Sioux Falls Area Humane Society recognized nationally for ‘transformational change’

The Sioux Falls Area Humane Society has been recognized with a national award for animal welfare organizations making transformational change.

The local nonprofit received the award from the Best Friends Animal Society, a national organization working to save the  lives of dogs and cats in America’s shelters.

SFAHS received the recognition “for achieving one of the most significant increases in lifesaving outcomes among shelters across the country,” the organization said in a statement.

“This recognition highlights Sioux Falls Area Humane Society’s ongoing commitment to innovation, continuous improvement and creating more opportunities for animals to thrive both during their time in shelter care and as they transition into loving homes.”

Award recipients were selected based on Best Friends’ national shelter data, expert recommendations and demonstrated lifesaving impact in 2025.

The data showed that in the past year — June 2025 through May 2026 — there were 5,944 pets taken in at the Sioux Falls shelter of which 4,710 were saved. Full statistics can be found here.

SFAHS credits several programs for contributing to the success, including:

• Rescue Dog Recess, which connects shelter dogs with community volunteers for enrichment experiences outside the shelter environment.
• The relaunch of the Paroled Pups program, creating additional pathways to positive outcomes for long-stay dogs.
• Heavy investment in behavior and enrichment programming through expanded playgroups, enhanced daily enrichment opportunities, increased volunteer engagement and individualized support designed to improve animal well-being and increase adoptability.

“We are incredibly honored to be selected out of 6,000 network partners to receive this award,” said Jami Gates Grieve, the shelter’s executive director.

“This recognition belongs to every staff member, volunteer, foster, supporter and community partner who believed that we could continue to evolve and find new ways to serve animals. Through programs like Rescue Dog Recess and Paroled Pups, increased investment in behavior and enrichment, and a shared commitment to lifesaving innovation, our team worked tirelessly to create better outcomes for animals and families in our community. We are proud of what we accomplished together and inspired to continue building on this momentum.”

The Sioux Falls Area Humane Society is a member of the Best Friends Network, which is comprised of more than 6,000 animal shelters, spay/neuter organizations and rescue groups across the country.

“Sioux Falls Area Humane Society has shown what’s possible when shelters embrace data-backed strategies, invest in collaboration and pursue lifesaving innovation,” said Whitney Bollinger, director of strategy and network operations for Best Friends Animal Society. “Their cat and dog lifesaving results are an inspiration — and proof of what the field can achieve.”

Humane Society reports pressing need for animal adoptions, food donations