A new report from Best Friends Animal Society shows Florida animal shelters continued making progress toward no-kill status in 2025, including through adoption efforts in the Jacksonville area.
The organization’s latest data shows Florida shelters saved roughly 283,000 pets last year, with about 85% of animals entering shelters making it out alive, even as intake pressures increased.
This included an 86% save rate for dogs, according to the report.
About 20,000 pets were killed in Florida shelters in 2025, a figure that remained steady compared with 2024, according to the report. The organization said the numbers reflect the ongoing work of shelters and rescue partners statewide.
Best Friends defines a shelter as “no-kill” when at least 90% of the animals that enter are saved. By that measure, 91 of Florida’s 135 shelters reached no-kill status in 2025, according to the data.
“Florida continues to make steady progress towards becoming a no-kill state,” Aurora Velazquez, East regional director for Best Friends Animal Society said in a statement. “While intake increased slightly last year, shelters across the state held steady with saving the lives of dogs and cats in shelters. Continued collaboration and community support, especially through adoption and fostering, will help close the gap.”
The report also highlighted efforts in high-intake areas across the state, including Miami-Dade County, where Best Friends partnered with local animal services to help address overcrowding, increase adoptions and stabilize shelter populations.
Here in Northeast Florida, the Jacksonville Humane Society has been part of the statewide push to get more shelter animals adopted.
Last June, it coordinated a Petco Love Mega Adoption Event at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds that brought together 11 local shelters, including groups from Alachua, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Flagler, Levy, Marion and Nassau counties, according to News4JAX. Best Friends said dogs from Levy County Animal Services had gone through a training program before the event, and six were adopted.
Still, Best Friends said Florida remains one of the states with the highest number of pets still needing to be saved.
Nationally, the report found 82.5% of shelter pets were saved in 2025. The share of shelters reaching no-kill status also climbed to 68%, the highest level recorded by Best Friends.
The group said Florida could reach no-kill status if one in every 450 additional households chose to adopt from a shelter instead of buying from a pet store or breeder.
“Best Friends has been working to make the country no-kill and it’s incredible to see the continued momentum in Florida to help save every healthy and treatable dog and cat,” said Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society. “Nationally, more than two out of three shelters are already no-kill, putting a future with no homeless pets within reach. We urge people to positively impact the lives of dogs and cats in their community by adopting, fostering, advocating, and volunteering with local shelters and rescue groups.”
