‘No-Kill’ Policies Slowly Killing Animals
When “no-kill” animal shelters and rescue groups are filled to capacity, which is almost always, they are left with two options: turn away more animals than they take in or warehouse animals, often in substandard, filthy, and severely crowded conditions, for weeks, months, or even years on end. Most, if not all, of the animals who are turned away from such facilities still face untimely deaths—just not at these facilities.
Instead they are cruelly killed by people who don’t want them, are dumped on roadsides and left to die from starvation or being hit by a car, or spend their short lives homeless, unwanted, and producing more litters of animals for whom no homes exist.
The lucky ones are taken to well-run open-admission animal shelters, where they either find a well-screened, permanent home or are painlessly euthanized in the arms of professionally trained, compassionate people. Here are some of the “no-kill” animal shelter failures that made headlines in recent years for making animals suffer a fate far worse than a kind death.
Inhumane, Dangerous Results of ‘No-Kill’ Policies That Made Headlines in December 2025
Great Falls, Montana
FairfieldSunTimes.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Maclean-Cameron Animal Adoption Center was refusing to accept animals because of an outbreak of kennel cough. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Spokane County, Washington
Spokesman.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service was refusing to accept dogs because of an outbreak of parvovirus. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Youngstown, Ohio
WDTN.com reported that a senior dog had been warehoused for seven years at a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Animal Charity of Ohio. He reportedly ended up at the facility in 2018 after being removed “from a situation of neglect.”
Chicago, Illinois
FOX32Chicago.com reported that 13 people had been exposed to rabies after a dog adopted from a self-professed “no-kill” group doing business as PAWS Chicago tested positive for the virus. According to the report, the dog had been “born in Georgia before being transferred to” the Chicago group. He or she had been vaccinated for rabies and was adopted by a Chicago family before exhibiting symptoms. The group is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Gonzales County, Texas
CrossroadsToday.com reported that authorities had executed a seizure warrant at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Meadow Haven Horse Rescue & Sanctuary. According to the report, authorities said they found “many horses” and other animals in conditions described as “deplorable.” The “rescue’s” owner, Darla Cherry, reportedly “agreed in writing to surrender ownership of multiple horses. During veterinary examinations on-site, several animals were determined to be in grave condition.” Several of them were in such bad shape that they required immediate euthanasia. The investigation was ongoing. KENS5.com reported that Cherry said that 89 animals had been seized, “including horses, donkeys, goats and pigs.”
Ogden, Utah
ABC4.com reported that authorities had seized six dogs from a foster home connected to a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Mountain Mama Pyrs and Pups after they found the animals “living in a kennel and feces on the carpet and walls. Three of the dogs were puppies who appeared malnourished. Weber County Sheriff’s Office also called the Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) because the feces could be a biohazard to the children living in the home.” The animals were taken to an animal shelter to receive needed care, and the investigation was ongoing. The “rescue” is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society. KUTV.com reported that the foster home had been operated by Janyka Sweet, who was described as “part of Mountain Mama Pyrs and Pup.”
Watonwan County, Minnesota
NUJournal.com reported that the operator of an unnamed self-professed animal “rescue” was facing charges of “felony animal torture and cruelty and misdemeanor deprivation of food and shelter and unwholesome enclosure.” The charges came after authorities reportedly “found 17 malnourished dogs covered in feces in crates and found the remains of 18 dogs in various stages of decomposition” at a property where two individuals told authorities that they’d “allowed their friend, Laura Anne Berg, to stay at their residence and start her own dog rescue sanctuary.” One of the 17 live dogs rescued reportedly later “had to be humanely euthanized due to continuous seizures.” An initial court appearance was reportedly scheduled in the case.
Stevensville, Ontario, Canada
NiagaraThisWeek.com reported that 31 cats had died in a fire at a self-professed animal “sanctuary” doing business as Happy Days Sanctuary. Responding firefighters were reportedly able to rescue approximately 10 surviving cats. A spokesperson for a large area nonprofit reportedly “said there were cats [who] required medical attention or screening” and that the agency “offered to transport them to the nearest emergency veterinary clinic”; however, that offer was declined by the “sanctuary.” Authorities were investigating the cause of the fire.
Pottsville, Pennsylvania
RepublicanHerald.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Hillside SPCA, Inc., was warehousing and refusing to accept animals. According to the report, some animals had been warehoused at the facility, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society, for years. At one point, a waitlist to accept animals had more than 30 dogs on it.
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
WeAreGreenBay.com reported that authorities had seized 14 dogs and arrested Hannah E. Swanson on 35 counts “related to animal mistreatment” after the animals were found in horrible conditions inside an apartment. According to the report, “The majority of the dogs were reportedly kept in crates/kennels that were too small for them, often for hours a day. Multiple kennels had two dogs inside, making it impossible for either dog to lie down or turn around. Police report that some of the dogs appeared emaciated, as water was not found inside the kennels, food was not accessible to the dogs, and feces were found on the floor in the bedroom where most of the dogs were kept, emanating a smell from the room that was ‘almost unbearable’ for the officers.” Swanson was reportedly “found to have previous similar charges from an incident in Eau Claire County and officers are investigating multiple claims about her former animal rescue, ‘Davey’s Cat Pit Stop.’”
Bath, New York
WENY.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Finger Lakes SPCA claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept cats. A spokesperson for the facility, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society, said that it was housing cats in a public bathroom at the property.
Austin, Texas
CBSAustin.com reported that a publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Austin Animal Center was refusing to accept dogs because of an outbreak of the canine pneumovirus. According to the report, three cases of the virus had been confirmed through “testing, but nearly 100 dogs are showing symptoms.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
November 2025 Reports Showing That ‘No-Kill’ Policies Endanger Animals
West Milwaukee, Wisconsin
MilwaukeeMag.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept cats. There was also an outbreak of feline panleukopenia at the facility, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Kansas City, Kansas
KCTV5.com reported that in a period of 24 hours, nine animals had been left outside a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City. A spokesperson for the facility said that one of the animals had “suffocated to death inside a black trash bag” before being found. The others “were trapped in containers, but security footage shows one small kitten escaped into nearby trees.” The facility, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society, requires appointments and apparently has a waiting list to accept animals.
East Brookfield, Massachusetts
WWLP.com reported that a 12-year-old dog had been adopted and returned three times from a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Second Chance Animal Services. According to the report, the dog had originally been transferred to the facility from a shelter in Tennessee. After the first adoption in Massachusetts, the dog was returned with a broken leg sustained when she was hit by a car and underwent surgery. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
DakotaNewsNow.com reported that authorities were investigating after first responders to a fire at the Minnesota home of Bethany Stillions found “at least five kennels containing unknown animal carcasses, a push cart with numerous carcasses, some with extensive decay, numerous animal bones, and live dogs in kennels with empty dishes, or no shelter, some with health or malnutrition symptoms.” According to the report, documents revealed that they also found “two dead horses, along with concerning conditions for numerous cats, rabbits, chickens, and other livestock.” April 2025 state documents list Stillions as the vice president of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Mission Pawsible. The investigation was ongoing.
Greenwich, Connecticut
GreenwichFreePress.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Greenwich Animal Control was warehousing cats and refusing to accept lost and homeless ones. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that some cats there had been admitted as kittens the previous summer. She said that as outdoor temperatures were dropping, the facility had “been getting lots of calls on cats [who] people have seen outdoors and feel bad for …. They want us to take them.” However, the facility refused to accept the animals.
Watonwan County, Minnesota
FOX9.com reported that authorities were investigating “after reports of several dead dogs and dogs in poor condition” at a self-professed animal “rescue.” According to the report, the property owner had contacted authorities “stating they found multiple dead dogs there.” The owner reportedly “told law enforcement that they had given a friend permission to run a nonprofit pet rescue on the property.” Seventeen live dogs were found “severely malnourished” and were removed to be provided with needed care. The case was reportedly under review.
Mountain Grove, Missouri
OzarkRadioNews.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Mountain Grove Animal Control Department claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. According to the report, the facility refused to accept animals from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them without the payment of a fee. It also refused to accept animals who didn’t meet several criteria, including that they “pass a behavior evaluation,” “show no signs of aggression,” and be sterilized and vaccinated.
Whiteville, North Carolina
WWAYTV3.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Columbus County Sheriff’s Office Animal Protective Services claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals.
State College, Pennsylvania
StateCollege.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Centre County PAWS claimed to be full and was refusing to accept animals. According to the report, the facility had long waiting lists required for people who needed to surrender animals they were unable or unwilling to care for. The lists included one for dogs that had 60 entries and another for cats, which had 100. A spokesperson for the facility, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society, said that animal abandonment has been “skyrocket[ing] in the last year.”
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
WMBFNews.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Grand Strand Humane Society was housing many animals outdoors only. A spokesperson for the facility admitted that it was not humane and said that it had “struggled with” leaving animals outdoors “for the past four winters.”
Tampa, Florida
FOX13News.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Humane Society of Tampa Bay was refusing to accept cats because of an outbreak of panleukopenia. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
DakotaNewsNow.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society was refusing to accept animals because of a case of canine distemper. According to the report, the infected dog died at the facility. It went on to say, “With intakes closed at the Humane Society, some dogs are left with nowhere to go if they’re being given up.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Patrick County, Virginia
WFXRTV.com reported that authorities had seized nearly 50 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as “Save the Mutt Rescue” after they were “found caged outside, without enough food, water, or adequate shelter.” “Rescue” operator Betty Haynes was reportedly “charged with two counts of failure to provide adequate care to animals.” A court date was set in the case.
Congress, Arizona
AZFamily.com reported that authorities had seized 39 cats and a dog from Domenic Anthony Asprella, the former operator of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Shelter Paws, “who was wanted on more than 100 counts of” cruelty to animals and was prohibited from having animals in his custody. According to the report, in 2018, authorities seized more than 50 dogs from Asprella “after a woman reported several dogs being kept in crates [who] appeared unusually thin or weak. He was indicted on 117 charges related to animal cruelty less than a year later.” (See the October 2018, Mesa, Arizona, entry below for more details.)
Kenton County, Kentucky
LINKNKY.com reported that a pit bull had apparently starved to death after he was left by authorities with two other dogs at a residence where they were found underweight and neglected. According to the report, the county manager said that the publicly funded facility doing business as Kenton County Animal Services (KCAS) is a “no-kill” facility that was “full” and that it tries to “keep animals from coming into the shelter.” The previous owner of the three dogs removed the body of the dog who had died as well as two surviving pit bulls and transported them out of the county. One of the live dogs was handed off to an adoption group, and the other was kept, possibly for breeding, according to records shared by the outlet. At a county meeting, a member of the Independence City Council reportedly “spoke to a general decline in the care of the dogs at the shelter. She said cleanliness has deteriorated: vomit and feces in the dog shelters have increased beyond acceptable levels …. The guillotine doors in the kennels are often left closed, she’s observed, restricting the dogs’ movements. Both the dogs and the cats, as well, are at times at risk of going all night without water.” In a report about the incident, KCAS said that the dogs were left at the residence, where one of them died because it uses Human Animal Support Services (HASS) policies, which place statistics above animal welfare. KCAS is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
October 2025 Reports Showing That ‘No-Kill’ Policies Endanger Animals
Wausau, Wisconsin
WSAW.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Humane Society of Marathon County claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept dogs from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them. A spokesperson for the facility, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society, said that it had also been warehousing animals for long periods.
Newark, New Jersey
Newsweek.com reported that a dog had been found tied to a fence near a busy highway along with a note that said that the person who had left her there couldn’t afford the “surrender fee” charged by a local animal shelter. The dog was reportedly then taken to a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Associated Humane Societies Newark Shelter, where a spokesperson said that there was a waiting list for owner-surrendered animals that stretched into February 2026. After she was abandoned, the dog was accepted by the facility, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Alberta, Canada
DailyHeraldTribune.com reported that authorities had removed nearly 300 animals from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as In the Woods Animal Rescue after they were found in conditions described by authorities as “extremely poor.” According to the report, “The rescued animals include livestock, horses, dogs, and cats [removed] from a pair of related properties.” Charges against the operator(s) were reportedly “currently pending approval,” and the “rescue” had allegedly ceased operations. No additional information was available.
Baltimore, Maryland
WBALTV.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Maryland SPCA was refusing to accept dogs because of an outbreak of canine influenza. It was also giving dogs away free of charge. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Butte, Montana
NBCMontana.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Chelsea Bailey Animal Shelter claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept cats. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that residents should “do what they can to help the animals on their own” instead of taking animals to the publicly funded facility intended to house them.
