Elizabeth “Ellie” Rodewald first arrived in China in 2016 to complete a two-year internship in the sunny city of Zhuhai. Little did she know then that a few years later, she’d be running an organization with a heart, with no other goal but to help stray animals living on the streets of Beijing.
Compassion and a genuine love for animals was the main reason for Ellie and Sorcha Moore-Smith partnering up and launching Furry Tales in December of 2021. “The name is actually a spin-off of ‘fairy tales’, since our goal is to provide our animals with storybook endings,” says Ellie. “We’ve rescued a total of 249 animals around China so far.”
Ellie says she can’t pick her favorite out of these 249 cats and dogs, but the rescue she’s most attached to is Ripley.
Ellie and Ripley
“Ripley was found abandoned outside an apartment. [He was] most likely a pet, but he was discarded after some type of abuse. He now suffers from head shakes and severe incontinence, so he must wear a diaper.”
Furry Tales has no physical address; it’s run from the homes of good people of Beijing. Ellie says: “We do not have a shelter, as securing land and a facility would be expensive and would probably end up being reported by community members if many dogs living together bark, so instead we rely on fosters around the city to care for our animals. This way, it also prepares the animals for living in a home with children, and adults young and old with working schedules, etc.”
Other than not having a physical location to run the business from, Furry Tales also completely relies on Ellie, Sorcha and their volunteers to get the work done. “We have a few volunteers who help us take photos at events, plan fundraisers and design and sell merchandise for us, but it’s mainly Sorcha and I operating things on a day-to-day basis,” says Ellie.
To raise money for their animal rescue, and to be able to pay veterinary bills, Ellie and Sorcha often team up with local vendors and host fundraisers throughout Beijing.
“We’ve had quiz night crossovers with Beijing bars, [and]two adoption events at Plan B. We’ve held a Halloween party at Side Street (Jiudaokou) and our annual anniversary party at The Local. Peach has also hosted Sip ‘n’ Paint events for us as well,” continues Ellie.
Quiz night at The Local
Students from international and bilingual schools have also shown their support to the cause and stepped up by hosting fundraisers selling chocolate, as well as organizing a 5k charity walk – and all of their donations go toward the animals’ veterinary bills.
A charity walk for Furry Tales
Ellie and Sorcha also organize an annual “Doga” event, a super fun way to spend a morning doing yoga with your special furry friend. There are ten spots available, and according to Ellie: “Yoga experience is not required for human or dog.”
Other than finding ways to raise enough money, running an animal rescue organization brings other challenges as well. “The most difficult aspect of running an animal rescue organization is people who message us after finding an animal outside and expect us to immediately drop everything to go get the animal. Sorcha and I have full-time jobs, families, our own animals, hobbies, etc., so we hope to use our platform and experience to provide advice for first-time rescuers and also give them the confidence and knowledge to help the animal themselves.”
To help others understand the process better, Ellie even created a step-by-step guide to assist people when they find an animal outside. “We all can play a part in animal rescue. We are not like a government-funded organization back home; we are volunteers ourselves and other rescuers are swamped with animals, so it’s really helpful when community members step up to the plate to help in any way they can (i.e. taking [the animals]off the street and out of harm’s way, bringing them to the vet, providing them with treatment, finding a foster etc).”
“Our goal is to educate the public about the “Adopt, Don’t Shop” movement, which encourages people to put breeders with unethical practices out of business by refusing to buy pets from them. We also hope that we can inspire people to stop when they see a stray animal and try to help in any way they can – provide it with cold weather shelter to protect it from the elements, set out food and water bowls, try to trap/catch it in order to spay/neuter, and then prepare for adoption if friendly.”
Furry Tales is currently looking for summer fosters, so if you’re staying in Beijing, show your empathy and kindness by temporarily taking care of one of the cuties from the poster below. It won’t cost you a dime, and you’ll get all the assistance you need: supplies, WeChat support, training tips and medical care reimbursement. If you’re interested in becoming a foster to Cider, Dumpling, Pedro, Floki, Rusty, Cheddar, Stacy or Bo, scan the QR code on the poster.
There is also a fun upcoming event in Beijing with all proceeds going to Furry Tales, so don’t miss out on your chance to help our furry friends find their forever homes.
Images: Elizabeth Rodewald
