About

Our Mission Statement

 We are dedicated to the prevention of cruelty and relieving the suffering of animals by educating the community about humane treatment and reducing the over population of animals by  providing a low cost spay/neuter program for eligible owners.

How We Started

Best Friends Sanctuary Inc. was organized in 2001 due to the rampant overpopulation, abuse, and neglect of animals in our county which has no animal control causing packs of dogs to run wild and be a threat to safety.  Best Friends Sanctuary Inc. is the only animal welfare shelter in Fentress County, Tennessee.

Fentress County has no animal ordinances, rules/regulations.  The police/sheriff departments are ill equipped with no training for any kind of “dog/animal calls” so they forward all public calls they receive to our shelter but provide no compensation for us. All pick-ups and rescues are carried out by volunteer staff members.

Ethical Care

Best Friends Sanctuary is a NO-Kill shelter. It is our policy that we will:
NEVER EUTHANIZE AN ANIMAL TO MAKE ROOM!! NOT EVER!!!
The only reason we may consider euthanizing an animal would be if the animal had life-threatening injuries and/or a fatal illness from which it will not recover and it is suffering.

Rules of Operation

Due to the huge number of unwanted dogs in Fentress County, we only assist and accept unwanted and homeless Fentress County dogs into our shelter.

• We do not go outside of Fentress County to obtain dogs.
• We do not accept dogs from other counties.
• We do not sell dogs – ever!
• We do not roam the area looking for dogs to grab and take to the shelter – ever!

Volunteer-Run

On August 17, 2001, Best Friends Sanctuary was then, and remains today, a 100% volunteer-run organization. Every person affiliated with Best Friends is a volunteer and no one gets any salary or compensation of any kind. We work for our love of the dogs.

Our volunteers are the backbone and heart of Best Friends and without them, we could not function. The dogs need cleaning, feeding, walking several times a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year…..even on holidays, snow days, hurricane days, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Without our loving, dedicated volunteers this would not happen. THANK YOU TO OUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS – YOU ARE CHERISHED!!!!!

Officers