Lexington, Kentucky
LEX18.com reported that a dog who had been adopted from a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Lexington Humane Society was returned “weighing half of what she should, covered in fly bites and her own waste.” Because the adopter lived in another county, the facility claimed that it was unable to pursue criminal charges in the case. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Wayne County, New York
FingerLakes1.com reported that a cat who had been adopted from a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, was found abandoned in a box on the side of a road. The adopter was reportedly “charged with abandonment of animals.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society. No additional information was available.
Etowah County, Alabama
WBRC.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Etowah County Animal Shelter and Control claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Calabasas, California
TheAcorn.com reported that authorities had arrested Kaleen Farrell, the apparent operator of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as 4 Paws Rescue Foundation after they responded to her residence to conduct a welfare check and “found 50 to 60 cats ‘in poor condition,’ according to the sheriff watch commander. Many of the animals were dead.” Farrell was arrested “on suspicion of felony animal cruelty, authorities said.” No additional information was available.
Bartlett, Tennessee
FOX13Memphis.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Bartlett Animal Shelter was refusing to accept dogs because of a case of parvovirus. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
York County, Pennsylvania
YDR.com reported that after criticism from area animal shelters and municipalities, a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the SPCA of York County was ending its policy of refusing to accept lost and homeless dogs from residents. According to the report, “Starting Jan. 1, 2026, the shelter will accept stray dogs brought in by people who live in municipalities that have contracts with the agency.” (See the July 2025, York County, Pennsylvania, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Stockton, California
SFGate.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Stockton Animal Shelter was shutting down for at least two weeks because of a case of Streptococcus zooepidemicus. Residents who had found lost and homeless animals were told “to post flyers in the neighborhood and share information on social media” instead of taking them to the publicly funded facility intended to house them.
St. Charles, Missouri
FirstAlert4.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the City of Saint Charles Animal Control Department claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept cats. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Guilford County, North Carolina
WFMYNews2.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Guilford County Animal Resource Center was refusing to accept cats because of an outbreak of panleukopenia. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Herriman, Utah
KSL.com reported that authorities had charged Kimberly Mikesell, the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Outreach Pawsabilities with four counts of cruelty to animals and a felony count of forgery, among other charges, after responding to complaints about the business. The report said that authorities had been advised “that Mikesell was keeping an extreme number of dogs at her residence,’ according to charging documents. ‘During visits to Mikesell’s residence, officers observed as many as 129 dogs being kept in her home, garages and yard.’ … On multiple visits to her home, animal control officers … observed dogs in kennels stacked on top of each other, and some kennels had more than one dog in them, prosecutors said. ‘The majority of the dogs did not have access to food, water or adequate space to move comfortably,’ the charges state.” According to the report, “Mikesell was also charged in August in Salt Lake Justice Court in one case with cruelty to animals.”
Genesee County, Michigan
WNEM.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Genesee County Animal Control was refusing to accept cats because of a case of feline panleukopenia. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Boone, North Carolina
MiamiHerald.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for three years at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Watauga Humane Society. During that time, he had been adopted and returned four times, according to the report. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Kansas City, Missouri
KansasCity.com reported that a lawsuit had been filed against a self-professed “no-kill” facility partially funded with public monies and doing business as the KC Pet Project by a woman “claiming the organization allowed her to adopt a dog with a known history of aggressive tendencies.” According to the report, the lawsuit stated that a few months after he was adopted, the dog attacked the adopter’s face, “resulting in ‘significant wounds and scarring.’” The adopter was reportedly “seeking restitution for damages on counts of fraudulent misrepresentation and omission and negligent misrepresentation and omission, according to the lawsuit.” No additional information was available. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society. (See the March 2025, Kansas City, Missouri, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania
6ABC.com reported that “[a] man is facing multiple charges after police say they discovered 10 neglected dogs” at his home. One of the dogs was found dead from an apparent attack by the other animals, and others were described as emaciated. According to the report, the accused told authorities that he’d “been trying to surrender the dogs and admitted, ‘I knew this was going to happen.’ He also reportedly said he considered abandoning the dogs at a local park and had made threats to various agencies in hopes they would collect the animals.” Area animal shelters have “no-kill” policies, including the facility that ultimately took the animals after they were seized by authorities. That facility, doing business as the Pennsylvania SPCA, is a self-professed “no-kill” facility and partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Grants, New Mexico
KOB.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Grants Animal Care Center claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Jackson County, Georgia
AtlantaNewsFirst.com reported that a van carrying 37 homeless cats who were being transported from a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Furkids Rescue Shelters Sanctuary to a facility in Vermont had been “involved in a deadly crash” on an interstate highway. According to the report, eight people were killed in the crash, several animals were injured, and two cats were missing. The “rescue” reportedly said, “In the chaos of the wreckage, cages were crushed, and cats began to flee.” The report said, “Two cats were transported to the veterinary hospital at the University of Georgia. One suffered bruises on [his or her] lungs and is still on oxygen …. Others were taken to a nearby truck stop to use the showers and be examined by a vet who drove to the scene.” The “rescue” is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Hernando, Mississippi
ActionNews5.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the City of Hernando Animal Shelter was refusing to accept dogs because of a case of canine parvovirus. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Kearney, Nebraska
TheIndependent.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Kearney Area Animal Shelter claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. According to the report, close to “550 people who adopted a dog or cat from the shelter” had contacted the facility wanting to return the animals. A spokesperson for the facility said that it had “a list of 545 people” who needed to turn in animals for whom they were unable or unwilling to care. The animals reportedly included 415 dogs and 130 cats. Animals were also being warehoused at the facility, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society. One dog had reportedly been confined there for 858 days and another for 477 days.
Osseo, Michigan
HillsdaleCollegian.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Greater Hillsdale Humane Society claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. According to the report, people often left animals outside the facility, which had a waitlist described by a spokesperson as “pretty long.” Recently, a “severely emaciated” dog had been left outside. The spokesperson said that “he was nothing but bone to skin.” She also said the facility “prefer[s] for people to get on the waitlist. It might take some time.” The facility was also warehousing animals, including a cat who’d been there for more than a year.
Fresno, California
ABC30.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Valley Animal Center had announced that it was refusing to accept animals and that “[its] new surrender policy now requires an email request with a possible fee of $1,000 to cover costs.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Inhumane, Dangerous Results of ‘No-Kill’ Policies That Made Headlines in September 2025
Dayton, Ohio
SpectrumNews1.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Hamblen County, Tennessee
CitizenTribune.com reported that authorities had removed more than 150 animals from a residence where two women claimed to have been “rescuing” animals. According to the report, a county animal control officer said, “The (adult) daughter was charged with 10 counts of animal cruelty and neglect, and the mom was charged with 77 counts of cruelty and neglect …. The charges were based on the living conditions and the sanitation.” Investigators reportedly “describe[d] the conditions inside the home as extraordinarily unsanitary.” Animals surrendered to authorities included “dozens of dogs, a goat, quails, ducks, chickens, a goat (living inside the home), rabbits and a couple of cats.” A court date was set in the case.
Carter County, Tennessee
WJHL.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. According to the report, 22 cats and kittens had recently been left after hours in crates on the shelter’s property. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Indianapolis, Indiana
IndyStar.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Indianapolis Animal Care Services was refusing to accept cats because of outbreaks of several diseases, which veterinarians reportedly identified as “mycoplasma, upper respiratory infections, calicivirus or panleukopenia.” Another area facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Humane Society of Johnson County was also refusing to accept cats, claiming that a large number of them at its facility were “getting sick with a variety of things.” Both facilities are partners of Best Friends Animal Society.
Columbus, Georgia
Yahoo.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as PAWS Humane Society had been found in violation of state animal protection regulations during recent inspections. One of the violations was cited after dogs were reportedly found at the facility “housed in 41 wire crates throughout the shelter, with many not meeting the space requirements.” A spokesperson for the facility reportedly told an inspector that she was planning to put the dogs in different “crates by the end of the week.” After an earlier inspection found severe crowding, the facility, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society, reportedly refused to accept animals for a month.
Estill County, Kentucky
LEX18.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Estill County Animal Shelter (ECAS) had been warehousing animals and was refusing to accept animals from residents. A spokesperson for an animal adoption group that recently removed some animals from the facility said that ECAS had crammed nearly 75 animals into a space designed to house 30 to 35 animals and that some animals were permanently housed outdoors. According to the report, “many of the dogs have spent their entire lives at” ECAS.
Bensalem, Pennsylvania
Patch.com reported that authorities had seized 67 cats and kittens from a self-professed “no-kill” animal “rescue” doing business as C.A.T.S. Bridge to Rescue Inc. after they were found in an “unlicensed warehouse” in conditions described as “awful.” According to the report, the group’s “owner will be charged with animal cruelty and neglect, and the rescue has been closed.” Many of the cats rescued from the group were “sick and extremely thin, and suffering from upper respiratory infections, severe diarrhea, and covered in fleas and ear mites,” according to authorities. Margaret Vautard, described as the group’s director, reportedly “admitted to the poor conditions.” An investigation was apparently ongoing. The group is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
New Castle, Delaware
News.Delaware.gov reported that authorities had seized “98 animals, including 49 cats, 42 dogs, and seven small animals” from a townhome being used as a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Pets and Wildlife Sanctuaries Inc. The owner of the business, Mark Ptomey, was charged with 64 counts of cruelty to animals, “72 dog housing violations, 27 dog licensing violations, and 68 rabies vaccination violations.” He was also “prohibited from owning or possessing animals until the case is adjudicated.” Animals were reportedly “found in cramped, filthy conditions with crates stacked throughout the home among trash and clutter.” According to the report, “One cat was found unresponsive and subsequently died while en route to the veterinary hospital. Two additional cats and one dog had to be euthanized due to their grave medical conditions.” Several other animals received emergency medical care, and the residence was condemned by authorities.
Long Beach, California
KTLA.com reported that 32 cats and one dog had been killed in a fire at an apartment complex where they were apparently being fostered for an unnamed organization. According to the report, a neighbor in the complex said that “he was in shock, noting that residents had previously been advised not to keep animals in the complex.” Authorities were investigating the cause of the fire. No additional information was available.
Converse, Texas
KENS5.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for four years at a self-professed animal “no-kill” facility doing business as Converse Animal Shelter Inc. The dog was described as “quite shy” and “nervous” and did not do well with many other dogs. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Bellflower, California
FOXLA.com reported that some area individuals were “concerned that dogs picked up at local shelters, with the promise they’ll go to good homes, are actually ending up at a Bellflower home in kennels outside. ‘It’s a hoarding situation,’ said one of the many neighbors afraid to show their face on camera. The property is full with tarp-covered crates and barking dogs.” A woman who claimed she works with area animal shelters “said she was trying to check on the animals brought here from local shelters, but was denied entry.” She also said she was “very concerned about” conditions at the property and that the woman who had acquired the animals “pulls animals from shelters and keeps them in cages in what is clearly a hoarder situation!” Authorities were called and evidently visited the property. They told the outlet that the woman there was allowed to house three animals at the address and that she’d been asked to find homes for any animals above the limit. No additional information was available.
Aberdeen, South Dakota
DakotaNewsNow.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Aberdeen Area Humane Society claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept cats. It also said there was an outbreak of feline panleukopenia at the facility, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Las Vegas, Nevada
KTNV.com reported that records obtained by the outlet revealed that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as The Animal Foundation had repeatedly adopted dogs to an individual who had evidently neglected and/or abused them. According to the report, the first dog adopted to the suspect had been found dead with “significant wounds to her body” within weeks of the adoption. A second dog adopted to him had apparently been found roaming and “died while at the shelter. The records do not specify the cause of her death.” A third dog adopted to him was returned to the facility by a family member “during an investigation.” The adopter was reportedly “cited for animal cruelty, abandonment, and restraint violations.” No additional information was available. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Haywood County, North Carolina
HaywoodCountyNC.gov reported that authorities had cited a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as “Barton’s Animal Rescue” with 16 counts of neglect and removed 11 dogs from a property where the group was operating without a required license. According to the report, “Additional penalties may be forthcoming for operating a shelter without a license.” No additional information was available.
