Help Out on Holiday

Chico says...   Volunteering can just be a one off, but it can sew the seed of a real relationship between you, a group of animals and people which enrich your life and help the animals you care about.   A stray himself, Chico knows what it means to have a loving home and be well cared for.   Read about our holiday volunteering...   On holiday for a long weekend in the south of Spain, we visited and helped out with a very special charity. In the middle of Fuengirola, just outside Malaga, we spent a wonderful morning at the Asociación de Protección de Animales Domésticos, PAD for short. They have about 240 cats and 60 dogs in at the moment, and we spent the morning in the cattery.  First of all, it was cuddle and stroking time; and then we got more active, cleaning feeding and water bowls, mopping the floor, shaking up the beds and later putting down fresh water and lunch for about 15 very appreciative cats.   Photo courtesy of Stacey Gorden at PAD   We also spent some time talking to Barbara, President of the charity; and later we'll have a write up on her thoughts on ways you can help, whether you’re in Spain or not!   The charity currently has about 50 volunteers, of whom about 20 are regulars.  Many of these are people on holiday in the area, and a good number of the dogs find homes in Finland, thanks to the energies and devotion of a holiday maker to the region a few years ago.   It just shows, though, that even if you're away for a long weekend, you can get stuck in and lend a paw.  We could have just spent the time cuddling and stroking, or even brushing and grooming.  If we’d been more time pressed, we could have become members for 35 Euros and made a welcome contribution that way. One of the things we loved most during the morning was how much the cats welcomed our efforts.  Although many of them were shy at first, they quickly wanted to get to know us and one black and white cat particularly enjoyed playtime when we got busy with the mop.  He had a marvelous time playing with the ends of it; and even tried to grab a ride!  A ginger cat found his way onto our backs, and enjoyed stretching out around our necks.  All in all, a great morning, and we left feeling as though we’d done something hugely worthwhile, for which our efforts had been appreciated by both those running the centre and the cats themselves. The memory of our morning is far more meaningful than if we’d spend the morning just dozing on the beach or strolling round the shops, pleasant though that may have been. So the next time you're away...   Find out where the nearest charity is to where you're staying and make contact with them over the web site.  Find out if there is anything you can bring them or donate; or if you can give a morning of your free time to help.  In just a few short hours - 3 in the case above - you can: Make new friends, animal and human! Make a connection with a group of people and a cause which you can't get from visiting a web site Acquire a really great feel-good factor Help animals who need it Help those working to help animals Learn about animal welfare in a new part of the world and the problems animals face Turn caring for a cause into action for a cause.   For more info on PAD   Visit http://www.padcatsanddogs.org/  Why not become a member for just 35 euros?     Photo from PAD web site     We met Pretty (pictured above) when we arrived at PAD.  She gave us a lovely warm welcome with her waggy tail and "pleased to see you" smile!  We felt at home straight away.    Find an Animal Rescue Centre   Custom Search