Vacation With A Purpose At Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

(Disclosure: Best Friends invited me on an all expenses paid press trip to experience the sanctuary first hand but all thoughts about the sanctuary and charity are my own.)

Recently I went on an amazing trip to Utah. It was my first time in the state and I was there for a very special reason- to learn more about Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Located outside of Kanab in Angel Canyon, this sanctuary is the largest in the United States and is home to about 1700 animals. Best Friends is a leader in the no-kill movement with a mission to end the unnecessary killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters and to ‘Save Them All’.

I’m excited to share all about it today because I think it’s the PERFECT volunteerism trip for families. Your family can enjoy the beautiful views while spending time with animals and supporting a wonderful non-profit.

Let’s talk about those views…. I’d always thought no view could be better than the beach but I don’t know anymore… the beauty of Utah really amazed me! Angel Canyon is famous for being the backdrop of famous westerns, including ‘The Lone Ranger’.

As much as those views were a highlight of my trip, they were nothing compared to the people and animals that I got a chance to spend time with. I loved chatting with the founders of the sanctuary and learning how Best Friends Animal Sanctuary came about, how they have grown and what plans they have for the future. They told stories of the animals that they had rescued, from hoarding situations across the US to taking in some of the dogs from the Vick dog-fighting case (that they nicknamed “Victory” dogs).

I enjoyed visiting all of the animals that lived at the sanctuary and even got to spend some time volunteering in one of the cat houses that housed cats with special needs. I enjoyed taking one cat named Bob on a walk. He is said to love his leash so much that he will come running when he hears it and he sure did like to rest in the sun. I also got to spend some time with a three-legged cat and hear how brave she was.

Another fun thing I was able to do while I was at Best Friends was visit their puppy preschool. This is where the young puppies go to play and get used to household things (like the noise the vacuum or doorbell make) and how to interact with other people and animals. The puppies were so sweet and it was fun watching them play. A few even attempted to ride skateboards which was seriously the cutest thing I’ve probably ever seen in my life.

You can tell each staff member truly cares for each animal by the pride in their voices when they spoke about them and by watching the way they interacted with them. The staff takes great care of the animals there but the main goal is to get all of the animals adopted. I loved seeing signs in each building that showed how many animals had been adopted.

While Best Friends has an amazing team, they couldn’t function without the help of volunteers. From taking animals for walks, cleaning their homes, or just cuddling with the animals, there is lots to do at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary! You can learn more about volunteering here. I think this would make a great trip for the whole family. You can enjoy the breathtaking views while making a difference. This is truly a vacation your kids would remember for the rest of their lives.