NAVC Recognizes BestyBnB as 2025 Marquee Award Winner

BestyBnB Co-Founder Matt Krentz with his dog Lucky and two BestyBnB Foster Dogs, Bailey and KC

The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) named BestyBnB the 2025 NAVC Gives Marquee Award recipient, awarding the organization $25,000 for its work supporting the wellbeing of people and animals impacted by crises.

BestyBnB is a technology platform that helps shelters and social service agencies find safe, temporary care for the pets of individuals in crisis. This tool is designed to reduce the surrender of pets who are impacted by situations such as domestic violence abuse, mental health/substance use treatment, or housing insecurity, and will help reduce the psychological damage for individuals who have been separated from their pets by keeping them connected to their pet through the platform while always keeping identities confidential.

People in crisis, who want and need help, will often decline life-saving services if they don’t have a temporary home for their beloved pet. According to a study from The Urban Resource Institute and the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 50% of respondents said they would not consider shelter for themselves if they could not bring their pets. The numbers are even higher for pet owners experiencing mental or behavioral health crises. BestyBnB was created to remove these barriers, with a mission to keep pets and people safe, connected, and together while maintaining the vital Human-Animal Bond.

The NAVC recognized the 2025 Marquee Award recipient during a ceremony in Orlando Saturday evening, January 25, on the opening day of VMX 2025, the world’s largest and most comprehensive annual veterinary education conference. The NAVC launched NAVC Gives in 2023 with a $1 million commitment to fund awards that will be made on a year-round basis. 

“We are honored and humbled to receive this recognition and support from NAVC Gives. This award helps create more awareness for our life-saving mission within the veterinary community, directly with the professionals who inspire us every day,” said BestyBnB co-founder Matthew Krentz. “With the support and assistance of veterinary professionals, we can bring our crisis-care platform and services to every community across the country. Just like NAVC Gives, we have a shared mission to educate, support and improve the well-being of both animals and people through compassionate care, innovation, and community engagement.”  

Since its launch in 2022, BestyBnB has partnered with 49 agencies in 18 states and has a presence throughout the U.S., resulting in 5,000-plus safe nights for pets with a 100% reunification rate. 

“BestyBnB is a shining example of what can be achieved when individuals are committed to tackling big problems with an innovative approach,” said NAVC CEO Gene O’Neill. “The NAVC is proud to recognize an organization that is leveraging technology in a way that will enhance the safety and well-being of so many people and the pets they love.”

Created in 2023, NAVC Gives is a board-directed award program that has been initially funded by a $1 million commitment from the NAVC. Through this program, the NAVC will recognize and support individuals, groups and organizations around the world that have made a significant difference in the lives of veterinary professionals and animals. Since the program’s inception, NAVC Gives has distributed $90,000 in awards to six different honorees. 
NAVC Gives builds upon the NAVC’s long-standing commitment to philanthropic pursuits, which amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to members of the international veterinary community through scholarship programs such as the Dr. Earl H. Rippie Veterinary Nurse Leadership Scholarships, the Michael J. Day AFSCAN Scholarship, the Colin F. Burrows International Scholar Program, free education subscriptions and conference registration, and other charitable donations. Learn more about NAVC Gives and submit nominations at https://navc.com/gives/.

Disclosure: This article includes a client of an Espacio portfolio company.