Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends Animal Society, (BFAS) founded in its present form in 1993,[1] is an American nonprofit 501(c)(3) animal welfare organization based in Kanab, Utah with satellite offices in Atlanta, Georgia, Bentonville, Arkansas, Houston, Texas, Los Angeles, California, New York City, and Salt Lake City, Utah.[7] It also has a partnership network with shelters, rescue groups and members in all 50 states and Washington, DC to promote pet adoption, no-kill animal rescue, and spay-and-neuter practices.[8] Best Friends has a 3-star 'Give With Confidence' rating from Charity Navigator.[9]

Best Friends Animal Society
FoundedAugust 12, 1993 (1993-08-12)[1][2]
Founders
  • Francis Battista
  • Judah Battista
  • Silva Battista
  • Gregory Castle
  • Gabriel Depeyer
  • Jana Depeyer
  • Steven Hirano
  • Faith Maloney
  • Anne Mejia
  • Cyrus Mejia
[3]
23-7147797[4]
Legal status501(c)(3) nonprofit organization[5]
FocusAnimal welfare, animal rights
HeadquartersKanab, Utah[4]
Locations
Coordinates37.125773°N 112.543697°W / 37.125773; -112.543697
OriginsFoundation Faith of the Millennium;
Process Church of the Final Judgment
Julie Castle[6]
Francis Battista[6]
Marc A. Peralta[4]
SubsidiariesBest Friends Productions LLC,
1089 Wykoff LLC,
307 West Broadway LLC,
Chuff LLC,
Amber Housing LLC, Best Friends Wellness Center Inc[4]
Revenue (2016)
$87,144,293[4]
Expenses (2016)$81,852,232[4]
Endowment$19,383,509[4]
Employees (2015)
838[4]
Volunteers (2015)
9,748[4]
Websitebestfriends.org
Formerly called
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary;
Foundation Faith of the Millennium; Process Church of the Final Judgement

History

The group originated in England in 1966 as the Process Church of the Final Judgment,[10] co-founded by Mary Ann MacLean, who was married to former church member and Best Friends Animal Society co-founder Gabriel Depeyer,[11] and who lived on Best Friends' sanctuary grounds until her 2005 death.[12]

The Foundation church relocated animals from its Arizona ranch to property in Kanab, Utah, in 1984.[13] In 1991, the church was renamed Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, which became a tax-exempt, nonprofit charity, and in 2003, renamed Best Friends Animal Society.[14]

In 2019, Best Friends Animal Society and Southern Utah University began a partnership that included a new certificate program at SUU that included coursework on how to set up and run a no-kill animal shelter.[15]

In 2020, NASCAR driver Alex Bowman added a Best Friends Animal Society paint scheme to his stock car to raise support for animal rescue. Ally Financial and Bowman pledged to make a total of $30,000 in donations to Best Friend affiliated shelters in race host cities during the 2021 season.

Utah animal sanctuary

After the Foundation church moved to its current grounds in 1984, the founders eventually informally called it "Best Friends" until 1991 when it began formally operating as Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, a no-kill shelter[16] located in Southwestern Utah in Angel Canyon (formerly Kanab Canyon) near Kanab.[17]

The sanctuary is on 3,700 acres (15 km2) with an additional 33,000 acres (130 km2) leased from the United States Bureau of Land Management near Zion National Park, the Grand Canyon's North Rim, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Lake Powell. The sanctuary is home to around 1,500 homeless animals.[18]

Every kind of animal has its own area, considered neighborhoods, which includes Bunny House, Dogtown and Cat World among others. Animals that are unable to be placed in permanent homes and wild animals that cannot be released back into the wild can live out their lives at the sanctuary.[19]

Los Angeles adoption center

In 2011, the city of Los Angeles contracted Best Friends to operate in its Northeast Valley Shelter facility in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, which the city could no longer afford to run due to budget cuts.[20] Under the contract, BFAS was to provide adoptions for shelter animals it obtained solely from LA Animal Service shelters, and to provide spay and neuter services for the community. The contract prohibited BFAS from obtaining animals from any other sources, such as public intake or transfers from other organizations.[21] Best Friends was the only bidder for the contract to run the shelter that had cost the taxpayers $19 million to build just three years prior. There was controversy when other humane organizations discovered the contract, and complained that they had not been notified of the solicitation for bids.[22] As of 2021, BFAS no longer operate the shelter due to mismanagement.[23]

