‘It's about all animals everywhere’

When Mica and Laureen decided to include Best Friends in their estate plans, it wasn’t a financial calculation. It was a declaration. “It’s not just about Best Friends,” Mica says. “It’s about all animals everywhere.”

That simple sentence captures everything Mica has come to believe — and it’s what drove him to change his life completely.

For decades — since he was 17, in fact — he has worked in the hospitality industry, managing hotels and working to star-rate hotels for Forbes. But one volunteer trip to Haiti, where Mica witnessed suffering firsthand, made him question everything. “I thought I have to do something more meaningful in my life than just star-rate hotels,” he says.

So when Mica got word that the executive director of a small animal shelter in Atlanta — where he served on the board — had just quit, the timing felt serendipitous. At 50 years old, he left the only career he’d ever known (with Laureen’s full support behind him) and started his path in animal welfare.

However, starting a new career isn’t always easy, and Mica felt completely out of his depth. “I rated hotels, and now I’m dealing with dogs and cats,” he recalls. “The staff knew I was on the board of directors, but they saw me as somebody that really didn’t know the animal business.” 

Mica hit the ground running anyway. He networked, built valuable relationships, proposed new ideas, and achieved small wins that built some credibility with the shelter staff. But Mica wanted more for the shelter — more lifesaving, more second chances, and more homes for all the animals in his care. And with a little help from Best Friends, that’s exactly what he got.

Judah Battista, Best Friends’ chief Sanctuary officer, recognized that the small shelter could use a helping hand. When he asked Mica whether he could use some help, Mica responded, “Yes, please rescue my rescue!” And the difference was night and day. “We went from 170 adoptions a month to over 300 a month almost overnight,” Mica says.

That was just the beginning of Mica’s animal welfare journey. Since working at the shelter in Atlanta, Mica has brought his hospitality expertise to Best Friends’ board, where he has served for more than 10 years. His favorite thing about being part of Best Friends isn’t just seeing more homeless pets find the families they deserve. It’s the honor of working directly with the founders, experiencing their passion, and seeing the purpose and mission put into action. Noses in and tails out. Rescue to adoption. Rescue after rescue, state after state. Building a nationwide contagious culture to Save Them All.

“They’re not only about heart and soul; they’re about muscle. They get it done,” Mica says. “Best Friends has a can-do attitude, whether it’s responding to some disaster somewhere or the really audacious goal to lead the country to no-kill.”

That can-do attitude and willingness to pursue bold goals align perfectly with Mica’s own journey. So for him and Laureen, including Best Friends in their estate plans just made sense. For them, it wasn’t just about supporting an organization they love. It was about investing in a future they want to help create. It was about ensuring that, as Mica says, “all animals everywhere” have a chance at love, safety, and second chances for years to come.