World, meet Lesley Lewins, a British woman who’s dedicated her life to helping stray cats in Oman. Lewins has apparently helped about 8,000 cats in Oman, and says that her work isn’t nearly done. It seems that helping out the cats in Muscat is more than just dedication – it also requires quite a lot of time and money.
The 62-year old Lewins move to Oman in 1992 after she found a job there. She always loved animals, but her passion for cats grew big when she moved to the Gulf nation. She began feeding stray cats and soon realized their numbers were increasing. Lewins decided it was time for action.
She had a friend in Spain working in an animal shelter who taught her how to trap and neuter cats. After a few unsuccessful weeks, Leslie eventually got the hang of the process and started trapping and neutering about 15 cats per week. However, the welfare group helping her couldn’t support her financially for a long time, so she began working on her own.
Soon afterwards, she got hold of a metal trap, and the rest, as she says, is history. Leslie Lewins promotes her work on Instagram in the hope of getting funds. She says that it’s not a one-man action – in fact, many people are helping her control the problem. Lewins assists at a vet clinic and gets discount for the neutering of the animals she brings in. In this way, she learned a lot about injuries, and can help many animals injured on the streets.
Even though her skills have obviously developed, the job didn’t get easier at all. Fundraising is illegal in Oman unless you’re a charity organization. Financially, Leslie has a lot of problems as the job requires more than just sheer determination. She says that it even affects her sleep, as she’s out on the streets trapping cats all night long and bringing them to the vet. It’s a tough job, but one that Lewins feels needs to be done to fight overpopulation.
