Lifelong supporter becomes one of the pack at Best Friends

Nearly 30 years ago, after reading about their work in the newspaper, Jane Blyth wrote a check for 15 dollars and mailed it to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.  Money was tight for the single mother, but she was inspired by the rescue’s work and wanted to help. For the next 30 years, Blythe followed the work of Best Friends. This past spring, she decided to fulfill a lifetime dream by not only visiting the Sanctuary, but spending several days there volunteering with the rabbits, cats and dogs. Blythe traveled with her 13-year-old granddaughter, Alexis, who earned the nickname Cat Whisperer thanks to the affect she had on special needs felines in residence. While there, the volunteer vacationers held animal sleepovers, and took several pets to their hotel room during the day for a break from the sanctuary. “We’d have taken a horse if we could have gotten away with it,” Blythe says. 

The trip was deeply memorable for 78-year-old Blythe, who is looking forward to returning. “A part of my heart is there now, so I have to return,” she says. In the meantime, Blythe will continue volunteering at Cat Depot, a Best Friends No More Homeless Pets Network partner, in her hometown of Sarasota, Florida.