Help Arie & Jesse Relocate Feral Cat Colony

Hello!

My name is Arie, and I have always had a passion for animal care. Ever since I was young, I have found happiness in befriending and taking care of the neighborhood animals. I have yet to meet an animal that I can't get along with, and I will spend the time it takes to earn their trust. This passion has led me to adopt several cats and also my Goldendoodle, Goober, who is currently in the process of becoming a full-time service dog when he isn't working his other full-time job as the household entertainer.

While living at my current residence, my best friend Jesse and I became the full-time caretakers of the community feral cat colony. For the past four years, we have grown to love each cat, learn their personalities, and earn their trust. Since I have graduated from college and want to pursue additional education abroad, we have decided to leave and bring the entire cat colony along with us. This has been an extensive process, from getting all five cats' current vaccinations, researching the monetary requirements to relocate the colony abroad, and making financial adjustments as the owners of nine cats.

This has led us to the idea that the best way to serve the colony's needs is to start a non-profit abroad. As two multi-cultural kids, my original roots are in South Korea, a country full of rich history, but also a place that could benefit from a better relationship with animals, especially cats. Our first goal is to open a cat cafe in Seoul, which would allow people to interact with cats on a regular basis and lower their misconceptions about cats. Our ultimate goal is to open cat cafes throughout Korea, including my hometown of Busan, and provide a place for strays and ferals to have a place to come and live a peaceful life.

While we love all animals, cats hold a special place for us. Throughout our lives, we have always identified with them. They are incredible creatures with rich inner worlds, hilarious personalities, and loving spirits. However, this is not always how they are presented in society, and we want to do our small part to change that.

Our tentative name for our non-profit is Seattle to Seoul Cat Rescue, which represents a culmination of our time in the two places where we feel that we have had the most challenges, met our cat best friends, and lived the best lives. All donations to this GoFundMe will go towards the transportation costs for the colony, establishing our non-profit in Korea, taking care of the colony, helping other cats in Korea, and towards our cat cafe.

We are both firm believers in transparency and honesty, so we will track all donation dollars, and costs will be posted. If you've gotten this far, thank you for reading, thank you for caring, and if you can do one small thing for an animal today, please do.

-- Arie & Jesse

Co-Founders of S2S Cat Rescue Korea