New Pet Resource Center Coming to Bentonville

On Wednesday, May 26th, 2021, community members gathered near the intersection of I & 8th Street for the groundbreaking of the newly announced Best Friends Pet Resource Center. First of its kind in the region, the resource center will serve Northwest Arkansas based on a concept called communitysupported sheltering. This concept engages community members, government leaders and shelters to play a role in animal welfare rather than focusing on the shelter alone. The Best Friends Pet Resource center will be the largest no-kill shelter in the region with hopes to serve over 13,000 animals each year. This project is a partnership between Best Friends Animal Society and the Walton Family Foundation. The Foundation provided a $892,500 grant for architectural design and engineering of the new 20,000 SF facility. The cost of the entire center is $14.5million and about 90% of the money has been raised so far. It is estimated that the development will be completed in the summer of 2022. 

Best Friends Pet Resource Center Services:

• Medical Clinic
• Transportation of homeless pets to partnering organizations for adoption
• Support for struggling pet owners
• Foster care support for pets
• Education space

Some other initiatives the resource center will focus on are offering low-cost spay & neuter clinics, a community pantry for pet food and supplies, enrichment, socialization, and behavioral programs, and more! 

Goals of the Best Friends Pet Resource Center: (Annual Goals)

• Find loving homes for 2,000 cats & dogs through adoption
• Help around 2,400 outdoor cats through trap-neuter-return efforts
• Give 2,400 pets lifesaving lifts from local shelters to other organizations for adoption
• Perform around 6,000 low-cost spay/neuter surgeries for pets in the community

The Best Friends Pet Resource Center will be located on 6 acres of the 100-acre Gateway Park under construction on 8th Street in Bentonville. Once complete, the park along with the resource center, will serve the community by offering a gathering space for both people and pets!