Monday, December 11, 2006

APAA FACES DIFFICULT CHALLENGE – URGENT NEW PREMISES APPEAL



OVER 800 PEOPLE CELEBRATED AT THE APAA’S (ASSOCIAÇÃO DE PROTECÇÃO ANIMAL DO ALGARGE) RECENT WORLD ANIMAL DAY EVENTS. IN PARTICULAR, THE ANNUAL SCRUFFTS ‘DOG OF THE YEAR’ SHOW. THE ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS ASSOCIATED TO THE UK’S RSPCA (ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS), RAISED AN ESTIMATED 3,000 EUROS ON THE DAY WHICH WILL GO TOWARDS THE SNIP (SPAYING AND NEUTERING IN PORTUGAL) CAMPAIGN, TREATMENT AND FOOD FOR THE ABANDONED DOGS AND CATS AT THE KENNELS.

HOWEVER, THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME THE ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES WORLD ANIMAL DAY IN ITS CURRENT LOCATION. ALTHOUGH THE APAA HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN FOR RESCUING ABANDONED ANIMALS IN THE ALGARVE, IT IS BEING FORCED TO LEAVE ITS CURRENT PREMISES BY MARCH 2007. THE ASSOCIATION’S ANIMAL RESCUE CENTRE IS ON LEASED LAND AND THE LANDLORD HAS INFORMED US THAT HE IS UNABLE TO EXTEND THE LEASE BEYOND MARCH 2007.

AT PRESENT THE ASSOCIATION IS ACTIVE IN VARIOUS AREAS OF ANIMAL PROTECTION, INCLUDING RESCUE, REHOMING, SPAYING AND NEUTERING. ARE THESE ACTIVITIES TO CONTINUE?

CLEARLY THE ASSOCIATION CAN ONLY CONTINUE AS AT PRESENT IF IT IS ABLE TO ACQUIRE LAND ON WHICH TO ESTABLISH A NEW RESCUE CENTRE. THIS WILL TAKE TIME, TO FIND SUITABLE LAND, AND TO RAISE THE NECESSARY FINANCE TO BUILD SHELTER FOR THE ANIMALS.

APAA HAS VAST EXPERIENCE AT REHOMING AND WE WORK HARD TO FIND NEW HOMES FOR THE MANY RESCUED ANIMALS IN OUR KENNELS.


WE WERE GRATEFUL WHEN SOS STRAYS ORGANISATION OFFERED TO HELP BY FOSTERING SOME OF THE APAA ANIMALS. THE AIM OF SOS STRAYS IS TO IMPROVE THE WELFARE OF STRAY ANIMALS IN COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. THE DOGS AND CATS ARE FIRST PLACED IN A NETWORK OF FOSTER HOMES AND SOS STRAYS FOLLOW A STRICT ADOPTION PROCEDURE FOR REHOMING. APAA HAS A COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DOGS AND CATS THAT HAVE BEEN REHOMED IN EUROPE.

WORKING CLOSELY WITH SOS STRAYS AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS IN EUROPE AND THE UK PET PASSPORT SCHEME TO FIND HOMES HAS HELPED TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS FACING THE ABANDONED DOGS AND CATS IN PORTUGAL.

SEVERAL DOGS HAVE ALREADY FOUND LOVING HOMES IN GERMANY VIA OUR VETERINARY CLINIC FERREL IN ESPICHE. THE GERMAN VET, HEIKE RAUTERBERG, WHO OWNS THE CLINIC HAS HELPED THE APAA TO FIND NEW HOMES FOR ITS DOGS, GIVING THE ASSOCIATION SEVERAL CONTACTS FOR KENNELS IN GERMANY.

IN THE MEANTIME, THE APAA IS DESPERATELY LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME FOR ITS KENNELS. IT CURRENTLY HAS 82 DOGS AND 24 CATS.

I HOPE THAT I HAVE EXPLAINED AS CLEARLY AS POSSIBLE THE SITUATION FACING THE ASSOCIATION. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY OTHER IDEAS OR SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE THEY WILL BE VERY WELCOME.

IDEALLY, WE REQUIRE AN AREA OF LAND IN THE ALGARVE REGION WITH WATER AND ELECTRICITY, SOME OUTBUILDINGS WOULD BE USEFUL BUT NOT ESSENTIAL

TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR THE 82 DOGS AND 24 CATS IN OUR CARE.


PLEASE CONTACT THE APAA BY TEL/FAX 00 351 282 471347 (PLEASE BE PREPARED TO LEAVE A MESSAGE AS WE DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO ‘MAN’ THE TELEPHONE) OR YOU CAN CALL/TEXT MOBILE 91 9368726 OR E MAIL SAFEHANDSBOARDINGKENNELS@CLIX.PT OR WRITE TO APAA, APARTADO 101, 8501 903 MEXILHOEIRA GRANDE, PORTUGAL.
Thank you,
Linda Pixley
(APAA's President)

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