More than 500 dogs and cats across the country are waiting for homes this Saturday as Best Friends Animal Society launches a national wave of holiday adoption events. The organization says the goal is simple: connect families with pets who deserve safety, warmth, and stability during the winter season.

“It’s incredibly heartwarming to see so many shelters, rescue groups, and local organizations coming together,” Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends, said in a press release.

Events range from the Purrlandia Cat Lounge in Thousand Oaks, where fees are waived for all cats, to the Mega Holiday Adoption Event in the Rio Grande Valley, which includes more than 250 animals with reduced fees. In Houston, families can step into a winter-themed fairground filled with over 100 adoptable pets, while the “Bring Joy Home” event in West Virginia offers more than 200 dogs with all fees waived.

These gatherings help communities advance toward the no-kill benchmark, which Best Friends defines as saving 90% of the animals entering shelters.

Best Friends’ national adoption events aim to place more than 500 pets in homes.

Why Adoption Matters

Choosing to adopt gives a pet a second chance at stability and companionship. As Virginia Tech reports, the bond formed with a shelter pet often carries a unique depth, shaped by resilience and gratitude. Many adopters find that older pets fit seamlessly into the household, skipping the exhausting early stages of puppy or kittenhood.

Shelter pets offer something else: unwavering companionship. Bringing the entire family to meet a potential pet helps ensure a good fit.

“Some animals don't do well around younger kids… It’s best to find that out when initially meeting the pet,” Dr. Jasmine Bryant told Virginia Tech.

Adoption gives a homeless pet safety and stability.

Benefits That Reach Beyond the Home

Adoption relieves overcrowded shelters and opens space for other animals in crisis. Adoption fees, when charged, help fund vaccinations, spay and neuter procedures, and basic care that local shelters rely on to operate.

The joy of adoption reaches adopters, too. The ASPCA notes that adopting a shelter dog means saving more than one life, fighting back against cruel breeding practices, and gaining a companion who provides unconditional love, emotional comfort, and opportunities to stay active. A rescue dog can bring new friendships, outdoor routines, and constant surprises that brighten daily life.

Adoption reduces reliance on cruel and irresponsible breeding operations.

Creating a Future Where Every Pet Finds a Home

The push toward a no-kill nation depends on public engagement. Adoption events like those hosted by Best Friends provide pathways for families to meet pets who might otherwise be overlooked. Each adoption moves the country closer to a place where treatable, healthy animals are not lost simply because they lack a home.

The choice to adopt is personal. Its impact is widespread. And for hundreds of pets this weekend, it could mean everything.