Our Story
Russell Easby-Smith had two dreams from his teen years: animal welfare and sailing. After sailing the Caribbean for over a decade, he settled in Bocas del Toro, Panama, where he dedicated himself to caring for street animals, one at a time.
After a few years in Bocas, he earned the nickname “Papá Gato”, or "Cat Dad," as the animals followed him everywhere, knowing he always had food for them.
While the stray animal population in Bocas has always been bad, it became especially apparent during the pandemic. In response, Russell would raise money for one street animal at a time to get them spayed or neutered.
In 2021, a feral colony of cats was identified which sparked the idea of an organized clinic, rather than helping one animal at a time. Russell, along with Ciska Ventner, Megan Ward and Jana Köbel, started hiring local vets and enlisting volunteers, and thus Papá Gato Animal Welfare was born.
What started as one man’s vision to solve a stray animal problem has now become a fully-functioning, permanent spay and neuter clinic.
