In the early hours of April 7, 2007, Leona Sheddan of the Jacksonville Humane Society received a shocking phone call -- the animal shelter was burning to the ground. Upon arriving at the scene, Leona watched as brave firemen risked their lives to save as many animals as they could. When the flames were finally extinguished, 80 animals had survived, but almost 90 cats and dogs lost their lives.

Amid the devastation, a glimmer of hope appeared when workers sifting through the debris heard a cat meowing. "Up popped this little grey head," says Leona, "and it was Lucky the cat!" Dr. Jennifer Broadhurst, one of the shelter's veterinarians, explains the impact of Lucky's survival. "He was pulled out of the debris three hours after the fire," she says. "I think we all just got overwhelmed with emotion because we had just finished such a horrible task and to have this live cat come out right at that point was what we all needed emotionally to lift our spirits up."

Leona hopes that if something positive can come out of the shelter's near destruction, it's that potential pet owners will recognize animal shelters as an important resource for adoption. "There are many homeless animals all through this country who need homes," Leona says. "The first place you should go when you're looking for your new best friend is your local animal shelter because they're there for you and there's no greater joy that you can get than the love of an animal."

Rachael introduces Leona and the women from the shelter to Joe Tuza, VP of Marketing at Meow Mix, who has a special surprise for the Jacksonville Humane Society -- $75,000 to go toward rebuilding its shelter and caring for the animals! Leona is overcome by the offer. "Can I give you a hug?" she cries, embracing Joe.