Ever since I can remember, animals have felt like home to me.

​

I grew up on a tiny island in Norway called Sandøya — the kind of place where everyone knows everyone, where doors aren’t always locked, and where the rhythm of life follows the sea and the seasons. We had cats and dogs growing up, and I never felt more myself than when I was outside with them.

​

When I was nine years old, I decided — very seriously — that I was going to walk every dog on the island.

I knocked on neighbours’ doors, heart pounding but determined, asking if I could take their dogs out. Big Rottweilers. Tiny Pugs. Fluffy Papillons. Nervous mixed breeds. I didn’t care what they looked like — I just wanted to be with them.

​

Soon, I recruited my friends. We formed our own little dog-walking group, proudly taking our “job” very seriously. I didn’t know it then, but something was already taking root inside me.

Looking back, I think Barney’s Furry Friends began right there - a little girl with scraped knees, tangled leashes in her hands, and a heart that couldn’t ignore an animal waiting for love.

​

As I grew older, that connection only deepened. As a teenager, I fell in love with horses - not just riding them, but understanding them. The quiet trust. The bond. At 20, I got my very own horse, I was so proud.

​

Around that same time, I began volunteering at a local cat shelter. What I saw there changed me. The unwanted. The overlooked. The ones who had no one coming for them.

I couldn’t just volunteer and go home.​

So I started something small - Pia’s Little Rehoming for Cats. No big funding. No formal training. Just instinct and determination. In two years, I rescued and rehomed over 200 cats.

Two hundred lives.

​

There was never a moment where I decided, “I will build a rescue.”
It was never about ambition.

​

It was simply this:
If an animal needed help, and I could help, I would.

​

Animals have never been a hobby for me. They have been my compass.

And today, through Barney’s Furry Friends, that same little girl from Sandøya still lives inside me - still knocking on doors, still believing that every life matters, still unwilling to walk past suffering.

​

The scale may be bigger now.
The responsibilities heavier.
The risks greater.

But the heart behind it is the same.

And it always will be. 🐾

​​

​

From Norway to Canada

At 23, I moved to Canada and began working at a doggie daycare while running my own dog hiking business. I would pack four big dogs at a time into my little Toyota Yaris and head up Burnaby Mountain every week. In the front seat sat my own rescue dog, Sunny, my foster fail and heart dog.

​

In 2019, we fostered another rescue from California named Barney.

​

Barney arrived terrified. He couldn’t move from the couch. He was afraid to go outside. He had never seen stairs. But slowly, with patience, love, and Sunny by his side, we watched him transform.

From a frozen, fearful dog to one sprinting freely across fields - snow flying, ears back, an absolute joy to watch, I will never forget it. It was one of the most beautiful transformations I have ever witnessed.

​

We adopted him while I was pregnant with our first daughter. He was meant to be ours.

Tragically, on the day I gave birth, Barney slipped his harness while being walked by our dog walker and was taken by coyotes. Our hearts have never fully healed.

​

Barney changed my life, and he became the reason this rescue exists.

​

​

The Beginning of BFF

After time passed, we adopted another rescue from California — Jose, a sweet little Jack Russell/Dachshund mix.

​

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wanted to do more.

​

I had always dreamed of opening an animal sanctuary. I remember riding past open farms as a young girl, imagining a place where rescued animals could live safely - free, loved, and protected.

In January 2023, I decided to try.

​

Our first official Barney’s Furry Friends rescue dog was a 1-year-old chi mix named Cookie Dough. He came with skin issues, wasn’t neutered, and needed some serious TLC. I paid for his medical care out of pocket, and found him a foster. Within three weeks, he had a forever home — and his adoption fee nearly covered his expenses.

​

The next month, I rescued two dogs from a hoarding situation.
Then two more.
Then three.
Then four.

And it kept growing.

​

Our Team Today

In August 2023, Salima, the most wonderful soul reached out and asked to join the mission through FB messenger. She did - and we’ve been saving lives side by side ever since.

​

Today, Barney’s Furry Friends is run by four dedicated women:

​

Pia, Salima, Paula, and Laura

​

We are supported by an incredible network of volunteers and fosters, and Lindsay, who leads our fundraising efforts. We also work alongside Zofia, a balanced trainer who helps rehabilitate dogs who need a little extra guidance before finding their forever homes.

​

In October 2025, we expanded our mission and began rescuing cats again - bringing things full circle for me. I guess I’m officially both a crazy dog lady and a crazy cat lady now - and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

​

Our Mission

Our mission is simple:

To transform fear into freedom by saving and rehabilitating vulnerable animals, building a community of compassionate humans, and creating a future where every life is valued.

​

We rescue dogs and cats from overcrowded shelters and the streets of California, as well as vulnerable communities in Canada. Every life matters. Every single one.

​

And one day: we will open our own BFF Sanctuary.

A place where animals can heal, be rehabilitated, and live safely while waiting for their forever homes.

We believe anything is possible.

​

Barney’s story lives on in every life we save.

​

Thank you for caring about the dogs and cats who need us. This work is only possible because of people like you - our fosters, adopters, donors, volunteers, and supporters.

I am so proud of how far we’ve come - and even more excited about where we’re going.

 

With love,
Pia
Founder, Barney’s Furry Friends 🐾💛