Nathania Gartman

Teaching a New Generation

Young or old, tempered or troubled, it didn't matter to Nathania. Bringing young people and animals together was one of her passions. Here are a few examples of how she worked.

The Gentler Side of Teens

"The animals always seem to bring out the gentler side of the teens," said Pat O'Riley, who brought a group of "at-risk" teens to volunteer at the sanctuary from the Youth Volunteer Core (at right) at Cross Creek Manor.

The 12- to 18-year-old students are from all across the country, and spent four days at the sanctuary feeding the animals and building trails at Best Friends Dogtown.

"I've brought teens to the sanctuary before," said Pat. "And I'm always surprised at how deep an impact the animals have on these kids. We see this when they go home and continue to make a difference in their own communities by helping out at their local humane societies.

"Working with the horses here at the sanctuary is always a favorite of the guys. But this time I immediately saw a change in some of the more 'hardcore' guys, who are timid around the dogs. By the second day, they were sitting in the middle of a group of dogs just having a blast. It's an amazing bond that develops between these teens and the animals. It becomes second nature."

Here are some of the comments the teens sent us about their visit:

"Personally I would have never been caught dead doing the things I did here, in particular picking weeds, scooping poop, and so on! After a couple of days it really hit me how much people can love animals. I find that very special."
"I came expecting crazy tree-hugging vegans and some hippies. I did see some of them, but overall I saw a place where dedicated people are working to end animal abuse and homelessness. A noble cause and effort. I didn't know a place like this existed."
"I found out how much I love to help. When I see those animals with a missing leg or some other disability, my heart really opens up. I know that they deserve everything any other living thing does, and I want to help them achieve that in any way possible."
"In the news and on the streets, all I ever hear is how the world is getting worse, but this place is like heaven for both the animals and people who like to spend time with them."

Bright Futures

Genesis kids Teenage girls from the Genesis Youth Center rehab program in Salt Lake City come to Best Friends regularly for a week at the sanctuary.

Aliceann Whiteley, who has worked in youth corrections since 1990, says that not only does she prefer Genesis to other forms of youth correction, but that the trip she takes with "my kids" to Best Friends is very helpful to their personal development.

"Most of our kids have probably been abused in some form," she says. "Seeing what the animals have been through brings out some deep-set emotions in them. Sometimes seeing the progress of animals helps them make progress themselves."

The counselors appreciate that the folks at Best Friends treat the young women kindly and with respect. "Here, the staff treat them as equals," says Aliceann. "So the kids relax. They don't feel threatened."

And what do the girls think? A couple of comments:

"I was really sick and depressed when I got here but now I'm really happy and the dogs kept my mind off it a lot so that was really good for me."
"I think its awesome how you care so much for each dog and cat. It was really fun helping out and getting to know the people and animals."

One of the young ladies, who's just completed her time in the Genesis program and is free to go home, announced that she wanted to stay at Best Friends as a volunteer until the rest of the group leaves. She's learning about our internship program, and was excited to discover that an internship might look good on a college application.

For Teens, a Super Bowl of Caring

Twenty-one teens from the youth group of the Catholic Church of St. George, Utah, were here for a day of cleaning, walking dogs, brushing cats, feeding sheep, and walking goats (their favorite).

"We wanted to help the animals since we usually volunteer with human organizations," says Renee Burkley, the youth group's leader.

"The kids loved today. We donated $200, and on Super Bowl Sunday we collected more from the parishioners at what we call our Super Bowl of Caring."

Thank you, all. You did the animals proud!

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