Best Friends Animal Society
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America's shelters and making the entire country no-kill. Founded in 1984, Best Friends operates lifesaving facilities and programs nationwide in partnership with thousands of shelters and rescue groups.
- Income
- $173.8 million
- Spending
- $175.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- 0.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 96%
- Employees
- 1,119
- Volunteers
- 14,000
- Highest pay
- $553,886, board member/chief executive officer
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 58 out of 100.
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.3 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 29% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 17% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 257 of 11 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (2)
- $94.6 million spent. INITIATIVES, PROGRAM CITIES, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, NETWORK PARTNERS AND OTHER NATIONAL OUTREACH - See Schedule O Direct animal lifesaving: From our headquarters in Kanab, Utah, Best Friends Animal Society operates the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary, caring for up to 1,600 animals on any given day. In fiscal year 2025, lifesaving achievements at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary included: 3,517 new animals welcomed (most adopted through Best Friends, some transferred to partners) 1,631 pet adoptions 625 animals fostered 3,465 animals transported (including from partner organizations and the Navajo Nation) 5,047 spay/neuter surgeries (including 1,496 on the Navajo Nation through our mobile clinic) 43,499 visitors and 5,272 tours completed (including self-guided tours) Best Friends also operated a mobile veterinary clinic serving the Navajo Nation, providing spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and microchipping. In fiscal year 2025, the clinic treated 3,788 animals, helping meet urgent veterinary care needs on the largest reservation in the United States. Beyond the Sanctuary, Best Friends operates lifesaving centers and programs in Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Houston, Northwest Arkansas, and New York City. In fiscal year 2025, Best Friends supported animals in these communities through adoptions, fostering, pet transports, spay/neuter services, and community cat programs. Program outcomes included: 17,807 new animals welcomed (most adopted through Best Friends, some transferred to partners) 15,077 pet adoptions 7,466 animals fostered 14,277 animals transported (including animals from partner organizations) 18,277 spay/neuter surgeries 1,506 community cats helped Best Friends also responded to natural disasters - including Hurricane Milton, the Los Angeles wildfires, and the Texas floods - by delivering supplies, covering veterinary costs, and transporting 4,090 animals to safety in coordination with local partners.
- $39.2 million spent. Leading the no-kill movement: In fiscal year 2025, Best Friends collaborated with more than 5,500 shelters, rescue groups, and other animal welfare organizations across all 50 states through the Best Friends Network, which grew by 705 partner organizations during the year. Network partners received mentorship, training, grants, and other lifesaving resources. In total, we provided over $15 million in funding to 1,076 organizations. Best Friends continued to build and maintain the nation's most comprehensive animal sheltering dataset, providing key insights and analytics from more than 10,000 shelters and rescue groups across the U.S. Through tools such as the pet lifesaving dashboard and the Shelter Pet Data Alliance, this data was made accessible and transparent, enabling shelters to track trends, make informed decisions, and improve outcomes. Through our national shelter support programs, Best Friends worked directly with shelters nationwide to strengthen animal care, lifesaving programs, operations, shelter medicine, and community engagement. In fiscal year 2025, Best Friends held 82 training sessions, reaching 955 shelter staff members and volunteers. We also provided assessments, mentorship, grants, and on-the-ground support by embedding staff directly in shelters to help them save more lives. Through our shelter collaborative program, Best Friends paired high-performing no-kill organizations with shelters working toward no-kill, a model that multiplies impact. In fiscal year 2025, 92 shelters participated in the program at some point, receiving mentorship, operational support, data analysis, and hands-on assistance. Best Friends continued its partnership with Southern Utah University to expand education and career pathways in animal services. In fiscal year 2025, 247 individuals completed Best Friends certification or degree programs, currently the only offerings of their kind in the U.S. The 2025 Best Friends National Conference, held in Palm Springs, California, brought together 1,345 animal welfare professionals and advocates from 47 states across the U.S. and four other countries to share knowledge and explore the latest in lifesaving strategies. In celebration of National Pet Month in May, Best Friends partnered with Walmart as its for-good nonprofit partner, amplifying the pet adoption message in 2,000 stores nationwide. Eleven brands supported the effort, including Blue Buffalo, which sponsored adoptions all month and helped 1,694 dogs and cats from Best Friends and local shelters find homes. On the legislative front, Best Friends helped secure 62 advocacy wins across 25 st ates in fiscal year 2025, addressing issues like breed-specific laws, puppy mills, and community cat policies. These efforts were backed by the Best Friends Action Team, a grassroots volunteer network of more than 200,000 advocates who contacted lawmakers, gathered over 12,000 petition signatures, and advanced pet-friendly policies nationwide. In addition, 14,011 volunteers contributed 515,511 hours across all Best Friends programs in fiscal year 2025, helping to drive our mission forward and support lifesaving throughout the country. Together with partners, advocates, volunteers, and supporters, Best Friends saved thousands of lives and made meaningful, measurable progress toward no-kill nationwide. By the end of fiscal year 2025, approximately 67% of U.S. shelters were operating at or above the no-kill benchmark of a 90% save rate. We believe that by working together, we can Save Them All.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1971.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.