Make a charitable donation, – soon you’ll be deluged with begging letters.
Presumably they got my details from such a list, but the humble letter I received from Best Friends in about 1985 was upbeat and I happily sent them a small contribution.
Over time I received newsletters that did not attempt to extort money for sad animals but easily persuaded me to support a sanctuary where the animals were happy!
Then, I was struggling with an escalating mortgage, so my donations were pitiful but animals had always been important to me, so I wanted to help in whatever way I could.
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Some months later I received a surprising phone call from a very friendly lady with a British accent who said she was calling from Best Friends to thank me for my contributions.
Furthermore, she encouraged me to go out to Utah for a visit which I had not known was possible.
Best Friends had quickly become a favourite cause, so I was delighted and it wasn’t long before I made plans.
Arranging a week off from work, I flew to Salt Lake City, then to St George where I hired a car and drove to Kanab.
Next day I checked in at the sanctuary where I got a tour and installed myself as a volunteer in “Kittyville”.
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Otis was one of the cats I had read about and was very keen to meet. He was one of the feline leukemia cats.
He was so beautiful and such a love.
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Another favourite was a boy called Julius who lived in the TLC Cat Club at Benton’s House. He wrote a book!
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Julius was wonky and wonderful.
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This boy melted my heart. He could not walk a straight line but he was as active and nosy as any cat. Being at the sanctuary, he had a good life.
There were many special needs animals living in rooms where they would be safe and quarantined if necessary.
Cancer cats, leukemia cats, kidney cats, all getting the particular care they needed.
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There was a house for feral cats too.
One day during my visit, there was a shortage of help so I was put “in charge” of the ferals which involved sweeping, cleaning, scooping, feeding and simply hanging out with the cats.
Some stayed up in the rafters while others lay outside in the sun. The houses all had inside/outside options with enclosed patios.
A few of the cats were only timid, but I didn’t try to crowd them, content to sit talking to them gently.
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The TLC Cat Club was named for Benton who was the original special needs kitty. When he passed on, there was a campaign for a new Chairpursson which is what Julius’ little book was about:
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A charming, amusing fund raiser.
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It isn’t only about cats and dogs…
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..or birds and bunnies.
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It’s about wildlife too.
On any given day, there are 1,600 animals in residence, living in wonderful facilities.
There is also a beautiful pet cemetery called Angel’s Rest where you can enjoy the tinkling of memorial wind chimes surrounded by the most stunning scenery.
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My visit to Best Friends was perhaps the most uplifting experience I ever had. I can think of no other place that was quite so special or generated such a feeling of peace and goodwill.
Previously, the term animal sanctuary or shelter implied something rather sad where neglected or abandoned animals went to live in rather deprived circumstances due to overcrowding and a shortage of funds.
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None of that is true at Best Friends.
Before my visit I had been optimistic about what I would find but I could not have imagined being so impressed.
Originally this was a small enterprise created literally by a group of best friends in Arizona who eventually purchased property in Southern Utah:
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from Wikipedia
It was particularly rewarding to see, when I went back a few years later, that the facilities were not only beautifully maintained but also enlarged and improved.
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Best Friends became the largest no-kill sanctuary in the country. The Best Friends Network assists 5,000 shelters and rescue organizations around the USA.
In 2005 they sent representatives to assist with the Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts.
They took 22 of the 47 Michael Vick fighting dogs seized in 2005.
In 2007 they assisted in the Peruvian earthquake.
The stories are endless and inspirational.
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As with any animal society, you will find criticism.
As one whose experience with animals is very limited and blinkered, I can only judge by what I have seen and what I felt during my visits to Best Friends.
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The impression I came away with was that the animals were all smiling.
The staff certainly were, despite their hard and often heart-breaking work.
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Yesterday I received another thank you from Best Friends which is why I decided to write about them today.
It’s amazing how far you travelled to get to Best Friends … a wonderful place as I could tell from your post. And I love Julius’ story (and his friends’ names – I had to giggle at Funnyface Patience 😅). Hats off to Best Friends – it’s a real feel good story!
What a wonderful place! I’m surprised you didn’t sell up and stay there! The video was good to see too.
Best wishes, Pete.
Well…I almost did!
Wonderful, and what a great thank you video!
It’s amazing how far you travelled to get to Best Friends … a wonderful place as I could tell from your post. And I love Julius’ story (and his friends’ names – I had to giggle at Funnyface Patience 😅). Hats off to Best Friends – it’s a real feel good story!