Walmart and Best Friends Animal Society Team Up to Celebrate National Pet Month

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Walmart and Best Friends Animal Society Team Up to Celebrate National Pet Month

2025-04-30 12:01 Last Updated At：12:12

BENTONVILLE, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 30, 2025--

May is National Pet Month, and Walmart is celebrating the joy pets bring to our lives while making it easier and more affordable to care for them. In collaboration with leading national animal welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society and trusted suppliers, Walmart is helping customers adopt, give back and save big all month long with extra savings on top of Walmart’s Every Day Low Prices.

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Pet ownership continues to grow, with nearly 15% more households owning at least one pet compared to 2023 1. Even still, the cost of pet ownership remains top of mind for customers as 61% of pet owners say ownership costs have been more expensive than expected 2. That’s why Walmart is prioritizing making it easy and more affordable for customers to add a new best friend to the family and get their pet essentials during National Pet Month and all year long, with Walmart’s Every Day Low Prices on the most sought-after brands and multiple ways to shop — in-store, online and on the Walmart app.

“We know pets are family, and that’s why Walmart is dedicated to providing the best products and services to support them,” said Kaitlyn Shadiow, vice president of merchandising, pets, Walmart U.S. “We are committed to making pet ownership accessible, affordable and enjoyable for everyone and we’re excited to do that this National Pet Month with hundreds of rollbacks and thousands of deals, while also supporting pets in shelters all month long.”

Adopt a pet, save on essentials

Walmart is teaming up with Blue Buffalo and Best Friends to help customers expand their families and support shelters nationwide. Walmart and Blue Buffalo are making it easy and accessible for those looking to expand their families this National Pet Month. For select bags of Blue Buffalo pet food or treats purchased at Walmart in May, Blue Buffalo will donate to Best Friends, up to $550,000. The funds will help cover pet adoption fees all month long at Best Friends locations nationwide, including:

Other suppliers, such as Fresh Step, Nutrish, Unique Petz, Nylabone, Temptations, Pedigree, ADAMS Botanicals, Sulfodene, Spruce and Pooph are also giving back to Best Friends. Together, Walmart and its suppliers have collectively donated over $1 million to Best Friends over the past year.

On May 17, Walmart and Best Friends will host pet adoption events at select Walmart locations across the country. There, customers can meet, interact with and adopt their newest companion with adoption fees waived, courtesy of Walmart and Blue Buffalo. Events will also feature giveaways and sampling opportunities, and new adopters can take home goodie bags filled with essential pet products. The full list of Walmart locations participating includes:

“We are grateful to partner with Walmart this National Pet Month to help make pet ownership accessible to all those looking to adopt,” said Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society. “We know about seven million households will add a pet to their family this year, and if just six percent more of them chose to adopt versus purchase their pets from a pet store or breeder we could make this entire country no-kill. Adoption is the most affordable option for acquiring a pet and combined with Walmart’s commitment to keeping pet care accessible, we can help more dogs and cats find and stay in happy homes.”

Discover new pet favorites and save on thousands of pet products

Throughout May, shoppers can take advantage of thousands of deals on pet must-haves — including Rollbacks on top brands like Fresh Step, Purina Pro Plan and Blue Buffalo. With Every Day Low Prices and the flexibility to shop in-store, online or through the Walmart app, it’s never been easier or more affordable to care for every member of the family — paws and all. Convenient pickup and delivery make it even easier to treat pets (and pet parents) right.

Walmart continues to expand its pet assortment, offering a wide range of sought-after and on-trend items. Customers can explore Beautiful by Drew Pets, an exclusive collection featuring thoughtfully designed bowls, beds and water fountains while new additions like Petlibro and Litter Robot offer tech-forward solutions for feeding and clean-up. Additionally, Walmart’s iconic private brand, Ol’ Roy, is relaunching, offering the same incredible value but now with a new veterinary formulation that is free from any artificial flavors or colors in recyclable ready packaging.

Walmart is the one stop destination for pet owners all year round

From fresh food and durable toys to comfortable beds and delicious treats, Walmart has everything for pet parents, available wherever and however customers prefer to shop. Using the Walmart app, they can take advantage of Walmart’s fast and convenient pick-up and delivery services, as well as subscription options, for all their pet needs.

This National Pet Month and beyond, customers can treat their furry companions to the pet essentials they love — all at Walmart’s Every Day Low Prices — while helping shelter pets find families of their own. Because at Walmart, we believe caring for your pets should be easy and affordable – during National Pet Month and all year long.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer helping people save money and live better — anytime and anywhere — in stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 270 million customers and members visit more than 10,750 stores and numerous eCommerce websites in 19 countries. With fiscal year 2025 revenue of $681 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy, and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart, on X (formerly known as Twitter) at twitter.com/walmart, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/walmart.

About Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America's shelters and making the entire country no-kill. Founded in 1984, Best Friends runs lifesaving facilities and programs nationwide in partnership with more than 5,000 shelters and rescue organizations. From our headquarters in Kanab, Utah, we also operate the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary — a destination that brings our mission to life for thousands of visitors each year. We maintain the most comprehensive animal sheltering data in the country and make it accessible to the public — empowering communities with critical insights into the needs of their local shelters and how they can help. We believe every dog and cat deserves a home. And we believe that, by working together, we can Save Them All®.

1 The American Pet Products Association (APPA) announced that U.S. pet industry expenditures reached $152 billion in 2024, showing continued growth and resiliency (APPA, 2025)

2 ValuePenguin. “Pet Owners: Furry Friends More Costly Than We Thought.” ValuePenguin, 21 Apr. 2025.

Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.