Volunteer Vacation: PLANNING for BFAS THE Sanctuary

My first volunteer vacation was in 2019 in Guatemala with Habitat for Humanity through a Cisco program called Americas House. Cisco’s employees could use their dedicated volunteer paid time off to help build houses in various chosen locations in the Americas. I had initially planned to regularly participate with Cisco’s Americas House every year. However with COVID, this program was cancelled in 2020 and Habitat for Humanity was understandably not allowing volunteers in person that year. Still wanting to volunteer, I checked if Best Friends Animal Society was allowing volunteers to go to their Sanctuary, but due to COVID, they were not. Unfortunately I was not able to make this volunteer vacation, or any for that matter, happen in 2020.

Fast forward to 2021, Cisco’s Americas House was still not an option so I checked with Best Friends Animal Society. Since they are allowing volunteers at The Sanctuary, granted a much more limited number than pre-COVID, I planned a volunteer vacation in mid-August for myself. It took some dedicated time and researching for me to get all the logistics figured out on my own and I thought I’d share some highlights in the event one of my readers may want to plan their own volunteer vacation at The Sanctuary.

GETTING THERE: Las Vegas is the closest major airport. A car is necessary since the drive to 5001 Angel Canyon Road in Kanab, UT 84741-5000 will take about four (4) hours from Las Vegas and there is no public transportation in Kanab. There are two smaller airports nearby, St. George Municipal Airport (SGC) and Page Municipal Airport (PGA) and both are within one and a half hours from Kanab. The Sanctuary’s main south entrance is located about 5 miles from Kanab. There is a north entrance that is ~3 miles from the south entrance. Getting around the property for various volunteer shifts and lunch will also require a car. There is a shuttle to and from the Sanctuary from the Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile.

LODGING OPTIONS: Either stay in town or one of The Sanctuary’s onsite options

In town – Kanab (~10-15 minute drive to/from The Sanctuary)
There are many options and some volunteers opt for an Airbnb, but here are a few to consider:
Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile is the only pet-centric lodging accommodations in Kanab that offers built-in cubbies for snuggling, dog washing stations, pet walking and a fenced dog park area with a splash zone.
Aiken’s Lodge
Canyons Boutique Hotel
Canyons Lodge
Flagstone Boutique Inn and Suites
Hampton Inn (I stayed here one night; they charge $20/night for pets)
Parry Lodge
Quail Park Lodge
Sun and Sand Motel

Onsite – The Sanctuary
Cottages: $137-$173/night (depending on the time of year); up to 6 people and 3 pets; located near the Welcome Center with a view of horse pastures; two double beds and two twin rollaway beds
Cabins: $92-117/night (depending on the time of year); up to 2 people and 2 pets; located near the south entrance with easy access to walking trails; studio setup with one queen murphy bed and kitchenette with a sink, microwave and mini fridge.
RV Sites: $51-$61/night (March 15- October 31 only); for less than 21 ft RV due to maneuvering of roads in The Sanctuary; 30/50-amp electricity, water, septic tank, 35-foot concrete platforms

TOURS:
There are several different tours available which reservations need to be made ahead of time.
Grand Tour 1.5 hours
Cat World Walking Tour 1.5 hours/1 mile
Pig and Goat Walking Tour 1 hour/1 mile or 30 mins/0.5 mile
Angels Rest Walking Tour 30 mins/0.5 mile
Angels Overlook Memorial Park Tour 30 mins/0.25 mile
Parrot Garden Tour 45 mins
Wild Friends Walking Tour 45 mins/1 mile
Bunny House Tour 30 mins
Horse Haven Walking Tour 30 mins/0.5 mile
Behind the Scenes in Dogtown Walking Tour 1.5 hours/1 mile
Best Friends Scavenger Hunt – Pick up a map at the Welcome Center
Ancient Rocks, Raptors & Ruins Tour 2 hours/2 miles
Water Canyon Hike 1 hour/1 mile

VOLUNTEER SHIFTS:
It is recommended to plan and schedule specific shifts as early as possible since they tend to fully book faster than you would think, especially Dogtown shifts.  Many regular volunteers book their shifts 6 months or more in advance since you are allowed to book up to one year in advance.  When I booked my shifts less than a month to go, Horse Haven, Piggy Paradise and Dogtown shifts were all unavailable as expected. Shift options include: Bunny House, Parrot Garden, Cat World, Dogtown (Dogtown itself, Laundry & Housekeeping, Outings, and Landscaping), Adoption Hub, Clinic Housekeeping, Horse Haven, Piggy Paradise, Wild Friends and Angel’s Rest. Volunteer tasks typically include cleaning and feeding, enrichment activities, making toys/treats and general upkeep of the grounds and buildings.

First you will need to sign-up.
After entering the dates you plan to volunteer, select a check-in time. Check-in is five minutes prior to the first shift of your first day of volunteering. There are two volunteer shifts per day. Morning shift is 8:15am-11:30am. Afternoon shift is 1:15-4pm. The scheduler will indicate how many open slots are available per shift per day. Click the specific slot to select the one you want to volunteer for and it will turn green once you are confirmed for the slot. Then click “Review Itinerary” and if all looks good, click the “I’m Done” button to finish. You may modify the trip at anytime online.

WEATHER:
January-March: cold, sunny, rain or snow with highs in the mid-60s
April-June: stormy, windy, sunny with temps in the 50s-80s
July-August: brief thunderstorms and rain can occur during hot 90-100 degree weather; The thunderstorm I experienced in August included hail!
September-October: usually dry, mild and sunny and a great time to be outdoors
November-December: snow occasionally before Thanksgiving, but can be mild and beautiful. December is cold with rain or snow.

LUNCH: Angel Village Cafe serves a delicious vegan buffet lunch everyday from 11:30am-1pm for only $5. It includes a main dish, two side dishes, fruit, salad bar and dessert. There is also water, a coffee bar with hot teas and cocoa that is available all day. A soda machine is outside. Payment methods include cash, checks, debit and credit cards. Meal tickets may also be purchased in the Sanctuary store with a debit or credit card.

MISCELLANEOUS:

• Cell phone coverage can be spotty around The Sanctuary, but is fine in town. There is free wi-fi available in and around most of the buildings.
• Altitude is 5,000 feet so there is a possibility of elevation adjustment issues. I experienced headaches my first day and was fine the rest of the week that I was there.
• Wear clothing knowing you will get dirty. The area is sandy and dirt and sand will get everywhere. Definitely wear good sneakers or hiking boots as well as long pants when working with animals because they may climb/jump on you. Long pants may be required for specific volunteer shifts.
• Not all roads within the Sanctuary are paved so expect to drive through dirt roads which can get muddy and even flood during rain.
• Take note of speed limits as there may be deer crossing in the area.
• Volunteers can also take approved bunnies, cats or dogs on sleepovers which helps prepare them for their forever home. I highly recommend doing this if you are not bringing your own pet with you and your lodging allows pets (all Best Friends lodging allows this along with many others in town).

If you are considering doing a volunteer vacation at Best Friends Animal Society Sanctuary, I hope you found the information helpful in getting you started. If you would like to know more information, please don’t hesitate to comment and ask and I’ll try to answer to the best of my knowledge.