Castle named CEO of Best Friends Animal Society

Media Contact
Eric Rayvid : 917-861-8290 or ericr@bestfriends.org

KANAB, Utah - Best Friends Animal Society today announced that Gregory Castle, one of the original founders of the national animal welfare organization, has been named chief executive officer by the society's board of directors.

"Over the last 25 years Gregory has become one of the key leaders in animal welfare, as well as a voice of reason and reconciliation among the grassroots rescue groups, animal shelters and the national animal organizations," said John Fripp, chairman of the board.  "The board recognized Gregory's strong executive ability through his longstanding work with Best Friends, No More Homeless Pets in Utah, and, of course, his strong interim leadership of the society since July 2009.

Since the founding of Best Friends Animal Society in 1984, Mr. Castle has served the organization in a number of official capacities, as well as traveling nationally and internationally to consult with organizations on a wide variety of animal welfare issues. He is also a widely respected national expert on feral cats.

"I am honored and delighted to have received this appointment.  Best Friends has a powerful plan for saving more animal lives, and it is a privilege for me to lead a very determined team forward in pursuit of its mission," Castle said.

In 2000, Castle created "No More Homeless Pets in Utah," an organization that led a statewide coalition of animal welfare and rescue organizations, animal control officers, veterinarians, and animal lovers. Through aggressive spay/neuter, adoption, and public awareness programs, the coalition contributed to a large decrease in the number of animals euthanized in Utah each year.

Born in England, Mr. Castle is a graduate of Cambridge University with a master's degree in philosophy and psychology. His background includes extensive administrative and accounting work for nonprofit human service. He also is an avid physical fitness enthusiast, having completed the Boston Marathon three times, most recently in 2009.

About Best Friends Animal Society®

Best Friends Animal Society is a nonprofit organization building no-kill programs and partnerships that will bring about a day when there are No More Homeless Pets®. The society's leading initiatives in animal care and community programs are coordinated from its Kanab, Utah, headquarters, the country's largest no-kill sanctuary. This work is made possible by the personal and financial support of a grassroots network of supporters and community partners across the nation.

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About Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters in 2025. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from an estimated 17 million per year to 415,000 last year. Best Friends runs lifesaving programs across the country, as well as the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working collaboratively with a network of more than 5,000 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All®. For more information, visit bestfriends.org