First Home
Forever Home

Helping people provide a loving,
forever home for their pets.

The Best Friends First Home Forever Home campaign focuses on all aspects of helping people make and honor a lifetime commitment to their pets.

Millions of companion animals die every year in crowded shelters because their families decided to let them go for some reason. Through education, intervention and action, First Home Forever Home provides guidance and resources to help people care for their pets and keep them as loved members of their families.

The goal of First Home Forever Home is to help individuals and families understand that bringing a pet into one's life requires commitment of time, energy and resources to ensure that the animal has the quality of life he or she deserves. We create awareness about the need for careful consideration of the lifetime care required when someone gets a pet. We promote accepting responsibility for providing for pets' needs, and we offer help and support for handling a wide variety of potential challenges. This campaign is designed to help people and their pets stay together happily.

How is Best Friends helping to keep pets with their families?

We work with individuals and families, shelters and rescue groups, and a variety of other organizations that provide information, services and care for animals to create an easily accessible network of information and resources to promote the concept of people keeping pets in a forever home.

Best Friends networks in communities across the country to support local efforts, offer assistance with projects, and share available resources.

We provide educational materials through the First Home Forever Home campaign via the resource section of their community, and also through programs offered through our Humane Education department.

How can you support First Home Forever Home?

Educate yourself, your family members, your friends and acquaintances about the importance of making a lifetime commitment to pets.
Before getting a pet, do some research to ensure that you choose the right pet for your lifestyle. You'll want to consider what each type of pet needs to be happy and how to provide the proper care.
Adopt a pet instead of buying from a pet store or breeder.
Spay or neuter your pets and provide the needed veterinary care.
License, ID and microchip your pets.
Seek help if you encounter behavior or medical challenges: Consult our No More Homeless Pets or You & Your Pets resource library, contact Best Friends' Community Animal Assistance helpline (435-644-2001, ext. 4800, or animalhelp@bestfriends.org), work with a trainer or your veterinarian.
When you move, plan ahead to find secure, pet-friendly housing.
Foster a pet for a family in temporary need because of military deployment, medical issues, domestic violence or home foreclosure.
Join the Best Friends Network's First Home Forever Home community and to keep up-to-date on campaign action items.
Donate to support the First Home Forever Home campaign.
Read our First Home Forever Home Fact Sheet.