It’s a beautiful morning here in Kanab. The air is crisp and the sun is shining, perfect conditions to hike the canyon. I head to the Dogtown headquarters and inquire about dogs who may be interested in joining me in my excursion.

LOVY DOVY OGY
I am assigned to the Jethro house. Danielle, who is taking care of the dogs today first introduces me to Ogy.

Ogy is a staff and volunteers’ favorite as he has been living at the sanctuary for most of his life after being found as a stray. Ogy is a very sweet dog, but he does not get along with other pets, so he needs to be adopted as a single pet. But whoever adopts him won’t regret it, he is an absolute love bug.

PEARL THE KISSY GIRL

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Next to come for a walk with me is Pearl. This girl will shower you with kisses! Pearl is a very well behaved and loving dog. Rescued from a dog fighting ring, she caught a blood born disease called Babesia. This condition is contagious to other animals through saliva, so when she plays with other dogs she needs to wear a muzzle.

UPDATE: Great news! Pearl was just adopted two days ago!

SWEET ESTELLA

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Estella is the quintessential good dog, a Boxer American Stanford Terrier mix, she gets along with other pets, walks well on a leash and she is very affectionate. She arrived recently at that sanctuary but she would love to go to her forever home soon where she can snuggle with her new family.

I arrive in Dogtown and accidentally sign up for Puppy Preschool. Realizing my mistake, I am thinking: “Oh boy, this must be a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.”

The other volunteers and I are welcomed by the Puppy Kindergarten teacher.

We are to assist her with Zephan and Zola‘s very first class. Today they will learn that people from all colors and shapes are ok. They will also get acquainted with a vacuum cleaner. These are important basic skills that will help them adjust to their forever homes when they get adopted. Both puppies do great, but all that work quickly tires these little babies. After 10 minutes of recess, Zephan is ready for a nap.

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Puppy class is over, so we head to the kennel area to help the staff clean the puppies’ living quarters.

Then, we are assigned the hardest job of the day: take Shale and Gosson to the puppy playground. Watch how much fun they had!

For more stories about the animals at Best Friends and learn how you too can volunteer at the Best Friends Animal sanctuary go to www.bestfriends.org

Here we go! After landing in Vegas and enjoying the most scenic road trip of my life, it is time for me to reach the destination of my dream vacation.

With an exciting schedule ahead of me, I hit Route 89 swirling through the red dirt canyons blushing against the magnificent blue sky.

First stop: the visitor centers.

I am welcomed by Ron who informs me that since I am the only one signed up for the 10am tour, I am getting my own private tour: nice! We hop in Ron’s van and hit the dirt roads to visit:

• Dogtown
• Catworld
• Horse Haven
• Marshall’s Piggy Paradise
• Bunny House
• Parrot garden
• Wild Friends
• Angels’ Rest

I am quickly amazed by how beautifully and practically this sanctuary is built. From the pristine and comfortable facilities where the animal resides to the beautiful lunch room with a breathtaking panoramic view where visitors, staff and volunteers meet for a delicious vegetarian buffet, they have thought of everything.

First volunteer shift: hiking with Barney

After listening to staff’s success stories during lunch, I head to Cat World to sign in for my first volunteer shift. I am eager to enjoy the crisp air, the warm sun and the magnificent scenery. Having heard that some cats here enjoy walking on a leash, I inquire about it. The volunteer coordinator is thrilled to introduce me to one of her favorite residents: Barney.

Barney must be psychic because as soon as I approach the outdoor cat room of his house, he looks straight at me and starts meowing. A staff helps me put his leash on, and off we go for a 90 minutes hike! This boy is quite the hiker and tour guide, he knows his turf and he will tell you all about it!

Back at his house, Barney introduces me to his brother Bo and his buddy Ty. Barney and Bo were featured in a recent edition of Best Friends Magazine.They invite me to sit in their outdoor cat room, and they all quickly join me for a nap.

I head back to town having exercised my body, fed my soul and relaxed both. Who needs ClubMed when you have Best Friends?