Tucked away in the heart of Bentonville, the Best Friends Pet Resource Center is turning the traditional idea of an animal shelter on its head. This innovative facility combines adoption services, community support and a warm, welcoming atmosphere to create a safe haven for both pets and people.
As part of the Best Friends Animal Society, the center contributes to the nationwide goal of ending the euthanasia of adoptable pets by 2030. In Northwest Arkansas, this facility is a vital step toward that mission, serving as a model of collaboration and innovation. Encouraging those with a voice to make a lifesaving difference for animals waiting for homes of their own when you adopt, give, and use your voice to protect homeless pets.
“Our Pet Resource Center offers adoptions for dogs, cats, puppies and kittens and once we had two guinea pigs,” said Linda DeBerry, Dr. Marketing Specialist.
At Best Friends, the animals take center stage, dogs awaiting adoption live in foster homes, giving them a taste of family life while reducing stress. Each day, several dogs visit the center to meet potential adopters in cozy, well-designed spaces, creating opportunities for authentic connections.
“We do an open adoption process so there’s no home check and no requirement to have a signature from a veterinarian. You don’t have to have a fenced in yard and you don’t have to live in a house rather than an apartment. There’s no upper age limit, and that is something that we are real proponents of,” DeBerry said. “Animals are better off in homes than they are in a shelter, and we should not be limiting which homes get a pet.”
While finding forever homes for pets is a central mission, the Best Friends Pet Resources Center offers so much more. A fully equipped veterinary clinic provides care for the shelter animals as well as pets from community organizations and families in need. The center also runs a pet food and supply pantry to help ensure no pet in the community goes hungry.
“We have a self service dog wash downstairs, free microchip and vaccine clinics every Wednesday from 9:00 to 12:30. Our medical team does spay and neuter surgeries or any other kind of medical service that’s needed for animals and shelters that partner with us, so we can give them a much lower rate than if they had gone to a regular veterinarian,” DeBerry said.
These services are designed to address the root causes of pet homelessness and keep animals in loving homes. The center is more than a shelter-it’s a place for connection. Visitors can grab a coffee at Third Space Coffee, a cozy cafe inside the building, where adoptable cats might curl up nearby. Volunteers play a critical role, making toys in the on-site maker space, assisting with events, or caring for the animals.
“We have a ton of different ways that people can volunteer, everything from cleaning all the litter boxes and cleaning the cats to doing inventory of supplies, assisting in surgery and going out into the community and talking to people or putting out flyers,” DeBerry said.
For anyone looking to adopt, volunteer, or simply enjoy the companionship of animals, the Best Friends Pet Resources Center is more than just a shelter-it’s a community landmark that celebrates the bond between pets and people.
“I enjoy going to Best Friends because they allow for anyone to come in and play with the animals during open house. It’s very welcoming and inviting! The environment is very clean as well as the staff are extremely friendly and helpful to answer any of your questions and they’re wheelchair accessible,” said Emely Martinez, former RHS student and frequent visitor of Best Friends.
