• Home
  • About MomStart
  • Contact Me
  • Today’s Topic
  • Savings
  • Disclosure/Terms of Use
  • Cart
  • Purchases

MomStart

Forget the Mommy Guilt, it's a new day

  • Tech The Halls Holiday Gift Guide 2020
  • Movies
  • Travel
  • Tech
  • Recipes
  • Crafts
You are here: Home / charity / Volunteering at Dogtown

Volunteering at Dogtown

December 29, 2014 by Beeb Leave a Comment

Puppies

Travel consideration provided.

In October, I had the opportunity to visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. Best Friends is the largest no-kill shelter in the country, and from its breathtaking location to its values and approach, it quickly becomes clear that this is a special place. Many people plan trips to the area so that they can volunteer with the animals:

I experienced a slice of “Voluntourism” during my trip to the Sanctuary, where I was assigned to the Dogtown portion of this huge facility.

Puppy Preschool

More puppies!

First up, I was given a tour of Puppy Preschool, where volunteers work with the youngest residents to socialize and train them. They work on building good habits and also acclimating puppies to common household objects, such as vacuums, that might give them a scare otherwise. Puppy Preschool is a good example of Best Friends’ overall approach working to “Save Them All”, by working to ensure that their puppies will have good behaviors instilled at a young age, making it less likely that their owners will run into problems and become overwhelmed later.

Puppies in preschool

To experience Preschool in action, my group was asked to sit on the floor at puppy level, at which point they released a group of curious puppies into the room to meet us. We played with and hugged the puppies, and watched a demonstration of some of the common household items that can unnerve dogs and how they can be carefully introduced to these things early on to prevent future behavior issues.

Curious pups

Skateboarding puppy

For the volunteer portion of my day, I was assigned to “Old Friends”, the area of Dogtown that houses older pooches. One of my jobs was cleaning down the dog doors inside their enclosures – a dog run that leads to a fenced in outdoor area with ample room for the dogs to run around and be dogs.

Dog run

I also had a chance to take one of the dogs, Captain, for a walk. Kanab is one of the most beautiful places I have visited in America, so every opportunity to take in the natural beauty was a special one for me; I can see why this is such a popular travel destination for those who want to take a vacation and give back at the same time.

Walking Captain

Some of the most well-known cases that Dogtown has taken in are the Vicktory Dogs, from the infamous Michael Vick dog fighting case. This was a landmark case for Best Friends, who lobbied for the dogs to be turned over to their Sanctuary. These dogs were at risk of euthanization due to public safety concerns; as I talked to one of the founders of Best Friends about this case, he told me, Everyone was outraged that these dogs had been forced into this inhumane activity – so the solution is to euthanize them? They were essentially being victimized twice. Due to their efforts, the dogs were spared, and 22 were sent to Best Friends. Some were court-ordered to stay at Best Friends for life, where they can live out the rest of their days enjoying the wonderful facilities provided to them; but many others were so rehabilitated to the point where they were able to pass a Canine Good Citizen test and, with the court’s permission, be adopted out to loving homes. It’s a pretty incredible story, and I got to meet one of these rehabilitated Vicktory dogs while I was there:

Vicktory dog

If you are planning to adopt a dog, this may be “The most wonderful time of the year” to do it. Through December 31st, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is offering an adoption fee of just $25 for dogs and cats. If you don’t live near Utah, you should know that some animals actually qualify for a free flight to anywhere in the US and Canada – it’s all part of Best Friends’ goal to get animals into permanent, loving, capable homes. Learn more about this offer by visiting BestFriends.com/HolidayAdoption, and don’t miss the “Happy Holi-dogs” video!

More from my site

  • Keegan The K-9 Unveils The 2016 Ford Police Interceptor UtilityKeegan The K-9 Unveils The 2016 Ford Police Interceptor Utility
  • I Want My Sister’s DogsI Want My Sister’s Dogs
  • Pumpkin Streusel Oat Muffins Recipe: Quaker Family Time Tweet For a Cause #Ad #BetterTogetherPumpkin Streusel Oat Muffins Recipe: Quaker Family Time Tweet For a Cause #Ad #BetterTogether
  • Fairy Hobmother from Appliances Online Could Visit YouFairy Hobmother from Appliances Online Could Visit You
  • Wordless Wednesday: Riding on A Couch: The Suzuki Motorized CouchWordless Wednesday: Riding on A Couch: The Suzuki Motorized Couch
  • Top 5 Active Children’s Toys by TimeToPlayMag.comTop 5 Active Children’s Toys by TimeToPlayMag.com

Filed Under: charity, travel Tagged With: Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, dogs

Share on Yummly

Yum

Recent Articles on Mom Start

Don't let back pain ruin your anniversary plans!

