Best Friends

 

No More Homeless Pets
The Best Friends Network
Calls for Help
How the Network manages requests
and helps keep animals in homes
(transcript of an online Q&A with
Network members)
Featured Stories
Some recently featured stories
of the Network in action

Network F.A.Q.s




What is the Best Friends Network?

The Best Friends Network is thousands of animal lovers and organizations across the country, working to help animals in their own communities and to bring about a time when there will be No More Homeless Pets.
Read more about the No More Homeless Pets Campaign.


What do Best Friends Network members do?

Network members volunteer to help animals locally in a wide variety of ways. Some members provide hands-on care to animals, such as feeding feral cats, transporting animals to the vet, or walking dogs at the local shelter. Others help out at events or with special projects, such as fundraising benefits, adoption fairs, spay/neuter clinics or other projects. Still other members contribute their professional expertise, such as accounting services, legal advice or desktop publishing skills, for the benefit of the animals.


Who can join?

Anyone who wants to help animals locally can join. Thousands of individuals and hundreds of local shelters, rescue groups and animal welfare organizations across the country are part of the Best Friends Network.


How can my organization participate?

We can notify local Network members about any specific volunteer help your group needs, from hands-on animal care to organizational skills to professional expertise. We can help spread the word about events that non-profit animal organizations and animal control facilities may be hosting. In addition, we send organizations the same notices that individual network members receive about local animal situations and local happenings. It's all about spreading the word and joining forces to help the animals!


Does it cost anything to join the Network?

The national Network is made up entirely of volunteers and membership is free.


How is Best Friends Animal Society involved in the Network?

Best Friends Animal Society coordinates the Network. Our Network staff personally responds each week to over 500 phone calls and emails requesting help for animals. They also share information (usually via email) on local animal situations with Network Members who may be able to provide volunteer assistance.


What resources are available for Network members?

We offer No More Homeless Pets conferences in cities across the country and workshops and internships at the sanctuary throughout the year. See our schedule of Workshops & Events for information about No More Homeless Pets Conferences and other events.


Manuals and brochures on finding homes for animals, helping feral cats, starting community programs, and many other topics that help individuals and organizations to help animals are available online at no cost. See Resources or our section on No-Kill Community Programs for more information.


Staff members are often available for speaking engagements and workshop presentations on a variety of topics. They are also available, as time permits, to consult with grassroots organizations at no cost. To inquire about availability, email nmhp@bestfriends.org.


Are there meetings for Network members?

We encourage Network members to get together with other Network members in their local communities. If you'd like to organize a community get-together or meeting we'll help notify other local Network Members.


How can my organization help spread news about animal rescue and No More Homeless Pets?

Each week our email newsletter shares good news about animal rescues and the things Network members have done. We also publish news about rescues and No More Homeless Pets on our web site (see Campaign News) and in Best Friends magazine. We welcome submissions from members and other organizations. Just send us your good news and best rescue stories, along with a photo, if you can. Some of the stories may appear in Best Friends magazine; others may be included in local and national news releases or on our web site. If a story is used, we will include your organization's contact information. Send stories via email to nmhp@bestfriends.org or send to: Karen Green, No More Homeless Pets, Best Friend Animal Sanctuary, Kanab, UT 84741-5000


What can I do on my own to help animals?

Here are some suggestions for What One Person Can Do to Help


How the Network Can Help You

Perhaps you're feeding some homeless cats in your neighborhood and could use a little help. We'll notify members nearby and ask if they'd like to give you a hand.


Maybe you'd just like to get together with other local members to see how you can help the animals more effectively as a group. It's always good to know that there are other people who feel the way you do about caring for the animals.


If you'd simply like us to keep in touch with you about Network activities near where you live, you'll receive email notices whenever we learn of local activities.


How You Can Help the Network

If you have an afternoon to spare once a month or more, you might like to help out at your local shelter, walking the dogs, grooming the cats, helping out at an adoption event, or whatever else is needed. We can put you in touch with a shelter or rescue group that would appreciate the help.


Maybe you have professional skills and would like to donate your expertise to helping animals in your local area.


If you're good with email, on the phone, or with organizing things and have time available, perhaps you can act as a volunteer coordinator or event planner for a local humane group.

No More Homeless Pets
 
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