“I’m very confident,” Castle said. “It’s going to be a lot of work, but it’s definitely doable.”
The announcement Tuesday was cheered in the Utah animal community.
“I think she has made an amazing difference not just for Best Friends, but for the state of Utah,” said Jamie Usry, development director at the Humane Society of Utah. “And for the whole country, with all of Best Friends’ partners. She’s just a great and passionate animal lover.”
Castle grew up in a family with pets — as many as a dozen dogs — but this is not what she thought she’d be doing with her life. The Southern Utah University graduate was headed for the University of Virginia law school when “one of my friends begged us to stop at the sanctuary. And none of us wanted to because we were tired and out of money.”
But her friend prevailed, “and I just fell in love with the place and the vision of the founders — the no-kill ethic. So I decided I wasn’t going to go to law school. Basically, I just sort of gave up everything and moved to Kanab.”
Castle was Employee No. 17 at the nonprofit, and she did whatever was needed, from animal care to answering the phones; from leading tours to installing sprinklers.
At the time, Best Friends was “really living hand-to-mouth. We were an $800,000 organization, and, literally, we were raising money by sitting out in front of grocery stores asking for donations. “
Today, Best Friends is a $130 million organization with locations in Kanab, Salt Lake City, New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles, with programs in “nearly every state. We blossomed into the leader of the no-kill movement.”
“It’s really one of those rags-to-riches stories,” Castle said. “I don’t think any of us really expected it to turn into this.”
The animal sanctuary in Kanab — which generally houses 1,600-1,700 animals — is only part of the effort. Castle opened the organization’s Salt Lake office in 2000 and served as executive director of No More Homeless Pets in Utah — a coalition of 166 rescue organizations, animal control agencies and veterinarians that has helped cut the number of euthanized pets in the state by more than half; 87 percent now survive. She also led the organization of NKLA (No Kill Los Angeles) and helped expand Best Friends’ partnerships to more than 2,200 organizations across the country.
Castle succeeds longtime CEO Gregory Castle — her husband — who was one of the co-founders of Best Friends back in the early 1980s.
“It’s a monumental time for us because it really is a passing of the torch from a founder-based organization to a new generation,” she said. The co-founders “bought the land back in 1983, and they broke ground in 1984. And none of them knew how to build anything.
“I joke around with them, like — if you had put a business plan together back then, people would have laughed at you because it was, ‘Hey, let’s go set up an animal sanctuary in one of the most remote parts of the world, and hope it works,’” she said with a laugh.
Castle is making a big push for No Kill 2025 — to end the euthanizing of healthy shelter pets in the next seven years.
“If anyone can do it, Julie Castle can do it,” said Usry. “It’s a hard goal, but we all thought back in 2012 that it would be impossible to make Utah a no-kill state by Jan. 1, 2019. But thanks to Julie and a lot of other people, we’re on track for that to happen.”
Best Friends is hosting a conference in Silicon Valley this month to bring together rescue organizations and tech firms — including Google and Facebook — in an effort to find answers.
Shelters are not required to report how many animals end up in the facilities and how many survive, so Best Friends went county by county around the country to compile that information. And the plan is to target the seven states that account for half of the pets euthanized in America: Texas, California, Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucky, Florida and Mississippi.
“The thing is, we know how to do this,” Castle said. “It’s not like other causes where they’re still searching for a cure or an answer. … We know how to save lives and create change in the shelter system.”
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Peter is a new patient member to Cat World at Best Friends. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Best Friends caregiver Kaila Huhtasaari returns a macaw back to its pen after enrichment time and pen cleaning. The bird sanctuary swelled in numbers after Best Friends took in over 300 birds from a hoarding situation in Georgia. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is located in Angel Canyon, atop the Vermillion Cliffs, part of Utah's Grand Staircase. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
"When they are thinking and calm, horses are super learners," said Best Friend's horse trainer Ann Hepworth, with Felix, 15, who was "wild" when he arrived at Best Friends. Hepworth uses the Pat Parelli method of horsemanship training. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Best Friends caregiver Mary Dulka gives scratches to Gilly, who is also known as the "mayor" of the feline leukemia-positive building. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Best Friends sanctuary ambassador Cassie Rowell, leads a tour group decked out in cat-eye sunglasses and matching kitten head band. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Cimmeron naps in one of Cat Worlds outside pens. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Only about 300 acres are in use for animals and administrative functions, including large pens for the 38 horses under present care at Best Friends. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Louie, a Military Macaw, recuperates after sinus surgery. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
A tour group on the Grand Tour stops at the "Puppy Pre-school" to see the new additions and play with a lucky puppy. Every year Best Friends welcomes about 30,000 visitors and 9,000 volunteers who spend more than one day donating their time. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Every year Best Friends welcomes about 30,000 visitors and 9,000 volunteers who spend more than one day donating their time to the 1,600 rescued dogs, cats, horses, bunnies, potbellied pigs, parrots, and other animals from all over the country and abroad. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Name placards in the shape of a horseshoe represents horses who have died. Every month, Best Friends holds a blessing ceremony to remember the animals who pass during the month. Angels Rest is a three-acre cemetery for some 5,000 ÒplacementsÓ of dogs, cats, pigs, guinea pigs, birds and more features memorials of all kinds including wind chimes, painted rocks and personal effects.
Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
A tour group on the Grand Tour stops at the "Puppy Pre-school" to see the new additions and play with a lucky puppy. New puppies are quarantined upon arrival to reduce the potential for the spread of diseases and infections. Every year Best Friends welcomes about 30,000 visitors and 9,000 volunteers who spend more than one day donating their time. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Sibling rilvalry- a trio of sibling Sun Conures work through their issues. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Chloe Vowell, 8, giggles while playing with Mato, an 18-week-old puppy while on a tour of Best Friends with her mother and grandmother. Mato came from the nearby Navajo reservation with a bulging eye, due to infection from a Foxtail seed, and is fully healed. On average in a year, over 300 puppies are adopted out quickly after attending "puppy preschool," spay or neuter and a clean bill of health. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Angels Rest is a three-acre cemetery for some 5,000 ÒplacementsÓ of dogs, cats, pigs, guinea pigs, birds and more features memorials of all kinds including wind chimes, painted rocks and personal effects.
Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Angels Rest is a three-acre cemetery for some 5,000 ÒplacementsÓ of dogs, cats, pigs, guinea pigs, birds and more features memorials of all kinds including wind chimes, painted rocks and personal effects.
Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Angels Rest is a three-acre cemetery for some 5,000 ÒplacementsÓ of dogs, cats, pigs, guinea pigs, birds and more features memorials of all kinds including wind chimes, painted rocks and personal effects.
Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Jane Osick, a high school English teacher from Pasadena, CA, decided to spend her summer volunteering at Cat World for five weeks. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Angels Rest is a three-acre cemetery for some 5,000 ÒplacementsÓ of dogs, cats, pigs, guinea pigs, birds and more features memorials of all kinds including wind chimes, painted rocks and personal effects.
Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Angels Rest is a three-acre cemetery for some 5,000 ÒplacementsÓ of dogs, cats, pigs, guinea pigs, birds and more features memorials of all kinds including wind chimes, painted rocks and personal effects.
Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
On average in a year, over 300 puppies, like 18-week-old Mato, are adopted out quickly after attending "puppy preschool," spay or neuter and a clean bill of health. Mato came from the nearby Navajo reservation with a bulging eye, due to infection from a Foxtail seed. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Angels Rest is a three-acre cemetery for some 5,000 ÒplacementsÓ of dogs, cats, pigs, guinea pigs, birds and more features memorials of all kinds including wind chimes, painted rocks and personal effects.
Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
"Rabbits are a big gut, surrounded by fur," said Best Friends rabbit manager Jason Dickman, center, who oversees 130 rabbits at the sanctuary. Dickman said the pens are to capacity every year in the summer when the novelty of owning and caring for a rabbit, obtained at Easter time wears off. Adoptees of rabbits must attend a series of trainings to adopt a rabbit to learn how to care for their fragile vertebras. Rabbits are excellent diggers and burrowers. They are extremely territorial and "fight to the death" said Dickman. Rabbits have over 360 bowel movements a day and are breeding machines. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
"Rabbits are a big gut, surrounded by fur," said Best Friends rabbit manager Jason Dickman, center, holding a brown Lionhead rabbit. Dickman oversees 130 rabbits at the sanctuary. Dickman said the pens are to capacity every year in the summer when the novelty of owning and caring for a rabbit, obtained at Easter time wears off. Adoptees of rabbits must attend a series of trainings to adopt a rabbit to learn how to care for their fragile vertebras. Rabbits are excellent diggers and burrowers. They are extremely territorial and "fight to the death" said Dickman. Rabbits have over 360 bowel movements a day and are breeding machines. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Newly arrived, semi-feral McDreamy, who was rescued from a dog hoarding situation, listens as volunteer Marlene Romano reads him a book. Dogs' collars are color-coded to inform staff and volunteers of a dog's disposition:Êred collar Ñ staff only; purple collar Ñ no one under the age of 18; green collar Ñ family friendly. McDreamy will receive lots of attention, care and training with the goal of adoption.
Best Friends is a coast-to-coast organization, withÊoffices in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta and Salt Lake City, and partners with more than 1,800 other no-kill organizations.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Eight-week-old male rabbits rescued from Las Vegas, NV are given a mix of pellets, hay and greens. Rabbit pens are to capacity every year in the summer when the novelty of owning and caring for a rabbit, purchased around Easter time wears off. Adoptees of rabbits must attend a series of trainings to adopt a rabbit to learn how to care for their fragile vertebras. Rabbits are excellent diggers and burrowers. They are extremely territorial and "fight to the death" said Dickman. Rabbits have over 360 bowel movements a day and are breeding machines. Best Friends saves thousands of animals every year as the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, encompassing some 3,700 acres about 5 miles outside Kanab.
