Best Friends Sanctuary - WOW

We met a fellow camper at Lee's Ferry that told us about this place and told us we had to go. So we did.
https://bestfriends.org/sanctuary I know a lot of RVer's are also pet lovers so I wanted to share. This is a destination all by itself. If you're planning to be in the area, budget a few days for the sanctuary.

We were amazed. It is just outside Kanab, Utah (near Zion, Glen Canyon, Grand Canyon North rim and snuggled in the middle of Grand Staircase Escalante.) Beautiful red rock walls with lots of greenery everywhere you look. Gorgeous!

If you love animals, you'll love Best Friends. They are the largest no-kill sanctuary in the country. They house and care for about 1600 animals on over 6,000 acres: dogs, cats, horses, pot belly pigs, bunnies, birds, some sheep, goats, mules, a burro, and a few guinea pigs.

Go online to sign up and reserve:
- Free tours every day (grand tour plus individual animal area tours)
- Volunteer opportunities
- Full hookup RV sites with gorgeous views (2 now, 4 more to come).
- Cabins for rent.

NOTE: the tours, volunteering and lodging are all wildly popular so sign up as soon as you know you are going to be in the area. This is not a work camp situation so you'll be paying for wherever you stay (lots of free BLM sites nearby plus full hookup campgrounds in Kanab... And their six sites with no other amenities right there in the canyon.)

Also:
- Hotel in town (coming soon).
- Shop in town (with a play area to meet some cats, bunnies in a pen and a couple of cockatiel hoping to be adopted).
- Cafe on-site in Angel Village serves daily vegan lunch buffet for $5.00 (really good)
- Two beautiful pet cemeteries with hundreds of wind chimes
- Several hiking trails

Volunteers are allowed to take animals for a walk and some animals can go for sleepovers or car outings.

It is an amazing place. We did the grand tour and dogtown tour today. We're hoping to get in some volunteer time. Most slots for this week are full but there are a few here and there we might snag.

This is one of the sanctuaries that received Michael Vick dogs when he got busted for dog fighting. Of the 22 they received: 12 were rehabbed and adopted out, 3 were court ordered to never leave the sanctuary, 2 are still living there and the others "crossed the rainbow bridge" and are buried on-site. NOT BAD for animals that were all scheduled to die.

There was NO push to adopt so you can visit this amazing place without worry. For how it came to be, check out the book https://smile.amazon.com/Best-Friends-Worlds-Beloved-Sanctuary-ebook/dp/B00LGX8MZK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Best+friends+sanctuary+book&qid=1556665619&s=gateway&sr=8-1. There's a heck of a contrast between where they were when the book ends around 2000 and the impressive organization they have now.

National Geographic did a series here called "Dogtown" and a documentary called "Champions" that might be on Netflix (about the success story of the Vick dogs - called Vicktory dogs at Best Friends.)

For movie buffs - "The Lone Ranger" was filmed here as well as a Disney movie "One Little Indian" -- both filmed before the land was bought by the group forming best friends, though "The Disney Barn" is now a play house for horses, mules and a burro. We'll eventually get pics and more info up on our blog but their website has lots of stuff to check out.

Did you find somebody in need of a good skritchin' to bring home with you?
I'd seen their ads in magazines so when we were in the area I thought it would be fun to stop in.  It was late in the afternoon and I didn't realize how big the place was so we couldn't stay.  From what we saw at the entrance, it is a beautiful place. My hats off to all the folks willing to take care of the best of God's creatures.🤗

Patti

Patti, we had a camper house queen calico cat named Snickers that traveled with us until she died (20 yrs old). After we cleared all her stuff out we agreed no more critters in the rig so we won't be adopting this go around. We got volunteer spots with cats, dogs, bunnies and parrots so there will be lots of scritching, snuggling, general loving and maybe a doggie outing or two but no permanent take homes. It will be hard. I talked to a woman that cried after her last volunteer shift. She was snuggling kitties at their little shop downtown - no sign up, just stop in and visit for a fuzzy snuggle fix.

We are back here again for two weeks with the granddaughter. She is over the moon happy after just one day. Their additional RV sites are still waiting approval so we are in Kanab instead of on site. It's less than ten miles so no biggie. Our consolation prize is a pool at the replacement campground we picked so it's working out.

I highly recommend that all animal lovers and anyone looking for a good child/grandchild trip check it out. Also for those passing through, there is a visitor center in town with a few kitties to visit with and occasionally bunnies and birds with a bonus kitten nursery you can peek into and watch them care for tiny kittens. The main Sanctuary has a Welcome Center with RV parking just a mile off of 89. You can pop in even if you haven't booked a tour.