Legacy for Pets – sign up now!
“I see that we don’t always make it our priority as most of us don’t like to think about the inevitable: i.e., what will happen when we get old or die. It is something we all need to face up to, our immortality, whatever age we are. Something we need to prioritise.” Wise words from APAA’s Anita Wight, acting ambassador for Animal Rescue Algarve (ARA).
Association for the Protection of Animals in the Algarve (APAA) and Animal Rescue Algarve, an unlikely but extremely successful ‘combo’.
ARA’s beautiful idyllic shelter ‘Cabanita’ near Loulé, and long-running animal protection association APAA, garnering their ideas and coming up with ‘Legacy Pet Plan’. Anita smiles. “Legacy, Legacy for Pets … So many names! But in a nutshell, it is an insurance for you, a pet owner to accept that one day something just may happen, and your pet(s) will possibly be left out in the cold.”
Anita, along with APAA’s president, Jenny, have both signed up and were probably the rescuers of ARA’s Sid Richardson’s brainchild. “A melding of minds.” As Sid and his team know only too well, the throughput of animals is shocking. “It doesn’t get better. Luckily, the team find homes fairly quickly. We sometimes see almost 30 animals arriving in a month, and 20-something being re-homed.”
The sad fact the team faces is that most of these beautiful animals could have been saved the disastrous catalogue of events by their owners having joined their ‘Legacy Pet Plan’.
Anita has been on the road for a couple of months now, visiting associations, groups and individuals to talk about the plan and how it works. “There are a few misconceptions that we can discuss straight away. When owners realise that the money they ‘gift’ to ARA is for the care, re-homing of all the ‘Legacy’ pets. In fact, it guarantees that your pet(s) will get that extra VIP treatment.”
ARA’s general manager João Ferreira and his team are proud of the ‘class-act’ they give to their animals at ‘Cabanita’. But there is always a special place for those whose ‘mums and dads’ have given their little ones special thought up-front.
“Someone who is prepared to take the responsibility and care for their pets, before something goes terribly wrong, is a special person. Because they show they really do care for their furry friends,” says João who has several rescue animals himself. “We see a lot of pain here, animals that shouldn’t be here at all. Some for years.”
Sid is lucky to have such a dedicated hard-working team. APAA are grateful to have them as part of the future and hope for their canine and feline friends. “We know the scheme works.” Contact Anita now.
WATCH Legacy Pet Plan video below
Contact APAA: info.apaaportugal@gmail.com (mark for Anita-Legacy)
Learn more about ARA: www.animalrescuealgarve.com
Article by APAA – Association for the Protection of Animals in the Algarve
