<body><div> At the Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Arkansas, each dog and cat has a foster family who takes them home each night. Says the CEO: "This is a new future for the way that we relate to rescue animals" <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=418rJd_0lc9HjkK00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=418rJd_0lc9HjkK00" width="1500" height="1101" ><figcaption> Courtesy A cat enjoys the Best Friends Animal Resource Center in Arkansas </figcaption></figure> At the newly opened <a href="https://resources.bestfriends.org/" rel="nofollow"> Best Friends Resource Center </a> in Bentonville, Arkansas, dogs play together in open areas, cats greet visitors with cuddles and each night animals go home with their foster families. "It's about the enrichment and happiness of these animals while they look for a forever home," Best Friends Animal Society CEO Julie Castle tells PEOPLE of the first-of-its-kind shelter, an airy, 20,000-sq.-ft. building that boasts a coffee shop, a slide, a pet food bank and a veterinary clinic. Community members are invited to come visit —"Have a moment of zen with a furry friend and a cup of coffee," says Castle — or drop in for educational programs with their adopted pets. They can even take yoga at the shelter. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=15lwEw_0lc9HjkK00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=15lwEw_0lc9HjkK00" width="640" height="413" ><figcaption> Courtesy Yoga at the Best Friends Animal Resource Center in Arkansas </figcaption></figure> Says Castle: "This is a new future for the way that we relate to rescue animals." During the day, foster families are welcome to drop the dogs off for hours of supervised playtime where they can learn socialization skills. Related: <a href="https://people.com/tag/stories-to-make-you-smile/" rel="nofollow"> More Stories to Make You Smile </a> "Basically, it's like doggy daycare," says Castle. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1tPf20_0lc9HjkK00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1tPf20_0lc9HjkK00" width="428" height="480" ><figcaption> Courtesy A slide at the Best Friends Animal Resource Center in Arkansas </figcaption></figure> Cats, meanwhile, can keep busy by exploring cubby holes and walking freely around the facility. Some 13,000 dogs and cats each year are expected to visit friendly quarters from other shelters — with the hopes of finding loving forever homes. Never miss a story — sign up for <a href="https://forms.dotdashmeredith.com/people-news-inline" rel="nofollow"> PEOPLE's free daily newsletter </a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "It really is time to innovate," Castle says of the American animal shelter system. "Pets are part of our families, and this is an extension of that." To learn more, visit <a href="http://bestfriends.org/nwa" rel="nofollow"> bestfriends.org/nwa. </a> For more People news, make sure to <a href="https://forms.dotdashmeredith.com/people-apple-news-opt-in" rel="nofollow"> sign up for our newsletter! </a> Read the original article on <a href="https://people.com/pets/inside-best-friends-pet-resource-center-arkansas/" rel="nofollow"> People </a> . </div></body>

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Inside the First-of-Its-Kind Animal Shelter That Gives People a Place to Play, Too!

At the Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Arkansas, each dog and cat has a foster family who takes them home each night. Says the CEO: \"This is a new future for the way that we relate to rescue animals\"

At the Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Arkansas, each dog and cat has a foster family who takes them home each night. Says the CEO: "This is a new future for the way that we relate to rescue animals"