Patty Hegwood is director of animal care at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. She began rescuing animals when she was five years old, bottle fed her first litter of kittens in junior high, and began her first spay/neuter program while in college. In New Orleans, Patty opened the first veterinary hospital in the state of Louisiana that included a charitable arm, serving dozens of rescue organizations and saving thousands of lives. Patty became part of Best Friends after working together in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, where she oversees the care of about 2,000 animals on any given day.