Apple Valley, California
VVDailyPress.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Apple Valley Animal Services claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. Residents who found lost or homeless animals were being asked to house them at their own homes instead of using the publicly funded facility intended for this purpose.
Sherwood, Arkansas
KARK.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Sherwood Animal Services had been refusing to accept animals for weeks because of an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis caused by an intestinal parasite, which was also contagious to humans. According to the report, “Veterinarians determined the outbreak was made worse by overcrowding.” The report also linked to an earlier story that revealed that a dog had been warehoused for more than two years at the facility, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Grove City, Ohio
KansasCity.com reported that a cat had been warehoused for more than six years at a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Ohio Society for the Prevention of Cruelty for Animals. According to the report, the cat had been born at the facility.
Bend, Oregon
CentralOregonDaily.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Humane Society of Central Oregon claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Lee County, Florida
WINKNews.com reported that authorities had charged Ruth Spurlock, a member of a self-professed animal “rescue” calling itself “Voices for Lee County Animals,” with cruelty to animals after a cat in her custody “was found with a medical cone embedded in [his] neck.” According to the report, an arrest warrant revealed that Spurlock and other members of the “rescue” had found the cat injured the previous month. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where he underwent the amputation of a leg and was sent home with a medical cone collar. “The arrest warrant states that the cone remained on Frank for two weeks and had to be surgically removed. The Sheriff’s Office petitioned the court to take custody of Frank.” An investigation was ongoing.
Greenville County, South Carolina
WYFF4.com reported that a woman who was charged with cruelty to animals after authorities found “several decomposed animals” at her grooming business told them that she’d tried to surrender the animals to several area animal shelters and adoption groups but that they all claimed to be “full” and refused to accept them. According to authorities, the accused “admitted to [killing] eight smaller dogs with Benadryl, while the remaining animals died as a result of starvation.” The county’s publicly funded animal shelter, doing business as Greenville County Animal Care, is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society and routinely refuses to accept animals from residents who are unable or unwilling to care them.
Tustin, California
MercuryNews.com reported that a volunteer at a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as OC Animal Care had filed a negligence lawsuit against Orange County after she was mauled by a dog who was up for adoption at the facility. The attack was so severe “that she lost consciousness and suffered what her attorney called ‘extremely serious injuries, physically and psychologically.’” According to the report, “The suit alleges the county shelter failed to identify dogs [who] could be a danger to staff or volunteers. The county ‘knew or had reason to know that Blaze [the dog who attacked the volunteer] had dangerous propensities and posed a severe risk to people at the shelter,’ said the lawsuit.” It went on to reveal that the volunteer “struggled for seven minutes, dragging Blaze—who was locked on her arm—to the front of the facility in search of help.” The lawsuit read, “Plaintiff specifically never contemplated or assumed the risk of having a large dog latched on to her arm, almost tearing the arm off, for over seven minutes while screaming for help, with no one in the vicinity to help her remove the dog from her arm as [he] bit through bone and arteries.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Godley, Texas
NYPost.com reported that residents were expressing concern about a growing pack of roaming homeless dogs. According to the report, a county commissioner said that even if county authorities were able to capture the dogs, all of the animal shelters in the area, which have “no-kill” policies, claimed to be “full” and had already refused to accept them. City leaders were reportedly considering legislative action in an attempt to prevent even more animals from being abandoned.
Cheektowaga, New York
WIVB.com reported that four dogs had died in a fire at a residence where they were being “fostered” for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Allie & Pals Rescue Inc. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating the cause of the fire. No additional information was available.
Warren, Ohio
Cleveland19.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for seven years at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Healthy Hearts and Paws Project. According to the report, the dog had been transferred there from another facility and had been adopted and returned twice. He had reportedly “spent nearly his whole life in a shelter.”
Shelbyville, Indiana
GIANT.fm reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Shelbyville/Shelby County Animal Shelter was refusing to accept cats because a cat at the facility had tested positive for panleukopenia, aka “feline distemper.”
Reno, Nevada
KOLOTV.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Washoe County Regional Animal Services claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept cats. According to the report, residents were being told “to leave any cat they see alone.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Gatesville, Texas
KCENTV.com reported that authorities had charged two individuals with cruelty to animals after more than 65 animals were found hoarded at their property. According to the report, an affidavit said that “property owner[s] Heather Bauer and Adam Bauer … said they have been running a rescue sanctuary on the property for over 20 years.” Authorities took possession of 65 dogs, two ducks, two pigs, and three ponies who were found emaciated and in feces and trash-filled enclosures. According to the report, “In the affidavit, [a sheriff’s deputy] states the majority of the dogs were in crates that were covered in feces and in enclosures containing ‘mountains of trash.’ [The deputy] said most of the dogs were underweight to the point where their spinal cords, hip bones and rib bones could be seen. Half of the dogs were also missing fur from different parts around their bodies, according to the affidavit.” The other animals were in equally bad shape. No additional information was available.
Inhumane, Dangerous Results of ‘No-Kill’ Policies That Made Headlines in August 2025
Antioch, California
CBSNews.com reported that surveillance footage showed two women leaving a crate containing five cats outside after hours at a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Antioch Animal Services. According to the report, the facility claimed to be “full” and had a sign posted outside that said it was refusing to accept animals. A spokesperson for an adoption group that works with the facility said that when workers arrived the next morning, the crate was empty. She said that additional surveillance footage “showed an unhoused person letting them out. The five cats ran into the bushes, four have been found. One hasn’t been captured yet.”
Louisville, Kentucky
WHAS11.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Louisville Metro Animal Services claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept cats. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Laredo, Texas
KGNS.tv reported that authorities had charged Bernadette Mays, the operator of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Freedom Ranch Laredo, with 31 counts of cruelty to animals after a criminal investigation into conditions at the “rescue’s” property. LMTOnline.com reported, “Burn pits filled with animal remains, dogs left starving in the heat and kennels covered in filth are among the allegations in a Webb County district attorney’s complaint against Freedom Ranch Laredo that led to dozens of animal cruelty charges for its owner.” According to the report, Mays surrendered approximately 30 dogs to Loredo Animal Care Services (LACS). The criminal complaint revealed that since they had been turned over to LACS, a veterinarian treating them had “found evidence of dehydration, starvation, malnourishment and a lack of standard medical care.” Three dogs were in such bad shape that they had to be euthanized: “One paralyzed dog was diagnosed with cancer, while two others had parasite-related diseases that could have been prevented but progressed beyond treatment, LACS said.” Authorities were reportedly “also investigating the financial practices of Freedom Ranch.”
Osceola County, Florida
AroundOsceola.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Osceola County Animal Services was refusing to accept dogs because of “an increase in upper respiratory illness cases.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Hunterdon County, New Jersey
MyCentralJersey.com reported that authorities had seized 37 cats and eight dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Lost Paws Animal Rescue Inc. after they were found hoarded in deplorable conditions. Seven animals required immediate emergency veterinary care. All of the animals were found at the home of the “rescue’s” owner, Geralyn “Lyn” Serino, who was reportedly under investigation for cruelty to animals. A spokesperson for a nonprofit that assisted with the seizure described conditions as “sickening” and said that animals were found “in cages with like eight or nine inches of feces. No litter. No food. No water. They were filthy dirty. Some had eyes sealed shut with disease. Just very, very bad.” The investigation was ongoing.
Columbia County, Florida
WOKV.com reported that county officials had decided to end a contract with a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Lake City Humane Society because of the group’s refusal to accept animals. The county reportedly planned to construct its own facility to ensure that animals and residents in the community receive needed services.
York County, Pennsylvania
PennLive.com reported that more than two dozen cats had died in a fire at a self-professed animal “sanctuary” doing business as Crazy Critter Crick Pet Sanctuary Inc. According to the report, more than 50 cats were confined to a single-family home when the fire broke out. The cause of the fire was not known. No additional information was available.
Dallas, Texas
FOX4News.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Dallas Animal Services was refusing to accept dogs because of an outbreak of parvovirus. Residents were being told to house stray animals themselves or leave them in dangerous situations instead of taking them to the facility that was established to provide them with care. A resident who was interviewed reportedly said she “has concerns about the shelter not picking up reported strays. ‘When people call 311 they are told to leave the animal [and] that is a concern,’” she said. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
West Seneca, New York
WIVB.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Erie County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Johnson County, Indiana
DailyJournal.net reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Johnson County Animal Shelter claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said, “While the shelter was recently expanded to add more space, the new space has already filled up.” On its website, the facility—a partner of Best Friends Animal Society—claims to be the only animal shelter in the county.
Palm Springs, California
KESQ.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Palm Springs Animal Shelter was refusing to accept cats “because of an outbreak of oral ulcers” caused by a painful contagious disease. A spokesperson for the facility said that a virus “spread quickly due to overcrowding.” According to the report, dogs were also being held in crowded conditions: “Officials said kennels currently house about three dogs each and face overcrowding especially with larger dogs.” The self-professed “no-kill” group operating the facility, doing business as Greater Palm Springs Animal Allies, is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
TimesFreePress.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the McKamey Animal Center had crammed animals into “pop-up cages, offices and lobby spaces, with some sharing kennels, according to the shelter’s executive director. ‘We have animals in, frankly, inhumane spaces,’” she said. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
13NewsNow.com reported that state authorities had suspended the registration of a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the SPCA of Northeastern North Carolina, citing “repeated and serious violations of the state’s Animal Welfare Act.” According to the report, “The order gives the shelter 30 days to transfer all animals currently in its care to other licensed shelters or rescues. The decision follows a July inspection that found widespread problems, including inaccurate and missing medical records, unsanitary conditions, lack of clean water, and inadequate veterinary care. Investigators documented multiple cases in which sick or injured animals went weeks without treatment. … Officials said the shelter’s violations ‘posed imminent danger to animals in its care and immediate public health and welfare concerns.’” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Orange County, California
VoiceOfOC.org reported that two French bulldogs had died of suffocation while they were being transported from a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as OC Animal Care. The animals were “being transported across the desert in the middle of the night … to a partner facility in Idaho last month, according to necropsy reports obtained by Voice of OC.” Their bodies were reportedly returned “to OC Animal Care for necropsies. According to the necropsy reports for the animals, the probable cause of death is Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) exacerbated by stress.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Mayfield, New York
News10.com reported that authorities had charged Alison Martin with five counts of cruelty to animals “after law enforcement found 23 dogs in her house [who] were allegedly subjected to unhealthy living conditions, including some not having access to drinking water.” Martin was reportedly operating a self-professed animal “rescue” out of the home doing business as Heartwarming Hounds Dog Rescue. All of the dogs were surrendered to authorities, and a court date was set in the case.
Loxahatchee, Florida
CBS12.com reported that authorities had arrested a kennel technician at a self-professed “no-kill rescue” doing business as Big Dog Ranch Rescue, Inc. “after authorities say she left three pit bulls in deplorable conditions inside a trailer with no power, no water, and no air conditioning.” According to the report, Brianna Brevik was facing multiple cruelty-to-animals charges. Investigators said that “the trailer where the dogs were kept was filled with garbage, rotting food, pet waste, and cockroaches. The temperature inside reached 92 degrees, and there was no ventilation. Two of the dogs were found in visibly poor health—bleeding, scratching, and struggling to urinate. The third was caged and too aggressive to approach.” The dogs were removed and taken to an animal shelter for care.
Shreveport, Louisiana
KTBS.com reported that after the arrest of “Tayna Kintzel, who is also known as Tanya Martinez and Zuki Lynn,” the cofounder of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as The Mutt House on drug charges, authorities responded to a welfare check at her residence and found animals in inhumane, hoarded conditions. According to the report, “Photos from inside the house show crates stacked in clutter, filth on the floor, and dogs confined in unsanitary cages.” A spokesperson for an area nonprofit said, “There were anywhere from 12 to 17 dogs at her home. She was arrested and left those dogs unattended. Several were in bad shape … and a couple of dogs died.” Kintzel had also apparently acted as a foster home for a publicly funded facility doing business as Caddo Parish Animal Services. A county commissioner told the outlet that as a result of the case, “Our Animal Services Department will now perform home checks for all fosters to ensure dogs are going into safe and healthy environments.” According to a later report, all of the dogs were removed from the property. In that report, Kintzel was described as a board member of the “rescue.”
