At Friends For Life, every animal matters.
We’re here for the undercat and underdog, regardless of their breed, age or condition.
Houston-grown, we’re here to help our neighbors care for the pets they love. We’re not done until every animal has a safe home. Until then, we’ll be innovating, improving and tracking results to find the most effective ways to save lives.
MISSION
We save animals and strengthen our community’s engagement with them.
VISION
A community where all animals have a safe home and where pet owners have the resources to care for the animals they love.
CORE VALUES
Compassion
We approach animals and people with kindness. We gladly offer help, treating others how we want to be treated. We show respect to everyone – understanding that everyone is doing their best.
Creativity
We are problem solvers. We find innovative ways to improve the conditions of animals and people.
Fearlessness
We bravely approach ambitious goals. We have the courage to do what’s right, even if it requires us to speak truth to power.
Integrity
We do the right thing. We are honest with each other and the public. We are transparent regarding our processes and the results of our work.
Evidence-Based
We track results of our work, to have a clear way to measure our impact. We look to data to find the most effective ways to advance our cause.
How We’re Different
Every Animal Matters
We save animals regardless of their origin, breed, age or condition. Many shelters refuse strays, animals from private citizens, or even entire breeds. Instead, we are guided by a simple principle: Every Animal Matters.
Rooted in our community
No shelter is an island. We lean on our community to fuel our work. In return, the Houston community relies on us. Here are some programs that help lift our neighbors:
- We gave away 5,500+ free spay/neuter surgeries (and counting) through our Fix Houston program. The result: There will be 100,000 fewer animals coming into Houston shelters.
- Friends For Life Animal Food Bank (Houston’s first!) provided our neighbors with 50 tons of pet food in 2018 alone, and tons more (literally) in 2019.
- During Hurricane Harvey, we responded to the City’s call. The Mayor needed us to manage pets at the George R. Brown Evacuation Center. We set up the country’s first-ever shelter where people stay together with their pets. The success of our effort set an example for future disaster planning.
- During COVID-19, we’ve started providing a Drive-Thru Clinic + Pet Food Bank. We’re the only organization in the city offering this service that gets free vaccinations, vet exams, preventatives, and pet food to those struggling to care for their animal family members.
We keep score
We look at data to track our progress and make decisions. From TNR mapping to measuring training clicks, we rely on evidence to help us fine-tune our best practices.
Our Model
We see our work as a three-legged stool:
- Rescue, rehabilitate and adopt (Wellness, Behavior, Adoptions)
- Reduce animal births (Fix Houston)
- Help our neighbors with their pets (Thinking Outside the Shelter)
When deployed together, these programs lead to a systemic change. We envision the day when all animals have homes, and shelters become resource centers for the community.
Official Documents: You can see all of our official documents by clicking here.