Walmart shines spotlight on pet adoption

We couldn’t be more thrilled to share that this May pets will be in the spotlight when they take over Walmart stores nationwide all month long. Walmart is collaborating with Best Friends as their for-good (aka nonprofit) collaborator to celebrate National Pet Month. This is great news for the animals because Walmart stores will be promoting pet adoption and the importance of saving lives.

There are more than enough homes for dogs and cats in need, with about 7 million households planning to add a pet to their family in the next year. To make the entire country no-kill, all it will take is 6% more of those households choosing to adopt rather than buy their pets. That’s how close we are as a country to changing life forever for homeless pets, and Walmart is going above and beyond to reach people with that message.

“When people go to Walmart in May, they will see Best Friends’ message about adopting pets, and that will have a massive impact,” says Best Friends CEO Julie Castle. “In the U.S., 91% of animal organizations are located within 20 miles of a Walmart store, and through this collaboration we’ve seen that leaders at Walmart truly want to be part of the solution in saving the lives of homeless pets in every community.”

In addition to putting pets front and center in stores, Walmart and Blue Buffalo are covering adoption fees in May for animals at all Best Friends locations. Sponsored fees encourage people to come out and adopt, and each of those adoptions saves two lives — by getting one pet adopted and by freeing up space to take in another pet in need.

[Working together to fill pets’ bellies]

“We are so excited to collaborate with Best Friends and our supplier partners to help more pets find a home,” says Kaitlyn Shadiow, Walmart’s vice president of merchandising-pets. “Walmart is part of so many communities across the U.S., and we’re thrilled to provide our customers with the opportunity to help pets in their own communities. We want to reduce the cost of pet ownership by waiving adoption fees for the month and providing affordable pet food and supplies.”

Several participating pet brands will provide additional donations to Best Friends that match their sales in the month of May at Walmart.

So tell your friends, tell your neighbors: There are pets in shelters right now who need homes, and saving their lives makes your life better, too. Walmart will be right alongside us with the same message to bring happy home.

On May 17, you’ll be able to meet pets in person when select Walmart stores across the country host on-site adoptions with dogs and cats from Best Friends and our partners. There will be something for everyone, including photo booths, prizes, and more. These special events are planned for Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Miami, Salt Lake City, Philadelphia, and Newark. Visit bfas.org/happy for more information, event times, and locations.

Big thanks to these suppliers who are supporting National Pet Month and sharing the message to bring happy home in Walmart stores:

• Blue Buffalo (Best Friends official pet food partner)
• Fresh Step (Best Friends official cat litter partner)
• Adams Botanicals
• Nestle Purina
• Nutrish
• Nylabone
• Pedigree
• Pooph
• Spruce
• Sulfodene
• Temptations
• Unique Petz

This article was originally published in the May/June 2025 issue of Best Friends magazine. Want more good news? Become a member and get stories like this six times a year.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill in 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.