Visiting a Doctor – on my Smartphone! #GetWellWithAmwell

Disclaimer: Compensation was provided by Amwell via Momtrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Amwell or Momtrends. I’ve been experiencing a lot of back pain for about a month. It all started after a long week of work, where I had been sitting in […]

Tech The Halls Gift Guide 2020

Tech The Halls Holiday Gift Guide 2020

Thank you to our partners who have sponsored our 2020 Tech The Halls Gift Guide! This post contains affiliate & Amazon Associates links. Just in time for Cyber Monday, we’re launching our 3rd annual Tech The Halls Gift Guide! Here you’ll find the best in gadget gifts for the whole family listed in one place, […]

About Beeb

Beeb is a British journalist living on the north Oregon coast. Blogging since 2008, she covers everything from coupons to contests in addition to running a network connecting UK bloggers with brands. In her free time, she loves to drink coffee, watch reality TV, and spend time with her fiancé, Jai. Join her on Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BeebAshcroft/

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Find Kids Auditions


Kids Auditions

Featured Video

Recently On MomStart

Recovering files from a failed hard drive

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard: How to Restore Lost Files in Minutes

Thank you to our partner EaseUS for sponsoring this post! Now that so much of … [Read More...]

Skoove

Learn to Play Piano With the Skoove App!

Thank you to our partner Skoove for sponsoring this post! My husband is a … [Read More...]

How to Make Memories with Your Kids that Last Forever

This is a sponsored guest post. As moms, for sure, many of you can relate to … [Read More...]

Our Living Room Makeover With VIZIO

VIZIO M-Series Quantum 65” Class 4K HDR Smart TV: The Perfect Gift (Especially Now)

Thanks to VIZIO for providing their M-Series 65” SmartCast TV for review! Our … [Read More...]

Crucial® X8 Portable SSD

Five Ways to Boost Computer Literacy in Your Kids While Schools Are Closed

Product sample provided. This is a guest post by Natasha Hendrix, Customer … [Read More...]

Modern Mother’s Day & Futuristic Father’s Day Gift Guide For Techies

Modern Mother’s Day & Futuristic Father’s Day Gift Guide For Techies: Online Shopping 2020

Product samples provided; this page contains our Amazon Associates … [Read More...]

Vintage Weddings: Make Your Day a Blast From the Past

This is a sponsored guest post. As we move into a more digital age, we find … [Read More...]

Is It Time For Us To Start Embracing The Esports Revolution?

Is It Time For Us To Start Embracing The Esports Revolution?

This is a sponsored guest post. Last year a 16-year-old from Pennsylvania … [Read More...]

  • Visiting a Doctor – on my Smartphone! #GetWellWithAmwell
  • Is It Time For Us To Start Embracing The Esports Revolution?
  • 4 AirFryer Desserts to Make For Valentine’s Day
  • Augmented Reality Craft: Create DIY Valentine’s Day Cards That Come to Life!
  • Valen-Tech Gift Guide 2020

Recipes

4 AirFryer Desserts to Make For Valentine’s Day

Keto Lemon Garlic Turkey

Keto Lemon Garlic Turkey: Your Best Thanksgiving Bird Ever Thanks to Topsy Turkey (Plus Giveaway!)

Hotel Transylvania 3

Hotel Transylvania 3: Plan a Spook-Tacular Sleepover!

Double Crusted Sausage Pixxa

Ghostly Pumpkins Double Crusted Halloween Pizza Recipe

Fancy Italian Coffee Recipe

Funfetti Stuffed Cotton Candy Cookies Recipe @Smuckers #HolidayTips

  • 26 Out-of-This World Star Wars Recipes
  • Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation Cocktails
  • Keto Ricotta Pancake Recipe

More Recipes

We Work With

Louise Bishop: influencer & brand ambassador
dealspotr.com

Archives