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  • Rob Ricciricci@discuss.systems
    Jul 11, 2026, 9:28 PM

    One of the fun things about this sculpture is that the head on an axle, and it has blades that catch the wind so that breezes make it bob its head

    A metal sculpture of a rooster
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  • Rob Ricciricci@discuss.systems
    Jul 11, 2026, 10:19 PM

    I took all of the pictures in this thread at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, a no-kill animal shelter in Kanab, Utah: bestfriends.org/sanctuary

    At any point in time, they have about 1,600 animals in their care. Most are available for adoption. You can visit, you can stay there (we stayed right by some of the horses), you can volunteer. I cannot recommend it enough.

    The shelter is a whole campus in the high desert, surrounded by red rocks, white sandstone cliffs, juniper, and sage. Various parts of the campus are called "Dogtown", "Cat World", "Horse Haven", etc.

    The standard of care there is amazing. This is not some kind of warehouse: every animal has a name, and the staff know every animal well. They have special housing for special needs: for example, there's an entire building for the cats who have FeLV, who need special care because they have weakened immune systems and need to be kept from spreading it to other cats. There are buildings for animals that have sensory deficiencies and need spaces where they can be both mobile and safe. Volunteers put the cats in baby strollers and take them for walks. Dogs with neurological conditions get special carts to enable them to walk. Birds that have lived in neglectful conditions, causing them to pluck their feathers out, get capes to wear.

    This group does work with groups all around the state and all around the country. They do mobile vet clinics in the Navajo Nation (our tour guide was Navajo). They bring in animals in need from all over. When there were fires in LA, they took in a bunch of animals in California shelters so that the pets displaced by the fire didn't have to go far. When Michael Vick was caught running an illegal dogfighting ring, they took in the pitbulls, helped them recover, and got them adopted out; one even became a therapy dog.

    They have adoption centers in several states: bestfriends.org/visit

    It's an overwhelming experience seeing how people can come together to care for creatures that need it the most.

    Let's treat our fellow humans like this too.

    The entrance sign for the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. It's surrounded by the red rock of the southern Utah desert
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  • Katrina Katrinka :donor:katrinakatrinka@infosec.exchange
    Jul 11, 2026, 10:48 PM

    @ricci
    Ironic way to end.

    I have volunteered with Best Friends in SLC and down in Kanab, but after finding about their history and how they currently treat employees, I have to agree that they are great with animals, but they're pretty crappy with humans.

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  • Katrina Katrinka :donor:katrinakatrinka@infosec.exchange
    Jul 12, 2026, 12:06 AM

    @ricci
    It's really up to management and large nonprofits know they can take advantage of employees' goodwill because there will always be more, for example, animal lovers.

    I know people who would've never left if they could make a living wage.

    I'm very lucky to have a good Executive Director that prioritizes employee pay and wellness, but it might end when she leaves.

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  • Rob Ricciricci@discuss.systems
    Jul 11, 2026, 9:52 PM

    @kn4ntu Just writing that up right now, actually, you'll see more at the bottom of this thread in a little while

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  • Rob Ricciricci@discuss.systems
    Jul 11, 2026, 10:25 PM

    @kn4ntu OK, more details in the main thread now. Here's a shot of the whole thing, and other sculptures by the same artist.

    Full metal statue of a rooster
    Metal sculpture of a sow with piglets
    Metal sculpture of a dog with a tennis ball in its moth
    Metal sculpture of a cat
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