About Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society is guided by a simple philosophy: kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us. In the late 1980s, when Best Friends was in its early days, roughly 17 million dogs and cats were being killed in shelters every year. Despite the commitment of shelter workers to the animal in their care, the conventional belief was that little could be done to lower that terrible number.
Best Friends’ No More Homeless Pets campaign created a new vision: A grassroots effort to place dogs and cats who were considered “unadoptable” into good homes, and to reduce the number of unwanted pets through effective spay and neuter programs. Since then, the number of dogs and cats being destroyed in shelters has fallen to approximately 5 million a year. There has been much progress, but there is still much more to do.
At the Sanctuary
The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary at Angel Canyon, at the heart of the Golden Circle of national parks in southern Utah, is home on any given day to about 2,000 dogs, cats, and other animals, who come from shelters and rescue groups around the country for special care they can only receive at Best Friends.
Most of the animals who find their way to Best Friends have special physical or behavioral needs, and our expert staff of veterinarians, trainers and caregivers offer them all the help they require. Most of them are ready to go to good new homes after just a few weeks of special care. A few, who are too old or too sick, or who have suffered extra trauma, find a home and haven at the sanctuary, and are given loving care for the rest of their lives.
For NWSAM students:
Very Important:
Practical Requirements: Quizzes should be completed two weeks prior to attending the practical and graded by your online instructor. You must also notify the school if you will or will not be attending the workshop so our instructors can prepare for class.
A few things to consider when preparing for the week:
- Make sure that you have your travel and hotel accommodations made (for those students traveling from out of state or out of the area)
- Please plan to arrive on time and ready to stay at the facility throughout the day.
- Personal pets and children are not allowed due to liability reasons.
- Dress accordingly; layered clothing is best as part of the class will be held outdoors. If you are attending a LAMP Practical, NO OPEN TOED SHOES are allowed. You may want to consider slippers or another set of footwear for your time in the classroom.
- Class begins with attendance taken promptly at 9:00am and class ends at 5:00pm. Please remember that on weekdays the traffic will be a little different than on the weekend. Please plan accordingly. You may call the school 206-463-1425 if you should get lost. Mon. � Fri.
- Bring your Workbooks and all materials including S.O.A.P. Charts.
- Cell phones are not allowed during class. You will be given ample time to check messages during breaks. Please plan accordingly.
The closest major airport is Las Vegas. Driving from Las Vegas to Kanab takes four hours.
Commuter airline. Sky West (Delta) operates shuttle flights to St. George, Utah, from Salt Lake City. The drive from St. George is about an hour and a half.
Local airport. Kanab Airport is open 24 hours a day. It can handle small private planes. Call (435) 644-2299.
Car rental. Las Vegas and St. George have regular car rental facilities. XPRESS Rent-a-Car of Kanab, LLC (435) 644-3408 and (435) 899-9057 Please call ahead for availability. Thank you!
Public Transportation. There is no public transportation in Kanab.
Driving to Best Friends
Important: In the interest of safety, and to avoid fines, please observe speed limits. Also, mule deer are plentiful in the area from fall through spring, so take care when driving – particularly from dusk to dawn.
From Las Vegas (see map)
The drive takes approximately 4 hours (Remember that Kanab is on Mountain Time, an hour later than Nevada and California.) Take I-15 north from Las Vegas. Drive approximately 6 miles past St. George, Utah and take exit 16 (Hwy 9) into Hurricane. Go approximately 10 miles and turn right at the Main Street traffic light. Go one block and turn left at the 4-way stop onto Hwy 59. Drive approximately 55 miles into Fredonia, Arizona. Turn left (north) at the stop sign onto Highway 89, and drive 7 miles into Kanab. Then follow directions from Kanab below.
From Saint George, Utah (see map)
Exit St. George airport by heading down the hill. Make a right at the stop light onto Bluff Street. Follow Bluff Street approximately 2 miles to Hwy. 15. Enter I-15 heading North (towards Salt Lake City). Approximately 6 miles out of St. George, take Exit 16 (Hwy. 9), towards Hurricane/Zion National Park. Go approximately 10 miles and turn right at the Main Street traffic light. Go one block and turn left at the 4-way stop onto Hwy 59. Drive approximately 55 miles into Fredonia, Arizona. Turn left (north) at the stop sign onto Hwy 89, and drive 7 miles into Kanab. Then follow directions from Kanab below.
From Salt Lake City (see map)
The drive takes about 6 hours. Take Hwy I-15 south approx. 220 miles. Take Hwy 20 (exit 95) east 20 miles to Hwy 89 and turn right (south) to Kanab. Best Friends is 5 miles north of Kanab off Hwy 89. Just past mile marker 71, watch for the green road sign saying Kanab Canyon and turn left (east) into the sanctuary.
From Phoenix (see map)
The drive takes about 6 hours. Take Hwy I-17 north to Flagstaff, then Hwy 89 north through Page, Arizona, to Kanab. Then follow directions from Kanab below. (Note that Arizona does not observe daylight savings time, so from April to October it is effectively on Pacific Time ? an hour earlier than Kanab.)
From Kanab (see map)
The entrance to Best Friends is about five miles north of Kanab on the east (right) side of Hwy 89. Between the 69 and 70 mile markers, a green highway sign indicates Kanab Canyon. Turn into Kanab Canyon and drive about 1.5 miles to the Welcome Center, which is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. seven days a week.
Traveling with pets. Click here for helpful information about traveling with pets.
Angel Canyon Guest Cottages
Nestled in the red cliffs of Angel Canyon and near the Best Friends Welcome Center these eight guest cottages also overlook the horse pastures. Each has one bedroom, a sitting room and kitchen. The Cottages are $140 per night double occupancy, with $10 fee per night for each additional person. Best Friends members receive a discount on these rates as follows: High season rates (Mar 1 – Nov 30) are $120 per night. Low season rates (Dec 1 – Feb 29) are $95 per night. Click HERE to view photos.
Cabins are also available. A smaller alternative to the Cottages, the Cabins are also conveniently located on sanctuary property. Each has a studio setup with one queen-size bed, kitchenette, and a 3/4 bath (shower stall). The Cabins are $92 per night and cannot accommodate more than two people. Best Friends members receive a discount on these rates as follows: High season rates (Mar 1 – Nov 30) are $75 per night. Low season rates (Dec 1 – Feb 29) are $60 per night. Click HERE to view photos.
For more information about the cottages and cabins (amenities, availability, etc.) click here.
RV Sites
We have two fully-equipped RV sites. Each site offers a spectacular view and comes complete with 50 amp electricity, water, septic tank, 35′ concrete platforms and an unobstructed sight line for SAT TV. There are no length limitations; however the sites are not pull-through, and you must be able to back your RV into or out of the site. These sites do not have shower or restroom facilities. You cannot drive your RV around the sanctuary, so you will need to bring a separate vehicle for transportation. Overnight RV parking is not allowed anywhere else on the sanctuary grounds.
Nightly rates (excluding tax) are $45 or $315 per week; Best Friends members receive a discount, with nightly rates of $35 or $245 per week. Each stay is limited to 14 consecutive days and a total of 28 days within a 60-day period. The RV sites are closed from November 1 through March 15. Click HERE to view photos.
Accommodations in Angel Canyon tend to be booked well in advance, so make a reservation early. For more information about the Cottages or Cabins, or to make a reservation, call 435-644-2001 ext. 4826, or e-mail cottages@bestfriends.org. Click HERE to view our vacation brochure.
For nearby lodging options, click here.