When Tragedy Struck For A Traveling Cat And Dog Duo, The Owners Had To Make A Brave Choice

The couple in question are Andre Sibilsky and Cynthia Bennett, and this particular part of their story began when they relocated to Colorado in the early 2010s. The pair eventually gave themselves an important mission: to help preserve the wilderness of the West for generations to come. But at first, their move was a pretty spontaneous one.  

Cynthia told the BBC in 2018, “We wanted to head west, toward bigger mountains. We came upon Colorado and moved on a whim; there wasn’t a lot of planning involved.” Andre hails all the way from Texas, while his other half grew up in New Hampshire, but the nature lovers actually first met in the city of Boston. So what do they do when they’re not out exploring nature?

When he’s not hiking with his pets, Andre is busy working in the finance sector. Cynthia used to have a full-time position in event marketing, but the social media interest in the couple’s extra-curricular activities inspired her to cut back on her day job. She now focuses much of her time on pursuing her dream to become a photographer.

Cynthia explained to the BBC, “Taking a leap as an artist is very scary. And it’s not very stable in the long side of things, but I tell my followers all the time you are changing my life and allowing me to do what I love.” Of course, Cynthia has a certain dog to thank for allowing her to do what she loves, too.

After deciding to adopt a rescue dog, Cynthia and Andre met Henry. Exactly what they were looking for, Henry was an energetic cross between a boxer, a husky, a German Shepherd, and a Staffordshire terrier, who had the stamina to endure long walks from the couple’s Colorado base. On their official website the pair reveal how when they first met him they were instantly smitten. 

Cynthia writes, “He convinced us to take him home within seconds when he crawled into my lap going belly up right away. We took Henry on his very first hike that week and immediately he scaled the steepest rock to get a better view. Andre and I looked at each other and smiled. This was the mountain dog we had been dreaming of. Two-and-a-half adventure-filled years later and Henry’s love for the outdoors only grew stronger.”

Cynthia eventually set up an Instagram account for Henry, which over the space of three years accrued an impressive following of 30,000. There was only one problem that she and Andre noticed about their beloved pooch during this time: poor Henry suffered from major separation anxiety. Cynthia explained, “He would be so stressed out that he didn’t eat or drink.”

To combat this problem Cynthia and Andre agreed to add another animal into the mix. Instead of another canine, though, the couple opted for a creature renowned as a dog’s worst enemy: a cat. And just like they did with Henry, the couple invested a lot of time in searching for the right one. Cynthia told the BBC, “After all, you can’t really force a cat to do anything.”

The couple eventually settled on Baloo, a cat who had been abandoned by his mother and left at a sanctuary, Luckily, the moggy and Henry the dog became best buddies almost immediately. Although Henry took a few days to warm to his new friend, a camping expedition to Telluride helped him to realize that Baloo shared his fun-loving nature and love of adventures. 

In an interview with Reader’s Digest, Cynthia explained just how significant this journey had been. She said, “Telluride was such a memorable trip for us because that’s when Henry and Baloo truly bonded. Henry loves to explore the outdoors and camp with us, and Baloo stuck with him every step of the way. When I pulled Baloo out of the sleeping bag in the morning Henry was so excited to see him.” 

Cynthia then recalled one particularly adorable moment when she realized how close the pets had become. She’d just positioned an exhausted Baloo over the neck of her canine friend and instead of batting her away Henry simply let the cat put her feet up. Thankfully, Cynthia and Andre took a photo of this moment as an adorable example of the pair being their lovable selves. 

Speaking to the BBC, Cynthia explained that Baloo saw Henry as a mother figure. And the cat also seemed to think that they were the same species. Cynthia added, “If he sees a dog out on a walk he’ll run up to it, but if he sees a cat he will pretend it isn’t there and ignore it. Like, do you not understand what you are? It’s quite funny.” 

You might be wondering what kind of magic spell Andre and Cynthia have put on Henry and Baloo. But in an interview with the University of Florida — where Andre used to be a student — he revealed that it’s pure chemistry. He said, “As much as we’d love to take credit, a lot of it is that they really just complement each other.” 

