First Cage Free Animal Shelter Opens in the United States

Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Bentonville, Arkansas, has opened the very first cageless animal shelter in the United States.

Source: 5NEWS/Youtube

Best Friends Animal Society opened the doors of the first cageless shelter on March 11 and welcomed the community and animal loves alike inside to check out the facility. What makes this shelter different is there are no cages or kennels and instead, the shelter takes a free-range approach and allows dogs and cats to roam free and live inside the shelter together.

Every pet that is up for adoption through the facility is matched up with a local foster family who takes them in each night and then returns them to the center during the day.

Susan Cosby, senior adviser of strategy and integration at Best Friends Animal Society, told Fox News Digital she believes the facility will cause a disruption in the sheltering industry.

“Right here in Northwest Arkansas, we’re actually creating the future of animal sheltering that we hope is going to be a model for our nation,” she said in an interview.

“Animal sheltering for the past 150 years has been really dependent on cages and kennels, bringing animals into an institutional system that wasn’t really designed to be overly friendly to the public,” she also said.

She told the outlet that the new center offers serves “both ends of the leash.” Visitors can enjoy the space’s amenities including an indoor slide for humans and also learn how to help animals in the community. The facility even features artwork by local Northwest Arkansas artists, lounge spaces, free WiFi and a coffee shop fueled by local roaster Third Space Coffee.

“It’s really hard to have your heart break walking into this facility,” she said. “It’s bright, it’s airy … [Imagine] your favorite coffee shop that was also an animal shelter.”

We encourage everyone thinking of getting a pet to only adopt instead of shopping. Read more resources about adopting animals on One Green Planet, including 7 Reasons to Adopt Your Next Furry Best Friend, 5 Reasons Why Everyone Should Adopt a Pet, and These Heartwarming Before and After Pictures of Adopted Rescue Animals Will Make Your Day! Read tips for pet adoptions and what to consider before adopting an animal. We recommend using these apps to find shelter dogs near you!

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