Last summer, we had two very special ladies visit Best Friends from Portland, Oregon, and all due to a school report! Who says school isn’t fun!?

When Rebecca was in the 5th grade, she was asked to write a report, and give a speech for school. The subject they were given was to write about someone or somewhere that helps out people or animals. Rebecca asked her mom Tori for an idea, and without hesitation Tori said – Best Friends!

Rebecca wrote about what Best Friends does to help the animals, about the Founders who had the dream to get Best Friends started, and about some of our special needs animals. She wrote about Thumper the cat, Tammy the duck and Daphne the pot bellied pig. Rebecca received a perfect score from her teacher for all of her hard work. Yeah Rebecca! Yeah Tori for the idea!

From that point on, all Rebecca could think about was coming out here, and seeing Best Friends for herself.

When she graduated from the 6th grade, she was able to fulfill that wish, and she came out to see the Sanctuary with her mother and her younger sister. Rebecca enjoyed her trip out here, especially petting all the cats she met on the tour, and petting Joey the dog, from the Fairway.

Rebecca has one cat named Abby, and some day hopes to be an animal trainer. In Portland, she often makes catnip toys and donates them to their local shelter.

Tori said that in the 6th grade, Rebecca has to write a report on a place she would like to visit, and she wrote about Iceland. Tori told me that it will take a lot longer for the family to save up for that trip!

Storry written by Laura Rethoret & Jennifer Johnson
Laura Rethoret photographer