Gabriel de Peyer is a co-founder of Best Friends Animal Society and the former chairman of its board of directors.

In establishing the Sanctuary, he was its chief designer, organizing the layout of roads and the positioning and design of the animal areas. He was responsible for the cohesion and aesthetics of the Sanctuary as a whole. One of his favorites is interacting with Sanctuary visitors and Best Friends members via the phone, face-to-face at the Sanctuary, and through speaking engagements.