Happy Animal Project (HAPI) began in 2015, after years of rescuing animals - including eight cats I'd taken in over time. Among them was a handsome black cat with a distinguished mustache. His name was Skywalker. I knew I wanted to do more for animals who needed champions. What I didn't yet know was exactly who those animals would be.
That answer came later - as Skywalker grew old.
Who we are
Even as a kitten, Skywalker was protective of his sister, Princess Leia. He was confident, curious, and loved people from the very beginning - the kind of cat who'd hop into a guest's lap and curl up like he'd known them for years. His curiosity got him into trouble more than once. At just a few months old, he tried to play with a bee and learned the hard way that not everything wants to be a friend.
Christmas was always an event with Skywalker. He'd dive into the Christmas box the moment it was opened, bat at every ornament he could reach, and on one memorable year, attempted to climb the tree entirely - and brought the whole thing down with him. We learned quickly: unbreakable ornaments only.
As we welcomed more rescue cats into our home, Skywalker became their leader. He looked out for everyone, and he had no patience for bullies - he'd put a stop to it the moment trouble started.
As Skywalker grew older, he became even more affectionate - he loved being picked up and held, more than ever before.
Then arthritis set in. I tried everything - supplements, heat therapy, acupuncture, laser therapy, specialist after specialist. There is so little information out there on arthritis in cats, and I refused to stop looking for ways to ease his pain. Eventually, dementia set in too. He was still such a good cat, but I could see his quality of life slipping.
He told me he was ready. I knew he was telling me it was time.
I didn't expect the grief to hit me as hard as it did. For weeks, I saw him everywhere in our home - in the spot by the window, on the edge of the bed, out in the catio on his favorite bench, in the quiet moments when he used to curl up on my lap. Even now, more than a year later, certain moments still catch me off guard and bring tears. The void he left behind hasn't been replaced, and I don't think it ever will be. That's the hardest part of loving an animal unconditionally - the grief is real, and it deserves to be talked about as much as the love that came before it.
Skywalker taught me more than I ever expected to learn from another being. Patience. A depth of love and bond I had never known before. And most of all, he taught me this: animals deserve someone who refuses to give up on them - especially in those final years, when their health begins to fail and they need us more than ever. They need our patience. They need us to make sure they are never in pain. They need to be loved exactly as much as they were when they were young.
Skywalker's Story
Before Skywalker's final years, HAPI's mission was broad - championing animals wherever they needed us. But watching him grow old taught me something I couldn't unlearn: senior and special needs animals face a kind of invisibility that younger, healthier animals don't. They wait longer in shelters. They're harder to place. They require more patience, more resources, more advocacy - and they have so much love left to give.
Skywalker's journey didn't just inspire HAPI. It refined it. Today, every program we run - from storytelling to education to direct support - exists because of what he taught me about what it means to truly champion an animal, especially when it's hardest.
Thing #1
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Thing #2
How He Changed Everything
Happy Animal Project (HAPI) has been a dream of mine for a very long time. I grew up surrounded by animals and always found them to be a source of comfort and healing, especially during life's harder moments. Over the years I've rescued and cared for animals of all kinds - cats, dogs, birds, sheep, and more - but it was Skywalker who showed me what it truly means to champion an animal through every stage of life.
I studied Mass Communication and Filmmaking at Emerson College in Boston, where I learned to tell stories that more people. Before founding HAPI, I worked in project management, marketing, and executive support across industries including tourism, education, and advertising - experience that now shapes how I build and run the organization.
Filmmaking has always been my way of making sense of the world, and animals have always been my heart. HAPI is where those two passions finally meet. Today, I'm devoted to using programs to champion senior and special needs animals - the ones most often overlooked, and the ones who taught me the most.
Meet the Founder
Every animal deserves to be seen, valued, and treated as a being - never overlooked because of age, illness, or disability.
Our Values
Dignity
We lead with empathy in everything we do, for animals and the people who care for them.
We refuse to give up on animals who are harder to place, harder to treat, or easy to overlook. The ones who need us most are the ones we show up for.
We act with honesty and transparency - in our storytelling, our programs, and our relationships with the animals and communities we serve.
We believe real change happens together - with shelters, rescues, sanctuaries, adopters, and the community of people who refuse to give up on these animals too.
Compassion
Perseverance
Integrity
Collaboration
