I tried all day yesterday to register but the site wouldn't work. I can't believe it's sold out without any warning. How is it possible to sell out before the early bird pricing is even over. I really wish there had been some warning that it was close to full. I got a reminder to register but a note to say it was almost full would have been really great. I've put my name on the waitlist but I don't know what that outlook is. I know it's good for Best Friends but a real disappointment to those of us who still wanted to attend.

We're so sorry for not being able to accommodate everyone. We are also amazed the conference sold out so quickly and we wish we could include more people at this conference. We want as many people to be benefit as possible and we look forward to a larger venue to accommodate more people.

We are very excited by the strong interest in the conference, as we know this is a GREAT sign of all the people who care about animals and looking to make a difference!

In the meanwhile, we hope everyone will take advantage of the Resource Library by clicking the Resources link on the navigation menu to your left (menu on left under Best Friends Network). There is seemingly endless information there are many of the topics we will be covering at the conference.

And even more helpful (and always free!) resources will be coming the website soon!

We plan to announce audio recordings from the conference for sale soon to help capture even more of the information presented and we'll have live blogging from the conference!

Take care,
Beth

The conference sold out, but then we were able to increase the capacity and we now have seats available at the conference! Register today and we hope to see you there!

Take care,
Beth

I noticed that Michael Mountain's name is not listed as a speaker for the conference. I was wondering why?

I was really looking forward to hearing him speak. I hope he is not disappearing from the Best Friends scene.

As Best Friends approaches its 25th anniversary, we are entering a new and exciting phase in our work to bring about a time when there are No More Homeless Pets.

When a group of friends came together to create a safe haven for animals who might not otherwise have a chance, they had no idea how deeply their idea of a better world through kindness to animals would touch so many. The founders of Best Friends pioneered the no-kill movement and created a Society of people from all over the nation and, indeed the world, dedicated to No More Homeless Pets. Many voices and hands contributed to building Best Friends (literally) from the ground up, into the organization it is today.

As the work advances, the founders want to ensure that their legacy and work will live on and grow until every animal can be guaranteed a safe and loving home. To that end, Best Friends began four years ago to bring together a new generation of leaders and staff that have committed to their vision, style and culture while bringing fresh ideas to complement the existing work. As these leaders have assumed their positions within the organization, certain founders have been able to step away from day to day duties and allocate more time to speaking with members and volunteers and helping to introduce new people to the story of Best Friends.

After almost 25 years of helping to shape Best Friends Animal Society into the organization it is today, Michael Mountain is stepping away from day to day activities and taking a well deserved sabbatical before returning to new work for the animals. Along with other founders, Michael has been a true leader and inspiration to the organization in his daily activities. And, like those other founders, his contributions to the animals will continue to be a model and an inspiration to Best Friends for many, many years to come. You can read more in Michael's own words in the next issue of Best Friends magazine.

As we celebrate the last 25 years of work and look forward to the next 25, you’ll hear from many of the people who work on behalf of our shared vision of a Better World Through Kindness to Animals.

Thank you for being a part of past, present and future work on behalf of the animals! :)