A priority for Best Friends is building a nationwide, grassroots movement of advocates who are willing to work together, all driven by the belief that people and their pets deserve compassion. We need to connect with others who share the common goal of ending the killing of cats and dogs in our nation's shelters by the year 2025 - even when that means going beyond our comfort zones.

As a teacher in inner-city Boston, Kenny Lamberti realized the power that animals hold. His dog, a 90-pound pit bull named Hank, helped break down some of the barriers that prevented the kids he worked with from fully opening up. Hank's ability to get the kids more engaged, regardless of their race or socioeconomic status was what Kenny calls his watershed moment and sent him down the path towards where he is today as the Director of Grassroots Advocacy for Best Friends.

Kenny uses his background, starting with his upbringing, to drive a strategy that has mobilized more than 16,000 advocates across the country. This coalition of like-minded and diverse individuals is proving that when we work together, we can create positive and sustainable change for pets and the people who love them in every community in America.