Spay Neuter Network has been recognized with the LIFESAVING AWARD for Collective Impact from Best Friends Animal Society, a national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters. This award is for demonstrating outstanding ability to support fellow partners and working collaboratively toward a common goal. Specifically, SNN’s new Pet Support and Resource call center, which is helping to lower pet surrender levels by helping owners get the resources they need to keep their pets, helping them rehome their pets or diverting pets to appropriate rescues for faster adoptions keeping shelter intake down.

Spay Neuter Network is a member of the Best Friends Network , which comprises thousands of animal shelters, spay/neuter organizations, and other 501(c)(3) public charity rescue groups across all 50 states working to save the lives of dogs and cats in their communities.

Together, Best Friends and its network partners are working to achieve no-kill for dogs and cats nationwide by 2025. Reaching this goal will mean that every shelter in our country is getting the community support it needs to save every dog and cat who can be saved. It means healing the animals who can be healed, treating behaviors that can be treated, and prioritizing public health, safety, and a high quality of life for both pets and people in our communities. When a shelter is saving at least 90% of the dogs and cats it’s admitting, that shelter is designated as no-kill. A no-kill community is a city or town in which every brick-and-mortar shelter serving or located within that community has reached a 90% save rate or higher and adheres to the no-kill philosophy.

Spay Neuter Network was selected for the Collective Impact award based on national shelter data and work from calendar year 2019 (compared to 2018). National, state, and shelter level data can be found on the pet lifesaving dashboard published by Best Friends.

“It’s incredible to see so many shelters around the nation taking dramatic steps to increase lifesaving,” said Brent Toellner, senior director, national programs for Best Friends Animal Society. “Whether it be through new programming, progressive leadership or better collaborative partnerships, these groups are showing that lifesaving success is possible regardless of a shelter’s size or location.”

“Spay Neuter Network is so excited about being chosen by Best Friend Animal Society for the national Collective Impact Award.   Being recognized for our ability to think outside the box and work with organizations and citizens throughout North Texas to save more lives is extremely rewarding.  Our staff works tirelessly to help engage residents in the solution of unwanted pets.    We couldn’t do everything we do if we didn’t have North Texas partners in the animal welfare field that see solutions and not road blocks to success.” Said Bonnie Hill, executive director, Spay Neuter Network.  “This reward is for all the organizations which truly work daily to solve issues and put an end to pet homelessness. “

Toellner added: ” It’s going to take embracing all models of lifesaving, as well as maximizing collaboration with and support of each other to reach our goal of ending the killing of pets in shelters by 2025. But with so much progress being made, getting our nation to a point where it has finally put a stop to the unnecessary deaths of animals in shelters not only seems possible, but inevitable.”

About Spay Neuter Network
Spay Neuter Network’s mission is to eliminate pet overpopulation through spay/neuter, while empowering communities to care responsibly for dogs and cats. This mission is accomplished by providing free and affordable spay/neuter, wellness and vaccination services for dogs and cats across North Texas. Our goal is to reduce shelter intake and create compassionate communities free of homeless pets.

Spay Neuter Network operates three spay/neuter clinics, a surgery transport service for those with limited transportation, and a Mobile Animal Spay/Neuter Hospital (MASH) in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and surrounding 13 counties where we provide affordable pet vaccinations, sterilizations and pet care resources to more than 20 cities.

Spay Neuter Network performs more than 30,000 surgeries annually and provides wellness and preventative services for an additional 50,000 pets each year at little to no cost to pet owners in North Texas.  To learn more about Spay Neuter Network or donate, contact us at 972-472-3500 or www.spayneuternet.org

About Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society is a leading national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters. In addition to running lifesaving programs in partnership with more than 3,100 animal welfare groups across the country, Best Friends has lifesaving centers in New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Salt Lake City, and operates the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters nationwide from an estimated 17 million per year to around 625,000. That means there are still more than 1,700 dogs and cats killed every day in shelters, just because they don’t have safe places to call home. We are determined to bring the country to no-kill by the year 2025. Working collaboratively with shelters, rescue groups, other organizations and you, we will end the killing and Save Them All. To check out our pet lifesaving dashboard and for more information, visit bestfriends.org.

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