Rachael Ziering Appointed to Best Friends Animal Society’s Network Strategy Council
Rachael Ziering, Founding Executive Director of Muddy Paws Rescue, has been appointed to Best Friends Animal Society’s Network Strategy Council (NSC), a volunteer committee who will advise on how to best support the work of animal rescue and shelter organizations in the U.S. The NSC consists of 13 animal welfare leaders from organizations within the Best Friends Network – a consortium of more than 4,300 animal welfare and shelter partners working to save the lives of dogs and cats in shelters across the country.
Ziering was chosen to be part of the council due to their commitment to innovation, impressive track record in animal sheltering, and dedication to lifesaving through no-kill philosophies and best practices.
“I was honored to be asked to join Best Friends’ Network Strategy Council - it’s an incredible opportunity for leaders in the animal welfare space to learn from each other and support all of the groups working toward ending the unnecessary euthanasia of companion animals,” said Ziering. “Each member brings a unique perspective to the table on how we can maximize lifesaving across the country; I’m excited to both share the insights I have, and watch how this work will impact sheltering in years to come.”
No-kill is defined by a 90% save rate for animals entering a shelter and is a meaningful and common-sense benchmark for measuring lifesaving progress. Reaching this goal requires both animal welfare organizations and public communities to work together to increase lifesaving.
Best Friends Animal Society, a national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters by 2025, developed the NSC to provide insights and guide action for Best Friends Network who will accelerate achieving no-kill in every community across the country.
The Best Friends Network consists of public and private shelters, rescue groups, spay/neuter organizations, and other animal welfare associations in all 50 states. Through collaboration, information sharing and joint implementation of proven lifesaving strategies, partners support each other and inspire their communities to increase shelter pet lifesaving.
To reach no-kill by 2025, the NSC will work alongside Best Friends CEO Julie Castle to:
Identify gaps, solutions, and resources both nationally and regionally
Create and direct industry working groups designed to investigate, strategize, and pilot solutions for key issues that create measurable change
Support the Best Friend Network’s efforts to focus on the real-time needs of animal shelters
About Muddy Paws Rescue
Muddy Paws Rescue is a completely foster-based dog rescue operating in New York City, with a mission of building and supporting a thriving pack of dog-loving humans dedicated to ending unnecessary euthanasia of companion pups. Founded in 2016, Muddy Paws has helped more than 7,000 puppies and dogs find loving homes, with 764 adoptions in their first year alone. Partnering with open-intake shelter partners in New York and across the country - Muddy Paws works with a foster network of more than 1,500 homes, and practices a conversation-based, open adoption model to save more than 1,000 lives each year. Muddy Paws opened their first-ever headquarters in Hell’s Kitchen in 2021 – a space that centers and strengthens their #MuddyPawsPack community and lifesaving efforts. For more information, visit muddypawsrescue.org or follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and Twitter.
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 by 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 around 378,000. 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 4,300 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All®. For more information, visit bestfriends.org.
