Spectacular Summer Fun with Best Friends
There is a destination in southern Utah where 30,000 animal lovers pilgrimage worldwide each year. This place is the home and headquarters of Best Friends Animal Society, which operates the largest animal sanctuary in the United States.
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, located just outside Kanab, Utah, close to Zion and Bryce National Parks, cares for about 1,600 animals on any given day and offers free visitor and volunteer experiences at every level. It’s the dogs, cats, horses, bunnies, pigs, goats, and more that attract visitors for the first time. But it’s the sense of community, the stunning ambiance, and the peaceful energy of the Sanctuary that keep people coming back.
What began as a dream by its co-founders in 1984 to save homeless pets, Best Friends’ Sanctuary has grown from endless acres of rustic land formerly used as dinosaur stomping grounds. An area that was once a backdrop for Western movies is now home to a national organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters.
At the Sanctuary, visitors can see and experience Best Friends’ lifesaving work in action, while volunteers have the potential for such activities as socializing puppies or bunnies, feeding popcorn to pigs, taking a cat on a stroller ride, taking a dog for a walk, playing with kittens or taking select pets on a sleepover.
There are daily tours in animal care areas such as Horse Haven and Parrot Garden, where you can learn about these magnificent animals up close and personal, as well as Grand Sanctuary tours. These activities are free and fun for the whole family.
Guests can also enjoy a $5 daily vegan buffet lunch at the Village Café, which boasts a million-dollar view of the stunning Southern Utah canyons surrounding the Sanctuary. The buffet includes a fantastic salad bar, main dish, sides, desserts, and coffee or tea from 11:30 AM to 1 PM.
Lodging can be found on-site in one of the Sanctuary’s several cabins and cottages with views of horse pastures and starry skies, or at the organization’s hotel the Best Friends Roadhouse & Mercantile, in downtown Kanab, winner of the 2022 and 2023 Best Motel Award from Best of State Utah.
Designed as the most pet-centric hotel in the country, the Roadhouse extends the Sanctuary experience by offering guests sleepovers of Sanctuary dogs, cats, and bunnies or a warm welcome to your pets (up to 4 in each room at no charge). What’s more, every stay benefits the lifesaving work of Best Friends Animal Society.
The Roadhouse features 40 rooms and a variety of dog- and cat-friendly amenities and services, dog washing stations, pet walking, and a fenced dog park area with a splash zone. It’s an animal lover’s dream come true!
Our guest rooms and amenities will bring delight to both our human guests and our furry visitors. Each room is named for a beloved Best Friends alum animal, and the foyers are designed to keep pets safe in the room as you come in and out (we’re thinking of you, ninja door dashers).
Pets also have their own sleeping nooks or comfy beds (in select rooms)—right next to their people. And if you have a picky cat who doesn’t care to share the room with canine counterparts, you can choose one of our two designated “cats only” rooms.
We haven’t forgotten about you, humans! From comfy, sweet-dream-inducing bedrooms and warm, welcoming sitting areas to beautifully tiled bathrooms and smooth-sliding barn doors, we designed each space for your comfort.
From May through October, guests can also enjoy yoga at 9 AM on Saturday mornings, live music on the Roadhouse stage at 6 PM on Saturday evenings, and stargazing and bonfires every night.
Coffee is available in the Mercantile building starting at 6:30 AM. A vegan continental breakfast is provided for lodging guests in the Mercantile from 7:30 to 9 AM.
However long you plan to visit Kanab – a few hours, days, or even weeks – you won’t want to miss the magic of the Best Friends experience!
Visit bestfriends.org to learn more about the Sanctuary and bestfriendsroadhouse.org to book a stay at the Best Friends Roadhouse & Mercantile.
I struggle with the fact that this organization is run by cultist’s that have been spotted with hooded robes with crosses. People that support this cult don’t seem to know it. Fools