Magazine

BFAS publishes Best Friends, a bimonthly magazine about animals, animal welfare, news events, and activities at the sanctuary. The magazine, which is distributed free to members, has 200,000 subscribers.[24] Originating as Foundation magazine in 1975 with its interview of Charles Manson referred to as the "death" issue,[11] the first edition of Best Friends magazine was published in 1993, two years after the religious group became an animal sanctuary.[25]

Hurricane Katrina work

Best Friends teams entered the Hurricane Katrina disaster area on September 2, 2005, and stayed eight months in and around New Orleans.[26] Best Friends did not have a significant presence doing animal disaster rescue or recovery work until Katrina.

The organization's official role post-Hurricane Katrina was that of a primary animal rescue organization[27][28] overseen by animal specialist and then-Best Friends employee Sherry Woodard.[29]

Also after Katrina, Best Friends helped Pets Alive, an animal shelter in New York state, and rescued around 800 cats from an institutional hoarding situation in Nevada.[30] Best Friends also assisted local animal rescue groups following the Peruvian earthquakes of 2007.[31]

Michael Vick dogs

In 2007, after petitioning the state of Virginia to save the dogs seized from the Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation, Best Friends took in 22 of the 47 fighting dogs of former NFL quarterback Michael Vick.[32] The dogs were expected to be euthanized for fear of aggressive behavior.[33] Seven other organizations took in the remaining 25 dogs. The court ordered Vick to pay $928,073 in restitution for the “past, present and long-term care of all the dogs.” The court allocated $5,000 for dogs deemed likely to be adopted, and $18,275 for each of the dogs that went into longer-term or lifetime sanctuary care at Best Friends.[32][34]

In December 2008, Georgia, a former Vick dog, appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show with Best Friends dog trainer John Garcia.[35] The two also appeared on CNN's Larry King Live.[36]

Rehabilitation of the Vick dogs appeared in an episode of National Geographic Channel's series DogTown. DogTown's producer, Darcy Dennett, later approached Best Friends about a feature-length documentary on the same story.[37]

Released in October 2015, The Champions is a documentary that covers the stories of five dogs and their impact they had had on their adopters and how society looks at pit bulls rescued from fighting cases.[38] The film received the 2015 Zelda Penzel "Giving Voice to the Voiceless" award at Hamptons International Film Festival.[39] The film also features the work of both Best Friends Animal Society and BAD RAP, an Oakland-based animal welfare rescue group. FilmRise acquired film rights in November 2015.[40] It was released through community screenings[41] and became available digitally in March 2016.[42]

Community cat programs

In August 2008, Best Friends and PetSmart Charities funded a program called "Feral Freedom" for free-roaming community cats in Jacksonville, Florida.[43][44] The program was conceived by Rick Ducharme of First Coast No More Homeless Pets.

Similar programs were funded with a grant from PetSmart Charities and implemented by Best Friends in Albuquerque, New Mexico; DeKalb County, Georgia; San Antonio, Texas; Baltimore, Maryland; Osceola County, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;[45] and other communities.[46] In St. George, Utah, the city partnered with Best Friends on a trap-neuter-return program in January 2013.[47]

