| Show 43 Wa Sunday August 9 1998 Sandard-Examne- Animal tales Refuge turned life around for dog named Rhonda By JANELLE SPONGER HYATT SBndsiEnmr sal wna was n°b°dys " v Unloved Unlovable A fearful puppy who attacked at any show of kindness That was eight years ago Today Rhonda's story is testimony to perhaps the greatest benefit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary prorides its borders time Rhonda a small cattle dog-re- d heeler mix arrived at the sanctuary as a puppy unhappy unfriendly always ready to bite “No one wanted her” remembers Faith Maloney the sanctuary's director - Before long however Rhonda had made friends with a large malamute named Amra Sanctuary workers often pair dogs for companionship It's not often says Maloney that dogs Critics no-ki- Friends” But even Best Friends is very selective in the animals it agrees to take - and will encourage pet owners to find other solutions Traditional public shelters however have no choice “We’re the ones who get the leftov er animals” that other animal organizations can't or won't care for says Jay Eakle director of Ogden City Animal Services One person45 cats Northern Utah animal advocates like Eakle and Brant say that despite the tragedy there is simply no alternative to mass euthanasia "People don't realize that for -- every human being bom there I 'are 1 5 dogs and 45 cats bom" Brant said “There is simply no j way in the world that every one I "bf those cats can get a good loving permanent home” ! There is a way counters ! Raphael dePeyer spokesman for Best Friends It requires that animal organizations simply make a decision that killing is unacceptable More and more cities among them San Francisco have assumed a no-ki- ll philosophy for their animal programs Yet he said many animal groups continue to "condemn” ' rio-kisanctuaries out of guilt and defensiveness The mam components for Creating a successful no-kiagency' he said are an aggressive pregram an aggressive adoption program a T Urge educational effort and the realization that that agency is not "responsible for all of the animal problems in its area ll ll Adoption option Best Friends has made a commitment to not killing the animals it can rescue but it accepts it cannot save all animals "We simply do the best we can” dePeyer said Best Fnends often takes in animals other shelters reject for reasons such as poor health Other animals are accepted if space is available among its average 1500-animpopulation DePeyer said Best Fnends often refuses to take pets that are adoptable and will work with owners to find another solution Education efforts by the Humane Society Best Fnends and other organizations are cutting into the mass numbers of abandoned animals The Humane Society of Utah fakes in more animals than any organization in the state pother Last year it accepted just under 5000 animals nearly 3400 of those were euthanized the rest adopted out That’s down from 1976 when a record 30244 animals were killed "In our opinion even one animal euthanized is too many” -- said the Humane Society's Brant we're grateful for what Best ZZZZ Friends is doing We're just to see any animal go to a Jood home no matter how it ” nv resident of Best Animal arrives with a Here’s a sampling: Kadas Nadas a beautiful te cross arrived not keg ago from Oregon He was ordered to be destroyed after violating a county cnfeance against chasing livestock His owner arranged foe his transfer to tbe sanctuary with the agreement of county officials Each other" as did these twa He was a monster 143 pounds she a petite 17 "They were Mutt and Jeff" she says “She'd nag at him lick his eyes and ears" Over the years through association with sanctuary workers and with Amra's calming influence Rhonda settled down and become friendly and sociable Then last year Amra died Rhonda was devastated “1 have never witnessed that extent of grief" Maloney said Rhonda’s story was written up in the sanctuary’s monthly magazine where it was seen by an East Coast member named Sharon Sharon contacted the sanctuary to let them know she wanted to provide Rhonda with a home “We were thrilled" says coTue-makmu- DeSak The permanent pout on Delilah’s flattened Persian face is deserved This tortoise-she-ll cat ran from a chasing dog right into the path of a car She lost both hind legs but is recuperating well in Renton's House a facility for physically disabled cats Sky&uce Skydance a great homed owi came to tbe sanctuary after being hit by a car near Cedar City Skydance's wing was damaged and be will never fly again The sanctuary acquired federal and state permits that long-haire-d this one at the sanctuary are vicious and Some dogs cannot be adopted One dog Rhonda storied exit here but employees worked with her until she mellowed Rhonda found a happy homa W&2SZSS&: Maloney "We knew that at this point in her life Rhonda coukl use a home" that’s what Rhonda reports in her letters to Maloney Maloney says that Rhonda is “extremely happy" in her new home where she lives with three older dogs At least she says “I write back" says Maloney “And Sharon wrote once too to say that her life has beat changed by taking in Rhonda" allow the bird to stay at the sanctuary and be tael in educational programs Tansy This terrier mix came to the sanctuary Aer being confined for eight years in a darkened back room of a California shelter At first Tammy would