Safe Haven

Cecilia Fernandez channeled her passions into purpose when she created Best Friends Farm, a refuge in Oxford where rescued animals and children with special needs find compassion, connection and community.

Nestled along a quiet backroad in Oxford sits Best Friends Farm, a sanctuary where rescued farm animals find safety, care and unconditional love. Cecilia Fernandez’s lifelong passion was the driving force behind the refuge, which blossomed into a place of healing.

From a young age, Fernandez’s love for animals inspired her dream of becoming a veterinarian. She followed that pursuit and spent time working as a veterinary technician, but one day, what she once thought was her career path changed. Fernandez recalls holding a German Shepherd that was about to be euthanized, heartbroken and crying inconsolably. The pet’s owner looked at her and said gently, “Honey, you’re in the wrong business.” At that moment, upset and disappointed, Fernandez realized that her calling was not in clinical work but in giving a voice to animals which had none and showing them the compassion that she believed they deserved.

“I didn’t need to be a veterinarian to be with animals,” she said.

Fernandez had never experienced farm life firsthand. She spent part of her childhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and later in an industrial area of New Jersey, where she often felt out of place. It was not until later that she discovered what felt truly natural to her: life on a farm. In the early 2000s, Cecilia moved to Georgia, where she met her husband and shared her dream of one day opening a sanctuary. After years of searching, the dream became a reality in 2015 when the family found a five-acre property in Oxford. It would soon become Best Friends Farm, a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and caring for animals who have endured neglect or abuse.

“I didn’t need to be a veterinarian to be with animals.”
Cecilia Fernandez

Fernandez’s motivations extend far beyond her love for animals. “My other passion, one that has always felt innate, is working with children, especially those with special needs,” she said. Fernandez recalls the moment she realized she could unite her two lifelong pursuits: a love for animals and a belief in their power to bring healing and joy to children with special needs.

After college, Fernandez began teaching special education and now works at a Montessori school in Decatur. It was through that school that her journey as an animal rescuer began. Each year, the students participate in a class project exploring the life cycle of a chicken, from hatching to maturity. At the end of the lesson, the chickens needed homes, and one rooster found his new address with Fernandez. He became the first resident of what would eventually grow into Best Friends Farm.

At the time, the farm was sustained solely by personal funds. However, when Bella, a gentle horse rescued through connections with other animal sanctuaries, arrived at the farm, Fernandez felt a spark of transformation. Bella’s rescue and a growing network of other animal sanctuaries inspired her to take the leap and officially establish Best Friends Farm as a nonprofit organization. That pivotal decision opened the door to community support and fundraising efforts that now sustain the care and rehabilitation of rescued animals while also creating a sanctuary where individuals with special needs can experience the healing power of human-animal connection.

Fernandez shared that one of the farm’s signature fundraisers, an inclusive summer camp, offers fun-filled learning and plenty of time spent with their beloved animals. Campers get hands-on experiences such as brushing horses, feeding chickens and walking the donkey. The camp not only raises essential funds for the farm but also creates a space where children of all abilities can learn compassion, responsibility and the joy of connecting with animals. Beyond serving as a refuge, the farm has become a valuable part of the local community. Through partnerships with Oxford College, students participate in volunteer programs that connect them with the animals and the farm’s mission of empathy and stewardship.

Perhaps the most profound part of this story involves how the farm served as a source of healing for Fernandez herself. She experienced an unimaginable loss in 2022, when her daughter, Sophie, died from a rare form of liver cancer. Sophie had been one of her mother’s biggest supporters, sharing her love for animals while fostering her own dream of becoming a veterinarian. “She was my right hand for the animals,” Fernandez said, “and for the children in the summer camp.” Overwhelmed by grief, Fernandez contemplated leaving behind the farm to which she and Sophie had devoted themselves, united by a mission to offer animals hope and unconditional love. In time, she found strength in honoring her daughter’s spirit. Today, Sophie’s memory lives on through every rescued life, every shared story and even in the farm’s logo. The nonprofit has found renewed purpose by continuing the mission Sophie helped build alongside her family. It stands as a tribute to the love that continues to guide Fernandez’s every step.