Delaware has been recognized as the first state in the country to earn a no-kill designation for animal shelters by the Best Friends Animal Society. The non-profit organization which works to end euthanasia at animal shelters across the country credits the Brandywine Valley SPCA for leading the way in ensuring pets that end up in shelters find new homes.
The Brandywine Valley SPCA runs three shelters in Delaware and cares for over 14,000 animals each year, which accounts four roughly 60% of the sheltered animals in the state. Their initiatives have helped them achieve a 95% success rate in finding the abandoned animals new homes.
Linda Torelli, director of marketing for the Brandywine Valley SPCA, says that they run two "mega-adoption events" each year, where thousands of people show up to find the newest member of their family.
"They are weekend-long events where we adopt out over a thousand animals in two days," Torelli told TODAY. "It's an amazing experience. It's really something to see."
Torelli says one of the biggest hurdles they have is overcoming the stigma that animals in shelters have something wrong with them.
"There's a long list of reasons why great pets end up in shelters," she explained. "I'd encourage people to have an open mind of the kind of animals you're going to find in a shelter. In most cases, you're going to find what you're looking for."
Holly Sizemore, chief mission officer for Best Friends Animal Society says the organization's goal is to eliminate kill shelters across the country by 2025.
"Back in 2016, Julie Castle, who is now our CEO, put Best Friends' stake in the ground to lead the country to no-kill by the year 2025, and it was a pretty bold, brave stake to put out there," she said.
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