It was the very first state in the U.S., and now it’s the first state in the country to become a no-kill state for shelter animals. It’s not a law but, rather, a designation bestowed by the Best Friends Animal Society, a nonprofit animal welfare organization that works to help put an end to the euthanasia of unwanted pets in animal shelters across the country.
A state’s no-kill status is achieved once it reaches a shelter save rate of 90 percent or higher. The Best Friends Animal Society hopes to make the United States a no-kill country by the year 2025, teaming up with shelters, animal welfare organizations, and government agencies to make sure every animal without a home gets adopted. Currently, cats are euthanized at approximately twice the rate of dogs.
