Best Friends says Idaho, Montana have reached no-kill status

Best Friends Animal Society says Idaho and Montana have become the fifth and sixth U.S. states to reach its “no-kill” benchmark, making them the first states in the West to do so. In a May 7 announcement, the nonprofit said Idaho crossed the threshold at the end of January 2026 with a 93% save rate, and Montana followed in February at 95%, based on the group’s shelter data. Best Friends defines “no-kill” as a save rate of 90% or higher for dogs and cats over 12 consecutive months, a metric it says reflects saving every healthy and treatable pet. The states now join Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont under that designation. (prnewswire.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the announcement is another sign that statewide shelter performance is increasingly being framed around access to transport, spay/neuter capacity, foster networks, and community-based care, not just in-shelter medicine. Best Friends credited Idaho’s final push to cat transport and Montana’s progress to regular coordination among shelters and rescue groups, including discussion of veterinary medicine updates. At the same time, the 90% no-kill benchmark remains debated within shelter medicine and animal welfare, with critics arguing that a single metric can oversimplify case complexity and create pressure on shelter staff and veterinarians. (prnewswire.com)

What to watch: The next question is whether Idaho and Montana can sustain those save rates over time, as Best Friends continues pushing more states and individual shelters toward the same benchmark. (bestfriends.org)