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Friends For Life Animal Shelter

#BeUnsheltered

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About Us

We save animals and help our neighbors care for the pets they love.

At Friends For Life, every animal matters. Founded in 2002, Friends For Life introduced the no-kill shelter model to Houston – saving animals 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 finished 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.

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.


Adoption partners

The Cattery at PetSmart

2902 S Shepherd Dr | Houston, TX 77098
Tel 713-520-7917

We have been partnered with PetSmart on South Shepherd for years and love having the cattery there as an outlet to find even more homes for our adoptable cats. With a recent total remodel, the space is now open for us to host small events that include the resident cats!


friends4lifeorg

Friends For Life
Tell me you work with animals without telling me y Tell me you work with animals without telling me you work with animals...  [Mélissa is entirely unfazed by Fawkes' lewds on our shelter Zoom meeting, naturally.] #Unsheltered #ZoomSquares #JustShelterThings #ShelterLife
Hello Awesome humans from Houston! We need more Hello Awesome humans from Houston!  We need more fosters! We get almost 100 requests for help with animals each day. The unvarnished truth is that the number we can save is directly dependent on how many foster homes we have.  As a foster you don’t have any costs. Friends For Life pays ALL costs for food, milk, supplies, toys, bedding, wellness/vet care… you name it related to the animal. You supply the home and the love!  And if you’re unsure if you’ll foster the right animal for you or about how long would like to foster: there’s no problem. Our work is to find the right match for you and the animal, so everybody is happy. And, you decide for how long you want to open your home.  Any help means the world to us. LINK IN BIO  Share this post ☺️  #cat #catsofinstagram #adopt #adoptdontshop #foster #fosteringsaveslives #unsheltered #everyanimalmatters
It's graduation time! 🎓 As our first 2022 kitte It's graduation time! 🎓 As our first 2022 kitten season graduates are starting to find their forever homes, our new kittens are growing rapidly and are going through a TON of food!  Can you help this next class of kittens make it through finals with a care package of ROYAL CANIN BABYCAT WET FOOD? (That's what they said they want the most.)  You can drop it by the shelter OR order through our Amazon or Chewy wish lists (linked in our bio) to have it sent directly to us.  Our hungry little kittens very much appreciate it!
Video update on sweetest girl, Rayne! We went to Video update on sweetest girl, Rayne!  We went to give her some love while she recovers in the quarantine room (with gloves since she has notoedric mange a.k.a. feline scabies). In return, she made us some biscuits and rolled playfully in her bed. 💛  She's figured out that she's finally able to rest without worrying. She's happy to be safe.  Rayne is still young (despite her appearance!), so once we get her all healthy, she should be ready to go to her forever home. Stay tuned on her progress, and if you'd like to give toward her care, head over to the donate link in our bio.
FFL ARMY, WE NEED YOU! We receive over 100 reque FFL ARMY, WE NEED YOU!  We receive over 100 requests a day to take in animals. Since we are foster-based, the number we can save is directly dependent on how many foster homes we have.  At this moment, we’re working very hard to find foster homes for 10 WONDERFUL dogs who are currently boarding at our shelter 🐶  Jack is one of them!  He’s our happy, smart, full of energy and funny Jack. 😁😆 He’s potty trained, very good on leash and absolutely loves training. For now, we’re asking for a home where he can be the only animal and be the one shining. ⭐️⭐️  He’ll work hard to please and absolutely loves being told he’s a good boy. 🥰🤩 Isn’t it adorable? Take him home!  DETAILS
- Our team matches you with an animal who fits with your lifestyle. It’s our job to make sure you AND your foster animal are happy!
- We pay for everything (food, toys, vet care, training, etc.) You just provide the home and the love! 💙
- You get to decide how long you keep the animal for - we need both short-term and long-term fosters;
- Any questions, informations or training guidance you need, we have a team with certified professionals to help you with behavior consults.⭐️⭐️⭐️  Fill out the form: LINK IN BIO and SHARE this post and help us spread the word.  #dog #dogsofinstagram #foster #fosteringsaveslives #adopt #adoptdontshop #unsheltered #everyanimalmatters #houston
Today we had a “mother-daughter” playdate to c Today we had a “mother-daughter” playdate to celebrate Mother’s Day. Look how happy they were together ❤️🥰  The puppy was adopted and now the mom is waiting for her forever home too. She’s irresistible! 😍  ADOPT DOLLY: LINK IN BIO or friends4life.org/adopt  Or you can help us sharing this post 😉😉 
#adopt #adoptdontshop #dog #dogsofinstagram #unsheltered #everyanimalmatters #mothersday #mommadolly
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Official Documents: You can see all of our official documents by clicking here.

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Friends For Life Shelter

Don Sanders Adoption Center
107 E 22nd Street
Houston, TX 77008

713-863-9835

We're closed to walk-ins
due to COVID but adoptions
are in full swing!


If you need help with something else,
please give us a call (713-863-9835).
We're here for you!

Petsmart Cattery

2902 S. Shepherd
Houston, TX 77098

Adoption Hours:
Monday-Friday—
11AM-1PM, 5-7PM

Saturday-Sunday — 1-5PM

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