Charity History, Vision & Objectives
Meet Nina, the charity’s founder
Until her death in 1987, Mrs (Edna) Nina Pearson was a well known and respected English widow, resident in Monte Gordo, Algarve, Portugal, shown here outside her villa “The House of Cats”, located in Monte Gordo.
Nina had previously enjoyed both successful & varied musical and business lifestyles within the UK, then subsequently in the 1960s moved to the Algarve to enjoy both her business retirement and the opportunities and sunshine that Portugal was able to provide.
Nina was very well known within Eastern Algarve and particularly Monte Gordo, particularly for helping the many sick, injured and stray animals that had always been, and continue to be, dependent upon the kindness and love of both Portuguese locals and expatriates. She was beloved by many locals and expat residents, affectionally being called "the Cat Woman of Monte Gordo", a title she was happy to have bestowed upon her.
During her many years in Portugal Nina worked tirelessly with several other local expatriate friends to establish feeding and treatment routines for the waifs and strays, partly funded by afternoon tea-dances and also singing sessions that she hosted within her villa gardens.
Nina’s Vision
Part of Nina’s vision was to eventually establish a clinic and treatment centre within her villa, able to help to reduce the awful plight of so many semi-feral cats and street dogs that, now as then, continued to both exist and suffer.
Nina particularly foresaw the great benefit in developing and maintaining regular neuter and Spay programmes that would gradually ease ever increasing suffering and burden to the animal population, combined with encouraging education of the local community.
Both our original Portuguese Dispensario De Saude as Animais charity and successor organization, Dispencario Portugues De Saude As Animais, remain indebted for her vision, early guidance and foresight.