Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

[badger]

If you want to talk about disparity, how about the local spca I volunteer for? A couple of years ago they lost all public respect because it came to light that the AGM was giving himself huge raises to the point where he was making over $200K!! How he sleeps at night is beyond me, canvassing the public for funds to help the animals when he was stealing from them.

Every place (and people, too) will have their fans and nay-sayers. Poet, you bring up a valid point, but I still think they do right by the animals.

[PamNY]

Itself, sounds like a wonderful trip. I would love to visit Kanab someday.

TsPoet, I understand your frustration, but there's probably no way to bring fairness to animal rescue resources. Best Friends describes itself as a shelter of last resort, so cost per animal is probably high for lots of their residents. Their expertise at publicizing situations like Vick's dogs or Katrina does bring in money (and I don't fault them for that).

One reason I especially enjoyed Dogtown was that I saw some of those people in Tylertown after Katrina, and they really are that good.

[colby]

As for Vick, this said in the most friendly, forgiving, non-violent, peaceful, loving all things spirit but for as long as he remains in pro football I hope that opposing teams get the biggest, baddest, dog lovinging'est, defensive line they can find and have them read this before every game with him.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...scol110309.DTL

Wow. Just... how could anyone do that to another living creature, let alone repeatedly? What kind of person is that? The food you eat is (generally) treated more humanely. I would be afraid for myself behind closed doors with someone like this, and fear for his children (should he have any, I don't really know much about him other than the fact he plays football and is a big fat a-hole).

[bambu101]

That is indeed a very haunting article...

I would like to point out that Best Friends has been around for close to 30 years, and started with some very basic services and humble beginnings. They have an excellent reputation in the rescue and sanctuary community, and as a result, have a lot of celebrity and big-name funding dollars behind them. Most shelters and animal welfare groups are really struggling these days, so every dollar counts!

[Norse]

For those in the MN, WI, IA areas, check out: http://www.homeforlife.org/vision.htm. I am a long-time donor and wish I could do more.

[itself]

The female pitbull you refer to that will be there the rest of her life is "Georgia."

Let me relay the story, please do not read this if you are really sensitive..

A veterinarian removed all of Georgia's teeth. They still have not found out who it is. Michael Vick had a chair for Georgia, in which she was strapped in. Then she was forcible raped by the male pitbulls.

She's a lovely dog, and if you go there, ask to meet her. She deserves the lap of luxury after what he did to her....

[crazycanuck]

aawwwwwwwwww...nooo..poor doggie Next time you go itself, give Georgia a big hug & lots o love.

[nancielle]

...
I was especially moved in the episode where they showed the guy who works full time at the cemetary, how he cares so deeply about every single animal that crosses the rainbow bridge and does little ceremonies for them. The episodes where the animals die are so sad, but they all were shown love in the time they were there.

I remember that episode so well. It was for Bruno, the elderly Chow Chow with the neurological problems (listed to one side, had difficulty walking, had gone home with one of the vets so he could be monitored more closely.) The ceremony is so touching. I love the windchime "garden" they have there...every time you hear the chimes it's the spirit of the animals who've passed on letting the people know they're ok. Since seeing that I've given small windchimes to people I know who've lost their pets. I have one in our back yard for a cat who had somehow gotten into our basement (probably for warmth, it was winter), couldn't find a way back out and died. He was found when another tenant went to check on the furnaces.

Itself, sounds like you had an incredible experience. A firecracker? Really? Who thinks up this sort of thing to do to an animal. I hope they caught the person who did this to that poor cat.

I wish they'd make more episodes of Dog Town.

[indysteel]

Watch this heartwarming PBS video of what's happened to Vick's dogs:

http://video.pbs.org/video/1757336290

I don't post that to get into a debate about Pits. I understand that they engender very strong reactions. I just think the love and care that's gone into rehabilitating these dogs is fantastic. I also think it's incredible that their rescue was the result of another dog's police work. Yay for our four-legged friends and those who work to protect and care for them.

[badger]

Indy, thank you SO much for posting that. Seeing things like that really restores my faith in humanity, that there are enough people out there who care about that breed and want them to be viewed as the good dogs they are. It just strengthens my desire to be a guardian to a pit bull all the more.

[indysteel]

Indy, thank you SO much for posting that. Seeing things like that really restores my faith in humanity, that there are enough people out there who care about that breed and want them to be viewed as the good dogs they are. It just strengthens my desire to be a guardian to a pit bull all the more.

You're welcome. I wanted to reach through my computer and give all those dogs and their humans a huge hug. Bless their hearts.

Where are you in the adoption process?

[badger]

in adoption limbo, actually.

I decided that I'm just not at the right place (literally and figuratively) to be a doggy mama right now. I have 2 older, needy cats and one frequent visitor cat (mom's), and am not home a whole lot. I'm sure the right one will come along eventually when the time is right (when I least expect it!)

[indysteel]

in adoption limbo, actually.

I decided that I'm just not at the right place (literally and figuratively) to be a doggy mama right now. I have 2 older, needy cats and one frequent visitor cat (mom's), and am not home a whole lot. I'm sure the right one will come along eventually when the time is right (when I least expect it!)

Well, best of luck with it when the timing is right! It'll be a lucky dog!

[lunacycles]

That's a great story. Thank you for posting it. A friend of mine who runs her own sanctuary in NM spent a week volunteering at Best Friends a few months after the Vick dogs arrived, and her report wasn't so positive at the time--but time indeed heals many wounds, and it's good to hear almost all of those dogs have a genuine future.