Press Release
By Nassau County Board of County Commissioners
07-10-24
More than 90% of the Dogs and Cats That Entered the Shelter Last Year Were
Saved, earing NCAS a recognition award from Best Friends Animal Society
Nassau County, Florida, July 9, 2024 – Nassau County Animal Services maintained
no-kill status in 2023, according to Best Friends Animal Society’s annual data report.
Shelters receiving the no-kill recognition award saved more than 90% of the dogs
and cats in their care in calendar year 2023.
Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization
dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters in 2025,
recognizes this incredible achievement as one that can be replicated by other
shelters in around the State.
“This award represents extraordinary leadership, both within your organization and
the broader animal welfare movement,” said Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends
Animal Society, “I want to acknowledge and thank the organizations around the
country who work tirelessly to save lives, helping move us closer to ending the killing
of cats and dogs in shelters in 2025.”
NCAS Director Tim Maguire stated, “We are excited that our hard work is being
recognized. I am very proud of all the NCAS employees who work tirelessly to find
homes for animals entering the shelter. I am also grateful for the many volunteers
who work everyday to help us in our mission to promote responsible pet ownership,
compassion towards animals, and safe human-animal interactions.”
A variety of methods are used to maintain our no-kill status including hosting
numerous adoption events each month, transferring of pets to rescue groups, and
returning pets to owners, when possible. To learn more about NCAS, please visit:
https://www.nassaucountyfl.com/845/Animal-Services.
*A 90 percent save rate is the nationally recognized benchmark to be considered “nokill,” factoring that approximately 10 percent of pets who enter shelters have medical
or behavioral circumstances that warrant humane euthanasia rather than killing for
lack of space.
** Qualifying criteria for receiving the award required the presence of a brick-and
mortar shelter and availability of twelve months of 2023 data as of April 2024.
About Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization working to end
the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters and make the country no-kill in 2025.
Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has
helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from an estimated 17 million
per year to 415,000 last year. Best Friends runs lifesaving programs across the
country, as well as the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working
collaboratively with a network of more than 4,700 animal welfare and shelter
partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save
Them All®. For more information, visit bestfriends.org
