New West fundraiser to be supervised by ‘internet’s saddest cat’

Imagine making a Turkish lamp or a candle holder – while being supervised by one of the most famous cats in the world.

BenBen, dubbed the internet’s saddest cat, will be at the Turkish Mosaic Workshop’s fundraising event on Sunday June 5. Half of the funds raised from sales will go towards New Westminster Animal Shelter (NWAS), as it and Bosley’s continues to help animals in need. 

BenBen inadvertently became a celebrity when his photo was posted online in 2016 because no one initially wanted to adopt him. A day before he was set to be put down, his current owners scooped him up. BenBen and his family have been committed to giving back ever since. 

“This is actually the kick-off for a month of fundraising,” explains Karima Jivraj, who owns the Bosley’s in Columbia Square. “The goal all month long is to collect dog food, cat food, wet and dry litter, and cash for the animals in our community.”

The event also doubles as a way to test the waters of making a Turkish Lamp. Jivraj recently tried it herself and said it was incredibly fun.

“I was so curious, and I kind of coerced my friends into going. It was a really neat experience: they gave us some tea and snacks, and we had the chance to make these really beautiful and interesting lamps.” She loved it so much, she asked the man running the workshop if they’d ever host a fundraiser.

“He had one condition: bring BenBen!” she recalls with a laugh, calling the cat the ‘unofficial supervisor’ of the event. 

After much planning, plotting, and checking to make sure BenBen’s schedule was open, the stars aligned. Now, the group hopes this event will put them closer to the more than $6,000 they’re looking to raise for the month. Money, food, treats and other needs will go to an important community event to help local animals. 

“When we do the New West Animal Services community outreach event, this will allow us to give products to people who might need a helping hand,” says Jivraj. “Along with that event, we’ll be showing off some of the animals who are available for adoption throughout the month. We don’t bring them into the store because it can be stressful, but we have posters people can take a look at.”

The outreach event, which is happening on June 26 at Moody Park, helps people access vet services, toys and food for their animals. “So, for instance, if Duke the dog chewed up all his tennis balls,” says Jivraj, “and Duke’s human hasn’t been able to get him some new ones, we can give some tennis balls to Duke to play with.” 

NWAS has been extremely busy with a recent run of rabbits arriving at their shelter. While dogs and cats are available for adoption, NWAS is hoping people will consider other animals, too – like rabbits and guinea pigs. 

To learn more about the events taking place throughout the month of June, or how to help, visit the Bosley’s Columbia website, Instagram and/or Twitter.