The Vegas Voice 3-21

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
O
By: Rana Goodman n President’s Day weekend,
publisher Dan and I took a drive to
Kanab, Utah to visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary which sits nestled
in the amazingly colorful and scenic hills above St. George.
Over the years I have heard so much about Best Friends but never
took the time to drive up there and see for
myself. Never did I expect to find what we did
as we took our tour.
Best Friends sits on 4,000 acres of wonderful
open land with trails, trees, and room to play.
Usually, the sanctuary has an average of 1,900
animals of assorted species at any one time.
Unlike the shelters we all have in our
hometowns, thanks to the space that Best
Friends encompasses, none of the animals
are in cages or small runs. They all have the
freedom of being inside or out in the fenced
areas in which to play and roam.
The horses, pigs, cats and dogs we visited are
tended by their many volunteers, making all
the animals used to visitors, even if they were
shy or afraid when first arriving there.
Another thing that warmed me was the fact
that they require all animals housed with “a
buddy.” Unlike the pictures we often see of
dogs or cats alone in a corner hoping someone will pay attention to
them, Best Friends matches them up with “best friends” of their own.
Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the “no-kill” movement,
and as such, works with shelters and rescues across the country to
reduce the number of animals that are euthanized each year. They are
Rana with her Daisy & Muffin along
with Barbara Williamson (left) and Kira
Ikeda (right) from Best Friends Animal
Sanctuary
determined to bring the U.S. into a no-kill format by 2025.
The sanctuary is also a safe haven and home to many wildlife
species. While we were there, we were lucky enough to spot several deer
wandering and even joining horses in their arena.
Just a couple of miles away, Best Friend’s also has the Best Friend’s
Roadhouse, a charming comfortable place
to stay where “pets are not only welcome,
but they are also expected.” In fact if you
are thinking of adopting one of the dogs or
cats you see on your tour, you can request a
sleep-over with them at the Roadhouse before
making the decision to adopt.
We took our two dogs with us for the trip
as did most of the other guests we saw at the
Roadhouse which also features an enclosed
dog park on the property. Our dogs were even
greeted, as we entered our room with a sign
bearing their names right over the welcoming
water bowls.
It seems, in designing the Roadhouse, pets
were foremost on Best Friends’ mind since
the room, the entry and exit from the dog
park provide a safety gate to stop your pet
from running out as you exit. Our room even
featured a large dog bed built into the foot of
the king-sized bed and in the corner was a “cubby hole with a bed to
give a shy 4-legged guest a cozy place to hang out.
If you are animal lovers as we are, we highly recommend a visit up
there. I know I certainly will continue to support their work, their “no
kill” mission and will go back often.
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March 2021