This Couple Opened Up A Cat Rescue On A Little Greek Island
Joan and Richard Bowell are the proud owners of a cat rescue, and their story is nothing short of fascinating.
In 2010, the couple decided to leave their home in Denmark and become transplants on a small Greek island on the Aegean Sea.
They built four houses on an acre of land and set about their artistic endeavors in this haven, renting the houses and using them to host seminars on “conscious living.”
However, Joan quickly noticed the plethora of sickly cats living on the island, and her compassion led her to help over 30 cats in her first year living on the estate.
A few years later, up to 72 rescue cats lived on the estate’s property and houses, and a care team also took up residence to nurse the sick cats back to health.
You can even check out episode five of the Netflix docu-series, Cat People, for more information and personal stories!
The sanctuary’s mission was still charging ahead, as Joan and Richard hoped to maintain a safe space for cats and improve its capacity for care.
First, however, Joan’s efforts required paying for cat food, veterinary bills, and building a network for potential adoptions.
GoFundMe; pictured above Joan smiles with some of the rescue cats
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So, after paying for these services themselves for years, the couple eventually gained sponsors. They also rented two of the property’s houses to make a living, but the cat sanctuary remains intact (if a little crowded)!
Some cats became stressed from the overcrowding since folks dropped off new kittens almost daily.
Since they’re still experiencing an overflow of furry residents, these dedicated animal-lovers decided to expand their cat rescue mission.
The improved sanctuary will be four acres large in a natural setting with gardens, recovery, recuperation, and visitor areas, as well as a potential on-site clinic. The couple even dreams of having extra fields for donkey rescues!
Joan and Richard are organizing this GoFundMe with the help of their friend Michael; he lives in New York and is the Co-Founder of the Global Center for Human Change.
Michael is helping the couple organize their fundraising campaign, manage donations, and he’s even volunteering at the sanctuary this summer!
To donate, you can visit their GoFundMe here or check on the sanctuary’s progress via their Facebook page.
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