Source: @paulthecatguy
A mission to give furkids their forever homes
Paul with five kittens he rescued
Source: @paulthecatguy
Meet Paul Santell – better known as Paul the Cat Guy.
At least 30 hours each week, Paul goes on a mission to provide food and healthcare to stray cats in Astoria, New York City. What started as a small act of kindness turned out to be a big service rendered to the community cats – ones that have been fortunate enough to cross Paul’s path.
Having attended a Trap-Neuter-Return class, Paul now dedicates much of his free time to trap, spay/neuter and then return strays to their initial home. When the cats have been socialised, Paul goes the extra mile and puts them up for adoption.
An inspiration to many, Paul looks to spread the message of caring for strays. To join his mission, turn to local adoption drives by pet advocates who have gone far and beyond their duty to help furkids find a forever home.
A Tail Or Two
Source: A Tail Or Two
For the Singapore version of Paul, look no further than A Tail Or Two! At Binjai Park and Hua Guan Avenue, volunteers gather to offer food and healthcare to their community cats. Aside from care for older and ailing pets, the organisation provides sterilisation to control stress and aggression behaviours, as well as the cat population.
Adopters can find their sweet Kitties from a list of cats deemed adoptable, but A Tail Or Two often emphasises the value of senior cats, who are mellow and affectionate, to potential pawrents. Otherwise, the organisation supports the cats in all ways throughout the rest of their lives.
Under “Give It A Name”, A Tail Or Two presents a novel approach to advocate love for stray cats – on Instagram, the public can take part in naming a cat. Perhaps, this is to equate the lives of humans and cats in hopes of increasing recognition of the value of life.
Bunny Wonderland
Source: Bunny Wonderland
At Bunny Wonderland, which hosts bi-monthly rabbit adoption drives, the mission is to provide a sanctuary for rescues. Bunny Wonderland seeks to spread awareness of the responsibility that comes with pet ownership, and so also offers the low-down of the ins and outs of rabbit ownership, such as the long-term commitment in terms of time and money in addition to the usual care instructions.
For both potential and current rabbit owners, the organisation offers educational workshops in differing levels according to their current knowledge of Bunny care. Beyond that for rabbit enthusiasts, the organisation gives talks and workshops to children to instil good values with regard to pet ownership from young too.
Hamster Society Singapore
Source: Hamster Society Singapore
As with the above, the Hamster Society Singapore provides Hamster 101 for health and care tips. Founded in March 2019, it aims to raise awareness of the welfare needs of hamsters. However, the relatively new society does not have its own shelter, and so volunteers provide temporary housing for rescues.
While the society has been belittled for being advocates for the small pets, its volunteers – standing at 20 members strong – remain undeterred and continue to impart the value of hamsters’ lives, even if it is a tiny one.
Exclusively Mongrels Limited
Source: Exclusively Mongrels Limited
The name is telling – Exclusively Mongrels Limited seeks to spotlight the dogs who are often unheard of, most of whom are Singapore Specials (SSs) – mixed-breeds bred on the streets of Singapore. The organisation has put a focus on mongrels to relieve the plight of strays who are often forced out of their original habitats such as forests, construction sites, and factories.
Contrary to the concerns of owners who think mongrels have bad personalities, the organisation believes that every SS is unique in its own right, and can be just as receptive to learning as pedigree dogs. In an effort to rehome the dogs, Exclusively Mongrels Limited even split the strays into two categories – HDB-approved and unapproved, which saves potential pawrents the hassle of researching if their potential furkid is legally allowed in their home or not.
In the meantime, do note that for each of the above organisations, adopters must meet the minimum adoption requirements. Once the assessment of suitability and readiness to become a pet owner is done, newly-minted pawrents can then go on to provide their new furkid with a happy and healthy life!
