The Lafayette Animal Shelter and Care Center (LASCC) will participate in a statewide adoption event to celebrate Louisiana Loves Shelter Animals Day, a proclamation issued last month by Governor Jeff Landry to highlight the vital role pet adoption plays in building no-kill communities.
LASCC has teamed up with Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters, to mark this pivotal step in Louisiana’s pet lifesaving efforts. Between May 29-31, LASCC will join dozens of other shelters across the state by waiving adoption fees completely to get more pets out of shelters and into adoptive homes.
“We’re proud to join this statewide effort to shine a light on the importance of pet adoption and the progress Louisiana is making toward becoming a no-kill state,” said Shelley Delahoussaye, Shelter Supervisor. “Every adoption brings us one step closer to ensuring that every healthy and treatable pet in our shelter gets the second chance they deserve. We’re excited to work alongside Best Friends Animal Society and other shelters across Louisiana to help save more lives.”
The proclamation coincided with new annual data released by Best Friends last month, which shows Louisiana saved 77% of pets in its shelters in 2024, but for the state to achieve no-kill, an additional 12,900 dogs and cats need to be adopted.
“Best Friends applauds Louisiana’s desire to save the lives of homeless dogs and cats across the state,” said Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society. “If more Louisianans choose to adopt pets from shelters instead of purchasing from breeders or stores, we are confident that the state will achieve no-kill.”
Like Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, other governors and legislators nationwide are furthering the lifesaving momentum, by aligning with no-kill trends as evidenced by an additional 11 states having issued no-kill proclamations or resolutions since 2024 – including Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
For information about adoptable pets at LASCC, visit lafayettela.gov/lascc. To learn more about Best Friends or how to help take Louisiana no-kill, visit bestfriends.org.
*According to Best Friends Animal Society, “No-Kill” is defined by a 90% save rate for animals entering a shelter. Typically, the number of pets who are suffering from irreparable medical or behavioral issues that compromise their quality of life and prevent them from being rehomed is not more than 10% of all dogs and cats entering shelters, making it a meaningful and common-sense benchmark for measuring lifesaving progress.
