Behind every rescue is a dedicated human heart. And right now, several hearts that make up the team at Cat Angel Refuge are working tirelessly to show up for defenceless animals in need, even with very little to keep themselves afloat.
Zeerust, South Africa (08 May 2026) – Behind every rescued tail wag and tiny purr in the work of animal welfare is a human quietly holding the whole operation together.
At Cat Angel Refuge, several of these special humans keep the rescue shelter running like a well-oiled machine, regardless of how tired, spread thin or underpaid they may be.
Take Paulina, for example, she is the reason the animals have clean blankets, the office and kitchen sparkle, and the team gets fed like actual humans and not just caffeine-powered chaos goblins.
“She started at one day a week, but 2026 had other plans for us. We were drowning, so she stepped in more. Now she’s on three days a week, and honestly, we’d be lost without her,” Cat Angel Refuge shares in a post.
Her salary this month is R3,500.
Then there’s Ellias. Ellias started three years ago, also working one day a week and now stands strong at three days. He is the guardian of the adult cat section.
“If there’s a germ thinking about spreading, Ellias has already disinfected its dreams away. He climbs into cages, gets into corners most of us pretend don’t exist, and takes pride in doing things properly.”
His salary is R3,500
Joshua was meant to help in the garden, also once a week. Then it became three days. He now works full-time, minus that one day; he refuses to give up because he’s loyal to the people he commits to.
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His salary is R4,500 with about R400 overtime.
There’s also Piet, Cat Angel Refuge’s lifesaver! The one you go to for just about anything.
“The handyman, cat whisperer, translator of “something’s not right,” and the guy who makes sure things don’t fall apart while we’re out saving the world (or trying to).”
His salary is R5,500 with about R400 overtime.
And then, there are three other unpaid staff. Jo, Karen and Luke. The ones who run on sheer grit, stubbornness, and the occasional cup of coffee that went cold three hours ago.
Cat Angel Regue’s dream is to grow the salary support of its staff into something sustainable. To increase Paulina and Ellias’ days. To fairly pay everyone and to be able to give Jo, Karen and Luke something, too.
“Nothing big or fancy, just enough that if they feel like getting a chocolate at the end of a long day… they can. Because even the people holding everything together deserve small, sweet things too.”
Right now, times are tough, resources are limited, and the remarkable people who do so much to hold this organisation together are working tirelessly because the work doesn’t end – if anything, it just keeps piling up.
A well-oiled team. But even a well-oiled team needs fuel.
“Right now, we need R17,800 to cover wages [for all paid staff]. Every single rand goes straight into keeping this team going, and without them, none of what you see would be possible.”
If you’re able to help these everyday heroes continue their vital work and earn a fair livelihood, please consider making a donation using the information here.
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