Woman Founds Nonprofit to Help Elderly and Terminally Ill Pet Owners Find Homes
SOUTHTIDE PHOTOGRAPHY
Angela Rafuse started My Grandfather's Cat to honor her late grandfather, who refused to travel to the hospital to leave his wife's cat behind.
After losing his wife of 59 years to a brain aneurysm, Byron Rafuse refused to go to the hospital for fear of losing his wife's feisty geriatric cat. He didn't want Mackenize to end up in a shelter, Byron's granddaughter Angela Rafuse told PEOPLE.
The family lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia's capital. The Salvation Army's Mackenzie the cat was given to Angela, a 27-year-old marketing executive after Byron died in late 2019. I remember her snarling at me as a kitten, but we couldn't give her up. My father and grandfather would have cried - Angela
Angela had more time at home when the pandemic hit. The cat batted Angela in the face during one of her bonding sessions. It was captured on film and shared on TikTok (@angrafus3).
People were asking questions about the feisty pet after the video went viral. Angela told new followers how she took care of Mackenzie after her grandfather passed away. Many commenters said their grandparents' pets ended up in shelters because their families couldn't care for them. So I started looking for resources and found none for seniors who wanted to adopt pets. I couldn't believe this didn't exist Rafuse described how her non-profit idea grew.
Angela responded with My Grandfather's Cat. The non-profit helps older and chronically sick people find new homes for their pets, keeping them out of shelters. We can let elders choose who adopts their pets,Angela says.
On May 18, 2021, she will formally introduce My Grandfather's Cat. A photo of Angela and Mackenzie on the beach for the launch. And then Angela set to work, editing the shots into a thirty-second debut video.
I checked my phone and TikTok, and it had 30,000 views in a few hours, Angela recounted. In its first days, the nonprofit's website received over 5,000 visits and donations. Our initial $500 donation was a mistake. We weren't even a registered charity yet, so I called him to confirm said. I've found homes for 25 cats and one dog thus far.
Volunteers handle each case. We vet everyone, but the elders determine who will adopt their pet after they pass According to Angela, Angela aims to soon expand the Canadian charity to the US. It is the most wonderful thing in the world to be doing this, she continued.
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