Andi, a young, white cat with tabby decorations, is the shelter’s most social cat. The director says, “She’s a hoot, all about people and being in your personal space.” Andi, who’s spayed, is as much a companion animal, a best friend as any puppy.

In fact, Andi may win the heart of a dog person whose life is changing. Sometimes people who’ve always had dogs feel that they must be lonely, living without a pet, when they downsize or get a demanding job. A cat, like personality-plus Andi, would be happy to adjust to any space and togetherness at any time.

Andi wishes someone would try her out. The shelter offers a chance to take a pet home and find out if it’s really love.

Bea, a young, spayed, little, milk-chocolate-colored tiger, is friendly, greeting visitors, alert to their every move. However, visitors must be alert, too. Bea tries to follow them out the door. The staff can’t read Bea’s mind but they guess that she has one of two thoughts. Either Bea thinks that the visitors are leaving without her by mistake or that her lifelong family is waiting for her.

Those thoughts plague many shelter pets, especially the ones brought in by owners, like Bea. Any creature, cat or human, would be confused. The night before they discarded her, Bea’s people probably held her. Maybe they held her more than usual.

Anyone would think that those were messages of love. Bea still can’t fathom that it was good-bye.

Three-fourths of golden cats are male. A golden girl, like Maura, is a rare, tiny gift to treasure. Her people didn’t recognize that. They brought the just-out-of-kittenhood cat to the shelter. Even when Maura looked at them, with eyes sparkling like 14-carat jewelry, they didn’t change their minds. Maura’s pleas, with her little body and soft meow didn’t work either.

Yet, her people had given Maura one blessing. They allowed her, during just the right stage of her life, to learn to love people. They made Maura a people-pleasing cat, one who works to be touched and talked to, one who reads people’s gestures, tones and facial expressions.

Now Maura needs to go to a home where she’s valued for her beauty and her spirit.

Twelve-week-old Atlas arrived after his Great Pyrenees mama spent time with an uninvited gentleman caller. No one knows the visitor’s breed, but his puppy is adorable, wearing a pirate’s patch on his white face and floppy ears that give Atlas a forlorn look. Maybe his dad contributed to Atlas’s sweet personality, too.

Of course, right now, having just arrived at the shelter, Atlas also looks and feels frightened. Everything that he knew about the world has changed. Mama, who he thought would always be there, has vanished. So have his people, his bed, his toys. And sounds from other unhappy dogs are all around.

But Atlas is a puppy. He’s meant to love a person. He’ll forget his losses and fears if someone comes soon.

Sailor made himself as small as possible as he huddled on the concrete, trembled and furtively looked for somewhere to hide. Of course, the 11-week-old, white, German Shepherd-mix puppy was already very little, much too little and innocent to be where he was. Someone abandoned Sailor and his equally vulnerable brother outside a Dollar General Store.

Everything was terrifying. The carts made clattering metal sounds that Sailor had never heard. The people were strangers, more of them than Sailor had ever seen. And cars, the creatures Sailor sensed were the most dangerous, moved in every direction.

Sailor doesn’t feel safe in the shelter, either. It’s more concrete and scary barking from bigger dogs. Poor, frightened Sailor needs some softness, gentleness and reassurance in his life.