About Us

Circle of Friends Animal Society was founded in February 2007 by a small group of experienced rescuers who wanted to do things differently. Our mission from the start was simple: help the animals that other rescue groups couldn’t—or wouldn’t—take in. We believed no animal should be overlooked because of a medical condition, age, breed, or the time it might take to find a home.

We refused to turn away a dog because he was heartworm positive or a cat because she had an eye infection. We also believed in keeping families together—never rescuing just the puppies or kittens while leaving the mother behind. There were eight founding members—represented by the eight hearts in our logo. With a very small budget, we began hosting Sunday adoption events at Pet Supplies Plus in Athens. Today, we remain a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to that same mission.

Today, our work continues to grow. We host adoption events every Saturday at PetSmart on Highway 78 in Loganville. Cats and kittens are available for adoption daily at the Adoption Center at PetSmart River Crossing in Macon, as well as on the second and fourth Saturdays at PetSmart in Athens.

Despite our growth, we still operate on an incredibly small budget. We have no salaried employees and are run entirely by dedicated volunteers. We do not have a shelter facility and receive no funding from government or national animal welfare organizations. Instead, we rely completely on donations and grants—and 100% of those funds go directly toward helping the animals.

Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, we rescue animals from the fear and pain of homelessness, neglect, and abuse—and give them the safe, loving lives they deserve. In 2025 alone, we rescued 575 animals. Since our founding in 2007, we have saved more than 13,025 homeless animals.