What if all unwanted pets could be saved? What if they were able to live out their natural lives in a caring environment? This is the goal of the Best Friends Animal Society with the motto “Save Them All” (https://bestfriends.org/). Since 1984 they have been pursing that goal, beginning with establishing a sanctuary near Kanab, Utah. Today it’s the country’s largest sanctuary for rescued pets. Areas include Dogtown, Cat World, Horse Haven, Bunny House, and Parrot Garden. Over time, the property has grown to almost 6000 acres, with more than 300 employees plus volunteers caring for about 1600 animals. It also has become a major tourist attraction; visitors are always welcome.

Best Friends is not shy about spreading the word about their goal. They work with animal shelters across the country, sometimes embedding teams to help improve adoption rates and overall conditions.

But their messianic zeal is not without controversy. Not everyone agrees with their intermediate goal of every shelter having at least a 90 percent “save rate.” Sometimes that goal just isn’t realistic, and publicizing failure becomes counterproductive.

At any rate, they have made great strides in animal care, and are still progressing toward saving them all.

If this topic interests you, check out their website at the link above. Also, an excellent article about Best Friends is in the December 2025 issue of Smithsonian magazine (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/nations-biggest-animal-sanctuary-operates-under-mantra-save-them-all-how-controversial-180987638/)