Today we’d like to introduce you to Tori Viola and Lora Lakanal.
Tori and Lora, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Namastray was founded by two women, Lora Lakanal and Tori Viola, and our story begins about five years ago. We met working as makeup artists at Sephora. We both spent majority of our adulthood careers in the beauty industry. Outside of work, we found a lot of purpose within our hobbies and volunteering. Lora was training to be a yoga instructor and I was a dog walker at a local animal shelter. We would always ask each other, “how could these interests become our real jobs?”
The first time we both agreed that YES, we could really do this – we were watching the sunset in Balboa Park. A cat strolled out of the garden like she had heard our conversation, rubbed against on our legs and surprised us with the sign we were looking for. That was it, the cats had spoken. So Lora left her corporate job and moved across the country from Philadelphia to join me here in San Diego, where we are opening Namastray Nonprofit Cat Rescue & Lounge. It’s through Namastray that we will finally be combining our love for human wellness and animal welfare.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a nonprofit organization certainly comes with a unique set of challenges. Not every cat cafe is a nonprofit organization, many are for profit cafes that partner with a nonprofit rescue. It doesn’t take away from the amazing work that they do. It’s just wasn’t our personal path, being our own rescue was a priority for Namastray. A nonprofit organization’s success relies on the support of their community. There is no “real” owner, we are an organization that exists to serve the community.
We will run on volunteers, which is tougher than any for profit business who can use financial incentives to attract people or drive their performance. It sounds hippy-dippy, but we run on love. There’s a lot of heart required in this line of work. The best advice we have for any young woman is to fully appreciate the importance of the work that you do. You either work on your dreams, or you keep dreaming. It all starts with a plan, you have to commit, and you have to follow through. It’s going to be really fucking hard but it will always be worth it. The only regret we have is not doing this sooner.
Please tell us about Namastray.
Our mission is to remove at-risk cats from shelters and into forever homes. The harsh reality is that cats are the most euthanized animals after placed in shelters, in fact, 70% will not make it out alive.
Our hope is that Namastray will help to shape the future of animal rescue and adoption as we know it. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cat rescue operating as a cat lounge, yoga studio and boutique. We were inspired by the incredible cat cafes all around the world who are literally reshaping pet adoption! Shelters can be very stressful for a homeless pet and many are unable to thrive in that environment.
Namastray will serve as a foster home while our team works to find placement for all of the cats and kittens in our care. A zen space free of cages allows guests to interact with the cats in a natural setting. Simply petting a cat not only relaxes the animal, but your body also releases endorphins, your brain’s natural painkiller. We will offer many sorts of workshops, yoga and meditation classes among the adoptable cats. Cat yoga is not a brand new concept and most cat cafes offer it, but for Namastray, it will be a focal to aid in cat adoption success rate.
If you practice yoga and have a cat, you have definitely done cat yoga! The moment you roll out your mat, their inquisitive nature can not resist. Cats really are the original zen masters and it’s amusing how hard we as humans have to try to reach their level mindfulness.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
We grew up in Pennsylvania, both of us animal lovers with distinct childhood memories of our first tough animal encounters. Lora was raised in a home that was never without a rescue cat or even multiple cats at times. When I was very young, I was playing on a farm and I found a kitten. A very, very sick kitten. Her eyes were infected and crusted shut, she was frail and I knew she was dying. I held her close to me and we told the owner of the farm. He didn’t even blink, he said “it’s just a barn cat” I begged my family we had to take her.
Again, no one flinched…” this is just nature, this is the circle of life, that’s just a barn cat”. I wailed the whole ride home. I haven’t thought about this in a while and I’m feeling emotional just remembering how distraught I was. I couldn’t understand how little everyone seemed to care about this little life. Not being able to look away from the suffering in the world may be both a blessing and a curse but it has shaped everything we believe in.
We now live in an amazing city that is so fortunate to have so many supportive programs that help homeless pets. Because of this our rescue cats may come to us from all over the place, not just here in San Diego. Every single day healthy pets are euthanized due to lack of space. If you take anything at all away from this interview- please, please, PLEASE, stop buying pets. Always choose adoption, you are the only hope they have. Join us in creating a mindful approach to cat adoption by supporting Namastray and following our journey on social media.
Contact Info:
- Website: Namastraysd.org
- Email: namastraysd@gmail.com
- Instagram: @namastraycatlounge
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/namastraycatlounge/
Image Credit:
DJ McAuley
Mario J. Rivera
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
