Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, UT has been on my radar for several years now. I have been a supporter for about 7 years, and when we decided to take this three month road trip, I immediately jumped on working it into our four-corners tour.

Conveiently located within a short drive of Bryce, Zion, the North Rim, Best Friends is a jewel unto itself.

our digs at BF. Sweet!

After checking into our ‘cabin’, a clean one/room efficiency with bath and kitchenette, plus a dog-run, we took a 90-minuteguided tour of the grounds. Areas are divided up between species of animals, and then further sub-divided according to needs.

Currently, BF is home to around 500 dogs, 600 cats, and an array of horses, pigs, rabbits, and birds. Their objective is to meet the immediate needs of the animals that come to them (or that they rescue). That very often involves intensive veterinary intervention, in addition to behavioral therapyand socialization skills. Once those issues are addressed, the goal is to place the animal in it’s “forever home”.

 Dogtown would be our “base” for the next 3 days. Being a complete dog freak, I was thrilled! Best Friends was one of the first responders during and following hurricane Katrina, where they set up base in nearby Mississippi, and are responsible for the rescue of over 6000 animals-mostly dogs.

 In 2007, when Michael Vick’s dog-fighting ring was raided, many organizations declaired that all of the dogs should be destroyed-that there was”no-hope for rehabilitation”. Best Friends jumped-in and took 22 of the 60 dogs, the toughest cases that needed special care. Of those, 6 have been adopted or fostered. During our visit, I witnessed a few of these beautiful animals, and can attest that they are loving animals deserving of life.

Another example of the works of Best Friends is the rescue and evacuation of 150 dogs that were caught in the middle of the fighting in Beirut. The dogs were brought to the already-full sanctuare and were placed in a temporary area dubbed “Little Lebanon”. Many of those dogs now have found their forever home with loving families in a safe environment.

Please drop back by our blog again soon for our personal account of volunteering at best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Arf!