Homeward bound: Non-profit provides a safe space for seniors to find a second home for beloved pets
Angela Rafuse believes every cat deserves a chance at finding their second forever home.
That’s why the 26-year-old founded the not-for-profit organization, My Grandfather’s Cat last month.
The passion project aims to help seniors rehome their beloved pets.
“I am a big believer that if you have the ability to do something and it can make someone’s life better, then you should do it,” Rafuse explains.
Rafuse was inspired to create the organization after adopting her grandparents’ 15-year-old cat, Mackenzie, last year.
Her grandmother passed away in September 2019, and her grandfather passed away in December of the same year.
She says family members were hesitant to take the feline because she was known to be a little grumpy and mean.
But that didn’t bother Rafuse.
She quickly stepped in and embraced the cat’s personality by taking her to places like Peggy's Cove, or on a canoe adventure.
“People just always joked that she should go viral,” Rafuse says. “These funny, growling videos. So, I started sharing them on TikTok, and eventually, people started following and liking and sharing stories of how they adopted their grandparent's cat, or that they wish they would have.”
The organization launched just three weeks ago, and so far, Rafuse has heard from people around the world.
“People with terminal illnesses have pets that they want with them until their last day,” Rafuse explains.
“Then, they want to make sure that they have the right home, so we actually have two people we’re working with now that we’re arranging homes.”
Rafuse’s mother, Vivian, says she is so proud of her daughter’s hard work and dedication.
“So to know that someone’s going to love those pets after they’re gone, or they move into a home, where they’re not able to take the pet with them, it’s comforting for them and the families as well, because not everyone can take their animals,” she says.
Rafuse says the need is great, and she’s just doing what she can to help out.
“Honestly, heartbreaking stories, that they say, can you please come to the U.S., we need you in Arizona, we need you in Texas, in Tennessee, and just knowing the need is there, and people are responding to it, it blows my mind,” Rafuse says.
It's a passion project dedicated to her grandparents, that’s helping other seniors and their four-legged friends.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.