Visiting Best Friends Animal Society
The Society
The Best Friends Animal Society operates the largest no kill animal sanctuary in the USA. Its headquarters and sanctuary are located in Kanab, Utah on 20,700 acres of which 3,700 acres are owned by the organization and the rest of the land is leased from State and Federal agencies.
Best Friends Animal Society is the number one attraction to visit in Kanab, UT according to TripAdvisor, thus it peaked my interest enough to join a scheduled 1.5 hour tour. I learned so much about the organization while I was there. Best Friends Animal Society’s mission is to make the entire USA no kill by 2025. It is on its way…the state of Utah will be no kill by next year!
The Sanctuary
The sanctuary is home to 1,700 animals which include horses, pigs, goats, dogs, cats, birds and rabbits. The sanctuary may be visited through a variety of tours, volunteering or adopting. Those who volunteer for a three hour shift may pay to stay at one of the cabins or participating hotels and take a pet home with them for the night! As a result of volunteering, they may also take them for a hike on one of the trails on the surrounding land.
It is easy to spend an entire day at the facility. Sign up for the morning shift. Have lunch at the Angel Village Cafe for $5. Some say the all vegan food is free and the $5 is for the magnificent view. That could be, but the salad bar is pretty good and dessert is fantastic.
Take the afternoon to explore the rest of the property at Best Friends Animal Society. Visit Angels Rest, a pet cemetery where anyone may have their pet buried. Check out Angels Landing where events such as weddings are held and the nearby Disney Barn where the 1973 One Little Indian was filmed. Take a hike to Hidden Lake or along Water Canyon Trail.
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is really an amazing place, and I can see how it is the number one place to visit in Kanab despite the plethora of amazing and world famous hikes in the area. It is certainly worth visiting and perhaps volunteering while in Southern Utah.
Other Posts About Utah You May Like
Day 171 – Monument Valley Meander
Day 172 – Monument Valley Meander (Part 2) and Utah Byways
Day 173 – Utah Byways (Part 2)
Day 174 – Utah Byways (Part 3)
Day 175 – Utah Byways (Part 4)
Day 176 – Bryce Canyon Country
Day 177 – Bryce Canyon Country (Part 2)
Day 178 – Bryce Canyon Country (Part 3) and Zion Canyon Loop
Day 179 – Zion Canyon Loop (Part 2)
Day 180 – Zion Canyon Loop (Part 3)
Day 181 – Zion Canyon Loop and Utah Byways (Part 4)
Day 182 – Utah Byway (Part 5)
Day 183 – Utah Byways (Part 6)
Day 184 – Monument Valley Meander (Part 3) and San Juan Skyways
Day 203 – Flaming Gorge Getaway
Utah’s Olympic Park
Hiking Deer Valley Resort
Park Silly Sunday!
Hikes Near Kanab, Utah
Shop
Check out the photographic note cards and key chains at my shop. Each card has a travel story associated with it. 20% of proceeds are donated to charity.
Oh, I would really like to see that!
It’s really cool. You can stay there!