Lower Allen Township, Pennsylvania
WGAL.com reported that authorities had charged a driver with cruelty to animals after surveillance footage allegedly showed the individual abandoning a carrier containing “several cats” in a mall parking lot. According to the report, mall visitors found the carrier and evidently alerted authorities. The accused reportedly said they couldn’t care for the cats and had tried taking them to multiple animal shelters, which had all refused to accept them. Area animal shelters have “no-kill” policies. No additional information was available.
San Diego, California
10News.com reported that a judge had ruled that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) had “illegally abandoned cats” throughout the community. According to the report, “The organization was accused of turning away adoptable cats [whom] it was legally required to care for. The ruling now puts the Humane Society under a permanent injunction prohibiting it from acquiring verifiable proof of ownership before accepting cats into the shelter.” An attorney representing a nonprofit in the case against SDHS said, “People cannot have to go there and be told, ‘Oh, we’re going to just dump this cat back on the street.’ It’s very upsetting to people who this happened to, and of course, it’s harmful to the cats, many of whom ended up as coyote food or being killed by cars or dying from hunger and dehydration.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
July 2025 Reports Showing That ‘No-Kill’ Policies Endanger Animals
Moultrie County, Illinois
WCIA.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Moultrie County Animal Control claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals.
Spalding County, Georgia
EasternProgress.com reported that residents had spoken at a board of commissioners meeting to share concerns about the county’s publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Spalding County Animal Care and Control. According to the report, residents said that the facility was refusing to accept animals and that stray animals were “taking over residential streets, making people fearful to be outside with their” animal companions. Residents reportedly told county leaders that the “[s]helter need[s] to stop trying to be a No-Kill shelter and start euthanizing animals rather than refusing to take them in and having them die on the streets.”
Lansdale, Pennsylvania
NBCPhiladelphia.com reported that Erin and Michael Wiggle, the owners of a self-professed animal “rescue” and “sanctuary” doing business as House of Wiggle Goats, had been “charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, neglect of animals and other related offenses.” After a fire at the “rescue” killed up to 40 animals, authorities reportedly “received a report stating that several animals at the sanctuary who survived the fire were either injured, underweight or eating deceased animal remains. The report also stated that the conditions the surviving animals were living in were not consistent with conditions resulting from a fire.” After conducting an investigation, authorities reportedly “determined the Wiggles intentionally or knowingly tortured the goats and pigs by depriving them of food and proper veterinary care.”
Yalobusha County, Mississippi
NYPost.com reported that a man had been “mauled to death by two pit bulls” while working at a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Second Chance Animal Alliance. According to the report, responding police officers shot and killed one of the dogs in an attempt to save the worker and the other dog was later euthanized. The dogs had reportedly been “saved from a dog-fighting ring.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Guilford County, North Carolina
WFMYNews2.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Guilford County Animal Services was refusing to accept cats because of an outbreak of rabies in the community. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Puyallup, Washington
KIRO7.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Metro Animal Services claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals, including those described as “lost, neglected, or potentially dangerous.”
St. Louis, Missouri
KOCO.com reported that a man operating an Oklahoma animal transportation company had been arrested and charged with 16 counts of cruelty to animals in Missouri after he allegedly “showed up to a cremation business in St. Louis, asking to have four dogs cremated, according to court documents. He helps operate an animal transportation service and was behind the wheel of a box truck that was being used to transport 16 dogs. Of those animals inside, four were dead and 12 others were found in dire conditions.” According to the report, a probable cause affidavit said, “Many of the dogs were covered in their own feces and urine, and sawdust-like powder, and appeared lethargic due to high temperatures in the back of the box truck.” One of the animals was being transported for a self-professed animal “rescue” in New Jersey doing business as Gone Rogue Girls Rescue Inc. A spokesperson for that group said that the man’s company was “highly recommended [by] the rescues out there in California. Multiple people had used them.” Surviving dogs had evidently been seized by authorities. No additional information was available.
Hopkinsville, Kentucky
ChristianCountyNow.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Christian County Animal Shelter claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Knoxville, Tennessee
WATE.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Young-Williams Animal Center was warehousing 277 cats and 192 dogs in a space designed to house 84 cats and 94 dogs. The facility, a partner of Best Friends Animal Society, was refusing to accept animals from residents who rescued them.
Vacaville, California
MSN.com reported, “The city of Vacaville is reporting an alarming trend of people abandoning domestic animals at public parks.” Because of “no-kill” policies at area animal shelters, including publicly funded ones, the facilities were reportedly refusing to accept animals and had long waiting lists. A park ranger had recently found kittens abandoned in a dumpster at a public park, and other animals found left at parks included puppies and rabbits.
Storey County, Nevada
2News.com reported that authorities had removed “eighteen horses and seven burros [who] were in poor health” from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Horse Power and charged owner Sally Summers with “20 counts of animal abuse/neglect and a single count of resisting.” According to the report, the investigation was ongoing and additional charges were pending. A witness said that they contacted authorities after seeing animals at the property who appeared to be starving and “found a bunch of dead bodies in different stages of decay; some definitely had been dead for a long time, and one looked like [the animal] had died maybe a day or two prior.” No additional information was available.
Tyler, Texas
KETK.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Humane Society’s Pets Fur People claimed to be “full” and had been refusing to accept animals “for more than a month.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Pittsburg, Kansas
FourStatesHomepage.com reported that state authorities had ordered a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Southeast Kansas Humane Society to be quarantined for an additional two weeks after an outbreak of canine parvovirus. The state had first ordered a two-week quarantine of the facility after a puppy tested positive for the virus. That puppy later died there. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Sevierville, Tennessee
WVLT.tv reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Sevier County Animal Shelter claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept dogs. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Bradley County, Tennessee
ClevelandBanner.com reported that county officials were considering canceling a contract with a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the SPCA of Bradley County after it refused to accept six kittens from a resident. According to the report, a spokesperson for the facility claimed it was “full” and said the resident had been placed on a waiting list, which already had 10 other people on it. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Warren, Ohio
WKBN.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for nearly seven years at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Healthy Hearts and Paws Project. According to the report, the dog had been transferred there from another facility in 2018.
St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
FOX9.com reported that authorities had charged the owner of a self-professed “cat rescue” with cruelty to animals after finding animals, including “quite a few” dead ones, hoarded in filthy, dangerous conditions at “an animal rescue [she operated] out of her home.” According to the report, Myrna Westen had been arrested and faced felony and misdemeanor cruelty-to-animals charges. TheAmeryFreePress.com reported earlier that Weston was the board president of a self-professed “no-kill” shelter doing business as Safe Haven Animal Shelter.
Farmington, Maine
CentralMaine.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Franklin County Animal Shelter claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept dogs from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that “there is a list almost a year old of people waiting to surrender their animals.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
York County, Pennsylvania
Yahoo.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the SPCA of York County was refusing to accept lost and homeless dogs from residents. A nonprofit in a neighboring county said that since the York County facility implemented “managed intake,” the neighboring county’s facility had seen its “stray intake [rise] 21% compared to the same time last year.” In a public post, it reportedly stated, “In the last 6 days alone, we’ve received 5 dogs [who] were actually found in York County” and that “some of the individuals bringing [in animals] have been ‘lying about where they found them.’ That’s not a coincidence, it’s a direct result of York County SPCA’s policy shift.” YDR.com reported that several area cat adoption groups were also seeing an increase in intake and said that the SPCA was also refusing to accept cats. A spokesperson for one of them reportedly “tells stories about cats she alleged had been rejected by the SPCA [who] needed significant care.” She also said that “when they were brought to her, she paid the veterinarian out of her pocket. Some cats, she said, were in such bad shape that euthanasia was the only plausible option. ‘More cats are suffering,’” because of the SPCA’s policies, she said. According to the report, the groups “all point to one institution for the deluge of cats they are seeing—the York County SPCA. They say the SPCA’s policies for taking in and caring for cats have resulted in more cats being out on the street, turning cats away and placing the burden on small, fiscally challenged [groups] to take them in.” The SPCA of York County is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Miami, Florida
WSVN.com reported that a publicly funded, self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Miami-Dade Animal Services claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. An outbreak of Streptococcus zooepidemicus was reportedly also occurring at the facility, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
New York, New York
NYTimes.com reported that a publicly funded sheltering system operated by a company with “no-kill” policies doing business as Animal Care Centers of NYC claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. According to the report, animals at the facility “were doubled up in some kennels and crates and the air was thick with the smell of urine and excrement.” The company is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Collier County, Florida
FOX4Now.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Collier County Domestic Animal Services was refusing to accept cats because of “a surge in feline illnesses and overcrowding.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Broward County, Florida
Sun-Sentinel.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Broward County Animal Care was refusing to accept homeless cats because of two cases of feline panleukopenia earlier in the month. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Marshalltown, Iowa
WeAreIowa.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Beaufort County, North Carolina
WITN.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Beaufort County Animal Services claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. A spokesperson for the facility said that when residents have been turned away, “people have threatened to dump the animals on the side of the road.” She also said that if residents rescue lost or homeless animals, they would “be responsible for the animal until” the facility wanted to accept them.
Stanislaus County, California
CeresCourier.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Stanislaus Animal Services Agency was refusing to accept dogs because of an outbreak of Streptococcus zooepidemicus. Residents who found lost or homeless dogs were being told to house them in their own homes instead of using the publicly funded facility intended for this purpose. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Inhumane, Dangerous Results of ‘No-Kill’ Policies That Made Headlines in June 2025
Bradenton, Florida
MySuncoast.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Manatee County Animal Welfare was refusing to accept cats because of an outbreak of feline panleukopenia. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Marshall County, Indiana
WSBT.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Marshall County Humane Society claimed to be “full” and refused to accept approximately 100 cats who had been abandoned at a mobile home park. According to the report, volunteers had been trying to capture and sterilize the animals for weeks but had “only been able to catch about 18 of them so far.” The cats were reportedly breeding and multiplying rapidly.
Madison County, Illinois
KHOU.com reported that seven dogs had died when a van that was transporting 11 dogs from two self-professed animal “rescue” groups doing business as Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue and Belle’s Buds Rescue caught fire and was found by authorities on the side of an interstate highway “fully engulfed in flames.” Another dog who was in the van had escaped and was found by a good Samaritan, who transported him to an animal hospital, where he was being treated for severe burns. A later report revealed that the cause of the fire was under investigation.
Arlington, Texas
KERANews.org reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Arlington Animal Services claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Port St. Lucie, Florida
WPTV.com reported that authorities had arrested a man and charged him with eight counts of cruelty to animals after he allegedly tortured and killed kittens who’d been given to him by area animal adoption agencies. According to the report, authorities had received a request for a welfare check at the home of the suspect from an individual who said that he “had four kittens in his home and that one of the cats had a broken leg. ‘The complainant also had information that [the accused] used to have an additional seven kittens in the home [whom] he [had] adopted from various adoption agencies since March 2025, but all seven [had] died in various ways, including being thrown onto the ground, being punch[ed] in the face resulting in a broken neck, drowning, and other trauma,’ police said in a statement.” Four live kittens were apparently seized from the residence: “Police said one kitten had a mandibular fracture due to trauma, and [his or her] jaw was visibly swollen. Two of the other kittens had discharge coming from their eyes from an infection, which police said could be caused by stress. The fourth kitten was X-rayed, but there was no break in the leg, but [he or she] likely had a pulled muscle.” The investigation was ongoing.
Altoona, Pennsylvania
WTAJ.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society was refusing to accept cats because of an outbreak of feline panleukopenia.
Johnson City, Tennessee
WJHL.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
New Tazewell, Tennessee
WVLT.tv reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Claiborne Animal Shelter would “be closed to the public until further notice to address ‘a situation.’” According to the report, the facility had recently said that it would not accept dogs because of an outbreak of parvovirus. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Cobb County, Georgia
WSBTV.com reported that after the guardian of 14 dogs died, they had been left with a family member by a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Cobb County Animal Services Shelter. According to the report, the dogs’ guardian had signed them over to the shelter when he or she was hospitalized the previous December. A spokesperson for the facility said that the family member was told to care for the animals until the facility “had room” and would then allegedly take them. Months later, witnesses said they saw the relative as “she removed [three] dogs from her car at two different busy intersections and sped off.” All three dogs were hit by cars and died. The remaining 11 dogs could not be located. Charges were being pursued against the family member.
