Photograph Story: Eva's Eden

Georgia Snow, a member of the Oneness Foundation in Blaine, Wash., holds her cat in her Ferndale home. The cat, Pearl, is one of seven Snow adopted after fostering the cats.
Currently Snow fosters seven other cats who are awaiting forever homes, she said.
“These are the lucky few, the ones that get to come to a rescue shelter like us,” Snow said.

Georgia Snow watches foster cat Beauty in her Ferndale, Wash., home.
Their foster program takes about 50 cats from a Pasco, Wash., shelter and places the cats in a network of homes that will provide adequate care until the cat can find a forever home.
Snow currently has 14 cats in her home, seven of which are now for adoption.
Beauty was abandoned in a local Motel 6, and would not do well in a shelter because her coat color and attitude, Snow said.
Snow said she saw a change in Beauty after the cat hid under a futon for three weeks.
“I think it’s because the calm atmosphere and they get loved on,” Snow said. “It takes some coaxing.”

Below the Oneness Foundation now resides a colorful sanctuary where the public may view cats for adoption.
After Pastor Sheryl Walker’s young cat fell sick and could not be saved, Walker said she received a message from God.
“God said ‘from death will come life, and Eva’s Eden will be born,’” she said.
Her vision in December quickly transformed as members of the ministry helped build the sanctuary, Walker said.
Eva’s Eden had their grand opening the weekend of March 5.

One cat sits atop a climbing tree in Eva’s Eden, a cat adoption sanctuary below the Oneness Foundation in Blaine, Wash.
The grand opening weekend saw many members of the public, as 12 cats were adopted that weekend alone.
Cats are neutered or spayed, given shots, and rid of fleas and worms while in foster homes, Walker’s mother Georgia Snow, said.

Eva’s Eden saw many people during the grand opening. Andrew Csanyi, 23, visited the sanctuary Saturday, March 5.
Csanyi said he came to the sanctuary because he can play with the cats here.
“This is better than a shelter because I can touch the cat,” Csanyi said. “I love training cats to not bite or scratch.”
Other members of the public visited the sanctuary on opening weekend, which led to 12 adoptions, volunteers said.

Pastor Sheryl Walker of the Oneness Foundation in Blaine, Wash., stands in her ministry’s sanctuary.
The ministry teaches people to honor mother earth, animals and nature through Christ and the teachings of Buddhism, Walker said.
There are currently 140 members of the ministry, all of which were accepted through Walker’s discipleship program.
Walker said she also practices Egyptian alchemy and has plans for a celebration of Bast, the Egyptian god of cats in April.