The Best Friends Society became widely known to lovers of Animal Planet with their show, Dogtown.
This is the sanctuary that found the Michael Vick dogs … they were renamed Vicktory Dogs … and sent teams across the country to pick them up in Virginia.
Best Friends has a volunteer program that helps you give back in a big way by spending a week volunteering and helping out with their animal residents.
Kanab, Utah
Best Friends Sanctuary is located five miles north of Kanab, Utah in beautiful Angel Canyon and is home to 2,000 animals needing love and guidance.
The canyon had the reputation of being a sacred healing place to the people who first inhabited it.
What Makes It Unique
This is the granddaddy of all no-kill shelters and remains a safe haven to those who will never be ready to live in a forever home.
For others, physical, emotional and psychological support is given to all the residents to help them graduate to new homes.
Planning a Vacation to Help Out
Take a week of vacation and bring the family out to Best Friends. You can spend the whole week volunteering at the shelter but you can also take some day trips around Kanab as well as some national parks.
What are some of the volunteer activities? They need help with animals as well as basic operations of the sanctuary. You can work with dogs, cats, birds, horses and even pigs.
Mealtime is a huge endeavor for all the animals and the more hands the better. Also needed are volunteers in the laundry, help cleaning kennels and cages, walking and socializing.
Have everyone in the family each choose something different and compare notes on their experiences.
Volunteers love the chance to take a dog into town to help with socialization. Everything you do to help the animals gives them new experiences they can enjoy.
Give Them What They Need Most
Personal attention and love are what the sanctuary residents crave and it’s what you can give them.
And your experience can be as fast paced and hands on or as laid back as you would like it to be. It’s all up to you. There are even sleepover opportunities to start preparation for them to go to forever homes.
How to Sign Up
Check out the Best Friends website at http://bestfriends.org and go to their volunteer’s page to create a profile and start planning your trip to Utah.
Dogtown
If you’re a fan of the animal planet show, Dogtown, you will love hanging out in the gated community filled with tail wagging and happy-to-see-you dogs. Best Friends is where dogs can be dogs and have a healing place where they can get top flight medical care and all the love they can handle.
Plan your next vacation for a week of giving back at Best Friends Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
