Everywhere in the world,
we can observe
and be touched
by acts of kindness.
People from all walks of
life, faiths, and cultures
extend themselves
beyond the call of duty
to help others
unconditionally.
Through their noble deeds,
humanity as a whole
is elevated.
To commend
virtuous actions and
encourage more people
to be inspired
by their examples,
Supreme Master
Ching Hai
has lovingly created
a series of awards,
including the Shining
World Leadership
Award, Shining World
Compassion Award,
Shining World Hero and
Heroine Awards, Shining
World Honesty Award,
Shining World Protection
Award, Shining World
Intelligence Award,
and Shining World
Inventor Award,
to recognize some
of the most exemplary,
generous, caring,
and courageous people
who walk amongst us.
When young
Faith Maloney and
her friends left England
in 1966 in search
of their life’s calling,
they were unsure
what lay ahead.
Following some time
in Mexico’s capital,
Mexico City,
the group set out for the
Mexican state of Yucátan.
After being guided
by an inner vision
during meditation,
Ms. Maloney and others
traveled to
the remarkable village
of Xtul along with
several treasured
German Shepherd
companions.
There they met a wise man.
After staying some time
in this coastal haven,
the group departed
and the man
bid them farewell, saying,
“One day there will be
another place for you.
It is a beach
without an ocean,
and the sand is all red
and there are animals,
many animals.”
Nearly 20 years later
many of the same friends
gathered in the heart of
the sacred Angel Canyon
in Utah, USA,
where the rock walls
and sandy floor are tinted
in shades of red, to start
a special mission of love.
Here, through God’s grace
the Best Friends
Animal Society was
established, and a refuge
called the Best Friends
Animal Sanctuary was
set up to help bring about
a better world through
kindness to animals.
I came over
here to the United States
in 1971
with a group of friends,
some of us
who actually started
“Best Friends,”
and knew each other
back then. So we met
each other through
the years,
raising families,
doing our work,
that kind of thing.
And then in the late 1970’s
we decided
this is something
we wanted to do.
And we started it in a
place in Arizona (USA),
not too far from here,
but we knew we needed
a bigger facility.
And we found this piece
of property and
purchased it in 1984.
So we’ve been here
for 26 years.
Today, Best Friends
Animal Sanctuary
has evolved
into the largest facility
for homeless animals
in the USA.
The 1,500-hectare paradise
is surrounded by
gorgeous national parks
and at any given time
cares for up to 2,000
dogs, cats, birds
and other animals with
unique physical, emotional
and behavioral needs.
The animals are brought
to Utah from shelters
around the country
for specialized care
and attention with a focus
on rehabilitation
and re-homing.
To cater to the varied
needs of its animal guests,
the refuge is divided
into aptly named areas
such as “Dogtown,”
“Cat World,”
“Bunny House,”
“Horse Haven,”
“Parrot Garden”
and “Piggy Paradise”
to name a few.
Those residents who are
unable to find a new home
are allowed to stay
at Best Friends for life.
The sanctuary is the
centerpiece of our work
at Best Friends
Animal Society.
The Society works
all over the country,
all over the United States,
and in a few
foreign countries as well,
to save animals.
Our mission is
to bring about a time
when there are
no more homeless pets.
For benevolently caring
for countless gentle,
homeless animals,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
honored Best Friends
Animal Society
and its vegan
chief executive officer
Mr. Gregory Castle
with the Shining World
Compassion Award and
a US$20,000 contribution
to assist in the residents’
medical care.
The following is
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s
loving letter
to Gregory Castle:
“Dear Mr. Castle,
We are delighted
and honored
to present to Best Friends
Animal Society
the “Shining World
Compassion Award.”
Through this Award
we recognize Best Friends
outstanding achievements
in providing comfort
and sanctuary to our
precious animal friends,
and we pay tribute to
the selfless spirit of service
shown by all the staff
of your priceless
organization.
Best Friends
Animal Society helps
light humanity’s path
into a noble future
of respect for all life.
Your philosophy,
“A better world through
kindness to animals,”
indicates the deep wisdom
of Best Friends’ founders -
and making the almost
2,000 dogs, cats, horses,
goats and other precious
beings in your care
blessed to have found you.
Your beautiful
understanding
of the emotional needs
of animals
ensures they are
not housed in cages but
in special animal homes,
with toys, friends and
room to run and play.
It is no wonder that your
facility at Angel Canyon
is America’s
largest animal Sanctuary -
the nobility
of the philosophy, the
professionalism of staff,
the efficiency
of the operation
ensure the admiration
and thus the support
of the community.
For uplifting our world
with your
inspirational example
of love in action, may
Angel Canyon Sanctuary
and all the staff and
volunteers of Best Friends
Animal Society
flourish abundantly.
