Magical connections with 2 special cats

Singer and Wanda weren’t the kinds of cats who typically get lots of adoption interest. But for two out-of-state visitors to the Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Northwest Arkansas, it was love at first sight. 

Singer, a big boy with a tender heart, has lifelong medical needs. Wanda, a scrappy white-and-tabby senior, has terminal cancer, meaning she needed an adopter who could give her hospice care. But at the pet resource center, people who come for even a brief visit sometimes end up discovering the pet who feels meant for them.

Singer had been charming visitors to one of the cat rooms when Stefanie Casillas and her mom, who was visiting from San Antonio, stopped by. They met Singer, doted on him, and left. A few days later, Stefanie was back. Her mom told her she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Singer. So Stefanie wanted to adopt him for her mom and planned the trip to deliver him that weekend.

Wanda’s moment came when Cynthia Skelly visited from Oklahoma with a local friend who loves the center so much that she calls it “our Disneyland.” When Cynthia met Wanda, her heart opened instantly. Wanda went home with her to Oklahoma to get all the love and care she deserves.

Two cats with special needs. Two people who might have visited just to get their animal fix while away from home and ended up with so much more.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.