I relocated to Kanab from Rhode Island a year and a half ago (where's the ocean!?) and am a Tour Guide-Team Leader at Best Friends' Welcome Center. Ever since I visited the Colorado Rockies in my teens, I knew I wanted to live out West some day ("wide open spaces"); Alaska was once an option - who knew that Utah would eventually be my home?I worked in banking for 19 years and have loved animals ever since I was a kid, spending summers at my aunt's farm. I've discovered that there are a number of BF staff members who have financial backgrounds - hmmm, what is it about finance that drives us toward the serenity of animals and nature!? There are many kindred spirits here...It goes without saying that I'm an animal lover, but I definitely have a special affinity for dogs. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary was one of my side trips during a two-month coast to coast road trip in 2007. One tour and I was overwhelmed with its magnitude. I signed up to volunteer in a special area called Little Lebanon; essentially temporary quarters located in one of the Sanctuary pastures for dogs and cats from the 2006 Beirut rescue. After 3 weeks of spreading hay, cleaning runs, walking and hugging the dogs, I was hooked. I fell in love with the area, the people and several dogs during that time - Chandler, Cybelle, Shot, Chloe (all adopted to good homes - YAY!).I moved to Utah with Charlotte, a precocious, blue-eyed, long-haired feline. She couldn't wait for the day when I would bring a feline kindred spirit home to be her playmate. I, however, wanted a dog. Little did either of us know that 2 cats AND a dog would ask to join our family - Gordito, Daniel & Eclipse. We’re all loving life here in the Southwest – it’s a wondrous place touched by splendor, majesty and the serenity of ancient Native American cultures.Animal and nature lovers shouldn’t miss a visit to Best Friends; the surroundings and great work that everyone does here are simply awe inspiring.