The Cult Origins of Best Friends Animal Society

The Origins of Best Friends Animal Society

• 💡 The Best Friends Animal Society, a major animal rescue organization with over $100 million in annual fundraising and celebrity endorsements, has a controversial past.
• 🔑 It originated from "The Process Church of the Final Judgment," a cult founded in the UK in 1966 by ex-Scientologists Robert de Grimston and Maryanne McClean.
• 📌 The cult believed in four deities including Lucifer and Satan, wore distinctive black clothing with iron crosses, kept German shepherds, and faced rumors of ritualistic murder and alleged links to Charles Manson.

Life Within the Cult

• 🧠 Jared Garrett, born into the cult, described a nomadic existence and the cult's belief that the traditional family unit was obsolete.
• ⚠️ Children were often separated from their parents and raised communally, with Jared only discovering his biological father at age nine.
• ⚡ Jared experienced physical and emotional abuse, instability, and attempts at brainwashing during his childhood in the cult.

Child Labor and Animal Ambitions

• 🛠️ From age 13, Jared and other children were used as unpaid child labor to build the Utah headquarters of what would become Best Friends, working 10-12 hour days digging trenches, plumbing, and other tasks.
• 🌱 The cult, later renamed "Foundation Faith of God," maintained a strong focus on animal rescue and rehabilitation, often prioritizing animals over humans.
• 🏡 The "Lakehouse," initially planned as a sacred religious space, became a mansion for the cult leaders, Maryanne and Gabriel, where Jared's mother served as a "handmaiden."

Transformation and Lingering Issues

• 📈 In 1995, the organization re-chartered as a 501c3 charity, officially shedding its religious status and focusing solely on animal welfare.
• 🔍 Best Friends' official website omits its cult origins and the use of child labor, presenting a vague history of "scrappy friends" from 1984.
• 💬 Despite the rebrand, former and current employees report cult-like hierarchical expectations and a "religiosity" in the prioritization of animals, with original leaders like Gabriel still holding significant influence.
• 🚫 The organization's PR team dismissed inquiries about its past as "ancient history," warning the journalist about verifying sources while refusing to provide details.