Best Friends Staff Stories

Personal sacrifice and passion cannot be the price of admission into nonprofit animal welfare.

Ashley McDaniel’s passion for saving lives led her to Best Friends and Cat World.

Brianna Vlach is a champion of misunderstood animals. Whether they’re domestic, exotic or wild, she and her crew at Wild Friends give them what they need to thrive.

No matter what your business is, people should be valued.

You should love where you work.

Elle Greer’s passion for rescue work and parrots brought her to Best Friends. We think she stays for the dance parties. They are a regular part of her job caring for the birds at the Parrot Garden, where every day is a new adventure.

Sondra Lewis, a lifesaving care specialist at the Bunny House, moved across the country to be a part of the lifesaving work happening at Best Friends. Now every day is filled with new experiences and discovery — and rabbits.

Claire Ives was truly a force for the animals and she made invaluable contributions to getting Best Friends off the ground.

Tim is a lifesaving and care specialist, AKA a Dogtown caregiver. He’s been working for Best Friends since 2018 and is originally from Matawan, New Jersey. Tim is one of the incredibly special people who care for the canine residents of the Sanctuary.

Best Friends receives Utah Top Workplaces and CEO leadership awards from the Salt Lake Tribune.

As co-founder and CEO of Best Friends, Gregory Castle stabilized the organization and set the stage for our national campaign for a no-kill nation by 2025.

Co-founder and key leader in the animal welfare movement, Gregory Castle named the chief executive officer of Best Friends Animal Society. February 1, 2010