and are brought directly to FCNMHP, where they receive sterilization, vaccinations, a microchip, flea treatment, and an ear tip. Once they have recovered from surgery, they are released back to the place where they were captured.

Progress to date: Since August of 2008, Feral Freedom has saved over 9,000 feral cats. Also, because the project keeps feral cats from going to the shelter in the first place, it has freed up significant shelter space and resources for other animals. FCNMHP reports that the cat euthanasia rate is down 61 percent and adoptions are up 40 percent since Feral Freedom has been in operation. FCNMHP also reports that since 2002 they have been able to reduce overall shelter admissions by 43 percent and facilitate more than 70,000 spay/neuter surgeries.

Kanab, Utah: Learning Opportunities at the Sanctuary
Every year, thousands of people visit and volunteer at the Sanctuary and 2009 was no different. The animals enjoyed extra attention form 32,380 visitors, including 8,415 volunteers - a 28 percent increase over 2008.