Driven to help animals in need, NASCAR star Michael Annett recently made a pit stop at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary to contemplate putting his dream of his own animal sanctuary into gear.
Annett and his girlfriend Heidi Spillane– who adopted a dog from Best Friends in February 2013– recently attended a compressed Best Friends “How to Start an Animal Sanctuary” workshop to gather information for the facility which they hope to one day develop somewhere in the Charlotte, North Carolina area.
“Coming to Best Friends is the best way for anybody who wants to learn about helping animals,” Annett said. “The workshop was so beneficial. Best Friends is very successful and they want other people to be successful too. The founders of Best Friends share their mistakes, as well as their successes, and they want to make sure every step we take
is in the right direction.”
The couple’s visit also included a tour of the animal care areas, where the pair became fast friends with some of the sanctuary’s resident Rovers, like Yuma (seen in the top photo), A 5-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier whose favorite pastimes are playing with her toys and meeting people.
“The most important thing people need to know, if they want to help homeless pets, is that the problem starts with people not the animals. It is our responsibility to spay and neuter them. We can build a million sanctuaries but if people are not spaying and neutering their pets there will never be enough homes.
“When we were in Dogtown, I learned about red collar dogs (dogs with special behavior issues). Best Friends never gives up on those dogs. And we can never give up on the dream that we can save them all.”
Michael Annett is the latest in a long line of animal-loving luminaries who have stopped by Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in recent weeks. Animal Planet personality Jackson Galaxy (My Cat from Hell) promoted Best Friends’ sleepover program; animal advocate/Nat Geo Wild’s Spoiled Rotten Pets host Beth Stern toured the facility and David Backes, captain for the St. Louis Blues, and his wife Kelly– who are pondering the possibility of starting their own animal charity– chose to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary with a visit.
Best Friends Animal Society is the country’s largest no-kill sanctuary, which provides comfort and care for approximately 1,700 dogs, cats and other companion animals.
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Photo Credit: PRWeb/Best Friends Animal Society
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