Friends For Life Animal Shelter    
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Animals for Adoption
  • Ways to Help
  • Rescue
  • Donate
  • Events
  • Success Stories
  • Animal of the Month
  • Animal Resources
  • No Kill News
  • 100th Monkey

    Enter the Kid Zone

    Visit our CafePress store!

    • REVOLUTIONIZING ANIMAL CARE IN HOUSTON

     

    FRIENDS FOR LIFE
    WWW.NOKILL1.ORG

    When There Was No Hope, We Found Homes.

    Who Are We?
    A dynamic 6 year old non-profit made up of veterinarians, lawyers, business people, architects, physicians, educators and trained shelter staff committed to offering Houston a real alternative to shelters that kill homeless animals.

    What Are We Doing?
    This visionary non-profit has saved hundreds of animals through our innovative adoption, rescue, rehabilitation, pet retention and animal food bank programs.

    Our itscool2care humane education programs for young people teach that “Compassion is cool!” We get young people actively involved in ways to make it a better world for both people and animals by empowering them with the knowledge that they can make a meaningful difference.

    Where Are We?
    PetSmart Adoption Center at 2902 S. Shepherd at the corner of W. Alabama
    Adoption hours: 5:00-8:00 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and
    12:00-5:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

     

    Friends For Life Programs

    Adoption
    75% of the hundreds of animals we have placed were classified by other area shelters as “unadoptable.” Reasons other shelters would have ended their lives included: weighing less than 2 lbs, being over 7 years old, being injured, having treatable medical conditions or just being a member of certain breeds. Adoptable is what we, as a community, say it is. We have the power to redefine adoptable right now. Through our proactive placement programs, we redefine adoptable everyday.


    Rescue and Rehabilitation
    Friends For Life accepts animals of all breeds, all ages and in all health situations. No life is disposable. We routinely accept, rehabilitate, medically treat and adopt into loving homes, animals on whom other groups have given up. We have traveled to Louisiana and Mississippi where our rescue teams treated hundred of animals free of charge in Friends For Life mobile veterinary clinics.

    Humane Education
    The relationship between the way children treat animals and the way that they grow up to treat human beings has been so well-established, it is axiomatic. By encouraging children to widen the circle of beings to whom they extend their compassion, we create a kinder and less violent future for all of us. Our itscool2care programs do just that. As children learn how to be loving guardians for animals, not only are fewer animals abandoned or abused, studies show children bring that spirit of compassion to their human relationships as well. Everybody wins!

    Pet Retention
    Keeping animals in good homes is a priority in building a no kill community. Friends For Life counselors provide advice on behavior, training and other concerns to help frustrated animal guardians change a difficult situation to make an animal a positive family member. In addition, we offer an animal food and supply bank to provide assistance to those who find themselves in temporarily difficult circumstances.     Often a little help for the animal guardian will prevent an animal from ending up in a shelter.

     

    "Friends for Life's approach to getting at the fundamental causal factors [of animal suffering] sets it apart like a meteor racing across a pitch black sky."

    Edward Duvin

    "Father" of the No Kill Movement

    Our Vision

    We envision a community in which no animal will be killed for want of a loving home. Shelters will accept their rightful responsibility as guardians and protectors of animals and we, as a society, will accept no less.

    There will be as much energy devoted to humane education and animal adoption as shelters currently devote to sheer numbers management. Shelters will lead by example to promote a larger and more compassionate vision of the way companion animals are valued. The ultimate effect will be that animals will no longer be viewed as disposable by shelters or by us as individuals. As we teach and practice compassion for animals, these patterns will ripple outward to affect relationships among human beings in a positive way.

    Our Mission

    Friends for Life is moving Houston forward to a No Kill future though programs that redefine "adoptable." We rescue, medically treat, and place animals into loving homes. 75% of the animals we have already placed would not be saved without our unique programs. Our pet retention programs help to keep animals in homes.