See also

References
  1. "Process Church/Best Friends Articles of Incorporation". Louisiana Secretary of State. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  2. "Best Friends Animal Society Archived 2018-02-02 at the Wayback Machine". Entity Details. Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  3. "Meet the Founders Archived 2018-01-27 at the Wayback Machine". Best Friends Animal Society. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  4. "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". Best Friends Animal Society. Guidestar. September 30, 2016.
  5. "Best Friends Animal Society, Tax Exempt Organization Search". Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  6. "Leadership Archived 2017-09-06 at the Wayback Machine". Best Friends Animal Society. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  7. "Locations". Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  8. "Article, American Dog Magazine, "Los Angeles Programs Saves Lives in the Entertainment Capital of the World"". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  9. "Charity Navigator - Rating for Best Friends Animal Society". www.charitynavigator.org. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  10. Timothy Wyllie (2009). Love Sex Fear Death: The Inside Story of the Process Church of the Final Judgement. Feral House. ISBN 978-1-932595-37-6.
  11. Kilzer, Lou (February 28, 2004). "Friends find their calling". Rocky Mountain News.
  12. "Love Sex Fear Death: The Inside Story of the Process Church of the Final Judgment". LA Weekly. July 22, 2009.
  13. Glen, Samantha (2001). Best Friends: The True Story of the World's Most Beloved Animal Sanctuary. Kensington. ISBN 978-1-57566-735-5.
  14. "Friends Find Their Calling". Rocky Mountain News. February 28, 2004. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2012.(pay-per-view article)
  15. "Southern Utah University to teach students how to run a no-kill animal shelter". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  16. "AR-News: (UT) Best Friends a haven for unwanted animals". envirolink.org. Archived from the original on May 12, 2006. Retrieved March 30, 2008.
  17. "Best Friends, an Animal Sanctuary with a Difference, with Faith Maloney, by Diane Cooper". netmar.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  18. "Voluntourism - Peter Greenberg Travel Detective". petergreenberg.com. May 26, 2007. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  19. "Best Friends Animal Society". Saving Earth | Encyclopedia Britannica. May 24, 2010. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  20. Linthicum, Kate (August 17, 2011). "Los Angeles to hand over animal shelter to nonprofit group". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  21. Clifton, Marritt (January 1, 2012). "L.A. shelter deal transfers cash crunch to Best Friends". Animals 24-7.
  22. Orlov, Rick (August 16, 2011). "Nonprofit to run city shelter". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  23. Daughertry, Phyllis (August 22, 2022). "'No Kill' Has Failed. 'Best Friends' Leaves LA City Animal Services Shelter, Annenberg Steps In". City Watch.
  24. "A close look at Best Friends Animal Society". Albert Lea Tribune. April 25, 2009. Archived from the original on October 2, 2014.
  25. "The Process Church Timeline (magazine history, page 22)" (PDF). feralhouse.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 5, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  26. Perkins, Nancy (September 1, 2007). "Art spotlights rescue of New Orleans pets". deseretnews.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2009. Retrieved December 16, 2007.
  27. Manning, Anita (September 3, 2005). "Animal welfare groups rescue abandoned pets". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 20, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  28. "Shaggy survivors still hanging on after Katrina - Health - Pet health - NBC News". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  29. "'Dogtown': National Geographic Channel series profiles Utah's Best Friends Animal Society". The Salt Lake Tribune.
  30. "Volunteers say justice not served". Pahrump Valley Times. February 19, 2010. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  31. "Salt Lake Tribune". Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  32. Rhoden, William C. (March 12, 2008). "Vick Case Exposes Rift Among Animal-Rights Advocates". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  33. Villavicencio, Monica (July 19, 2007). "A History of Dogfighting". NPR.org. Archived from the original on April 13, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  34. "Michael Vick's dogs get a second chance - The Daily Nightly - msnbc.com". May 24, 2009. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009.
  35. ""DogTown's John Garcia Shares His Story," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," December 15, 2008". EllenTV. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  36. "CNN transcripts, "Larry King Live," "Does Michael Vick Deserve A Second Chance?" with Best Friends' John Garcia and former fighting dog Georgia". Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  37. "HIFF 2015: Compassion, Justice & Animal Rights". hamptonsfilmfest.org. Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  38. "The Champions (2015) - IMDb". Archived from the original on November 13, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2020 – via www.imdb.com.
  39. "HIFF 2015: Awards". hamptonsfilmfest.org. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  40. Petski, Denise (November 24, 2015). "FilmRise Nabs Worldwide Rights To Pit Bull Rescue Documentary 'The Champions'". Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  41. "Tugg, The Champions". Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  42. "vhx". The Champions. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  43. "First Coast No More Homeless Pets - Annual Report" (PDF). fcnmhp.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  44. ""Program gives feral cats shot at freedom: More than 1,200 strays have been spayed or neutered - and saved from euthanasia," Tia Mitchell, The Florida Times-Union, November 20, 2008". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  45. "City shelter wins $700k grant to save cats" Archived 2014-10-06 at the Wayback Machine, Amy Worden, The Inquirer, August 25, 2014.
  46. "First Coast No More Homeless Pets Annual Report 10.01.12-9.30.13" Archived 2014-10-06 at the Wayback Machine, at p. 9.
  47. "St. George, Best Friends working together to save lives of community cats" Archived 2014-10-06 at the Wayback Machine, Best Friends Animal Society, January 08, 2014.

Further reading
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