A group of felines greets visitors near the entrance of the cat sanctuary.
(L-R) Ariel Milrad, Ulla Oest, Thomas Raabe and Benilda Milrad at God’s Creatures
Great and Small Sanctuary in rural Lake Worth.
Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Arden Moore
Entering her retirement years in 2004, Ulla Oest enjoyed the financial security of having savings in the bank and a home with a paid-off mortgage.
But then she learned of a cat sanctuary in Lake Worth that was about to be closed, with the dozens of cats residing on this five-acre property facing eviction — or worse, euthanasia. Feeling a strong desire to help, she persuaded her husband, Ronald, to sell their home in Pompano Beach and take out a mortgage to obtain what she calls God’s Creatures Great and Small Sanctuary in rural Lake Worth near U.S. 441.
A dozen years later, Oest, now 75, and her husband, who just turned 80, lack the same financial security, but feel blessed and enriched as they live on the property.
“When I heard that 150 cats were about to lose their lives, I had to do something,” Oest says. “This is my Mount Everest mission. We applied the $390,000 from the sale of our place in Pompano Beach toward this property that cost $600,000. So yes, now at our ages, we have a mortgage again.”
Born in 1941 in Nazi Germany, Oest spent her first four years living in bomb shelters to keep safe. When her father, a firefighter, befriended a Jewish neighbor, he was deemed a traitor to the “fatherland” and shipped to the Russian front. He survived the war, but struggled to get jobs to feed his family.
“He was 20 pounds underweight with his ribs showing and then he managed to reach out to an uncle living in New Jersey, and in 1954, that uncle sponsored us to come to the United States,” recalls Oest.
She did not speak a word of English when she stepped onto American soil, but by age 19, she had obtained American citizenship and felt pride for her adopted nation.
“I love America and, for the first time in my life, I was not hungry anymore,” says Oest, who worked as a telephone operator, a gymnastics teacher and at other jobs throughout her life.
Being saved — and saving others — has become Oest’s lifelong mantra.
In 1989, she and her husband adopted a 10-year-old orphan from the Philippines. Their daughter, Benilda Milrad, is now married, with two children, Noah and Ariel, and lives in Coral Springs.
The mother-daughter connection between Ulla and Benilda has been strong and solid since that adoption day.
“She is my miracle, my absolute joy,” describes Oest. “A Fallopian tube burst when I was seven weeks pregnant and I was never able to give birth. We were able to later on adopt Benilda and she has been such a blessing in so many ways.”
For a dozen years, Oest has quietly championed the cause of strays and feral cats living safely at her animal sanctuary. Currently, there are about 60 cats on the property. Sitting on the table next to her is Morris, a big-headed orange tabby rescued from living under a car. Morris is missing some teeth and drools, but Oest loves his sweet disposition.
There is Bunny, a cat who spent her first four months of life trapped in a crate; Seummilla, a laid-back cat with a crippled tail; and Sidney, a handsome, all-black cat named in honor of actor Sidney Poitier.
Assisting the Oests in the care of the cats is Thomas Raabe, who lives on the property, and their daughter, who ensures the sanctuary’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit status remains current.
“I do not have email or use the internet, but my daughter does those duties and Thomas is a good cook and a nice, kind man,” says Oest. “We cannot afford to pay him, but we provide him with free rent and utilities. We are fortunate.”
The sanctuary features many feeding stations and enclosures with a special type of nylon netting to keep the cats from wandering outside the property. Oest transports cats in need of vaccinations, spaying, neutering and other medical attention to the Animal Medical Clinic of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach.
“Oh, yes, she has been bringing cats here for care for about 12 years,” notes Lisa Anselmo, the main receptionist. “Ulla is a nice person and any time her cats need help, like dental problems, abscesses or anything else, she comes here.”
Oest candidly acknowledges that money is tight, but she has never regretted her decision to leave a paid-for home to run this cat sanctuary.
“I had a very hard childhood and then I lost my baby seven weeks into my pregnancy,” she says. “But I have a T-shirt that features the words, ‘Pursuing a dream heals a broken heart.’ This sanctuary, caring for these cats, has done much to heal my heart as has adopting our daughter. I feel lucky to pursue my purpose in life.”
Arden Moore, founder of www.FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and master certified pet first aid instructor. Each week, she hosts the popular Oh Behave! show on www.PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting www.fourleggedlife.com.
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