Silva Battista

Silva Battista is one of the co-founders of Best Friends Animal Society. She holds a degree in fine art from Bristol College of Art and worked as a graphic artist and horticulturalist, including a stint in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.

In the early days of Best Friends, Silva was primarily involved in grassroots fundraising and program development.

She went on to work with her husband, Francis Battista, on initiating and running the various events and outreach programs of Best Friends in the Los Angeles area. During this time she was key in building enduring relationships with the entertainment industry and created the organization's celebrity relations department.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Silva was part of the support team managing the flow of staff, rescuers and volunteers at Best Friends rescue shelter in Tylertown, Mississippi.

Currently she continues her work as celebrity liaison, organizational consultant and has a large household of rescued animals.