Celebrating Abba

When Bob Wilder decided he wanted to adopt a rescued dog, he browsed websites for several weeks, searching for the perfect match. Lightning struck when he saw the photo of a dog in a shelter in Louisiana. Her endearing eyes and expression really spoke to him, making him think of the ABBA song “Take a Chance on Me.”

Bob decided to adopt the dog and call her Abba. He contacted a group in New Jersey that pulls and transports dogs from shelters in Louisiana, and they brought her to him. When Bob picked Abba up, she was so scared. Her head was down, and she was very timid.  But after an hour riding in the car, he could tell she finally felt safe, and she crawled into his lap. That was the moment when Bob and Abba first really connected, and they have been close since then.

Abba doesn’t take her relationship with Bob for granted. She appreciates all the wonderful things that come with having a loving home and a person of her own. Abba can always bring a smile to Bob’s face — especially when she wants to play. She puts her paws on his leg and picks up her stuffed dinosaur. After he throws it for her, she likes to run around in circles at 90 miles an hour, trying to keep her toy away from Bob.

Like all our beloved pets, it’s in Abba’s DNA to find happiness from within and to be appreciative of what she has every day. It’s something that Abba helps Bob with, and that pets everywhere help their people with as well.

As the future of animal sheltering, the Best Friends Pet Resource Center is more than just a place to adopt a pet. It’s a community destination that gives people better connection to adoptable pets and to each other, provides support for families to keep pets in homes, and offers opportunities for animal lovers to help make the state of Arkansas and the entire country no-kill in 2025.

It's also a place where we pay tribute to beloved pets like Abba with the sculptures you see displayed around the center and grounds, and a place where we express gratitude for generous donors like Bob Wilder. 

You can save the lives of homeless dogs and cats in Northwest Arkansas and help keep families together.

When you adopt from a Best Friends location, or from one of the many shelters and rescue groups around the country, you’re not only adding a loyal and loving companion to your family, you’re helping to save lives.

Just a few years ago, cats and dogs were killed in staggering numbers in this country simply because shelters didn’t have the community support or the resources to save their lives. As of 2023, that number is 380,000 per year, but there’s still work to do to ensure a bright future for every dog and cat in America. 

Best Friends operates the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals and is saving the lives of homeless pets across the country by working with shelters and passionate people like you. Together, we will bring the whole country to no-kill in 2025. Together, we will Save Them All. 

Follow along to see photos and videos from our events, hear about upcoming adoption events, admire adorable adoptable pets, discover kitten care tips, check out foster success stories and so much more.