Best Friends Animal Society in Utah wants every pet to have a home.
With a name like the “Best Friends Animal Society,” how could anyone feel sad? For many people, their animal is truly their best friend. Dogs have long been dubbed “man’s best friend.” So, what better choice of a name for a no-kill shelter?
How does a beloved family pet end up in an animal shelter in the first place? There are many possible reasons including divorce, a death in the family, money problems, home foreclosure, lack of identification or small behavior issues. Most people do not want to give their pet up, but they do so because they feel they have no other choice at the time. It’s comforting to know that your pet will not be killed at the Best Friends Animal Society, the nonprofit which started in 1984.
The organization is located in gorgeous Angel Canyon in Kanab, Utah. The sanctuary grounds are expansive and include housing for all kinds of animals such as horses, pigs, dogs, parrots, rabbits and cats. There is an animal clinic onsite. There is also a cemetery, called Angels Rest, to remember lost friends. Instead of being a sad place, it is decorated with soft chimes and the memorabilia left by visiting relatives.
Any animal that comes through the door is welcome to stay for life. None will ever be kicked out. Instead, they will be loved and cared for. Some will adopt out and others will stay for good. That’s the positive part.
Best Friends Animal Society helps save lives.
Image: Shutterstock
The difficult part is the statistics. About four million pets are killed per year in American shelters. That’s more than 9,000 per day or six pets per minute! However, the organization estimates that almost 90 percent of pets could be adopted out to a loving family, or they could be with care and treatment.
Part of the success of BFAS is their partnership with the No More Homeless Pets Network which funds programs across the country. They have also succeeded in adopting out over 330,000 cats and dogs while 237,000 have been spayed or neutered. They even have a truck called The Big Fix mobile clinic which travels around and offers to fix pets at a discount. What a deal!
If you have a pet, go give them a big hug and kiss today.