You are cordially invited to attend the Pound Puppy Gala

Featuring Special Guests:

• John Garcia, DogTown Manager of Best Friends Animal Society
• Jeff Popowich, Animal Care Operations Manager of Best Friends Animal Society
• Surprise MC & Auctioneer
• Entertainment by Local Artists

Dinner:

Red Mountain Barbeque fare created by Executive Chef Dale Van Sky. Served at 6:30 pm.

Auction:

Live and Silent Auction will include beautiful art, jewelry, theme baskets and more.  Auction items may be purchased by cash or check only.

Sponsored by:

• Red Mountain Resort & Spa
• Bloomers
• Reflections Printing
• Friends of Ivins "No Kill" Animal Shelter

$65 per person, Please contact Jayme Morgan at (435.652.5788) to reserve your tickets.

Jeff Popowich, Animal Care Operations Manager

Jeff Popowich is the animal care operations manager for Best Friends Animal Society. Jeff oversees the day-to-day operations involved in care of the animals at Best Friends and works with all the animal departments to ensure that best practices are being used for animal care, enrichment and housing.

Jeff came to Best Friends in 2003; his first job was as a caregiver in DogTown. In short order, he became the head vet tech and medical liaison for the Best Friends clinic. He is known for his ability to develop a personal, trusting relationship with each dog who comes to the sanctuary. He says patience is key when working with animals who are frightened or uncomfortable in new situations.

At the clinic, he conducted basic physical exams, performed diagnostic tests, administered vaccinations and microchipped animals. He was also responsible for their daily health maintenance, which involved distributing medications and working closely with the caregivers to ensure the health of the dogs.

Jeff has been involved in many of Best Friends™ rapid response efforts. His medical expertise and dog-handling skills qualified him to be one of the first Best Friends staff sent to New Orleans in 2005 for the Hurricane Katrina pet rescue. He remained a driving force for much of Best Friends™ 241-day commitment there, setting up and operating the medical unit at Celebration Station. Jeff has completed seven FEMA Emergency Management Institute courses and he was certified as an EMT in 2007.

He was also a member of the first crew sent out to Pahrump , Nevada , last year to help rescue 800 cats in an institutionalized hoarding situation that was dubbed the Great Kitty Rescue. He set up the medical component of that operation and did the same for the rescue of 179 puppy mill dogs that Best Friends conducted in October 2007. Jeff also led the Best Friends team that assessed the Vick dogs after they were removed from the estate of former NFL quarterback Michael Vick. When the court awarded 22 of the dogs to Best Friends, Jeff organized their transport to the sanctuary.

In his spare time, Jeff loves playing with his family of dogs and riding motorcycles. He also enjoys fostering dogs, especially those with medical challenges.

John Garcia, DogTown Manager

“I know this sounds cornball,” says John. “But when I was a kid, my dog was my only friend. So I’ve always wanted to work with dogs.”

Today, it’s hard to imagine John not having a lot of friends. Known for his handsome, easygoing ways, John is a popular guy around Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. He’s famous for his athleticism, too. To help show off some of the Best Friends dogs who wanted to be adopted, John once led a whole “muttley crew” of them to a Guinness World Record for most dogs walked by any one person at one time (26!). Oh, and he’s fearless. (If you find any kind of a snake in an undesirable place, John will come move it to safety for you!)

John started working at Best Friends when he was just 18 years old. He happened to grow up in the area, and his fearless ways, along with his love for dogs made him a perfect candidate for studying to be a dog trainer.

He’s been a dog trainer at Best Friends and is now one of the DogTown managers. Many dogs come to the sanctuary from neglectful, lonely, or even abusive situations. John doesn’t care whether they’re shy, antisocial, or even have a history of aggressive behavior. John believes every dog deserves a second chance, and there’s no one he won’t try to teach – even the fearful, snappy ones who have been through some really bad times.