only cower in the shadows of a dog house but soon she began to spend more and more tune outdoors She now relishes walks in the sun Summer A brand-neresident this orange cat was found in the rugged Case Beds of Kane County An initial exam found ter to be deaf w Oscar This extraordinarily large black cat arrived here from Saudi Arabia Oscar had been rescued by an American couple living in Saudi Arabia but for some unknown reason it attacked the wife Rather than have the animal destroyed the couple arranged to have Oscar shipped to Utah where he lives in Wildcat Village Event nfermtlsn From ID Brant is merely speaking of '"the perception many take of traditional shelters when organizations like Best Friends shine like beacons of humanity “We admire Best Friends and are grateful for all the hard work they do” she said “But the only difficulty other animal groups have is the misrepresentation they (Best Friends) give of the scope of the problem - tbe ll public perceives (their philosophy) as meaning that pet overpopulation isn’t that bad and if they go ahead and let their animals breed it's OK because ' they can just take them to Best y-hhp- “choose each r Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is increasing its presence and in Northern Utah For more information on Best Friends call Ogden resident Cindy 2 Snell who hosts the Best Friends Hot Line at These events are planned in the near future: Ogden Strut Your MutL g This activity tor the sanctuary allows pet owners to participate in a fun run with their dogs The event will be Saturday Sept 12 at Mount Ogden Park at the top of 30th Street in Ogden Registration begins at 8:30 am the walk itself at 9:30 am Advance registration forms can be picked up at any Bingham Cydery location or Don's Pet Care 1481 Gibson Ave Ogden Cost is $1 5 in advance or $20 the day of the walk 2 For information call Snell at Adoption gatherings The Best Friends van will be at the following Salt Lake City-are-a locations with adoptable pets: Sept 4-- 5 Cottonwood Mall Oct 15-1-6 Fashion Place Mall Nov 6-- 7 T rolley Square Dec 4--5 South T owne name-recogniti- 392-284- fund-raisin- 392-284- Mall Friends discreetly tucked beneath tables From ID The sanctuary's annua budget Nearby is Benton’s House or as it's also called the TLC Club Its namesake is a cat crippled in a car accident w ho even now greets visitors with a disdainful stand-cleexpression Benton resides in a special area for physically handicapped cats Another section of the building houses cats with kidney disorders that require special diets - affectionately termed "The Incontinence Suite" v Adjacent is a room for catwith skin cancer Despite missing ears and eyes they rub affectionately against visitors’ legs Here classical music is piped into each room “I think they play country music at the Wildcat Village" says Mejia Down the road in the shade of The Bunny House rabbits of all varieties and hues burrow through a foot or more of soil to relax in the coolness Nearby more bunny shelters are being constructed for the recent addition of nearly 200 bunnies courtesy of a kindhearted but scatterbrained woman in Las Vegas According to Mejia the three rabbits she rescued had within a year bred beyond controL “We agreed to take them" he said "as long as she agreed to not take in any more" The sanctuary’s veterinarian has spayed or castrated all of the new bunnies in keeping with the sanctuary's policy of neutering every animal within its care Nearby is Feathered Friends where bird rehabilitator Sharon St John works to strengthen wounded birds so they can return to the wild A raven cries in the background although it was one of seven binds released recently it returns each day just to hang now tops $5 million - funded in part by more than 1 30000 people nationwide who pay annual dues of $45 or more to be Best Friends “members" Donations from major companies fill out the budget for this nonprofit organization With a staff of 95 -veterinarian assistants bookkeepers and dog trainers for instance - Best Friends is the largest employer in Kane County It's also the hub of a network of volunteers statewide Kanab five miles to the south continues to draw tourists because of its distinction as "Little Hollywood” because its picturesque canyons backdropped the filming of hundreds of westerns These days Best Friends which attracts up to 100 visitors a day is one of the main reasons travelers choose Kanab as a destination according to a spokesman for the Kane County Travel Council Movie magic The movie aura remains a draw Before this little-use- d developer-unfnendl- y canyon was purchased by Best Friends it was home to the Kanab Movie Ranch And it’s with good humor that the sanctuary's tour director Cyrus Mejia points to one site where a scene from "The Outlaw Josey Wales" was filmed another where Rcdford and Newman were in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” In a peaceful pasture a pair of horses rest in the shade of a rustic bam that was using in filming the 1 973 Disney movie “One Little Indian" starring James Gamer “We don’t tell them it’s a movie set" says Mejia gesturing toward the horses “Or they’d want more money" But it's the animals - the sheer numbers of them - that turn heads and draw exclamations these days A tour of Best Friends begins in the Welcome Center just a mile off US 89 overlooking Kanab Creek