While traveling through Southern Utah recently, I took the time to spend a day in Kanab and visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Best Friends is one of many amazing & progressive animal rescue organizations in our country, but they are probably the most well known. They go above and beyond rescue with rehab, on site veterinary care, training and for animals with no other options a forever place to live out their years. The tour itself is about 90 minutes long with a few stops to get out and see animals, but most of it is from inside a tour van. You see all the grounds and different clusters of buildings specific to different breeds of animals. Overall it’s enormous, and beautiful. While it would be nice to have seen more animals firsthand, I guess if the tours constantly interrupted everyone’s work days not much would get done for the actual animals in need.
Afterwards I was allowed to wander a few places alone and Angels Rest was one of the spots. I have no idea the amount of animals that rest here, but judging from just the amount of chimes alone, it’s high hundreds. I can’t even describe the tranquility I felt there and how beautiful the sound when the breeze caught all the chimes. It was like a gentle wave of chimes from one end to the other, and echoing along the cliff wall backdrop. If you have the time when in the area, I would recommend checking Best Friends.
I love Angels Rest to honor all the animals that lived at Best Friends and animal companions who are laid to rest in such and honored, beloved, beautiful place. Everyone who works or worked there honors every animal large or small. Even wildlife are laid to rest in a special section of the canyon.
I had a close friend that worked at Best Friends in the Angels Rest section. She told me the unforgettable story of “BABY THOMAS”, a kitten 😿who was put into a metal tube by some mean horrible kids, who thought it was funny, then poured cement on top of him. A boy was walking by later that day, heard the kitten crying,😿🙍♂️ he did everything he could to try to help. He had to get some grownups to help save the kitten. They finally got him out, rushed him to Best Friends, the vets did everything they could do to save him, but he was too injured and cement got into his lungs from his crying😢 he crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
Everyone at Best Friends was touched, as was I! I purchased a wind chime, wrote a poem dedicated to him, engraved on the chime, purchased a burial site engraved with his name on it. All dedicated to my, our, the sanctuary, the world, to BABY THOMAS! Our little kitten resting in peace in Angels Rest. ✨🐾💕💫🌈💔🌅🌟. 💚 LOVE YOU BABY THOMAS 💕😿