Ringgold, Louisiana
KTBS.com reported that authorities had seized 27 dogs and seven cats from the residence of a woman who was housing them “under the name of” a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Hope Angel Rescue. According to the report, all of the animals “were kept throughout the inside of the house and in a fenced area behind the home. Living conditions for the family, as well as the animals, were described as deplorable, according to the sheriff’s office.” Three children were also removed from the home and “appeared to be the victims of cruelty, the sheriff’s office said.” Darci Freligh Boyd was charged “with cruelty to juveniles and aggravated cruelty to animals.” NewsChannel9.com reported that a nonprofit agency that assisted with the seizure said that “the house contained high ammonia levels because of inches of feces and urine. The property was reportedly strewn with trash, and one room was filled knee deep with children’s diapers. Additionally, the animals were found in wire cages with no access to food or water. Officials say the little amount of food in the house was locked in a pantry.”
Delaware County, Ohio
CWColumbus.com reported that after a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Cozy Cat Cottage Adoption Center refused to accept “nearly one dozen cats” from a woman, she had apparently abandoned them at “a housing development directly across the street from the shelter.” At least two of the cats were reportedly pregnant. After they were abandoned, the facility apparently took most of them in, but at least one cat had not been found at the time of the report. No additional information was available.
Huntington, West Virginia
WOWKTV.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Control Shelter claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept cats. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Beaumont, Texas
Star-Telegram.com reported that a kitten had apparently died after he or she had been left in a small crate outside a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Humane Society of Southeast Texas. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Local10.com reported that a man had left a dog outside a veterinary hospital after telling a worker that the publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as Miami-Dade Animal Services (MDAS) had refused to accept her. A spokesperson for the hospital said that the dog had been found in a carrier in the parking lot later on a very hot day after the man was told that the hospital couldn’t accept her. Surveillance footage showed the man leaving the dog there. According to the report, an MDAS spokesperson said that the facility had been “full” for more than two years. MDAS is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania
6ABC.com reported that “Letitia Mayo, the president, director and founder of” a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Rags 2 Riches Animal Rescue was “facing five charges of aggravated cruelty to animals for the death of five puppies.” According to the report, “Mayo is accused of failing to provide necessary vet care to five puppies brought in from out of state.” She was also accused of adopting out a puppy who was only six weeks old and continuing to adopt out animals despite a cease and desist order issued by the state. A court date was set in the case. Mayo reportedly said that because of laws in Pennsylvania, the group was moving to Delaware.
Berkeley County, South Carolina
ABCNews4.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Berkeley County Animal Shelter claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Van Zandt County, Texas
WFAA.com reported that authorities had seized 66 cats and dogs “from a metal building owned by Hayley Hull, who runs” a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Yelp for Help Animal Rescue. According to the report, “When investigators arrived, they found that the property was overgrown and appeared abandoned, officials said. Officials smelled ammonia consistent with high levels of animal urine and feces.” A news release issued by authorities said, “Conditions in the metal building were deplorable with extremely high levels of ammonia.” Animals were reportedly infested with fleas and other parasites, including hookworms and giardia, and “[t]he cats showed clinical signs of illness and neglect … including eye infections, lethargy, labored breathing and irritated skin.” One cat “later died due to feline infectious peritonitis.” The case was ongoing.
Arlington, Texas
ArlingtonTX.gov reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Arlington Animal Services claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them. The turn-away policy would reportedly be in effect “until further notice.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Columbus County, North Carolina
WECT.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Columbus County Animal Protective Services claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility reportedly posted publicly that it was “[s]cared for the [animals] still out there with no safe place to go.”
Gaston County, North Carolina
WCNC.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Gaston County Animal Care and Enforcement claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Tampa, Florida
WTSP.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Humane Society of Tampa Bay was refusing to accept kittens because of an outbreak of panleukopenia. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Memphis, Tennessee
WREG.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Memphis Animal Services (MAS) was refusing to accept animals from residents. One resident said that after she found a sick puppy digging through a trash can, she took the animal to MAS and was turned away. A worker allegedly told her to return with the suffering animal two days later, and when she “told them the puppy couldn’t wait, she was sent to the Emergency Animal Hospital.” She said she spent “almost all night” at the busy hospital, waiting to have the puppy be seen. Private animal adoption groups in the area reported that they were being overwhelmed with calls for assistance because of the turn-away policy at the publicly funded animal shelter, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Mercer County, Pennsylvania
CBSNews.com reported that a publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Shenango Valley Animal Shelter was refusing to accept dogs because of an outbreak of parvovirus. According to the report, one infected dog had died at the facility.
Dallas, Texas
WFAA.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Dallas Animal Services was refusing to accept animals and planned to “stop accepting new requests for [surrender] appointments for about three or four weeks.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Wantagh, New York
Newsweek.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for more than 1,170 days at a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter. According to the report, the dog had been “adopted and returned on no fewer than five occasions” because of what the facility called “behavioral challenges.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Guilford County, North Carolina
ABC45.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Guilford County Animal Services was refusing to accept cats because of an outbreak of panleukopenia. Residents who found lost and homeless cats were being told to take the animals to the facility to get vaccinated and then care for them in their own homes. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Osceola County, Florida
WFTV.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Osceola County Animal Services was refusing to accept cats. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Lealman, Florida
WTSP.com reported that 27 cats had died in a fire at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Happy Tailz Cat Rescue Inc. The group reportedly said that six cats had been “euthanized following the fire after suffering from respiratory stress due to smoke inhalation, and two passed away days later also due to smoke inhalation.” Fifty cats and three dogs survived the fire, which, according to officials, was caused by a lithium-ion battery charger. All of the animals were apparently kept confined in a mobile home where the group’s president also resided, according to WFLA.com.
Rosenberg, Texas
Click2Houston.com reported that authorities had removed 24 dogs found hoarded by a woman who told them that she “wanted to start her own dog rescue.” A spokesperson for an animal adoption group that took the animals in for care said that “the woman kept taking in more dogs, housing them on her property. Over time, conditions worsened and the rooms in the home became overcrowded, dirty and infested.” She said the dogs were poorly socialized and “scarred in a way.” No additional information was available.
Harleysville, Pennsylvania
FOX29.com reported that at least 15 cats had been killed in a fire at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as PAWSibilities Animal Rescue Inc. According to the report, a barn on the property, where the cats had evidently been confined, had been “engulfed” in flames and “dozens of firefighters from five departments” worked to contain it. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating to determine the cause of the fire.
Inhumane, Dangerous Results of ‘No-Kill’ Policies That Made Headlines in May 2025
Hulmeville Borough, Pennsylvania
PhillyBurbs.com reported that authorities had removed “nearly 40 cats and dogs living in squalid conditions inside a home whose owner was operating what was described as a ‘self-styled’ animal rescue.” According to the report, “three large-breed dogs, [who] were all adults, were found confined in dirty crates and … suffering from severe skin infections and fleas, officials said.” The 36 cats removed were found to be suffering from “skin and upper respiratory infections, missing hair and fleas,” according to an official. The owner of the property reportedly surrendered the animals and was “facing multiple animal cruelty and neglect charges.”
Costa Mesa, California
ABC7.com reported that an employee of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Priceless Pet Rescue had been videotaped by a witness who saw the individual “dragging a limp dog down the sidewalk by [a] leash.” The abuse was evidently reported to authorities. No additional information was available. The group is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Traverse City, Michigan
UpNorthLive.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Great Lakes Humane Society claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility’s director reportedly said that she’d recently “had somebody pull in the driveway and just hand me a cat and said, I just don’t know what to do with [him or her]. [The animal is] my cat, I can’t keep [him or her]. Everybody’s full.” The facility, a partner of Best Friends Animal Society, had turned away at least 12 dogs in one week.
Worcester Township, Pennsylvania
6ABC.com reported that approximately “40 animals are either dead or missing” after a fire at a self-professed animal “rescue” and “sanctuary” doing business as House of Wiggle Goats. The “rescue’s” owner reportedly said that “at least 12 other animals” required emergency veterinary treatment. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Prestonsburg, Kentucky
WYMT.com reported that a publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Floyd County Animal Shelter was warehousing animals and refusing to accept them from residents. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said, “We’re keeping dogs in our cat room, cats in our dog room, wherever that we can find space … we’ve had to turn down multiple people in the past couple weeks.”
South Bend, Indiana
WNDU.com reported that the medical director of a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Pet Refuge had “resigned after she claims the shelter initially approved a cat adoption application to a person with a history of animal abuse.” In a statement, she said that her resignation was “due to the shelter’s decision to approve an application and proceed with the adoption of a cat to an individual with a documented history of animal abuse.” The adoption reportedly was not finalized. No additional information was available. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Las Vegas, Nevada
FOX5Vegas.com reported that two people had left a dog after hours in a crate outside at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Surveillance footage showed that approximately four hours later, a random passerby left with the dog. The footage was checked after employees found an empty crate at the facility’s door. Authorities were reportedly investigating. The facility, a partner of Best Friends Animal Society, has selective intake requirements.
Santa Rosa County, Florida
WKRG.com reported that a publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Santa Rosa County Animal Services was refusing to accept cats because of an unnamed “feline illness.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Douglasville, Georgia
FOXAtlanta.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Douglas County Animal Services had been ordered by state authorities to quarantine because of “an outbreak of pneumovirus and parvovirus.” According to the report, state authorities had “issued the order after 13 dogs at the shelter tested positive for pneumovirus and three others were confirmed to have parvovirus.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Transylvania County, North Carolina
TransylvaniaTimes.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Transylvania County Animal Shelter was refusing to accept dogs for at least a month because of an outbreak of canine parainfluenza and canine distemper. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
FOX11Online.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Oshkosh Area Humane Society said that a dog and 10 cats had recently been left outside the facility. A spokesperson for the facility said that it required appointments and that it had long wait lists to accept animals. According to the report, a note had been left with the animals, “but the dog chewed it up.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Columbus, Georgia
Ledger-Enquirer.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility partially funded with public monies and doing business as Paws Humane Society was refusing to accept animals for at least a month because it claimed to be “full.” According to the report, a comment on a public post about the closure said, “Why is being ‘no kill’ more important than picking up strays [who] are more than likely unaltered and will add to the overpopulation problem? And you know that people who can’t surrender their dogs may just dump them and add to the problem.” The facility, a partner of Best Friends Animal Society, reportedly admitted that it was refusing to accept animals to allow it to call itself a “no-kill” facility.
Sioux City, Iowa
SiouxCityJournal.com reported that authorities had seized eight dogs from “three girls, ages 12, 13 and 14” after six of the dogs were found with the children “in a red-tagged home.” According to authorities, “There was no food or water there for them. There were just six [dogs] running loose in this home, which had nothing in it.” Allegedly, the three girls “were advertising themselves as a rescue. But also, anybody that was posting their [animal] on this page, then they would contact them and say, ‘We are a reputable rescue. We have a farm. We have a place where these dogs can go. We can take care of them. We’re animal trainers.’ They told them all types of misleading stories.” Two dogs were found and seized from a second location, and officials said, “We think that there’s more animals [who] are out there and that they’re still collecting.” Yahoo.com reported, “Three of the eight dogs were microchipped and have been returned to their original owners, who came from Moville, Fort Dodge, and Des Moines and surrendered their dogs to what they thought was a trustworthy rescue.” The 13-year-old was reportedly “charged with interference with official acts.” No additional charges had been filed.
Locust Grove, Virginia
CBS19News.com reported that authorities were investigating after receiving a “complaint alleging inadequate care of dogs” at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as All Fur Animal Rescue Inc. According to the report, “investigators got a search warrant for the property, and after that warrant was executed, the property owner voluntarily surrendered all 52 dogs in their care.” The investigation was ongoing. No additional information was available.
Vigo County, Indiana
MyWabashValley.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Terre Haute Humane Society (THHS) claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. According to the report, when a local veterinary technician found three stray dogs, she called the county animal control department and was told that they “were unable to pick up the dogs” because the contracted shelter (THHS) would not accept them. The technician said, “I also called all other local foster-based rescues to try to get them placed in the meantime. And everyone is full.” She eventually found a facility that would accept the animals, “but she had to drive about three hours to make it happen.” THHS is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Local10.com reported that a pit bull adopted from a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Broward County Animal Care (BCAC) had attacked a small dog who was walking with her guardian. According to the report, the owner of the dog who was attacked said that “she spent nearly $8,000 trying to save her” canine before making the humane decision to have the dog euthanized. The dog’s guardian later learned that “the attacking dog had a history of aggression” and that BCAC “records show the tan pit bull had been returned to the shelter by a foster in January due to ‘biting and fighting loose dogs.’ [The guardian] said the dog had also bitten a human in Palm Beach County, where the foster lived at the time. Shelter paperwork indicated that the dog ‘was not nice with other animals’ and had issues walking on a leash when she saw other dogs or cats.” BCAC had adopted the dog to a man who was homeless and reportedly routinely adopts animals to those who are unhoused. After the attack, the dog was euthanized. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Sullivan County, Indiana
WTHITV.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Humane Society of Sullivan County claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals.
