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Recent news releases
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Any of the national humane organizations can give you policy statements.

What sets Best Friends apart? We have the animals.

Best Friends Animal Society is not just the nation's leading expert in animal protection and companion animal care. We also run the largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals. We don't simply talk theory - we have expertise.

Hands-on animal care: When football star Michael Vick was arrested, every animal rights group had a statement. But the court asked Best Friends to take the 22 dogs who needed the most expert care - dogs who had suffered not only physical abuse, but psychological trauma as well. And what we're learning from the long-term care of these dogs is providing groundbreaking expertise to shelters and the veterinary profession.

Major rescues: When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, Best Friends was the first national animal organization on the scene  and the last one out. We set up two sanctuaries and rescued and transported more than 6,000 dogs, cats and other animals. Hundreds were reunited with their families, thousands placed in good new homes. Two years later, we are still following up and caring for any animals whose new homes didn't work out. When it comes to rescue, no one does it better.

When more than 800 cats were discovered near Death Valley in a horrific hoarding situation, local authorities turned to Best Friends for help. We took on the care and rehabilitation of all the cats.

And when a major earthquake shook Peru, Best Friends worked with local authorities and the national government to provide food, vaccines and spay/neuter to dogs and cats across the affected region - and to set up a program for continuing care and sterilization through local humane organizations and veterinarians.

When tragedy struck at the Kentucky Derby, and Eight Belles broke her legs and had to be destroyed, other national humane organizations talked about animal rights and inhumane treatment. Best Friends introduced the media to Crimson, great-grandson of Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. Crimson was brought to Best Friends with serious back problems, and is a living example of what happens to young horses in the racing industry.

We have the animals. We have the expertise. We have the information, background and photographs you need to produce the story you want to write.

Call us.

John Polis Public Relations Manager (435) 644-2001, ext. 4858 (435) 817-2980 (cell) johnp@bestfriends.org

Recent news releases

November 20, 2008: City of Jacksonville Joins Local, National Non-Profit Groups

November 7, 2008: President-Elect Obama: You CAN Find a Hypoallergenic Rescue Dog

October 6, 2008: Best Friends invites area horsemen, farriers to Natural Balance® Hoof Care Clinic

October 3, 2008: 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' Stars Speak Out on Best Friends' Viral PSA Campaign Urging People to Adopt Rescued Chihuahuas

October 2, 2008: Best Friends, Nation's Largest Companion Animal Sanctuary, Home of 'DogTown,' Offers to Help Obamas Find Shelter Dog

September 24, 2008: Walgreens to host nationwide pet photo shoot this Saturday

September 18, 2008: Best Friends Rescuers Discover Many Dead Animals Left Behind As Galveston Residents Fled Oncoming Wrath of Hurricane Ike

September 9, 2008: Best Friends' Peg-legged Glamor Girl

August 30, 2008: Best Friends Rushes 3000 Animal Carriers to New Orleans

August 29 2008: Forrest's Freedom Express to Missouri

July 16, 2008: BLAST OFF! Obama Family Dog Site Rockets Past 20,000 Signatures in 24 Hours

July 14, 2008: Best Friends Has Advice for Presidential Hopeful Barack Obama: Embrace Change, Adopt Dog from Shelter or Breed Rescue Group

July 11, 2008: The Mystical Arts of Tibet tours, featuring the famed multiphonic singers of Drepung Loseling Monastery perform at Best Friends

July 9, 2008: City Councilman Tony Cardenas Challenges Citizens of Los Angeles to Stand Up and Be Counted in Opposition to Horrid Puppy Mill Cruelty

July 8, 2008: Helping homeless, feral cats subject of community workshop in Shenandoah

June 24, 2008: Best Friends urges U.S. Fish, Wildlife Service to abandon plans to kill feral cats on San Nicholas Island off California

June 18, 2008: Best Friends Deploys Water Rescue Team to Flood-Ravaged Iowa Town Where Companion Animals Stranded on Balconies, Rooftops

June 17, 2008: The "Great Eight," victims of Washington's first dog fighting case, will soon be transported to a rescue operation in Missouri.

May 28, 2008: No More Homeless Pets Conference 2008
PDF Version: Click Here

May 2, 2008: Best Friends to Manage Relocation of Rescued California Dogs in Support of Last Chance for Animals' Dramatic Puppy Mill Bust

May 2, 2008: Rescued California Puppy Mill Dogs Headed for Tuesday Vet Appointment That Will Include Spaying, Neutering Services, Full Physical Examinations

May 2, 2008: Best Friends to Manage Relocation of Rescued California Dogs in Support of Last Chance for Animals' Dramatic Puppy Mill Bust

May 1, 2008: Best Friends urges people to never chain dogs, always spay/neuter to avoid future tragedies

April 11, 2008: Best Friends Animal Society hosts rally Monday to support King County's efforts to end the killing of homeless pets

March 21, 2008: Randolph, Iowa cats safe

February 21, 2008: Natural Horsemanship Play Day Scheduled for Hurricane March 1

February 7, 2008: Best Friends and local rescue groups team up to reduce numbers of homeless kittens this spring

January 28, 2008: National Geographic Channel's New Series Dogtown Follows the Rehabilitation of Michael Vick's Dogs at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

January 22, 2008: Best Friends Animal Society applauds West Hollywood city council's consideration of resolution against puppy mills

December 5, 2007: Court-Appointed Special Master Recommends Best Friends Animal Society for Placement of 22 American Pit Bull Terriers from Vick Civil Forfeiture Action

November 9, 2007: Best Friends Prepares Staging Area, Plans Rescue Effort to Reach Thousands of Flood-Stranded Animals in Mexican State of Tabasco

October 24, 2007: Best Friends Deploys Vehicles, Supplies to Fire-Ravaged California

September 12, 2007: Puppy Mill Awareness Day this Saturday in Lancaster County

August 16, 2007: 'Bikers for Best Friends' Pet Adoption Event Sept. 22

Best Friends photos

A wide variety of high quality color photographs are available to journalists and other media professionals upon request. (We regret that we cannot handle requests from members of the public for photos at this time.)

How to download photos from this section:
Click on a hi-res photo link and the photo will download to your browser in a new window (it will look very large and you may have to scroll around the page to see it all). From there, you can save the file onto your computer's hard drive.

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Best Friends' Parrots



Hurricane Katrina



The Great Bunny Rescue