We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Shields and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I volunteered in animal rescue (cat/dog/horse) in California for several years but always knew I wanted to go into cat rescue. It was a lifelong dream to have my own cat rescue and during COVID I decided to take the plunge. I had no idea about the immediate need – because so many shelters were closed, people in Tucson were desperate for help with their cats.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Whiskers N Wishes Sanctuary is standard cat rescue in that we pull stray cats off the street, help overwhelmed people who tried to care for too many cats, and help the local shelters with difficult cases. But our specialty is senior and disabled cats, such as our three-legged feral who couldn’t go back to her colony, and our plethora of cats with kidney or thyroid disease or diabetes. A lot of rescues prefer the cute kittens because they are marketable and easier to move, but the challenge of dealing with the tougher cases comes with greater reward.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I don’t really do a lot of stuff in town…. we’re 30 minutes away from the nearest grocery store. My friends would all stay on my couch and pet cats ha.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Jadon Cavallaro deserves so much credit for making the Sanctuary into what it is now. She is a 17 year old who is our feet on the ground, doing TNR, delivering food to local colonies that are in need, and taking our sickest, most injured cats into her home.

Website: www.whiskerssanctuary.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wishesrescue/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WishesRescue

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wishesrescue

Image Credits
Emily Shields took all the photos except Photo of Emily Shields and Jadon Cavallaro, taken by Keira Shields

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.