Castle named CEO of Best Friends Animal Society

Media Contact
Eric Rayvid : 917-861-8290 or ericr@bestfriends.org

KANAB, Utah - Best Friends Animal Society today announced that Gregory Castle, one of the original founders of the national animal welfare organization, has been named chief executive officer by the society's board of directors.

"Over the last 25 years Gregory has become one of the key leaders in animal welfare, as well as a voice of reason and reconciliation among the grassroots rescue groups, animal shelters and the national animal organizations," said John Fripp, chairman of the board.  "The board recognized Gregory's strong executive ability through his longstanding work with Best Friends, No More Homeless Pets in Utah, and, of course, his strong interim leadership of the society since July 2009.

Since the founding of Best Friends Animal Society in 1984, Mr. Castle has served the organization in a number of official capacities, as well as traveling nationally and internationally to consult with organizations on a wide variety of animal welfare issues. He is also a widely respected national expert on feral cats.

"I am honored and delighted to have received this appointment.  Best Friends has a powerful plan for saving more animal lives, and it is a privilege for me to lead a very determined team forward in pursuit of its mission," Castle said.

In 2000, Castle created "No More Homeless Pets in Utah," an organization that led a statewide coalition of animal welfare and rescue organizations, animal control officers, veterinarians, and animal lovers. Through aggressive spay/neuter, adoption, and public awareness programs, the coalition contributed to a large decrease in the number of animals euthanized in Utah each year.

Born in England, Mr. Castle is a graduate of Cambridge University with a master's degree in philosophy and psychology. His background includes extensive administrative and accounting work for nonprofit human service. He also is an avid physical fitness enthusiast, having completed the Boston Marathon three times, most recently in 2009.

About Best Friends Animal Society®

Best Friends Animal Society is a nonprofit organization building no-kill programs and partnerships that will bring about a day when there are No More Homeless Pets®. The society's leading initiatives in animal care and community programs are coordinated from its Kanab, Utah, headquarters, the country's largest no-kill sanctuary. This work is made possible by the personal and financial support of a grassroots network of supporters and community partners across the nation.

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About Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America's shelters and making the entire country no-kill. Founded in 1984, Best Friends runs lifesaving facilities and programs nationwide in partnership with more than 5,000 shelters and rescue organizations. From our headquarters in Kanab, Utah, we also operate the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary — a destination that brings our mission to life for thousands of visitors each year. We maintain the most comprehensive animal sheltering data in the country and make it accessible to the public — empowering communities with critical insights into the needs of their local shelters and how they can help. We believe every dog and cat deserves a home. And we believe that, by working together, we can Save Them All®.