Considering how impossibly cute they both were, it’s little surprise that Baloo and Henry soon ended up becoming online stars, something which astonished their owners’ families. Cynthia explained to the BBC, “I told my grandfather, who is my best friend. He’s very outdoorsy and natural, so we’ve always been really close. He thinks it’s mind-blowing.” Sadly, not everyone on the internet approved.

Remarkably, Cynthia and Andre were met with backlash from certain corners of the world wide web due to their unconventional lifestyle. She said, “As soon as you get well known, you get the other side, which has been different to deal with. I’m like, ‘Why are you attacking a dog and a cat?’ I just don't get it.’” 

Thankfully, Cynthia and Andre have received far more positive messages than negative ones on social media, with the vanlife community, in particular, also providing them with plenty of support. Cynthia explained, “You just have to ignore it and let it wash over you. You just read the hundreds of other comments that say Henry and Baloo brighten up their day.” 

As it turns out, Baloo and Henry brightened up so many people’s days that they were essentially able to spawn a whole empire! Books, calendars, and even water bottles are just some of the merchandise produced to help celebrate their unlikely bond. Cynthia told Reader’s Digest, “We hoped to do something that would make people smile and have a positive impact on others’ lives.”

That’s not all, either. A foundation was set up in Baloo and Henry’s names by their adopted parents; the nonprofit is centered on the reforestation of land affected by wildfires. Cynthia says, “Five percent of all our sales go to the foundation to help preserve the land for wildlife. We hike the land all the time, and it’s a way for us to give back to future generations.” 

Andre and Cynthia both have distinctive roles within their organization, too. The former usually takes care of all the paperwork and research efforts, while the latter is responsible for taking the photos that make the entire world go “Aww.” Cynthia told Reader’s Digest, “It’s amazing how these two rescue animals have changed our lives.” Of course, nothing can last forever. 

In 2022 Cynthia took to Instagram to share the devastating news that Henry had been diagnosed with cancer. Referring to one night when he had to be immediately taken to the vets, the hiker wrote, “When we got up he could barely walk, lost so much muscle over just a few days, his balance was off.” Cynthia also disclosed that Henry had lost his appetite and was struggling with his breathing.  

Cynthia continued, “He had to [spend] the night because he could barely lift his head once we got there. He needs radiation on his lymph nodes to help with his breathing and to get him through this. I don’t have words for how we’re feeling, we’ve never experienced pain like this. It’s absolutely horrible. Animals don’t deserve this, no one deserves this. So many are sending you love Henry, I hope you can feel it.” 

As shown by several accompanying heartbreaking photos, Baloo was also doing her best to send her love. In one picture the cat could be seen lying on the ground next to Henry, who had just been shaved. In another Baloo was reclining against her canine friend while outside. But just a few days later some even more upsetting news came through.

Cynthia told those who were following Henry on his Instagram account that the dog was losing his battle with cancer. She wrote, “This is unbelievably hard to write… I think because it makes our situation that much more real. Henry making it through the night and through radiation was a miracle, but the cancer is winning. It’s completely through his entire system and our vets said he’s not strong enough to keep getting treatment.” 

An understandably tearful Cynthia then revealed that she, Andre, and Baloo would be taking Henry hiking up the Colorado mountains for the very last time. She added, “It’s a beautiful day and even though he’s super-weak we know he wants to go see what he loves most. Please send him lots of hugs and love. He’s given so much and deserves every bit of it.”

Following Henry’s death, Cynthia took to Instagram to share a video of the dog’s greatest adventures. In the caption she admitted that she’d found the process of putting together the footage difficult. She added, “Thank you Henry, life with you was truly priceless. Like we always say, we love you to the Moon and back and back again. Happy birthday sweet, sweet boy. You’ll be Henry the Colorado Dog forever.”

Shortly after Henry’s death Cynthia informed her followers that Baloo was struggling to cope with the loss of his best friend. She wrote, “He’s completely devastated and it’s starting to affect his health. It’s the most heartbreaking thing to watch him pace from window to window crying, searching for his Henry, and when he can’t find him he’ll hide or bury himself under things.” 

