LONDON

Two friends from Putney, south London, have made it their mission to care for injured and stray animals, sharing their homes with cats and wild birds in need.

Sarah Tyler and Pauline Taylor, who live just a hundred meters (328 feet) apart, have dedicated their lives to animals left abandoned, injured, or orphaned.

Pauline Taylor, 84, shares her two-bedroom house with an owl named Dolly, a dog named Monty, a 14-year-old magpie, a cat, a pigeon, and a lizard. Over the past 35 years, she has rehabilitated wild birds and released them back into their natural habitats while maintaining a close friendship with her neighbor Tyler, whom she met two years ago.

Sarah Tyler, 50, has been rescuing and caring for stray and injured cats for 13 years and currently shares her home with nine cats.

In an interview with Anadolu, the two animal lovers shared how their passion for helping animals brought them together and gave them a deep bond.

Rescuing birds for over 35 years

Taylor began caring for injured wild birds 35 years ago. “Both people brought injured birds to me, and I also bought birds in need,” she said.

She described her efforts in Yorkshire, where she lived for 10 years, saying, “I trained, treated, and released owls and other birds like hawks, eagles, and kestrels. The big owl you saw in the kitchen, Emma, and a buzzard—I handled them very well. I rescued loads of birds, rehabilitated them, and released them back into the wild. I’ve done it ever since, but only on a small scale now because I don’t have the room to do more.”

Taylor explained that she mostly cares for pigeons nowadays and that locals bring injured birds to her for help. “I’ve got a cage ready in the bedroom, antibiotics, antiseptic—I just deal with it myself. I’ve worked with vets in Yorkshire who provided antibiotics. I’ve done well with an awful lot.”

Despite the challenges, Taylor finds fulfillment in her work: “I love it—the more, the merrier. Without it, I’d be lost. I need something to care for, to bring on, and release.”

Abandoned cat brought friends together

Unlike Taylor, Tyler focuses on pets. Her journey with cats began in 2012 when she adopted a friend’s cat after they passed away. “I just knew that one cat was never going to be enough,” she said.

Tyler has since rescued several cats from shelters and other situations. “At the moment, we have nine cats. Arabella, who’s been with us the longest, came to us in 2013 from an unsuitable situation.”

Some cats found their way to her home on their own. “Julius and Zeus climbed over our cat-protected garden to live with us. Last summer, a neighbor shared a stray cat and her five kittens born in a garden,” Tyler recounted.

While she occasionally gives cats up for adoption, Tyler ensures they go to loving homes.

Tyler and Taylor’s friendship began with a lost cat. “Just over two years ago, Julius started coming into our garden. I put a paper collar around his neck, and Pauline called me after the second collar. She said, ‘I’ve been feeding him—he’s been abandoned.’ That’s how we met.”

Their connection was instant. “It was so fortuitous because we immediately connected over our shared love for animals. I just thought, here we go; I’ve found a soulmate. We see eye to eye about all the most important things,” Tyler said, adding that they have been taking care of each other ever since.

*Writing by Efe Ozkan​​​​​​​