Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary posted a couple of photos of their volunteer Terry Lauerman. In the photos, the 75-year-old was seen caring for the cats through cuddles while napping with them.
The shelter posted pictures of retiree Lauerman dozing off with some of their cats on their Facebook page. Those few photos not only helped the cats get adopted but also donations started pouring in. Founder of Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary Elizabeth Feldhausen says that the story of the "Catnapping grandpa" has raised enough funds in donations to cover the shelter for a year.
“I never thought my post would get this reaction,” she says. “All the people who work here are making jokes about it. Like, ‘Well, if we knew all we had to do was fall asleep, the last two years would’ve been a breeze.’”
A comment on the Facebook post by the shelter shares Lauerman's thoughts on his posts going viral,
"I just told Terry about this post having thousands of likes and surpassing 40,000 views....he was SHOCKED! I tried to explain to him that he's famous now. (I'm still shocked too) He said, "Now if all of those people would just donate $5 to help the kitties, that would make such a big difference!" He also said we should all pray for him to win the lottery so he can donate it to his cat friends. Oh, Terry. I want to come up with a trophy or award I can present to him at the Furry Tail Ball if any of you have a good idea! I'm thinking something with "Honorary Cat Grandpa". If you'd like to donate in honor of Terry's request here is the link: https://www.safehavenpet.org/donate/ I would LOVE to be able to tell him that he helped raise money for the kitties next time he comes in."