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Governor Laura Kelly has declared August as Kansas No-Kill Shelter Month, an initiative aimed at helping the state achieve no-kill status by the end of the year. With this proclamation, Kansas joins 14 other states in a nationwide effort to encourage public involvement in saving the lives of homeless pets and supporting shelters in becoming no-kill.

Best Friends Animal Society, a national animal welfare organization focused on ending the killing of cats and dogs in shelters, applauds this move as a significant step forward. According to the organization, nearly two-thirds of U.S. shelters have already reached no-kill status, and hundreds more are close. In Kansas, 53 out of 71 shelters met or maintained no-kill benchmarks in 2024. Among the remaining 18, 14 are fewer than 100 pets away from meeting the goal.

In 2024, Kansas shelters achieved an 86% save rate, exceeding the national average. However, 2,400 pets were still euthanized due to a lack of available homes. Reaching no-kill status will require continued collaboration among residents, officials, and animal welfare groups. Kansans can support the effort by adopting, fostering, volunteering, donating, spreading awareness, and ensuring their pets are spayed or neutered. More information is available at bestfriends.org.