A woman who helps OAPs re-home their pets before they pass away has celebrated her 100th adoption and says the scheme gives the elderly "peace of mind". "

Angela Rafuse, 28, was inspired to create her charity after her grandfather, Byron, 85, passed away - leaving her late grandmother Esther's cat, Mackenzie, 19, without a home.

None of Angela's relatives had capacity to take on the responsibility - so she decided to take the calico cat in herself.

After a bad break up, Angela moved home from Toronto to live with her parents, Peter, 60, and Vivian, 57, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and shared the basement with the "grumpy" moggie."

Mackenzie warmed to her new owner after lots of love and attention, inspiring Angela to start a new venture.

She now helps seniors re-home their pets if they wish to enter a retirement home or are terminally ill.

Angela started the venture - called 'My Grandfather's Cat' - in May 2021, during the pandemic.

She has since helped 100 old people and their pets - including a terminally ill woman who chose to end her life through assisted dying.

Angela, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, said: "When my grandfather passed away, he was caring for my grandmother Esther's cat called Mackenzie."

"He passed away in December 2019, aged 85, and the cat was 14 years old."

"We needed a home for Mackenzie, and we reached out to friends and family, but for whatever reason, nobody could adopt her."

"The only options left were taking her to a shelter or me adopting her."

"My life was very unstable I was going through a bad break up and I moved back home from Toronto to Halifax."

"I was processing the grief and heartbreak of a breakup and losing my grandfather, but I had to take her."

According to Angela, Mackenzie was a "grumpy" cat and hissed a lot, but she soon learned the feline was just scared."

Angela and Mackenzie lived in her parent's basement for a year-and-a-half, and she started posting videos on TikTok.

Soon the duo grew a following of 656k people - and many commented explaining how their grandparent's pets had to go into shelters after they passed.

Angela said: "It was like a divine intervention - I knew this is what I should do."

"We had 30k followers at that point and I thought 'I can launch it on TikTok, there were so many people in need'. "

Angela launched the venture on May 18, 2021, on her late grandfather's birthday.

She added: "It's truly been an honour for people to trust us and I have an amazing team of volunteers."

"It gives me so much purpose in life."

Most seniors are referred to 'My Grandfather's Cat' through retirement and care homes or shelters.

Angela said: "Often when a senior puts a name on a list for a retirement or nursing home, they get referred to us."

"They submit an application so they can get started and work with a volunteer who helps them write a profile that we put onto socials."

"We then interview people that might be interested and find out who is a good fit."

"We find out who is good for the senior and pet - and the senior has the opportunity to interview the family too."

"The senior then picks their pet's second forever home."

The scheme operates an open adoption policy - so the adoptees can stay in touch with the new owner who will share updates.

One case Angela will never forget is when she helped a woman who had terminal cancer and underwent euthanasia.

She said: "We helped her find a new home for her cats, Koko and Lily, and she chose a lovely multi-generational home with two seniors, their daughter and grandson."

"It's heartbreaking what we do but she passed away knowing her best friends had the best home."

"This was the last and most important thing on her to do list."