Harris County, Texas
KHOU.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Harris County Pets was refusing to accept animals from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them because of an outbreak of canine parvovirus. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Laredo, Texas
KGNS.tv reported that a dog had been warehoused for nearly two years at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Laredo Animal Protective Society. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Wake County, North Carolina
WRAL.com reported that a dog who was up for adoption and described as a “Staffordshire Bull Terrier” had attacked a woman and her 8-year-old daughter at a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Wake County Animal Center. The mother said that she and her daughter were placed in a small room to meet the dog and that “as soon as [he] came in, the dog attacked, lunging for her daughter. ‘We were screaming for help while the staff stood in shock,’ [she] said.” She said her daughter “went to the hospital for treatment, suffering from multiple gashes all over her body. Some were so deep that the muscle was visible.” It wasn’t known whether the dog remained at the facility. The mother was “pursuing the possibility of legal action.”
Bexar County, Texas
KENS5.com reported that six dogs had died in a fire at the home of a woman who was fostering animals for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as 4 Little Paws. More than 30 additional dogs were found in the home. A spokesperson for the group said that two dogs rescued from the fire were “in guarded condition and being treated for respiratory issues” and that “about” four dogs were being treated for burns. No additional information was available.
Dickson County, Tennessee
WSMV.com reported that after a self-professed “no-kill” facility partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Humane Society of Dickson County refused to accept a cat and four kittens from a man, claiming it was “full,” a witness saw him “throwing what appeared to be trash out” of the window of his vehicle less than a mile from the facility. A spokesperson for the facility “said the witness noticed [that what he’d been throwing were] animals when the kittens started to get up and move on the ground.” They were reportedly “able to get out and rescue three of the kittens and bring them to the shelter,” which evidently then accepted them. According to the report, security footage showed the man “releasing the mother [cat] in the [facility’s] parking lot and then driving away.” Traps were set to try to capture the remaining kitten and mother cat. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Sevier County, Tennessee
WATE.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Sevier Animal Care Center was refusing to accept animals because a puppy had tested positive for parvovirus. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
April 2025 Reports Showing That ‘No-Kill’ Policies Endanger Animals
Pinal County, Arizona
InMaricopa.com reported that a publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Pinal County Animal Care and Control was refusing to accept dogs because of an outbreak of canine distemper. Residents who found lost or homeless dogs were being told to get the animals vaccinated and then keep them in their own homes instead of taking them to the publicly funded facility for care. AZCentral.com reported that a spokesperson for the facility said that it had crammed 359 dogs into 159 kennels, with “between two to four dogs to a kennel.” The spokesperson said that one dog who’d become infected with distemper had been allowed to become so sick at the crowded facility that he’d been “having a hard time breathing” and “started to exhibit neurological symptoms, such as twitching and clacking his teeth,” before he was euthanized. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Abilene, Texas
KTXS.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as All Kind Animal Initiative/ Pet Adoption & Resource Center was refusing to accept dogs because of an outbreak of an unnamed respiratory illness. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Coles County, Illinois
WCIA.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Coles County Animal Shelter was refusing to accept dogs because of an outbreak of kennel cough. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Worcester, Massachusetts
MassLive.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Worcester Animal Rescue League claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. According to the report, the facility is “the city’s only animal shelter” and its refusal to accept animals was “creating a growing crisis for the city’s Animal Control” authorities. A Worcester police department spokesperson reportedly told the outlet that the agency “has had to work to find new places to put 156 animals, including 105 dogs and 51 cats, between November 2024 and April.”
Land O’ Lakes, Florida
WFLA.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Pasco County Animal Services was refusing to accept dogs because of “several positive cases of canine pneumovirus.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Mansfield, Ohio
Cleveland19.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Richland County Dog Warden’s Office and Adoption Center claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept dogs from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them. The county’s dog warden reportedly “said they were ‘going to have to start using wire kennels to house our dogs. Again.’” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Tampa, Florida
WFLA.com reported that an injured Chihuahua mix who was being fostered for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Mercy Full Project had been taken to a concert by the individual who was fostering him, who shared footage online of him there. The individual also argued over adoption fees for the dog in another video that reportedly showed her “[y]elling [and] shoving” a worker with the group. According to the report, the group claimed that the dog had since been placed in a different foster home and “[b]oth parties said they are considering legal action.” The group is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Hermiston, Oregon
EastOregonian.com reported that a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Fuzz Ball Animal Rescue had been fined more than $3,000 by state authorities for various violations, including inadequate record-keeping. According to the report, the group wasn’t the only self-professed animal “rescue” that had been fined “this year for recordkeeping violations [by] the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Rescues and shelters including Pendleton Animal Welfare Shelter, Blue Mountain Humane Association in La Grande, Wallowa County Humane Society, and Silent Wave Horse Rescue in Kimberly all received citations and fines from the state.” A spokesperson for one of the groups reportedly said, “We know of rescues in the state that are starving their animals …. They should be in violation and they’re not.”
Saginaw, Michigan
MLive.com reported that authorities had arrested a man “on single counts of third-degree torturing or killing an animal and felony firearm” charges after he allegedly shot to death a dog who was homeless or roaming without supervision. According to the report, the man had repeatedly called a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Saginaw County Animal Care and Control Department “to report a gray and white pit bull wandering in his neighborhood.” Authorities who “eventually responded to the area found the dog dead from several gunshot wounds.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Coon Rapids, Minnesota
StarTribune.com reported that because a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Animal Humane Society refused to accept cats it deemed “feral,” police officers in Coon Rapids had been abandoning lost and homeless cats in the woods, including one who was clearly injured. After he’d been abandoned by an officer, some residents reportedly searched for the injured feline and eventually found him “dehydrated and anemic with infected wounds on his side.” He was taken to a veterinary hospital for care and was evidently expected to survive. A spokesperson for the police department reportedly said, “The department has a contract with the Animal Humane Society to help relocate stray or lost [companion animals], but the organization does not accept feral cats.” As a result of residents’ concerns about the practice, the police department reportedly “announced on March 25 that it ‘will no longer accept or relocate cats [who] do not have a microchip or collar.’”
Jamestown, North Dakota
JamestownSun.com reported that a police report revealed that “three dogs and a cat were taken from [a] residence” that belonged to “Jolene Biloff, former president and current vice president of” the board of directors of a self-professed “no-kill” facility partially funded with public monies and doing business as James River Humane Society after the animals were found in atrocious conditions. Another cat, evidently also belonging to Biloff, “remained at large.” A police report about a welfare check at the property reportedly “says all the floors upstairs in the home were covered in animal feces. ‘There wasn’t a spot that wasn’t covered,’ the report says.” The home was reportedly “deemed a dangerous building” by the city, which issued a notice requiring that “the property must be vacated immediately,” according to the building inspector. “It has to be either repaired or demolished within a time not exceeding 30 days of the day of the letter,” he said. No additional information was available.
Las Vegas, Nevada
News3LV.com reported that a dog who was being fostered for a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as The Animal Foundation had attacked “another dog and then bit a person, causing substantial injuries” at an area park. The dog was evidently returned to the facility and euthanized. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Covington, Kentucky
Cincinnati.com reported that the city of Covington had filed a lawsuit against a self-professed “no-kill” animal “sanctuary” doing business as the TriState Noah Project in relation to a residential home that neighbors complained “smells of death” and “is littered with animal feces, ‘infested with vermin,’ in general disrepair and illegally operating as an animal shelter.” According to the report, “The city of Covington said in a news release … that the nonprofit has failed to pay more than $8,000 worth of code enforcement citations dating back to 2022.”
West Islip, New York
Patch.com reported that according to court records, authorities had arrested Diane Indelicato, the director of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Ruff House Rescue Inc., and charged her with “torturing/injuring and failure to provide sustenance” to an animal. Court documents reportedly described volunteers repeatedly bringing the “worsening medical condition” of a dog named Tali to Idelicato’s attention, “including severe dermatological distress such as fur loss, irritated skin and an inflamed abdomen. In addition, records say the gray and white dog suffered from large, ulcerated masses leaking blood and pus on her abdomen; swollen limbs; general physical deterioration; inability to eat or drink without help; and difficulty breathing despite shelter volunteers repeatedly requesting medical help for the dog. On Nov. 6, Tali succumbed to her injuries and was found dead in [a] kennel, records show.” A court date was set in the case. The group was a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
NewsOn6.com reported that after a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Tulsa SPCA evidently refused to accept three boxes containing 16 kittens and three adult cats from a couple, the boxes of cats were simply left in the lobby of the facility. A spokesperson there reportedly claimed that the facility didn’t have anywhere to house the animals. No additional information was available.
Lubbock, Texas
LubbockOnline.com reported that authorities had arrested a man and charged him with cruelty to animals after he allegedly “severely injured” a 9-month-old pit bull who’d been given to him by a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Lubbock Animal Services. A police report revealed that a spokesperson for the facility said that the dog had been given to the man “for a sleepover.” The spokesperson said that the man “returned the dog about four days later and she noticed the dog was in pain and unable to stand on [his] back legs, the report states. The dog was taken to a veterinarian and x-rays showed both of [his] hind legs were broken and [the animal] would be crippled for life. [The spokesperson] said the dog was put down because [he] wouldn’t be able to properly live, use the bathroom and would require around-the-clock care, the report states.” The man reportedly said that he’d thrown the dog after the animal urinated on his bed. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Ukiah, California
UkiahDailyJournal.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Mendocino County Animal Care Services claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept dogs from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly admitted, “People get angry if we don’t accept a surrendered dog.”
Beaumont, Texas
12NewsNow.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Humane Society of Southeast Texas said that people were leaving animals outside its facility. Animals recently left there included a box containing “two severely emaciated puppies, one of [whom] appeared lifeless.” According to the report, “The puppy was reportedly in such critical condition that the digital thermometer couldn’t register [his or her] temperature, and [the animal] struggled to breathe or open [his or her] eyes.” A dog whose “back legs were nonfunctional” was left in a crate on the property, and a kitten was left in a cardboard box “down the dead-end road near the facility.” The facility, a partner of Best Friends Animal Society, had evidently taken the animals in after they were left there.
St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
NOLA.com reported, “The family of a child who was attacked by a dog they were fostering is suing St. Tammany Parish government, claiming the parish did not properly inform the family of the dog’s aggressive history before they brought the dog into their home.” According to the report, “The lawsuit says that in February 2023, the previous owner of a ‘pit bull mix’ named ‘Tate,’ short for ‘Tator Tot,’ gave the dog to the parish and requested that [he] be euthanized. The owner told the parish the dog had attacked, injured and killed several animals and that the dog was afraid of young children. The parish, which operates a no-kill shelter, then put up the dog for adoption, the lawsuit alleges, advertising Tate as a Labrador Retriever mix [who] was very sweet.” In March, as the family’s 3-year-old daughter was sitting in the living room, “without warning Tate attacked her, the suit says.” An attorney for the family reportedly “said the child suffered deep lacerations and had to undergo plastic surgery. He said she will likely need more surgeries.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Pocatello, Idaho
IdahoStateJournal.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Pocatello Animal Shelter had closed to the public because of an outbreak of canine parvovirus.
Bloomington, Indiana
IndianaPublicMedia.org reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the City of Bloomington Animal Shelter claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. According to the report, the facility had a “long wait list” with at least 40 to 50 dogs on it. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that it was also relaxing its adoption screening procedures.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
News9.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter was refusing to accept animals and had implemented a “managed intake” policy. A local animal advocate explained “that it is very bad for the community as a whole.” A spokesperson for the facility said that it was “booked out several months.” When asked about concerns that the policy would result in unaltered animals being abandoned and breeding throughout the community, he said, “There are going to be the chance that some of that could happen. I can’t say that it won’t.” According to the report, the facility had implemented dangerous policies, including “[l]eaving lost [companion animals] in the areas where they are found” and “[l]imiting shelter intake.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Smith County, Texas
KETK.com reported that authorities had seized 24 dogs and three cats from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Lanellas Rescue and Sanctuary after they were found starved and neglected. The seized animals were reportedly taken to a veterinary hospital, and it was “determined that the animals had been starved and [were] extremely malnourished.” The investigation was ongoing, and Bonnie Kelley, the operator of the “rescue,” could face charges. No additional information was available.