For lovingly
and bountifully providing
for the needs of our
darling animal friends,
for your
wonderful philosophy
of kindness and respect
for all living creatures
and for the dedication,
intelligence
and professionalism
in the way you express
your loving kindness,
we hereby applaud
and celebrate
the compassionate deeds
of Best Friends
Animal Society,
with special thanks
to Gregory Castle,
Chief Executive Officer.
With Great Honor, Love
and Blessings,
Supreme Master Ching Hai.”
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
That is an exceptionally
beautiful tribute.
And I want to thank
Supreme Master Ching Hai
on behalf of all of us
at Best Friends
Animal Society,
and of course
on behalf of the animals
at Best Friends
Animal Society,
and in fact animals
everywhere, for such
a beautiful tribute and
for a very generous gift.
Our Association members
presented the beautiful,
crystal, heart-shaped
Award plaque to
Mr. Castle, who accepted it
on behalf of the 300,000
Best Friends members
across the US.
The following is
inscribed on the plaque:
“In Recognition Of
Outstanding Achievement
and Immense
Loving Kindness,
Creating A Haven Of
Unsurpassed Contentment
And Tranquility
And Inspiring
a Future Of Love And
Respect For All Beings.
With Compliments and
Heartfelt Appreciation
For Your Kind-Hearted
Values, Compassion
And Infinite Dedication
To Our Animal Friends
In Need.”
That is absolutely beautiful.
Thank you.
And so,
without further ado, it is
our pleasure to be able to
present Best Friends
Animal Society with
a check for US$20,000.
Thank you very much.
That is wonderful.
This donation
will help us a lot
at the sanctuary
to care for some
special-needs animals
which we house here.
Many of the animals that
we have at the sanctuary
do have special needs;
they’ve maybe been
rejected by other shelters,
other sanctuaries.
And we are in a way
a sanctuary of last resort
for those animals,
which sadly, in
many other environments
would not live.
They would be
put to sleep in shelters.
So this donation will
help us to care for those
special-needs animals.
Of course
they have special needs.
They have
special requirements.
And it’ll enable us to save
many more animals here.
I really want to thank
Supreme Master Ching Hai
for the generosity
which she is showing,
and her organization
is showing,
in making this donation.
We feel a great sympathy
and closeness,
empathy with
Supreme Master Ching Hai
and her work.
We feel our philosophies
are so closely aligned.
We are really
very, very grateful.
Supreme Master Ching Hai
also presented the Society
with gifts, including
her #1 international
best-selling books,
“The Dogs in My Life,”
“The Birds in My Life”
and “The Noble Wilds,”
along with a selection
of her CDs, DVDs
and other books.
We will treasure them here.
Thank you very much.
I can’t wait to open them
and browse through them.
To express
their appreciation to
Supreme Master Ching Hai
for her support
and encouragement,
Melissa Steimer,
Director of Development
for the Best Friends
Animals Society wrote her
the following letter:
November 20, 2010
Dear
Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Because of
your generous giving,
many animals will have
a chance for a new life.
The care and attention
we give to the animals
is very important to us
at Best Friends
as you know, and
we are so grateful to you
for helping
to make it all possible.
In thanks to you for
your gift of $20,000.00,
I am enclosing
a Golden Circle certificate
for you, which
is just one more way
that we would like to
show our appreciation
for your generosity.
We come closer every year
to achieving our goal
of ending the killing
of dogs and cats
in shelters in our lifetime.
When Best Friends started,
there were
over 17-million animals
put down every year.
Through the hard work
and dedication of many
animal lovers like you
it’s down to 4-5 million.
Although it is
a huge accomplishment,
it hasn’t changed
in several years.
We’ve uncovered
reasons for this
and are now focusing on
those four main causes:
feral and stray cats ;
pit bulls and fighting dogs;
puppy mills, which
pour often unhealthy dogs
into the market who
then end up in shelters;
and people unable to keep
their pets in their home.
You’ll be hearing
a lot more about our work
in these areas
in the years to come.
Thank you for all you do
to help the animals.
All the best,
Melissa Steimer
In response to
the organization’s
warm letter,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
sent this affectionate
message along with
an additional donation
to the Best Friends
Animal Society:
May Heaven bless you
forever.
Dear beloved friends
of the helpless animals:
I'm deeply touched
and impressed
by your angelic work -
please continue
with all your might.
Herewith another
30,000 US$ to chip in -
love you + all my heart -
Ching Hai.
Our sincere salute
goes to Gregory Castle,
Faith Maloney
and the other committed
Best Friends Animal
Society staff members
for providing a safe home
and magnificent
rehabilitation facility for
our tender animal friends.
May the Society’s noble
endeavors and generosity
inspire others to follow
its example of excellence.
For more details
on the Best Friends
Animal Society,
please visit
Thank you
for your company today
on our program.
Coming up next is
Enlightening Entertainment
after Noteworthy News
here on
Supreme Master Television.
May the lives of
all beings be blessed with
joy and loving kindness.