    Also advancing our community towards a No Kill future are our humane education programs that teach children that animals are not disposable but are companions who deserve our care and compassion. The connection between violence and indifference to animals and similar behavior against people is so well documented it is axiomatic. The lessons of respect and kindness empower children with ways they can make the world better for animals and ultimately better for all of us.While there is immediate rescue work to be done, the path to permanent change lies in changing attitudes about valuing and caring for our companion animals.

     

    To contact us :

    Friends For Life
    P.O.Box 70575
    Houston, Texas 77270
    nokill1@aol.com
    www.nokill1.org

    Board of Directors:

    Marilyn Garber
    Carlye Rose, DVM
    Patricia Larson, Treasurer
    Margo Kendrick
    Salise Shuttlesworth JD, Executive Director
    Pat Harris
    Brooke Summers-Perry

    Many Thanks to The Friends For Life Team:

    Amazing Volunteers

    We have some of the most dedicated, energetic, creative and really fun folks around in our numbers! We'd love for you to join us! Check out our Volunteer section to sign up.

    Committed Corporate Sponsors

    Our Corporate Partnership with PetsMart has enabled us to save more than 495 lives to date. The PetsMart Corporation is so supportive and truly is a group of animal lovers with a real commitment to making the community better. We are honored to share a partnership with this fine organization.

    We thank each of the following for generous financial gifts to the Friends For Life programs:
              PetsMart Charities
              The Moran Foundation
              The Stoddard Foundation
              Exxon-Mobil
              Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

    Veterinary Partners

    We have the honor of getting to work with many fine Houston area veterinarians. We are grateful to all who have been so kind to us and continue to make the world better for animals.

    We are proud to recommend The Greater Good Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic. Dr. Dallas Kuehl not only provides low cost spays/neuters/vaccinations and other services to rescue groups, but also to the public. Take a look at the site. The quality of care is the highest quality, the clinic is immaculate and the staff is compassionate and helpful.

    We especially thank the Memorial 610 Hospital for Animals veterinary doctors and wonderful staff for the sterling care provided to our animals and the unfailing view that each life matters. We could not do this without you and your amazing generosity.
              Dr. David Shell
              Dr. Stephen Pittenger
              Dr. Carlye Rose

    We also thank (and rely on !) Dr. Caroline Oeben for her generous help to the shelter.

    The Cat Doctor
    Dr. Caroline Oeben
    534 Westheimer
    713 5-Cat-Doc
    www.CatDoctorHouston.com
    Fabulous cats-only clinic. Dr. Oeben speaks 'cat' and delivers state of the art medical care. Head and heart truly combine here.

    Rescue Partners

    We are firm believers that the way things change on a major level is through the cooperation among all like-minded rescue folks. We invite other rescue groups to avail themselves of our program, space, network and resources. Many have done so and together we have undertaken large healthcare projects and adopted out animals that would have been tough for any one group to do without a network. We provide information for members of the public of the animals available at other shelters - if we don't have what you are looking for - chances are someone does!

    Salise,

    Please share with your group Texas Great Pyrenees Rescue's appreciation for the generous donations of dog food we have received. The last batch I picked up (probably about 400 pounds of food) was distributed to three homes caring for seven foster Great Pyrenees dogs. It is really so appreciated by the Ways To Helpas they are not normally reimbursed for food costs by our program.

    I am always so impressed by the kindness of the people in your group when I visit the Shepherd Petsmart. It's really remarkable to have a group of volunteers available to work your adoption site on an almost daily basis.

    Thank you for what all of you do for the animals and for your kindness to Texas Great Pyrenees Rescue.

    Eileen

    Need help with an animal?
    Contact us and tell us what you need
    -- training, advice, help with care/feeding, boarding, foster care and we'll do everything we can to help.

    More animal groups in and around Houston
    Check out the list here (PDF)

    Exhausted every avenue and want to place an animal for adoption?
    Fill out our online intake form and be sure to give a number where our staff can reach you.

     
     
     
    Copyright © 2008 Friends for Life Animal Shelter & Sanctuary
    All rights reserved.