In 1984, a group of friends, half of them Brits, along with about 200 rescued dogs and cats, a few bunnies and birds, and a couple of burros landed in a remote canyon in Utah’s high desert and took the first steps on the path of what would become the U.S. no-kill movement for homeless pets.
The group had been individually and collectively involved in animal rescue and advocacy for a number of years, rescuing dogs and cats with special needs and from high-risk shelters. And like most rescuers, they shared a dream of having “a place in the country” where they could bring in as many animals as they wanted without concern about neighbors or landlords. That dream came true, but they had no idea where it would lead. They had no idea at the time that what they were about to start would become a nationwide movement. The goal was to make not just a place to house homeless pets but a place of healing — a place where every animal, regardless of any special needs, would feel welcomed and every pet would be considered unique and adoptable. It would be a place that exemplified the truth that kindness to animals makes a better world for all of us.
The philosophy of Best Friends is simple: Be kind. It’s what led to starting the Sanctuary in the first place — the knowledge that there were animals out there with no one to look after them, often being killed in shelters, and that if we could do even something small to help them, then we should. That philosophy extends to our belief in how we should treat one another and our members, how we should treat shelters and other animal welfare groups, and how we should treat the world at large. In 2016, Julie Castle announced Best Friends’ commitment to end the killing of dogs and cats in shelters across the U.S by the end of 2025. It would mean working hand in hand with other like-minded groups across the country; building strong, positive collaborations with shelters; thinking up creative and innovative programming; and coming together as a nationwide Best Friends community more than ever.
There are two ways you can donate to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and the other organisations we’re highlighting, right here on our website. To support the wonderful and vital work their doing, simply visit Our Mission page and scroll down to their bio, or better yet, send one of our nature-themed ecards to a loved one, and donate to your chosen organisations(s) from the checkout page. Start here to browse our eCard collection.