A tribute and appeal from Jackie Billings, member of the Association for the Protection of Animals in the Algarve (APAA)
It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden death of our Helpline Manager, Zélia Santos.
I found her in bed at her home on the morning of Christmas Eve. The cause of her death is not yet confirmed, but it looked as if she didn’t suffer.
Zélia pretty much devoted her life to caring for animals and so she will be greatly missed, not just by her family and her colleagues in APAA, but by the many friends she had amongst other animal carers throughout Portugal.
With Jenny’s help, I will continue to care for her many animals, but we desperately need to find homes for them as I cannot do this indefinitely. At the time of writing, there are six dogs and around 30 cats of various ages.
Could you adopt one of these animals that Zélia loved so much?
If so, please call either me on 912 651 819 (English speakers only) or Jenny Clarke on 919 041 903 for more details.
We will also need someone to volunteer to take over manning the Helpline. It needs to be someone who can speak both English and Portuguese, so if you feel you would like to help in this way, please call either me or Jenny for more information on what the role entails.
RIP Zélia. You left us much too soon.
By Jackie Billings