Prince Edward County, Virginia
WRIC.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Prince Edward County Animal Control was refusing to accept animals because of an outbreak of kennel cough. The facility was expected to be turning away animals for at least two weeks.
Santa Rosa County, Florida
WEARTV.com reported that three people had been charged with animal abandonment after they allegedly left two puppies they were unable to care for at the door of a veterinary hospital. An arrest report revealed that “the three initially went to a shelter in Santa Rosa County days before dropping off the puppies to the animal hospital. The report says they were turned away—told the shelter was at capacity and couldn’t accept the puppies.” The three said that “they thought they were doing the right thing” by leaving them at the veterinary hospital. One of the accused said, “I was scared and didn’t know what to do.” The publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility in the county doing business as Santa Rosa County Animal Services routinely refuses to accept animals and is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Hancock County, West Virginia
WeirtonDailyTimes.com reported that a publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Hancock County Animal Shelter “no longer has an open-door admission policy.” According to the report, animals needing shelter would be “wait-listed until space becomes available” and the facility would “no longer accept unsocialized or feral cats nor cats [who are deemed] unadoptable.” An area resident said, “It is terrible news for the animals …. The explosion of kittens will be severe, and those kittens will suffer. I fear many animals will be abandoned because of (the) new intake rules.” The report went on to say, “Previously, adopted [animals] had an automatic return policy even if the owner had relocated to another county. With this new policy, that is no longer the case.” Animals adopted to people living outside the county will no longer be accepted.
Hernando County, Florida
HernandoSun.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Hernando County Animal Services was refusing to accept dogs because of “an increase in cases of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease.” According to the report, residents were being told to house stray dogs themselves and to look for the animals’ owners instead of using the publicly funded agency that was established to do so.
Inhumane, Dangerous Results of ‘No-Kill’ Policies That Made Headlines in March 2025
Memphis, Tennessee
LocalMemphis.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Memphis Animal Services was “closed indefinitely following an outbreak of canine distemper virus.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Taylor County, Florida
PerryNewspapers.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Taylor County Animal Control was refusing to accept dogs after a litter of puppies there had “succumbed to parvo virus.”
Roanoke, Virginia
BTW21.com reported that authorities had seized 45 cats from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Nomadic Paws Kitten Rescue after they were found hoarded at a rented property. Two dead kittens were also found. Seven of the seized animals required emergency medical treatment “due to their poor condition.” The “rescue’s” operators, Kayla Wills Campbell and Ian James Yaeger, were reportedly “arrested and each charged with two counts of Felony Animal Neglect.” An investigation was ongoing.
Winsted, Connecticut
LakevilleJournal.com reported that authorities had seized 27 dogs from a woman named Sarah Smolak who had been fostering animals for “numerous” self-professed animal “rescues” and “no-kill” shelters after they’d been found evidently hoarded in poor conditions. Authorities said that dogs were found “loose” and in crates at the property. Smolak was reportedly “arrested on two counts of cruelty to animals.” The investigation was ongoing.
Pringle, Pennsylvania
TimesLeader.com reported that a dog who had been adopted in September 2023 from a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the SPCA of Luzerne County had evidently been starved to death. The dog’s body, which was returned to the facility by the adopter the following December, was reportedly “extremely emaciated.” According to the report, “A necropsy was performed on the dog that uncovered 10 pieces of various sizes of sharp materials that were unable to pass from the stomach to the small intestine, court records say. [The adopter] told SPCA staff the dog stopped eating and died.” She was charged with numerous counts of cruelty to and neglect of animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Tampa, Florida
WFLA.com reported that an area dumpster rental company wanted to alert residents to “[a]n alarming trend [that’s been] turning everyday dumpsters into cruel dumping grounds for helpless animals.” A spokesperson for the company said that it’s been finding “more and more” animals abandoned: “We’re finding dogs, cats, even rabbits and guinea pigs, abandoned in dumpsters. Some don’t survive.” The community’s publicly funded animal shelter, doing business as the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center, has “no-kill” policies and is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society. It routinely refuses to accept animals.
Fort Pierce, Florida
WPBF.com reported that a man told authorities that after a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as St. Lucie County Animal Safety, Services & Protection refused to accept from him two dogs he wanted to have euthanized, he hanged them to death. The dogs, a male and a female, were reportedly found dead by authorities hanging from trees in the man’s yard “a couple of weeks” after the facility refused to accept them. He was charged with cruelty to animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Dayton, Ohio
WHIO.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center (ARC) had crammed 108 dogs into a space designed to hold 80 and was refusing to accept animals. According to the report, caring for at-risk animals and providing needed services to residents had “become such a burden on the center that only animals [who] come with an order from a judge or magistrate will be impounded, an ARC spokesperson said.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Medford, New York
6ABC.com reported that “at least 100 cats were killed in a fire” at a self-professed animal “sanctuary” doing business as Happy Cat Inc. The owner of the business also died in the fire. According to the report, “Officials say there were 300 cats inside at the time of the fire.” No additional information was available.
Fort Worth, Texas
FortWorthReport.org reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Fort Worth Animal Care & Control Department was refusing to accept animals at the city’s two animal shelters because of an outbreak of canine distemper. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that the agency would not even pick up lost and homeless roaming strays, despite acknowledging “that municipal shelters have an obligation to pick up stray animals.” Residents were reportedly being told to house stray animals themselves. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Boston, Massachusetts
SuffolkDistrictAttorney.com reported that a dog who had been adopted from a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARLB) had been returned just days later “with lesions to his neck caused by an embedded, rusted chain collar.” The dog, named Lotto, had reportedly been adopted on January 30. On February 14, authorities were contacted by a veterinary hospital advising them that the dog had been taken to the hospital “when staff observed a rusty chain collar embedded into Lotto’s skin with visible blood, discharge and a bad odor. The staff offered to sedate Lotto and remove the chain but [the adopter] declined treatment, including antibiotics and pain medication.” Authorities located the adopter and asked him “how the metal chain was removed since Lotto was returned without it. [He] said he removed the embedded metal chain from Lotto’s neck himself before returning him because he could not afford the costs to have the hospital do it. Officers also observed rusted metal bowls, one of which still had dog food inside, and a rusted gate and tools in the area,” according to the report. The adopter was charged with cruelty to animals. The ARLB is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society and states on its website that it has a “conversation-based, application-free adoption process.”
Moorhead, Minnesota
ValleyNewsLive.com reported that a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as 4 Luv of Dog Rescue had recently turned away dozens of dogs, claiming it was “full.” According to the report, “In the last two weeks, they said more than 70 dogs were brought to them looking for safety.” The facility, a partner of Best Friends Animal Society, refused to accept nearly 50 of them and didn’t say what may have happened to them.
Dallas, Texas
PrestonHollow.AdvocateMag.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Dallas Animal Services was refusing to accept dogs because of an outbreak of an unidentified disease. Residents were reportedly being told to house stray animals themselves after having them vaccinated. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Encinitas, California
People.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for four years—nearly her entire life—at a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Rancho Coastal Humane Society. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Sugar Land, Texas
CommunityImpact.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Sugar Land Animal Services claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Watauga, Texas
FortWorth.CultureMap.com reported that authorities had seized more than 50 animals, including 47 Rottweilers, 2 American Staffordshire terriers, one mixed-breed terrier, and one cat from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as A Rottie Rescue Inc., after they were found “in dangerously unsanitary conditions.” Three dead dogs were also found at the property. According to the report, “Many of the surviving animals were in severe distress and required emergency medical attention.” The “rescue’s” operator, Sherri Prewitt Green, had reportedly been given dogs by municipal animal shelters in Texas and other states, “including Fort Worth Animal Care & Control, Dallas Animal Services, and Arlington Animal Services, as well as shelters in Houston, San Antonio, Laredo, Corpus Christi, San Bernadino, California, Roswell, New Mexico, and Las Vegas, Nevada.” According to the report, the animals seized “were reported to be severely dehydrated and underweight, likely without food or water for an extended period of time.” They were described “as covered in feces and urine, many not neutered, and many positive for heartworm disease. One foster who received one of the dogs said that [he or she] was one-and-a-half years old, weighed only 38 pounds, ‘and can barely walk.’” An investigation was ongoing.
Tampa, Florida
MSN.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center was refusing to accept dogs because of an outbreak of canine pneumovirus. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
LEX18.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Anderson County Animal Services claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Roswell, New Mexico
RDRNews.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Roswell Animal Services was closing for at least more than two weeks because of an outbreak of canine distemper. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
North Haven, Connecticut
NBCConnecticut.com reported that a dog who had evidently been up for adoption at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Animal Haven had seriously mauled a volunteer. According to the report, the facility said that the dog’s “unprovoked attack on our volunteer resulted in level 5 bites to her face (the highest level short of death).” According to the group, the volunteer had “survived the attack, but she suffered severe bite wounds to the face and has undergone reconstructive surgery.” The dog was euthanized after the attack. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Kansas City, Missouri
KansasCity.com reported that a lawsuit had been filed against a self-professed “no-kill” facility partially funded with public monies and doing business as the KC Pet Project by a resident who alleged that the group had failed to respond to numerous complaints about aggressive, roaming dogs before the animals fatally attacked a man, who was cycling through the neighborhood, and severely injured the plaintiff. According to the report, the plaintiff “suffered severe physical, emotional and psychological injuries, her attorneys wrote in the lawsuit.” The cyclist, Chris Culbertson, “suffered from more than 300 bites and needed more than 500 stitches before he developed an infection and died Nov. 6, the lawsuit said.” After the attack, the city council voted unanimously to terminate its contract for services with the group, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Canton, Ohio
CantonRep.com reported that authorities had seized “more than 250 live rats and a few other animals” who had been found in conditions described as “deplorable” at a rented home being used by a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Little Goblins Rattery & Rescue. More than 100 dead rats were also found at the property. According to the report, “a 41-year-old woman” had been charged “with seven counts of prohibitions concerning companion animals.” Her male partner was also arraigned on similar charges. The home was condemned by authorities. The investigation was evidently ongoing.
Claremore, Oklahoma
NewsOn6.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the City of Claremore Animal Control Division was refusing to accept dogs “after a dog tested positive for parvovirus, with additional dogs exhibiting symptoms of the disease.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Englewood, Colorado
Denver7.com reported that a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Moms and Mutts Colorado Rescue for Pregnant and Nursing Dogs had been ordered by state authorities to shut down. According to the report, after the order was issued, the group “relinquished its animal care license, ending a saga that saw the rescue embroiled in allegations that it repeatedly failed the pets under their care.” The group reportedly “made headlines back in August after a dozen puppies had to be put down after a rabies exposure during an adoption event.” More recently, authorities said “the rescue failed to isolate puppies [who] were suffering from hookworm infections and were once again exposed to a littermate with rabies symptoms.” A written agreement between the group and state officials reportedly prohibits it “or any of its principals, officers, directors, or managers” from applying for any type of state facility license for at least five years. In return, the state agreed not to pursue civil penalties, including a $12,000 fine that was evidently put on hold the previous December.
Fayette County, Georgia
TheCitizen.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Fayette County Animal Shelter had halted two programs in which residents were allowed to take dogs home for short periods of time after “one of the shelter’s dogs went home with a family for a weekend, and badly bit the face of a child.” There was also reportedly a parvovirus outbreak at the facility, resulting in a halt on adoptions and volunteer activities. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society and received a “no-kill” award from the group in 2023.
Salina, Kansas
Salina.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Salina Animal Services routinely refuses to accept animals and has allowed some to die unassisted at the facility. According to the report, the facility “strives to maintain a no-kill status.” In 2024, during an outbreak of the highly contagious feline panleukopenia virus, some infected cats were euthanized at the facility, but “others died of the disease.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Tucson, Arizona
KOLD.com reported that after a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Pima Animal Care Center (PACC) had transferred numerous psychologically suffering, unstable dogs to a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Passion 4 Paws, many of them had been left at an unnamed, questionable animal “sanctuary.” According to the report, authorities visited the “sanctuary” and found concerning conditions, “including dogs in closed cages, and others” who were being kept in total isolation. A sheriff’s office report “said there are 41 dogs on the property, including some from Pima and Pinal counties. Roughly 10 to 12 dogs at the sanctuary were originally from PACC.” A spokesperson for PACC said that the dogs who ended up there were not safe to release into the community and that PACC “does not plan on working with [the facility] again.” No additional information was available. PACC is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Inhumane, Dangerous Results of ‘No-Kill’ Policies That Made Headlines in February 2025
Lewis County, New York
FlackBroadcasting.com reported that “at least two dogs” had died in a fire at a self-professed animal “sanctuary.” No additional details were available.
