True Blood Star Visits Best Friends Sanctuary

Kristin Bauer van Straten, whose seven-year stint as an immortal on the hit HBO series True Blood has come to an end, recently showed her undying devotion to pets in need through her real life role as a Best Friends Animal Society Celebrity Ambassador.

A long-time supporter of the renowned animal welfare organization, the actress– who has helped to shine a spotlight on Best Friends’ mission by attending the launch of NKLA (the organization’s initiative to end the euthanization of healthy and treatable companion animals in the L.A. shelter system by 2017) and starring alongside her rescue dog in a PSA for the NKLA movement— is now among the nearly 30,000 people with a passion for compassion who will visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Angel Canyon, Utah this year.

“Words can’t describe this stunning operation,” Bauer van Straten stated. “Things impacted me that I hadn’t expected. The beauty of the place, the backdrop of Utah is ever present. The people who work here and volunteer are quite astounding. I was also surprised by individual animals I met: a wobbly big black cat who pushed his head in to my hand and purred so loud; a guinea pig with a Mohawk who made such strong eye contact with me; and a seven-month-old pot belly pig who already knew all the tricks my seven-year-old dog can do.

“This is a trip one simply must do. Best Friends is the only place like it in the world. The founders have done something never before accomplished. Before their vision, no one believed (no-kill) was even possible. Lives are transformed at Best Friends through a very special combination of love and know how. Treat yourself to immersion and some of that transformation will also rub off on you, it has me. This is a trip for the soul.”

By making a stop at the Utah sanctuary, the star follows in the footsteps of other famous friends of Fidos and felines, including NASCAR driver/Rescue Ranch founder Ryan Newman, St. Louis Blues captain/Athletes for Animals co-founder David Backes, animal advocate/Oh My Dog! author Beth Stern, NASCAR star Michael Annett and Animal Planet personality Jackson Galaxy.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary offers free guided tours a minimum of four times each day. Spaces should be reserved for the full, two-hour tour, which includes visits to Dog Town and Cat World. Shorter tours are also available, as are separate tours of the Bunny House, Parrot Garden and Wild Friends areas.

Established in 1984, Best Friends Animal Society has played a vital role in reducing the number of dogs and cats who are euthanized in U.S. shelters each year from 17 million to 4 million.

For more information about Best Friends Animal Society’s mission to Save Them All:

visit http://bestfriends.org or www.facebook.com/bestfriendsanimalsociety

Photo Credit: Best Friends Animal Society