We’re Nuzzles & Co., a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) no-kill organization located in Summit County, Utah. In 1990, a group of volunteers founded our organization, originally known as Friends of Animals Utah, so we could come together to find homes for animals in need. Since then, we have found homes for over 25,000 pets.
In 1990, when a group of animal lovers in Park City, Utah, discovered that the county’s only resource for unwanted pets was a shed holding eleven dogs (with no room for cats), they decided to lobby for a new shelter and form a rescue group that would foster and find homes for abandoned dogs and cats. Starting with only twelve people, the group quickly grew by raising money with bake sales, selling t-shirts, putting donation jars in stores on Main Street, and the start of what was to become their signature fundraiser, The Barking Ball.
With media support from The Park Record and radio station KPCW, which showcased dogs and cats in the shelter and foster care, adoptions increased and membership in this new organization expanded. Deer Valley Ski Resort employees hailed Summit County Friends of Animals (FOA), now Nuzzles & Co., as it’s favorite charity and many local businesses contributed to its burgeoning success.
FOA successfully lobbied Summit County to build an animal control shelter and in 1995, Summit County opened the county-run shelter in Wanship, Utah. FOA supported the shelter, finding loving forever homes for the cats and dogs housed at the county shelter.
In 1998, FOA was named the first, local non-profit Citizen of the Year by Park City Rotary. A year later, FOA joined the newly formed No More Homeless Pets in Utah Coalition. The Humane Society of Utah and Best Friends Animal Society also provided invaluable support and practical information on starting and operating a rescue organization.
In 2003 Summit County Friends of Animals was presented with the opportunity to open “Furburbia,” a retail pet center, in the outlet mall at Kimball Junction. Furburbia forever changed the nature of FOA by giving the organization a permanent face and place in the local community. It propelled the group into a full-time rescue organization with paid employees. Having a permanent facility also gave FOA a place to showcase its cats and dogs. Cats were able to be housed at Furburbia at night, but FOA still had to move dogs back and forth to kennels at night because dogs were not allowed to stay overnight due to zoning requirements.
By 2005 FOA moved the community closer to its goal – which was to make strides in preventing healthy, adoptable pets from being euthanized at both the Summit County and Heber shelters. By 2007, over 800 dogs and cats were adopted from Furburbia in that year alone. We were saving animals from Summit County and all over Utah. So, we changed our name from Summit County Friends of Animals to Friends of Animals Utah (FOAU). Additional programs were added for the first time, including dog obedience classes, youth camps, and a feral cat trap, neuter, and release program.
While all these changes were positive, it became evident that the facilitating foster homes and kennels for dogs each night were becoming a challenge; it was clear that a full-time facility was needed.
And then came the rescue ranch
In 2006 and 2007, FOAU acquired 100 acres of land in Brown’s Canyon. By 2010, FOAU completed a 16,000 square foot multi-use building and named it the Rescue and Rehab Ranch. The Ranch had space to build out a state-of the-art medical suite and was built to house up to 85 dogs and 60 cats. The building also incorporated an education and outreach center, as well as a large relief area that could serve as ‘ground zero’ in the event FOAU was asked to care for a large number of animals in a disaster situation.
This new facility allowed a 28% increase in adoptions to nearly 1,000 animals a year. It also provided a place for our dogs that were not in foster homes to stay at night. The educational area also allowed for new therapy programs, as well as the popular Critter Care youth summer day camps. More than 600 cats each year enjoyed a sunny, healing environment with cat condos and pampered care from “Kitty Socializers” who prepared them for their forever homes. One of the most important additions was next installing a state-of-the-art surgical suite and quarantine area where spay-and-neuter procedures, vaccinations, micro-chipping, and even dental treatments are performed.
Mission and Vision
Our mission is to protect animals, to provide a loving and nurturing place where they can get healthy and learn positive behaviors, and then to find loving homes for each one of them. We also work to educate the community on the humane treatment of animals.
What we’ve learned is that, in helping these animals, we are the ones who benefit. As our animals get a second chance at life and find loving homes, they give back that love one-hundred fold. When we put love first, we come together as a community and grow stronger as a society.
Adoption Policy
Requirements for adopting a pet
• Adopter must be at least 18 years of age and have identification.
• If you are under the age of 25 and do not own a home, a lease or rental agreement must be supplied stating that you are allowed to have pets.
• All animals must be indoor house pets.
• Adopter must be willing to allow a Nuzzles & Co representative to make an adoption follow-up, either in person or by telephone.
• You need to sign a legally binding and enforced contract.
• We offer a lifetime commitment to all of our pets. That means if at any time you are unable to keep your adopted pet, or are unable to provide proper care, you must contact us and make arrangements to bring the pet back to us. Please provide as much notice as possible (no less than three days).
• Although we hope to find homes for all of our pets as quickly as possible, as matchmakers, we always work to ensure that our pets go to homes that are suitable for their age, health, and behavioral situations. Every pet is unique; Nuzzles & Co reserves the right to deny adoptions when we see that the match is not ideal.
Should bring when come to adopt a pet
• Please bring the adoption fee and your government-issued identification.
• It is best if all members of the household are present to adopt a cat or dog.
• If you are planning on adopting a dog and you have a dog (or dogs), you are welcome to bring them so that the dogs can be introduced, and so we can facilitate that introduction (for some of our animals, this may be a requirement).
• All cats must be transported in a cat carrier. You may bring your own or we have go-home boxes available for purchase for $10.00.
• You may fill out the adoption application ahead of time and bring it with you, or you may fill it out while you are at Nuzzles & Co.
• Most importantly, come as you are – with open arms and a warm, happy heart!
https://nuzzlesandco.org/adopt-a-pet/
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David Adams is a man of many passions, but his love for dogs stands above all. He is not only a dog lover, but also the founder of an innovative platform called Sniffspot. This unique platform connects dog owners with private property owners who are willing to rent out their space for off-leash playtime. While the idea of Sniffspot was initially conceived by his wife, Rebecca, David has been the driving force behind its remarkable success, tirelessly overseeing its growth and development.
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David is based in Salem, MA.
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