The road winds past meadows - one inhabited by a duo of burros that starving had been airlifted from Grand Canyon -and along red dirt roads The first sign you've entered the sanctuary's feline territory is a gathering of small buildings tucked into the cedars This is Wildcat Village where some 300 feral cats lounge in the sun or tuck themselves into the shadows of rafters The lodgings must seem like the Grand Hotel to these streetwise characters Crocheted coverlets donated by fans of Best Friends cover soft pillows Stuffed mice and other toys clutter the floor Litter boxes are Tl£ needed gray-and-wh- ar out Hungry mouths to teed The sanctuary's largest facility is Dog Town Here fenced runs branch out from central buildings like wheel spokes There are so many runs filled with noisy energetic dogs that they stretch out of view Each run contains a dot of pink - small plastic wading pools donated by Best Friends members It takes 10 tons of dry food each month - the equivalent of a semi-truc- k load - to feed this menagerie plus up to 4000 large cans In a masterpiece of organization each dog has its own food dish and specific diet Each dog lives with up to four pals - paired up according to personality type Only a few runs bear that badge of dishonor a sign reading “beware of dog" One such sign graces the fenced area of a poodle named Mickey and a dachshund who answ ers to Brownie Dog Town is a hub of sorts for the many and varied volunteers attracted to the center's philosophy On this day Alison EOTBISSt BestFnends Animal Sanctuary near Kanabis buidngnew facilities for their more than 300 feral cats This photo was taken from inside the new buASng which iscomectedto outdoor cages cm ouct Sended-Earw- a from Southern California is delivering heaping dog dishes she's here for a two-weestint A student from Florida State has taken an afternoon out of her Western tour to scoop poop into targe in a soggy bags And elbow-dee- p mix of canned and dry dog food is Bruce Mailer a Los Angeles elementary teacher who hopes to start his own rescue endeavor There’s work enough for everyone The Angels Rest animal cemetery offers visitors a chance to reflect Tiny marked graves bear the names of hundreds of pets - Gus&ie for instance and Peep Mr Mister Righty Jessie Sunflower N idles in the k wall hold surrounding urns carrying the cremated remains of other beloved pets A small offering of a bone left on the grave of a pet named Boots testifies to the strong ties between humans and animals One of the newest graves belongs to Tomato a floppy orange cat former Dumpster stray who wrote a column in Best Friends’ monthly magazine and even hosted his own page on the sanctuary’s Web site Mejis said Tomato’s address was removed after his death from kidney failure But so many people protested that it was reinstated (select the Tomato link from bestfriendsorg) Tomato continues to receive letters - "not a few but hundreds" - that bear such k red-roc- ail sentiments as this one: “When you see Mugsy (in heaven) tell him his mom misses him very much" Search ter famg®3 Rescuing and caring for animals is but one part of Best Friends’ mission says Nathania Gartman one of the founders and now director of education h efforts programs Such are needed but they’re eventually futile she said "like the fires in Florida that could not be put last-ditc- out" The sanctuary's massive education program seeks to stem the reasons animals end up in shelters in the first dace There are indications it’s working says Best Friends veterinarian Richard Alkn Following a massive weeklong campaign last February to neuter cats in the Kane County area he said the number of kittens abandoned at the sanctuary’s gates dropped dramatically Best Friends continues to sponsor monthly clinics in which any pet owner can have an animal spayed or neutered for $25 Best Friends sponsors a huge adoption program that has staff members shuttling vans fiHed with family-read- y pets to such cities as Ogden Salt Lake City and Las Vegas Regular adoption functions like that held Friday and Saturday at the Ogden City Mall closely screen prospective pet owners The adoption functions are assisted by a network of volunteers Volunteers provide foster homes for animals waiting to be adopted Among them is Ogden resident Cindy Snell who explains her devotion to Best Friends this way: "I've never wanted to work with animal organizations it is just too heart breaking" she said "But Best Friends’ nokill policy really sold me I just believe in Best Friends" Best Friends has a more or less permanent population of about 1500 animals with about 800 new animals arriving each year said Mejia Of those 800 newcomers some 75 percent -usually those smaller than 40 pounds and younger than a - are adopted into permanentyear long-distan- homes The sanctuary’s philosophy said Maloney is that ever animal is adoptable Some just need extra attention most simply need time Time Maloney adds is a luxury not afforded in animals shelters At Best Friends animal have time to overcome fears learn to trust people improve disagreeable behavior "We’ve had dogs live here for eight years before finding a home That would never happen in a traditional shelter "We know that a place like Best Friends cannot solve the problems But we can make a statement And by laying that we will not kill animals we're saying there are other ways" |
