Bethel Friends of Canines was started in July of 2011. It was obvious there was a strong need to save the lives of the innocent dogs and cats who ended up at the Bethel pound. Prior to the establishment of BFK9, dogs and cats were given four days for their owners to claim them from the pound before they were shot. Now after four days dogs and cats are turned over to BFK9 where they are placed into foster homes as we try to find them their forever home.

Since 2011, no adoptable dog has been put down. All of our dogs are spayed or neutered, up to date on vaccines when adopted.

Bethel, Alaska is a small town with a population of roughly 6,000 people. We have a unique situation as Bethel is only accessible by plane or barge, there are no roads into or out of town. With our population it makes finding adoptive and foster homes harder to find. If our foster homes are full or the dogs/cats have been in foster care without any interest in Bethel, they are flown into a bigger city, Anchorage. The animals are loaded up onto a plane and make the 1-1.5 hour journey to our rescue partners to have a better shot at finding a forever home.

In addition to rescuing animals we also run a low cost spay/neuter clinic for lower income families and rescue animals. BFK9 also initiated Got You Covered. This program gives dog houses to those that are outside without any or inadequate shelter from the harsh elements of the Alaska weather.

Our Mission:
Bethel Friends of Canines is a volunteer run organization that works in conjunction with the local animal care officers to find permanent homes for abandoned or neglected dogs and puppies in our community. Our mission as a service organization is to increase the canine well being through education, advocacy, and a network of foster and adoptive homes. While we are based in Bethel, we are working with local communities to better the canine wellbeing all over our state!


Mailing Address:
PO Box 765
Bethel, AK 99559

Email: [email protected]