Kindergarten Camp
Kids visit Best Friends and take
home some very important lessons
about caring for animals

New-School Jitters
A school in Utah always makes a
beginning-of-the-year field trip
to help ease students into the
school year

The Best Friends Experience

Do you remember summer camp? Did you always love animals? Well, this summer, animal-loving teens had a new option when they headed out for their summer adventures - The Best Friends Experience!

The Experience made its debut with the help of seven teenagers, ages 16 and 17. They stayed together under the supervision of Best Friends' staffers. The teens cooked meals together, watched movies at night, and had adventures, like dinner at the Grand Canyon and an afternoon riding horses. But best of all, they spent their days helping the animals at Best Friends.

The teens worked hard extending a walking path for the dogs. And they did some gentler tasks, like petting and socializing the cats and helping the dogs form bonds. Some mornings, they took dogs to the green grass and rippling waters of Angel's Landing. Using clickers and treats, they taught their dogs to respond to them.

Each was convinced she had the best dog in the lot. While Mandi's Bubba did a perfect "sit" and "down," Melanie defended goofy Shaggy's split-second attention span. "I love him," she said, as he made a grab for one of Bubba's well-earned treats. "He's a great dog. He just loses interest quickly."

Amanda was patient with Cher, while Chelsea confessed she chose a mellow dog because she's mellow herself. She spent most of the morning brushing Nugget. (Nugget has since been adopted!) Brittany got close to the very shy Cheyenne, and Amber made great progress with Beethoven, known here for his stubbornness.

The teenagers came from all over the country - Tennessee, Chicago, Utah. Some of them are members of Best Friends. But whether they were nudged by relatives or came on their own, they all wound up being part of the pioneer group of Best Friends Experiencers.

"This is way past anything I could ever have imagined," says Mandy Crusenbery, "It kind of blows you away."

"Maybe when I grow up," Melanie Schmitt, "I could start a place like this."