A permanent structure for the cats of the Balearics
Established in 2026, the Roger Claessens Foundation exists to turn a scattered effort into a professional, stable and verifiable response.
Who Roger Claessens was
“Which cat has been here the longest? Because that’s the one I’m taking.”
Roger Claessens, at a shelter, as a young man
As a young man, Roger Claessens walked into a shelter with a single question: which cat had been waiting there the longest. He left with Cezar, a black cat with big ears and an even bigger nose, who lived eighteen years treated like the emperor he was named after. It was the beginning of a life devoted to animals.
When the family moved to a house with a garden, Mercedes arrived — the first stray — and many more followed. So did fish, water turtles, for whom he built a pond, hamsters and rabbits. Every animal was given freshly diced fruit and vegetables each day. When his rabbits developed dental problems, he drove two hours there and two hours back to a specialist clinic once a month, and for years he hand-fed them with a pipette three or four times a day so they would not lose weight. As he grew older his respect for animal life deepened further, until he became vegan.
He tried to play the strict father, but with animals he always lost. When his daughter found a stray cat on holiday in France and kept asking whether she could bring him home, the answer was a firm no — until one morning he wrote: “What do you think of the name Socrates?” The cat travelled to Belgium. Not long after, his wife came back from Croatia with Eros, another stray. Roger held his breath every time the two of them went on holiday.
Roger passed that way of seeing animals on to his daughter Kim. After his death she wanted to give what he left behind a purpose he would have defended without hesitation. That is how this Foundation came about, and where its name comes from.
Every cat that arrives at the centre will receive the care and protection Roger gave animals all his life.
Our charitable purpose
"To devote the necessary resources and the income generated by the Foundation to promoting and developing social, cultural, charitable, care and educational work for the protection and care of cats that have been abandoned, are sick, or have suffered mistreatment and require veterinary attention, safeguarding the welfare of the animals."
The Foundation’s charitable purpose, as set out in its Statutes
Vision
That in the Balearic Islands no abandoned cat is left without veterinary care or without a real chance of finding a home.
Welfare before capacity
We would rather take in fewer animals and do it properly: enough space, veterinary standards and socialisation before every adoption.
Cooperation, not substitution
We work with town councils, clinics and local organisations to complement public resources, not to replace them.
The Board of Trustees
The Board is the governing and representative body of the Foundation. Its members hold office on an unpaid basis.
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President and founder
Kim Martine Claessens
Founder of the organisation. She leads the animal-welfare criteria of the centre and its relationship with the rescue and fostering network in Ibiza.
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Secretary
Amadeo Tapia López
Consulting-sector entrepreneur. He is the custodian of the Foundation's records, takes the minutes of the Board and certifies its resolutions.
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Managing Director
Joan Francesc Puyol Bosch
Marketing and design entrepreneur. He coordinates the delivery of the action plan, the development of the project and the dialogue with public authorities and partners.
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Trustee
Sylvia Greiter Loerzer
Teacher and founder of ACFE, the Associació de Colònies Felines d'Eivissa. She drives the education and awareness programmes and the relationship with the island's animal-protection organisations.
Help us build the sanctuary
Every contribution becomes veterinary care, food and a safe place for cats that have none today. You can also help by giving your time.