Abbie Mood Lang was on a solo trip to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, one of the country’s largest refuges for companion animals on 3,700 acres of property outside of Kanab. She was exploring the desert of southern Utah on a unique kind of vacation, one where she’d spend her time hiking and adventuring but also helping animals in need. She volunteered a few hours a day, mostly walking dogs and playing with cats.
“I had heard that Best Friends had all kinds of animals: dogs, cats, bunnies, pigs, horses,” Lang says. “I knew I wanted to check it out. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, and you want to do some volunteering and some hiking, there’s no better place to go. Just be warned: If you’re an animal lover, it’s hard not to want to take all the animals home with you.”
Sure enough, at the end of her trip, Lang wanted to adopt a dog. But she had two dogs at home already, and her husband didn’t particularly want a third. So she decided to bring home a pair of guinea pigs instead. She named them Kip and Baxter, and they quickly became part of her family. As far as souvenirs from a trip go, these two were pretty unforgettable.
Volunteer vacations, or voluntourism, as it’s often called, is a growing phenomenon, with more and more travelers choosing to take trips that give back to the communities they’re visiting. The experience can be helpful for the place you’re traveling to and beneficial for you, too: Research shows that volunteering can lead to improved mental and physical health, by reducing stress, increasing social interaction and giving volunteers a sense of purpose.
Choosing the right place for a volunteer trip might be the most challenging part: How do you pick a destination or organization that will benefit from your help and can also provide a getaway for you? Best Friends Animal Sanctuary hits the mark on both of those things. Rescued animals need your love and attention, while the healing power of the desert can be a much-needed sanctuary for you, too.