New Cat-Kind Animal Shelter Looking for Funding to Help Beijing's Strays

Ripley, the co-founder of Cat-Kind, is on the hunt to give Beijing cats in need a second chance. Her and her team are in the process of gathering funds to build an animal shelter for cats and small dogs down in Shuangjing.

"When I first came to live in China (I was in Shanghai), I found a tiny kitten on the streets. After some research I found that there was no well organized shelter and there no resourses for strays so I decided to adopt her. Four weeks later she died of FIP, an incurable disease contracted during her stint of homelessness. Even though it was devastating to lose her I was glad she had passed away indoors and with love rather than alone in the rain like she was before I found her. That inspired me to begin helping other animals."

Ripley started helping strays, but quickly found that she wasn't alone in her quest to aid helpless animals. "I soon found that a lot of others were struggling while trying to do the same thing, so it made sense to form a group and help each other out. After working with a network of foster carers for over a year now it is finally the right time to open a shelter and we chose Beijing as the first location."

The shelter, Cat-Kind, settled on opening in Shuangjing so as to provide easy access for volunteers and prospective adopters. Volunteer vets and a 24-hour emergency clinic are not far away. 

The space is likely be on the smaller size to keep it affordable, but an average of 40 smaller dogs and cats will be able to be housed at any one time. Most importantly, it will be a no-kill shelter, with plenty of food, medical help, and love. The animals won't be kept in tiny cages, nor left outside in the cold.

The only thing Ripley and her crew have left to do now is to raise the RMB 30,000 in funds needed to put down a deposit, renovate, and see them through the first several months of rent. If you'd like to help out for this amazing cause, scan the QR code in the poster above. If you're looking to volunteer, you can get in touch via WeChat (ID: cat-kind_connect). 

More stories by this author here.

Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
Instagram: s.xuagram

Images courtesy of Cat-Kind