Shada Whalley has loved cats and dogs all her life but never had a pet of her own. That is, until PetSmart Charities of Canada’s November National Adoption Weekend.

Last year, Lisa Labon of Hamilton, Ontario, lost her furry, four-legged friend Duchess. Duchess was a Border Collie and Lisa’s close companion for 18 years.

For a long time, 10-year-old Sarah Bergeron had been pleading with her mom and dad to get her a dog. “No,” they insisted, “we already have cats, there’s no room for a dog.”