Shares and Affections

This new project is innovative in the region and in the country, due to its social aspect. Not only do we help the big boys, we will also help people. Curious?

The development of this project was born together with the need to relocate the current kennel/cattery that the Association occupies on private land and within the village at Estação de Ourique, about 15 km from Castro Verde. The Association houses animals from 4 municipalities: Castro Verde, Almodôvar, Ourique and Aljustrel.

The physical distance from the kennel/cattery makes it difficult to recruit volunteers to help monitor the bigeyes and carry out maintenance activities in the space.

The shelter has been full for several months and almost daily we receive requests for help from people who are no longer able to take care of their pets or requests for help in relation to bigeyes that have been abandoned. Unfortunately, COVID-19 came to destabilize many homes and families, including those who had pets. Many people became unemployed and failed to meet the necessary conditions to house a pet, so we were sought out by many families.

Castro Verde City Council became aware of this and granted a hectare of land to the Association, about 1 km from the center of the village and close to the population that is our focus: the elderly and school-age children.

This project is innovative in the region and in the country, because we want it to be social. Three aspects stand out:

1. We want to contribute to the satisfaction and happiness of the most senior population: We will take the shelter residents to this population so that they can become Temporary Care Families; We will carry out activities targeted and adapted to this age group, including partnerships with senior centers;

2. Assist the development of children with educational needs and neurodevelopment problems: Carry out a protocol with a specialized entity, Mind the Dog; Collaborate with schools in citizenship education;

3. Help the integration or social adaptation of other groups with specific needs or problems: Carry out protocols with behavioral therapeutic intervention entities; Partnerships with social solidarity institutions; Adults with behavioral and/or registration problems; Adults with physical disabilities; Unemployed adults or in a depressive phase of their lives.

Thus, we intend to sensitize society to the importance of responsible adoption and try to reduce abandonment.

About the author

The Kennel and Cattery Association “Os Rafeiritos do Alentejo”, headquartered in Castro Verde, Beja district, was created in 2002 and welcomes abandoned domestic animals from the municipalities of Castro Verde, Almodôvar, Ourique and Aljustrel.

At the moment, our shelter has been full for several months, so all the help is needed so that we can continue to provide the best living conditions to the bigeyes that are in the shelter and to the many who will cross paths with us.

Budget and due dates

The money raised is intended for the purchase of materials for the construction of the new space based in Castro Verde, its implementation will be immediate.

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