Each year Paws 4 Pets choose a charity to help with the proceeds from the Algarve Dog Show. This year we have chosen Canil de São Francisco de Assis.
Lilo from Canil de Sao Francisco de Assis has very kindly shared some background information about the charities history and future projects.
“Our “Associação dos Amigos dos Animais Abandonados de Loulé” was founded 25th of June 1981 (our 33rd Birthday this year) to take the animals, at that time, mostly dogs, from the streets, beaches, hills etc. into our care, mainly for castration/sterilization.
Only 20 months later on 19th of February 1983 we were able to open our shelter Canil de Sao Francisco de Assis. On that day we started with 5 dogs ! But long before we had already castrated/sterilized hundreds of dogs and cats. We had the wonderful help of the late Mr. Van Rietschoten and the late co-founder Maria Luisa, to have all operated animals for the necessary recovering time at his property.
Once we had the proper installation at our shelter we started to have cats and donkeys, mules and horses as well.
No one in our days can imagine what the daily task was at the Canil, the ground was earth and twice the small stream nearby coming down from the pilgrimage-church went over its edges and our whole property was flooded…..but no animals ever got in trouble!
In 1992 we got a great “present” from a German friend, the piece of land which was supposed to be for a cattery, but again the Authorities did not give permission and it ended up as (officially a storage for the dog-part) the donkey run. In 1993 the conditions of the dog kennels got much better as a Swiss friend sponsored the cementing of the runs and temporary sewage installations. All the time animals where arriving from all over the Algarve and money was (and is) always short but we never stopped helping and neutering.
In the beginning of this century we again had a great surprise, another Swiss lady bought the “middle”-land between the dogs and the donkeys for us. It made a big difference to our work, as we have now one big piece as ours (1 hectare).
Seven years ago we got a wonderful help from anonymous friends which got us a proper quarantine, sewage-installation was problem finally solved , 3 dog-runs rebuilt and other repairs done. In the meantime we also got an OP-container and a part-time Vet, from the same good people.
We have been very lucky but anybody who knows what the running of a shelter means will know what it costs to pay the food, medication, vet. bills (yes, we work permanently with 2 more vet-clinics), salaries, official taxes, insurance, transport etc. etc.
Of course we would never have survived without the help of the foreigners and a few local friends and the municipality of Loulé. We are in a difficult position of mentioning any names of all the people which helped during the nearly 33 years so we would like to thank everybody which helped in a small or big way. We are also grateful to all the other animal protection associations in the Algarve for their valuable support towards the innumerous strays.
Our future project is a “Castro-Mobile”, as our friend (Vet) in Italy has for many years. It means an altered, fully equipped van, which drives to the country side to people with no resources to pay for castrations!”
A big thank you to Lilo for the information. As we all know the daily running costs are high for the animal shelters and it is our support with these daily costs that keeps them going.
So come along and join us at the Algarve Dog Show. By entering a class at the dog show you will be directly helping the charity as all proceeds will go to the charity. And you and your four footed friend can have a fun day out, with the chance to wins some lovely prizes, rosettes and cups.
You need to bring your dogs vaccine document. The vet will have the right to exclude you if you do not have this with you. You have to have the microchip number and up to date rabies vaccination to enter.
Best Paws Forward!
©2014 Paws 4 Pets
T: 917 152 209
W: www.paws4pets.pt
