Go to Best Friends Web Site

May 24, 1999

The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is the nation's largest no- kill refuge.

This southern Utah facility has no fewer than 1,800 animals, mostly cats and dogs and nearly all of them, ready and waiting for adoption.

News Specialist Shelley Osterloh shows us more.

The Best Friends Animals Sanctuary is the largest no-kill refuge in the country. That means animals who are not adopted are given life-long care.

Nestled in a spectacular red rock canyon near Kanab is a home for creatures who have no home -- animals who are unwanted, because of their age, physical disablities or misfortune.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary was started in the 1970's when a group of animal lovers decided not to accept euthanization as the best way to deal with unadoptable pets.

Faith Maloney, the sanctuary director, says, "I think we just saw ourselves as helping some animals, getting them rehabilitated and finding homes. And it would be a very small thing-- not the first idea that it would become what it is today."

In the early 1980's the group of about 25 people purchased some cheap land near Kanab.

Now, about 1,800 animals live at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, on about 350 acres of Angel Canyon. It's part of a 33,000 acre ranch.

There are some horses, rabbits and birds. But most - about 1,400 - are dogs and cats.

Cyrus Majia, who works at the sanctuary, says, "That's the crisis in our country, there are so many pets out there, and they are allowed to reproduce without any care.. and overpopulating."

Best Friends Animal Clinic performs thousands of spay and neuter procedures... at the sanctuary, and in other communities.

Dr. Rich Allen, the sanctuary's veterinarian explains, "I've dedicated the rest of my career to spay and neuter. It's the only chance that we have to keep animals from being homeless and provide some relief from the overpopulation problem and the euthansia that happens because of it."

"Euthanasia is a horrible method of birth control."

The goal of Best Friends is to make sure every pet is wanted.

Faith Maloney says, "Make people more aware that animals deserve respect."

The outreach director for the sanctuary, Michael Mountain, says, "That we can actually make Utah the first no kill, no more homeless pets state in the country, that would be wonderful, we would love to do that."

The yearly budget to operate Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is about $4.5-million.

Tomorrow, we'll find out where they get all that money -- and meet some of the volunteers who keep all that dog and cat chow in the feed bowls.