Overflowing with aging cats who lost their owners to the COVID-19 pandemic, Barcelona's cat sanctuary El Jardinet dels Gats has launched an online campaign to get them adopted.
"The COVID situation has brought us older cats, cats in quite severe physical states, from elderly people who had not taken them to the vet for a long time, so the costs are very high," said shelter owner Alex Salvador.
A volunteer pets 4-year-old street-born Zipi, a cat that serves to socialize other cats as they mirror his behavior in accepting petting and food, at El Jardinet dels Gats (Cats' Garden) in the Raval district, Barcelona, Spain, Sept. 21, 2020.
The coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of onsite fundraising events and cut the incomes of existing donors, but the online drive has been a success, Salvador said. "We have adapted everything, the interviews for the adoptions, the interviews for the foster homes, the interviews for volunteers," said Salvador, whose late parents founded Jardinet 12 years ago.
A street-born cat receives a slice of ham from a volunteer at El Jardinet dels Gats (Cats' Garden), a cat shelter in the Raval district of Barcelona, Spain, Oct. 3, 2020.
