If you love animals, you know that there are thousands all over Utah who need new homes. Luckily, the Beehive State has plenty of wonderful places for these animals to recover and thrive while they await new families, and there's one incredible sanctuary in Southern Utah that is doing some amazing work.

Welcome to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary! This beautiful oasis is home to nearly 1,600 animals, and you'll find it in Kanab.

Address: 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, UT 84741

The sanctuary covers 3,700 acres, with animal areas in spots spread out all over the landscape. Best Friends also has several cottages and cabins you can rent for the night, along with RV spots to accommodate your vehicle for overnight stays.

To fully appreciate this place, take the tour. 90-minute tours are offered seven days a week at 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.

Between March and October, reservations for tours are highly recommended. Shorter tours of specific animal areas are also available.

Your tour leaves from the Visitor Center, and you'll want to get there early so you can learn even more about this unique place before you head out in the tour van.

Nearly 1,600 animals call this place home. Some are waiting to find new families; others are receiving specialized training to help them get ready for re-homing, and others will live out their lives here at the sanctuary, surrounded by loving volunteers.

Dogtown is home to many wonderful pups...

...and you'll enjoy playing with and petting the cats in Cat World Headquarters.

Most animal rescues and sanctuaries care for cats and dogs, but Best Friends extends its love to many more species. You'll find goats, rabbits, and pigs, here, too.

The horses are especially spoiled with their huge enclosures and expert veterinary care. Many of these horses were abused or neglected, and they're at the sanctuary to heal and recover from their traumatic pasts before finding new homes.

It's fairly common for parrots to become homeless during their lifetimes, since they live up to 100 years old. Best friends provides them with a tropical oasis and lots of mental stimulation while they're here.

Make sure to stop by Angel's Rest, the final resting place for animals from the sanctuary, as well as beloved pets. It's a beautiful, peaceful place with the gentle sound of wind chimes.

You can inter your pet here at Angel's Rest; visit the website for more information.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is the perfect place to visit to find a furry friend to add to your family, but if you can't adopt an animal, you can still find many ways to help out.

There are tons of volunteer opportunities available here. Take an energetic pup for a walk or snuggle a cat.

You can also help prepare meals for the animals, clean out pens and stalls, and provide grooming.

Take a dog or cat overnight for a sleepover, or just for a day outing.

You can host a sleepover in a pet-approved hotel nearby or stay in one of the cottages or cabins onsite. Outings with sanctuary pups can be anything from hiking in the canyon to going into town.

You can also help out Best Friends Animal Sanctuary with a monetary donation or by shopping at the store in the Visitor Center.

The Welcome Center is open every day of the year, except for Christmas. Visit from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Learn more about Best Friends Animal Society and its sanctuary in Kanab on the organization's website, and make sure to follow its Facebook page to see some of the latest arrivals and ways you can help out.

While you're in Kanab, you'll want to check out some of the other many attractions it has to offer. Check out our feature article here.