Best Friends Animal Society Hosts Star-Studded Event to Celebrate Its 40th Anniversary
The incredible organization, Best Friends Animal Society, held an amazing event called Benefit to Save Them All, hosted by “The View” star Sara Haines in New York City on September 26. The gala celebrated the 40th anniversary of the nonprofit that has been consistently dedicated to saving the lives of animals by trying to ban killing in animal shelters throughout the country.
Best Friends CEO Julie Castle, Best Friends Founder and Chairman of the Board, Francis Battista, and several celebrities, like Nicole Brydon Bloom, Michael Cyril Creighton, Will Estes, Melora Hardin, Joe Gatto, Georgina Bloomberg, Georgina Pazcoguin, and Elias Weiss Friedman of The Dogist were in attendance of the gala. In addition, two of our favorite dog devotees, Amanda Seyfried and Justin Theroux showed off their charms as event presenters. Kelly Wearstler, known for her career as an Interior designer and her work as an animal advocate, also received a special honor during the event.
Before the gala, guests walked down the “Orange Carpet” alongside furry friends, staying at the Best Friends New York Pet Lifesaving Center, who are still looking for their forever homes. In addition, money made from the event went towards different rescues in the United States.
During a 2018 interview with the BUILD series, Castle discussed the history of the organization. She explained that the establishment of no-kill shelters, where animals are not euthanized did not seem possible. She said the “animal sheltering movement” started 150 years ago “in New York City where there was an overpopulation of dogs” and officials decided to kill the animals by drowning them “in the East River.” A shelter was eventually established in New York because of “ public outrage.”
“They decided to build a shelter and then the killing just continued to happen in the backroom and years and years went by and somewhere along the way, we lost our soul of how we were going to care for these animals. And you know, these remarkable founders at Best Friends came along in 1984 and said there is a better way, like let’s figure out how to best save the animals rather than how to best kill them,” shared Castle.
In a February 2024 piece uploaded on the Best Friends Animal Society website, Castle opened up about joining the nonprofit organization. According to Castle, she “started volunteering for Best Friends” 30 years ago.
“I had the privilege of getting to know all the founders [Gregory Castle, Ernst Paul Eckhoff, and Michael Mountain]. Sadly, more of them than I care to count have passed, but they are the most extraordinary collection of people I have ever met. Brilliant, fearless, innovative, and absolutely eccentric. Without much more than a pot to pee in, they set out to change the world, and improbably, they did!” wrote Castle.
In addition, she said, “Before it had a name, the no-kill philosophy was baked into the cake of the founders’ commitment to the animals.”
Castle also stated that the founders of Best Friends Animal Society did not want to “ lay a guilt trip on people, nor would they portray animals as victims” to encourage donations toward their cause.
“Rather, they offered an unspoken contract based on kindness and consideration for animal lovers’ sensibilities. They would not violate that trust with shocking images and hopeless stories. The founders felt strongly that they didn’t need to shock the public to engage the public. After all, what’s more engaging than a happy dog or cat?” wrote Castle. “It was a commitment to unfailingly positive news about the animals in all communications with donors and the public. The relationship with donors and the public became an ongoing conversation about good news and progress being made. It’s simple: Treat people the way you would want to be treated. Today, most animal organizations and other charities have learned from Best Friends’ success, and now they, too, focus on the positive and on building relationships versus relying on quick-hit shock.”
If you’d like to help Best Friends Animal Society’s amazing cause, consider giving a gift or adopting or fostering a furry friend.