CHINA – Weng Xiaoping, a formerly renowned doctor in China, is spending her retirement caring for stray cats and dogs. In what may seem like an unthinkable act to most people on the planet, Weng sold two of her properties for 1.8 million yuan (almost $300,000) immediately after she retired and decided to use all of that money to fund her new mission in life.
With the money in hand, Xiaopang moved up into the mountainous village of Taipingqiao, near Huzhou city, to build a sanctuary for unwanted dogs and cats. In just the past eight years, she has adopted and cared for hundreds of animals. She has also hired two assistants, using her pension of 7,000 yuan per month to pay them for their assistance.
“These little animals need 18 buckets of rice for one meal and they eat up 50 kilograms of rice every day,” the 62-year-old told People’s Daily Online. “I have to spend over 7,000 yuan on food for them every month. Thanks to the volunteers and kind-hearted persons, I can sustain until now.”
But Weng Xiaoping’s self-funded animal rescue isn’t merely about feeding stray animals. The place is a haven where cats and dogs no longer have suffer from diseases, abuse and even slaughter.
For now, Xiaoping’s main concern is finding someone to take over the shelter when she becomes too old to continue. She owns the lease to the land where the sanctuary is built for the next 30 years, so she’s also concerned about what will happen when that time is up.
“I have struggled for years to look after these stray animals,” she said. “I really hope that a competent and nice person will inherit the base from me when I am old one day.”
In our book here at The Best Cat Page, Weng Xiaoping, you are a hero and we thank you for all that you do!
