Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

The largest no-kill animal shelter in the United States

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary sits in the red rock hills of Angels Canyon, about 8 km north of Kanab. The sanctuary cares for several hundred dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, pigs, and birds at any given time — all animals that have been rescued from shelters facing euthanasia. Visitors are welcome for free guided tours that take you through the different areas; the tour ends at the adoption centre, and you can spend as long as you like playing with the animals.

The setting in the canyon is striking — the sandstone formations and red rock walls make an improbable backdrop for a shelter full of dogs. The sanctuary operates a well-run volunteer programme and accepts short-term volunteers who want to help with animal care for a week or longer. If you are travelling through Kanab, a visit here is one of the most distinctly memorable things you can do.

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A story
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary was founded in the mid-1980s by a group of idealists who bought 3,000 acres of canyon land outside Kanab. The organisation has been central to the "no kill" movement in American animal welfare — in 1994, when Best Friends began, approximately 17 million animals were euthanised in US shelters annually. By 2023, that figure had fallen to under 400,000, a change Best Friends claims to have played a significant role in achieving through advocacy, partnerships, and demonstrating that no-kill is operationally and financially viable.