The Animal Welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society established the No-Kill Los Angeles (NKLA) initiative over ten years ago. While presenting a 2018 Google Talk, José Ocaño, the Pacific Regional Director for Best Friends Animal Society, shared that the “save rate was in the 50s” when the program launched in 2011. Since the initiative, Los Angeles County has managed to save over 90 percent of shelter animals who did not have a terminal illness or dangerous behavioral issue. According to the non-profit’s chief mission officer, Holly Sizemore, the 90 percent save rate means Los Angeles is considered a “no kill” shelter city.

“It’s a common sense bench mark a community ethic, a benchmark of a 90 percent save rate serves the core but more difficult to quantify ethical goal of saving the life of every dog and cat who can be saved,” shared Sizemore in a 2021 YouTube video. She also revealed that the “big audacious goal at Best Friends is that every shelter in every community will reach the no-kill benchmark by 2025.”

Best Friends Animal Society helps furry friends find their forever home at the Best Friends Animal Society, Los Angeles rescue located in Mission Hills, California. Ocaño revealed that the non-profit attempts to show animals in need in a more positive light and explained that visitors will not be seeing super sad pups in cages.

“It has that feel, you want to be there. When I work there half the week, I love working there because it has such a good vibe and you can kind of see that when you go in … The more we kind of redesign how we show animals, I think it’ll be really important on how we engage the people moving forward,” explained Ocaño.

He also shared that the non-profit refrains from relying on emotions and anecdotal evidence to help animals in need.

“Everything is based on data and trends so that we can be the most resourceful with what we have,” stated the Pacific Regional Director.

Best Friends Animal Society hires staff members and volunteers to help reach their 2025 goal. In 2021, Jennifer Pimentel, Executive Director of Best Friends Los Angeles shared her tips on what she believes it takes to help the No-Kill Los Angeles (NKLA) initiative.

“Reminding our team that in this field it isn’t your traditional 9 to 5 right, you’re not going to clock in finish all your to-dos and then clock out for the day and forget about it, you’re always going to have something to do the following day, so as long as you can embrace that and sort of understand that this is just the crazy chaotic world of animal welfare and be able to set those boundaries for yourself, I think that’s a really important thing to instill in our staff,” said Pimentel.

A Look at No Kill LA (NKLA)

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