# Source: Best Friends Animal Society — About Page

**Type:** source
**Status:** Useful
**Confidence:** Medium
**Source Type:** official-page
**URL:** https://bestfriends.org/who-we-are
**Archive:** https://web.archive.org/web/20260730082515/https://bestfriends.org/who-we-are
**Archived:** 2026-07-30
**Publisher:** Best Friends Animal Society
**Retrieved:** 2026-08-12
**Raw:** raw/best-friends-animal-society-official-website/2026-08-11-bc1f0f032a76.txt
**Updated:** 2026-08-11
**Relates:** cites [Best Friends Animal Society](best-friends-animal-society.md) · https://greatutah.work/pages/best-friends-animal-society.md · https://bestfriends.org/who-we-are

## Summary

Best Friends Animal Society's "Who We Are" / about page — the organization's own account of its
origins, national network, and Kanab sanctuary contact information. This is the source for basic
identity facts; sanctuary scale and visitor amenities are on the dedicated sanctuary page.

## Useful Claims

- The organization traces its start to **1984**, when founders settled in a remote part of Utah's
  high desert and broke ground for a sanctuary; it now describes **no-kill across the entire country
  as within reach**.
- Best Friends reports working with **more than 6,000 shelters and rescue groups** throughout the
  U.S. through its network model.
- The footer identifies Best Friends as a **501(c)(3) nonprofit (tax ID 23-7147797)** that
  **operates the nation's largest sanctuary for homeless animals**.
- Contact block lists **Best Friends Animal Sanctuary at 5001 Angel Canyon Rd, Kanab, UT 84741**.

## Verbatim

> Back in 1984, a scrappy group of friends from far corners of the globe settled in a remote area of Utah’s high desert … and took the first steps to forever changing the future for pets in shelters.
> — "The Best Friends story", opening

> Today, four decades after they broke ground for a sanctuary in a remote region of the Southwest, achieving no-kill across the entire country is within reach.
> — "The Best Friends story"

> Best Friends has always believed that collaboration is the key to saving more lives. No one rescue group or shelter can create a no-kill city, and that’s why we work with more than 6,000 shelters and rescue groups throughout the U.S.
> — "Working together to save lives"

> Best Friends, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (tax ID# 23-7147797), operates the nation’s largest sanctuary for homeless animals and provides adoption, spay/neuter, and educational programs.
> — Site footer

> We were creating a sanctuary for homeless animals literally from the ground up. We were forging roadways and erecting buildings with our bare hands.
> — Origin narrative

## Reliability Notes

Self-reported tier. Strong evidence of what Best Friends claims about its mission, network size,
and Kanab address; no independent verification of "nation's largest sanctuary" or network counts.
The live fetch redirected to `/who-we-are`; content matches the about narrative.

## Related Pages

- [Best Friends Animal Society](best-friends-animal-society.md)
- [Source: Best Friends Animal Sanctuary Page](best-friends-sanctuary-page.md)
- [Source: Best Friends — National No-Kill Campaign Page](best-friends-no-kill-goal-page.md)