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Best Friends Animal SanctuaryOBy: Rana Goodman n President’s Day weekend,publisher Dan and I took a drive toKanab, Utah to visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary which sits nestledin the amazingly colorful and scenic hills above St. George.Over the years I have heard so much about Best Friends but nevertook the time to drive up there and see formyself. Never did I expect to find what we didas we took our tour.Best Friends sits on 4,000 acres of wonderfulopen land with trails, trees, and room to play.Usually, the sanctuary has an average of 1,900animals of assorted species at any one time.Unlike the shelters we all have in ourhometowns, thanks to the space that BestFriends encompasses, none of the animalsare in cages or small runs. They all have thefreedom of being inside or out in the fencedareas in which to play and roam.The horses, pigs, cats and dogs we visited aretended by their many volunteers, making allthe animals used to visitors, even if they wereshy or afraid when first arriving there.Another thing that warmed me was the factthat they require all animals housed with “abuddy.” Unlike the pictures we often see ofdogs or cats alone in a corner hoping someone will pay attention tothem, 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 toreduce the number of animals that are euthanized each year. They areRana with her Daisy & Muffin alongwith Barbara Williamson (left) and KiraIkeda (right) from Best Friends AnimalSanctuarydetermined to bring the U.S. into a no-kill format by 2025.The sanctuary is also a safe haven and home to many wildlifespecies. While we were there, we were lucky enough to spot several deerwandering and even joining horses in their arena.Just a couple of miles away, Best Friend’s also has the Best Friend’sRoadhouse, a charming comfortable placeto stay where “pets are not only welcome,but they are also expected.” In fact if youare thinking of adopting one of the dogs orcats you see on your tour, you can request asleep-over with them at the Roadhouse beforemaking the decision to adopt.We took our two dogs with us for the tripas did most of the other guests we saw at theRoadhouse which also features an encloseddog park on the property. Our dogs were evengreeted, as we entered our room with a signbearing their names right over the welcomingwater bowls.It seems, in designing the Roadhouse, petswere foremost on Best Friends’ mind sincethe room, the entry and exit from the dogpark provide a safety gate to stop your petfrom running out as you exit. Our room evenfeatured a large dog bed built into the foot ofthe king-sized bed and in the corner was a “cubby hole with a bed togive a shy 4-legged guest a cozy place to hang out.If you are animal lovers as we are, we highly recommend a visit upthere. I know I certainly will continue to support their work, their “nokill” mission and will go back often.24March 2021