DOGS’ DELIGHT

ARA (Animal Rescue Algarve) has a mission to make the world a better place for the oft-mistreated dogs of the Algarve. Safety and security, health and well-being are the priorities... and your help is needed to ensure a better life awaits the animals in the sanctuary’s care

In the hillside of Vale de Rosa, just north of Loulé, a fi ve-acre piece of land is the temporary home for up to 100 dogs at any one time – dogs that have been rescued from cruelty and neglect. From tiny unwanted puppies abandoned by the roadside or dumped in rubbish tips to older dogs who have been beaten and starved, these are the animals to whom love and kindness is life changing.

ARA is an offi cial association: Abrigo dos Animais, Associacao de Protecao de Animais. Three years ago its founder, Sid Richardson, took the decision to create a sanctuary for up to 200 animals in his lifetime, committing to provide the capital if local councils were prepared to help with ongoing costs. Both Loulé and São Brás showed an interest, and an initial willingness to support the project but, nothing has materialised.

Building a dream Twelve months ago, Sid, frustrated and saddened, decided to go the private route and do things his way to realise a long-held dream. ARA now can provide a short-term home and medical care for dogs and around 40 cats, and has onsite accommodation for 20 staff, the majority of whom are volunteers on the Work-Away programme. Staying for anything from a week to a month, they come from different backgrounds and countries across the globe but they have one thing in common – a shared desire to bring an end to the mis-treatment of animals.

Some 20% of volunteers, in fact, leave with a dog they have rescued and cared for while working at the sanctuary. Jessica, a 23-year-old volunteer arrived in February and is staying until August. She has fallen in love with Leila, a puppy of a badly traumatised hunter’s dog called Luna, and will adopt Leila when she leaves. Jessica is studying zoology and dreams of working in a place like ARA when she graduates. Happily Luna, through TLC at ARA, is a now transformed and is being adopted soon, too. Her journey through rehabilitation after not trusting humans, shaking and staring with haunted eyes, is nearly complete.

Where you come in ARA needs funding to keep up its work. Of course oneoff donations help the cause enormously, but regular contributions are vital – running costs just covering food, medication, sterilisation and re-homing exceed �180,000 a year. Grain-free dog food, plastic dog beds, rope toys, dog biscuits/treats, stainless-steel dog bowls and harnesses and leads are just a few of the items needed every month.

TALKING POINTS...

The ARA complex is impressive. There are super-sized fully-insulated eco-friendly kennels, large ‘social’ areas, enough staff for the most part to socialise and walk dogs twice a day, specially-designed washrooms, and soon-to-be-completed treatment rooms where animals can be vaccinated, micro-chipped, sterilised, and trained so that they can live better than ever before. The re-homing rate, ARA says, is three times better than the national average and that is a huge achievement.

Volunteers from within the community make a big difference, too, coming together as like-minded individuals who want to help. But so much more needs to be done. Government will hopefully meet its promise and one day soon deliver aid and amend planning laws regulating animal shelters. And there needs to be legal enforcement of sterilisation of animals allowed to roam free.

Be a dog’s best friend Arrange a visit / socialise or walk a dog / spread the awareness in the community / Join a WhatsApp (or email) group for volunteer dog walkers – call 912 306 182 for details

ARA Vale de Rosa Cabanita, 8100-910 Loule T: 910 476 885 / E: info@animalrescuealgarve.com W: animalrescuealgarve.com

The good news: In October 2018 the Portuguese government passed a law protecting animal rights and outlawing the euthanizing of healthy animals The bad news: They have provided neither the fi nance nor the infrastructure for this to work.