The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, is a popular destination for animal lovers. Volunteers are welcomed. Tours are available to travelers, and it’s a vital part of the no-kill shelter movement in the United States. It even has a pet-friendly hotel, the Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile, where guests can stay and let one of the adoptable animals at the sanctuary stay with them overnight. Tourists who enjoy time around new furry friends are sure to love it there!

Things got cuter than ever around the sanctuary this Christmas. The canine residents of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary enjoyed the organization’s annual Santa Sleigh tradition where the dogs get presents that they choose for themselves.

Anabel Kirk and Fender enjoy the annual tradition.

As part of the sweet Santa Sleigh ritual, this year dogs got a chance to go onto the “sleigh”, which was actually a Bronco and a trailer brought to the sanctuary after being packed full of all kinds of treats for the animals. The first stop on the Santa Sleigh was Dogtown Headquarters, where the dedicated, patient Best Friends staff let one dog at a time onto the “sleigh” to select their chosen toy from a tall pile of gifts.

Some of the dog toys included ropes, Kongs, plush dog toys, balls, and lots more fun things that were donated by animal lovers from around the United States. The dogs responded enthusiastically to the chance to play and choose one (or sometimes two) of the toys.

Theodosia was happy to play.

After the few dozen dogs had some fun choosing their toys, the rest of the donated treats and presents were given to the hundreds of adoptable dogs that live at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary who are awaiting their forever homes. Some of the dogs were once homeless and have been rescued, coming from shelters from throughout Utah and across the United States.

Who wouldn't give Raquel as many toys as she wants?

Part of this fun and festive event was to show how adorable, loveable, and available rescued dogs are. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary encourages those who want a pet to consider adopting or fostering a pet in need. The sad reality is that, as 2022 comes to an end, there is an overcapacity crisis in animal shelters across the country. The crisis impacts dogs who weigh over 40 pounds especially hard, since they have the hardest time finding a forever home.

Jenny Dolan and Doppler got into the holiday spirit.

Adopters and foster parents can help in their mission to make America a no-kill country by 2025, which is the goal of Best Friends Animal Society and thousands of other animal shelters around the United States. If you’d like to find a shelter or rescue near you, you can visit the Best Friends Animal Society website.

Mint Julep contemplated her toy choice with James Culbertson's care and attention.

If you’d like to meet some of the amazing animals at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, you can plan a trip to stay a weekend (or even a whole week) at the Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile. You can plan a VIP tour of the sanctuary and bring along your own pets to enjoy the getaway with you.

The hotel’s amenities for pets include special, personal pet welcome. Pet-walking services are available if you get busy during your stay, and you can play with your dog at the fenced-in pet park area with a splash water feature that’s just for guests of the hotel.

If you’d like to stay at the Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile but aren’t bringing a pet along for the vacation, you can welcome one of the dogs, cats, or bunnies at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary to stay overnight with you. With or without your own pet, this place offers a true haven for animal lovers.