The sanctuary, God’s Little People is located on the Sysos Island in Greece and they had an interesting job posted on their official Facebook page last year.
They were looking for a caretaker of 55 cats that artist Joan Bowell and her husband rescued.
Stray cats are common in Greece and many of them need care of and deserve loving homes. The rescue centre is in a beautiful and secluded area of the island.
From there, you get a really amazing view of the whole island.
This Was a Real Job, not a Joke, Claims the Sanctuary
The job posting also assured potential applicants that the job is real and it’s no joke. The job was open because Bowell needed a break and was searching for a suitable candidate.
According to the job requirements, the potential cat caretaker needed to be a mature and genuinely passionate cat lover who was able to handle several cats and also loves spending time with them.
Believe it or not, Bowell received 35,000 applications and it wasn’t easy making a decision. Eventually, she chose an American to spend the winter at her sanctuary and work there, i.e. Jeffyne Telson.
Who Is the Mature & Genuine Cat Lover?
Telson is an animal lover who resides in California but often spends the winters in her home in Oregon. She’s experienced in working with cats because of her own rescue organization RESOCATS.
She explained that she almost didn’t apply for the job and actually erased the e-mail with the application at first.
She says she always dreamed of going back to the Greek islands and taking care of cats that are numerous there. However, the job would require her to be away from her partner and all her animals for several months.
But, Mitch, her partner, supported her 100 percent and actually said to her that this job has her name written all over it and that it’s the chance to live her dream.
After she finally sent the application and wrote to Bowell about her 21-year experience with rescue cats, she was chosen among the numerous candidates.
Bowell travelled to Santa Barbara to meet with Telson face-to-face and offer her the job position.
Telson Accepted, but there Was One Condition
Telson accepted gladly; however, she had one condition- the salary was to be donated to the cats. Telson wanted this because she had the wonderful view and the chance to reside at a beautiful Greek island for free.
She wanted to ‘help the cats and live her dream’. Soon enough, she flew to the tiny island of 22,000 residents and a total of 13,000 stray cats.
She enjoyed the time there, but it was also an emotional period because there were so many needy cats. She was struggling to choose ones to save and ones to leave behind.
We Can All Make a Difference
After she returned home from this short-term job and one-time experience, she reflected on her journey and said that we all have the power to make a change through volunteering, donations, or standing up for something.
She described her work for the sanctuary and said that ‘saving one cat won’t change the world, but for that one cat, the world will change forever’.
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