Cynthia went on to reveal that she and Andre had taken Baloo on several little adventures since Henry’s death, but without his pal he was no longer interested. She added, “He won’t play or eat and has lost a couple lbs (which is a lot for him since he normally only weighs 11-12lbs). We knew B was going to grieve but we weren’t expecting this. He just misses Henry so much.” 

In a reverse of their previous situation, Andre and Cynthia decided to find their cat a new dog to play with. The couple had already been thinking about getting another pooch through the adoption process before Henry fell ill, and so they headed to a nearby shelter with Baloo in tow to see if he would connect with any of the newly born puppies there.  

Cynthia explained that they were leaving the fate of their household entirely up to their cat. She wrote, “We don’t know if we’ll come home with anyone, it’s completely up to Baloo. So we’ll have to see. We’re really, really, really not ready... all we want is our Henry back but if it will help Baloo, and that it’s clear B wants a friend, we’ll take the plunge into welcoming a new member into our family.”

Within four days Cynthia revealed that Baloo had chosen a new canine friend, a pooch named Pan. She added, “Saying that this was hard is an understatement. The decision itself and posting another pup’s face on this account is more painful than I thought it would be. We’re not ready. We might not be for years, but this was the best decision for Baloo.”

So what exactly happened when Baloo and Pan were first introduced to each other? Well, it was something of a slow start. Cynthia told Denver7 ABC, “Pan ran right up to him, and Baloo looked at him, and then Pan sat. Instead of jumping on him like a puppy normally would, he just sat and looked at Baloo.” 

Thankfully, the new adoption eventually appeared to do the trick. Cynthia explained that Baloo had since rediscovered his appetite, interest in playing, and general zest for life, a development that sent her into floods of relieved tears. She added, “I balled [sic] when they snuggled and told Andre that I thought I’d never see Baloo like this again. That I didn’t know if we’d ever be able to help Baloo even be as close to as happy as he was with Henry.” 

Cynthia also believes that Henry’s spirit may have helped Baloo to choose his new friend out of the 11 puppies that were up for adoption. She continued, “Thank you Pan so much for helping our lil Baloo. He really needs you right now and we’re finding more and more that we do too. If only you could have met Henry… you would have loved him just as much as we do. We love you little buddy and welcome to our family.” 

Just like his adventures with Henry, Baloo’s friendship with new pooch Pan gave pretty much the entire internet all the feels. After quickly forging a bond the pair were filmed having a nap together by their owners. And the footage, which was captioned, “And I’m just lucky enough to get to witness it,” soon racked up the views and likes.

One user remarked, “What a sweet sight… Their cuddles are next-level adorable but knowing about Henry’s passing and Pan’s rescue makes the scene that much more precious. These two really needed each other!” Another was in full agreement, writing, “I[t] still warms my heart that Baloo picked Pan. Y’all did a wonderful thing helping him through the grieving process. RIP Henry.” 

Cynthia has continued to keep followers updated with how their new dog is settling in. Alongside another adorable Instagram photo she wrote, “Pan’s new nickname is Pancake because he’s just that sweet. Andre and I joke all the time that Pan’s “love tank” gets depleted and needs to be filled regularly. Pan’s favorite thing in the whole world is to love and be loved constantly. He even gets noticeably sad when he hasn’t gotten a snuggle in an hour!” 

And Cynthia and Andre have continued to keep Henry’s memory alive through the foundation named in his and Baloo’s honor. And the couple also have a pretty remarkable goal in sight: to preserve 1,000 American West acres. Cynthia told Denver7 ABC, “We privately preserve the land, which takes politics out of the equation — something we can all agree on and get behind.” 

Andre went on to explain further, “It also takes the burden off the state and national parks. These are lands that are buffering or connecting previously existing protected areas. The point of the foundation is to target quality, not quantity, in terms of this land. Not just the accumulation of vacant acres, but trying to preserve wildlife, habitat, and water.” 

Cynthia and Andre are already seeing the fruits of their labor. The pair revealed that they were hoping to preserve their very first land acre within the next year. Andre added the nonprofit was also the perfect way to preserve Henry’s legacy. He said, “With this foundation there never has to be a last time or an end. He can live on forever.”