Hopewell, New York
DemocratAndChronicle.com reported that six dogs had died during an outbreak of parvovirus at a self-professed “no-kill” facility partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Ontario County Humane Society. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Indianapolis, Indiana
IndyStar.com reported that the director of a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Indianapolis Animal Care Services had admitted that the facility was refusing to accept animals and said that “[w]ait times are about two weeks for owner surrender and four weeks for stray drop-offs.” The acknowledgement was given at a meeting with city officials, during which they heard “more than 90 minutes of critical comments” about the facility, its management, and policies. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society. (Learn more here.)
Carrollton, Georgia
Newsweek.com reported that for five years a dog had been “in and out” of a publicly funded facility doing business as the Carroll County Animal Shelter. According to the report, he’d been adopted twice from the facility and was both times found later roaming as a stray, evidently abandoned, with the adopters unreachable. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Kensington, Pennsylvania
Newsweek.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for four years, “more than half of her life,” at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley. A spokesperson for the facility said that the dog “spends anywhere up to 23 hours a day in [a] kennel” and that she “is afraid of people at first.” The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Clyde, Ohio
FOX8.com reported that authorities had seized 110 animals from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Another Chance Animal Sanctuary after they were found “living in conditions consistent with large-scale neglect.” A nonprofit that reportedly helped with the seizure said that “agents found dogs, cats, goats, alpacas, donkeys, guinea pigs, rabbits, exotic birds and a pig on the property.” Investigators found approximately “20 dogs weaving throughout a hallway lined with caged parrots” in a residence that “smelled strongly of ammonia.” Animals suffered from medical conditions, including many with dental disease, and a cat “was found hunched over in a cage with an apparent eye injury which veterinarians noted appeared to be very painful …. Dozens of cats, some with apparent upper respiratory illnesses characterized by eye and nasal discharge, were found in adjoining rooms,” according to the nonprofit. “Sanctuary” owner Laura Hirt “was indicted on five felony counts of cruelty to companion animals, the dog warden said.”
Lake City, Florida
News4JAX.com reported that because a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Lake City, Columbia County Humane Society claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals, staff often found “dogs or puppies abandoned, or dumped on their doorstep.” According to the report, more than a dozen dogs had been left outside the facility during a recent eight-day period. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Manorville, New York
Patch.com reported that a self-professed animal “sanctuary,” doing business as Double D Bar Ranch Inc., had been arraigned on 112 counts of animal neglect, according to authorities. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney reportedly said that “it was alleged that Double D Bar Ranch neglected a broad variety of animals by failing to provide them with proper care, including adequate food, water, shelter, and veterinary care.” Animals found at the property reportedly “included, but were not limited to, cows, goats, horses, pigs, sheep, a mule, and an alpaca.” Dead animals were also found, and some survivors “allegedly had untreated medical conditions including dental disease, tumors, matting, untreated wounds, lameness, respiratory infections, arthritis, emaciation, swollen body parts, and overgrown hooves, claws, and nails,” according to Tierney. Many animals had been removed, and others were receiving care on-site during an ongoing investigation.
Los Angeles, California
DailyNews.com reported that “officials with GoFundMe said their Trust and Safety Team” was investigating a fundraiser for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as A Wish For Animals (AWFA) and had shut it down. According to the report, “Donors who contributed to the AWFA campaign can request a refund from GoFundMe.” The report also revealed that the group’s “charitable trust registration was revoked in 2016 … prohibiting it from possessing or soliciting donations in California, the records show. Additionally, AWFA’s federal tax-exempt status was revoked in 2013 by the Internal Revenue Service, according to state records.” GoFundMe had reportedly not divulged the reason for suspending the fundraiser.
Horn Lake, Mississippi
FOX13Memphis.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as The City of Horn Lake Animal Shelter claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept lost and homeless dogs. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that dogs there were “doubled up, and some are being housed in hallways, walkways and the laundry room.”
Frostproof, Florida
FOX13News.com reported that authorities had seized eight dogs and three pigs from the home of Christine Snelling, the operator of a self-professed animal “rescue” transport company doing business as Road Dawg Animal Rescue Transport. Snelling was arrested and booked “on eight counts of animal cruelty and eight counts of animal neglect.” According to the report, “deputies said they found a dead chicken and various dogs in need of medicinal attention inside the home.” Investigators had to wear protective suits in order to rescue the animals because of high ammonia concentrations in the home, where the floors were found “covered in inches of feces, flies, rats and mice when they went inside, authorities said.” The investigation was ongoing.
Montgomery County, Ohio
WHIO.com reported that a resident said that after she’d rescued a stray dog from the street, she’d made 14 calls to the publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies, doing business as the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center (MCARC), as well as to police and animal adoption groups but was told that none of them would take the animal. The county administrator reportedly said in a meeting that MCARC had “been [in] a perpetual state of fullness.” According to the report, private groups, “residents, and even people experiencing homelessness” were handling lost and homeless animals throughout the community, even though the public is funding the animal control and sheltering program. MCARC is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Abilene, Texas
KTXS.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as All Kind Animal Initiative claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society. BigCountryHomepage.com later reported that a man told authorities that the facility had refused to accept a dog in June when he’d tried to surrender the animal. The dog was later found by state police tied up on the side of a road. Authorities took the dog to the facility, where staff reportedly admitted that the facility had turned the animal away earlier that day. The man was reportedly arrested and booked “in connection to the allegations.”
Springfield, Ohio
WHIO.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Clark County Dog Shelter was refusing to accept animals because workers had “observed a serious illness in some dogs.” No additional information was available.
Inhumane, Dangerous Results of ‘No-Kill’ Policies That Made Headlines in January 2025
California City, California
BakersfieldNow.com reported that authorities had seized 59 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Pawfect Companions after they were found hoarded in a garage and throughout a home. “Rescue” operator LaQuenta Reynolds was arrested and reportedly “faces charges related to” cruelty to animals. Authorities reportedly said it had been “determined that the animals were suffering from malnutrition, dehydration, and open infected wounds with bacterial and fungal infections.” Dogs were found in “bedrooms, common areas, and closets” inside the home, and 23 were found in a garage in metal wire crates. An investigation was reportedly ongoing.
East Point, Georgia
WSBTV.com reported that a resident had sustained “two broken arms that needed plates, screws” and required post-exposure rabies treatment after she was attacked by two stray dogs she was trying to help. She said that the animals had attacked another person earlier and that authorities had been called but didn’t respond. She said “there has been a rise in the number of abandoned dogs” in the community and claimed that when authorities were called, residents were often told that they couldn’t be helped. The county’s animal control department is evidently operated through a contract with a self-professed “no-kill” group doing business as LifeLine Animal Project and is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
The Colony, Texas
CBSNews.com reported that authorities had seized 45 cats, 24 dogs, 12 reptiles, and seven mice from a residence where neighbors said a couple claimed to be operating a self-professed animal “rescue.” Twenty-two dead animals had also been found. According to the report, “Authorities who went inside the home said the living conditions are unfit for humans or animals. Sources tell CBS News Texas there’s evidence that dogs were held inside tight cages with no room to even turn around and animal feces covered the carpet.” The investigation was ongoing.
Dayton, Ohio
WDTN.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Boardman, Ohio
WKYC.com reported that a 9-year-old dog had been warehoused for the past seven years at a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Animal Charity of Ohio Inc. The elderly dog was then transferred to another facility with “no-kill” policies.
Tucson, Arizona
KOLD.com reported that a woman had been mauled to death by a pit bull she was fostering for an unnamed self-professed animal “rescue.” According to the report, she had been fostering the dog “for more than a year.” The dog was euthanized after the attack.
Greenville, Florida
FirstCoastNews.com reported that 12 cats and dogs had died in a fire at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Ayla’s Acres No-Kill Animal Rescue Inc. According to the report, 14 animals had died in another fire at the “rescue” five years earlier. The cause of the recent fire was reportedly under investigation.
Mountain Grove, Missouri
OzarkRadioNews.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Mountain Grove Animal Control was refusing to accept animals “after an ill dog was brought into the shelter.” No additional information was available.
Aurora, Colorado
CBSNews.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Aurora Animal Shelter claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. According to the report, most residents who needed to surrender dogs they were unable or unwilling to care for were being placed on a waiting list. The report also revealed that a dog who had been adopted from the facility the previous month had been found roaming alone and that the animals’ “new owner has ignored the shelter’s call.”
Lake County, Florida
SLTablet.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Lake County Animal Shelter was refusing to accept dogs because a dog had tested positive for Streptococcus zooepidemicus. According to the report, residents who found lost or homeless dogs were being advised to try to find the animals’ owners or to house the animals themselves instead of using the publicly funded facility, which is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Vinton, Virginia
WSET.com reported that two kittens had died and others had sustained injuries in a fire at a rented home where 48 kittens had been confined by a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Nomadic Paws Kitten Rescue. According to the report, one of the kittens who died “was 7 weeks old and had cerebellar hypoplasia, which made it difficult for her to walk, as well as a ruptured eye.” The other kitten who died “was 12 weeks old and had a broken paw.” Authorities reportedly said that the fire had likely been “caused by discarded smoking material” and had caused an “estimated $100,000 in damages.”
Berkeley County, South Carolina
PostAndCourier.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Berkeley County Animal Shelter claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Hayden, Iowa
CDAPress.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Companions Animal Center claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals. According to the report, “There is a lengthy list of names of people wishing to surrender dogs, meaning it could take months.” A spokesperson for the facility said, “There are hundreds still on that waiting list.”
Twin Falls, Idaho
KEZJ.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as People for Pets—Magic Valley Humane Society Inc. was refusing to accept cats because of an outbreak of ringworm. According to the report, cats would be refused admittance “indefinitely.” The policy was evidently implemented after Best Friends Animal Society made the recommendation.
Bexar County, Texas
KSAT.com reported that residents of a neighborhood were asking “officials to address a stray dog they say charges at children walking home from school, chases cars and growls at other dogs.” One said that Bexar County Animal Control Services, a partner of Best Friends Animal Society, had been called by various residents for months without a response. Some were reportedly told that the county facility was “full” and “not picking up strays right now.” A resident said that “the stray dog terrorizes her specific street and has been holed up behind her house for months.” After the media report aired, she said that animal services had finally responded and “were able to pick up a dog [who] was constantly with the aggressive one, but the original problem dog still hasn’t taken the bait.”
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
WPXI.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept dogs. The facility is evidently a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Choctaw, Oklahoma
OKCFOX.com reported that 12 dogs and 17 goats had died in a fire at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Fur Ever Friends Rescue & Doggie Day Care LLC. The animals had evidently been confined to a barn at the rural property when the fire occurred. No additional information was available.
Prince Edward County, Virginia
WRIC.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Prince Edward County Animal Services claimed to be “full” and was refusing to accept animals.
Winston Salem, North Carolina
WXII12.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Forsyth County Animal Shelter was refusing to accept dogs from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them because of an outbreak of the canine parvovirus. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
Baltimore, Maryland
CBSNews.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter was refusing to accept dogs because of an outbreak of canine infectious respiratory disease complex. According to the report, some dogs were also suffering from pneumonia. The facility is a partner of Best Friends Animal Society.
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Urge Quince’s CEO to stop misleading customers immediately and end the sales of cashmere and sheepskin.
Tell Dexter Osborn to retire these bears and other wild animals to reputable sanctuaries immediately.
Add your name to a letter that PETA will share with the FDA, showing support for animal-free science to ensure that safe menstrual products are on the market.
Urge Sheriff Johnson to take action for these suffering animals at long last and to secure the removal of and appropriate care for every last goat from the farm.
Urge Conchy Joe’s Restaurant & Bar and Ocean Republic Brewing to do the right thing and stop holding hermit crab races.
Demand the company put an end to this cruelty by banning angora!
