Road Trip - Part II (Best Friends/The Property)

Now for the tour and photos (they're a mix of mine and other's on the trip). Twelve people/three vehicles - lots of luggage and food...and booze.

The view on the way there. The wild weather only made it more beautiful.



It was about a 5-hour drive, and we had to push it because we had to get there by 2 p.m. for a tour. During the drive and later the tour, it hailed.  

This place is huge - Best Friends owns nearly 3,700 acres and leases another 17,000 acres of state and federal land.

Interactive map: here

We were in awe before we left the welcome center.



It only got better.



During the 1 1/2 hour tour (and later when we went out on our own), we passed by various enclosures housing everything from horses...



... to pigs...



...to goats (and usually sheep)...



...to turkeys, which ran loose around the property...

...to bunnies (Best Friends took in 1,600 from just one hoarding situation), birds (including parrots)...

The feeders on the porch had the most hummingbirds we'd ever seen.
More than the actual hummingbird house in the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum!

and dogs. They were the ones who took in all the dogs caught up in the Michael Vick dog-fighting debacle (Vicktory Dogs). A couple are still there, but most have gone on to fantastic homes.



And, of course, cats. There are many houses dedicated to the animals. Some of the kitties are paraplegics, some incontinent, some FIV positive, some forever feral, most are just plain unfortunate or unlucky. In 2006, there was a horrible situation in Nevada that included over 700 cats. Best Friends took in all of them. Some from that batch are still there.



Even they have a community cat, Meow, who has free reign of the property.

And finally, there is also a cemetery on-site, Angel's Rest, that includes both animals, over 5,000 of them, and a few people (staff, I think). There are more than 1,000 wind chimes, but it's less insane than you might think. It was a somber place, but if you ever want a name for your next pet, this is the place to come. We couldn't help but giggle at more than a few.



For you Fountain Hills folks, you might have seen the Greg Todd statue called Hugs N' Kitten located in the Community Center's Centennial Circle. It was donated by Jean and Rolland Lorenz in honor of "fearless kitties." Their kitty was buried at Best Friends, so we took a photo of the grave for them.


After a long day, we were left breathless once more when the sun headed south. Well done!

Part III tomorrow.