The chairpersons
The pillars of Pro Animale
Director of Memento, Kolebka Słońca and Copernika.
Our fundamental beliefs
Or the guiding principles of everything we do …
A brief outline of our motivations and convictions
… OUR ACCEPTANCE OF OUR FELLOW CREATURES
Our work is driven by the conviction that humans and animals have a common heritage as living beings – we are bound together as brothers and sisters and belong together in our suffering, our well-being and our happiness. Only when we accept this truth are we able to put ourselves in the position of our suffering fellow creatures, and this gives us the strength to confront the injustices to which countless fellow creatures fall victim every day. ^
We have embarked on this journey because we cannot bear to see animals suffer. We have no choice but to resist the endless injustices inflicted on our fellow creatures!
… OUR BELIEF IN THE RIGHT TO A GOOD LIFE FOR EVERY ANIMAL WE RESCUE
Given the endless suffering of so many innocent beings, our focus has to be on the individuals we can assist here and now through our individual actions.
Each animal we save is a unique being and we must focus on providing it with a good life and not on our inability to deal with the immense, incalculable suffering in the world. So every single living creature is worthy of all our efforts!
… OUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY AID
Our help should be immediate. It should not depend on bureaucratic decisions since these simply create delay and are ineffective. We should not forget that in the vast majority of cases the animal’s only chance of survival is for us to act promptly. Otherwise, the opportunity is lost! We need to be alert to the opportunities emerging from the sea of nameless suffering – right now, as we are passing by …
… OUR COMMITMENT TO “NEVERTHELESS”
Faced with seemingly hopeless situations in animal welfare, we have had the wonderful experience that change is possible. Individual animals can be rescued if we do not lose faith. We must simply keep trying to break the vicious circles of cruelty and neglect.
… OUR ATTEMPT TO ENHANCE THE SOCIAL STATUS OF OUR PROTÉGÉS
We also try to raise the social status of our animals in the eyes of human beings through the way we design of our facilities and behave towards the animals.
Dogs and cats in particular are an integral part of many people’s lives. They belong in places where we feel comfortable, where we want to stay for a while or perhaps even live permanently. We hope that animal lovers who visit our facilities will enjoy coming back again and again as they get to know a very special, lovingly furnished refuge and develop an intimate understanding of and relationship with our fosterlings.
… OUR CONVICTION THAT WHEN PLANNING REFUGES,OUR MAIN PRIORITY MUST BE THE NEEDS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL SPECIES
For example, we have an unwavering commitment to encouraging pack animals to live together in groups – in particular dogs. For behavioural and psychological as well as moral reasons, we reject the usual system of keeping animals caged up in “shelters” or conventional zoos.
… OUR CONVICTION THAT A TOP-HEAVY ORGANISATION HINDERS EFFECTIVE ANIMAL WELFARE WORK
Top-heavy organizations with large numbers of administrative staff are not only a senseless and criminal waste of donations. They slow down the real work, which should always be carried out as quickly and effectively as possible.
…OUR CONVICTION THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUALLY STRIVE TO MAKE OUR WORK MORE PROFESSIONAL
This begins with providing the best possible care for the animals entrusted to us, including essential veterinary care, the planning, implementation and supervision of construction projects, to name only the most obvious areas.
We implement the key aspects of our work related to these beliefs and principles …
… By rescuing animals from desperate situations
- … By rescuing victims of cruelty and abuse in Germany and elsewhere.
- This includes animals in dog camps in Romania, or dog pounds and horse pounds in Ireland” in Irland
- Ireland as well as an endless army of stray animals in Turkey, Poland, Italy and Ireland.…
- Sometimes we even buy the freedom of animals on their way to the slaughterhouse…
… related to the german speaking countries
- by setting up animal refuges and adoption centres
- transporting and housing dogs and cats from our own refuges and from cash-strapped animal shelters abroad.
… By spreading the ethical ideas
that acknowledge our animal brethren as fellow creatures with a fundamental right to life
These ideas are promoted mainly through our association’s magazine “DER TROPFEN”, which is published four times a year, and also through the video documentaries of our work.
… through actions across nation borders
- … By building animal sanctuaries and refuges outside Germany and – where no other alternative is possible– by taking charge of state or municipal facilities, as in the case of Esek Adasi, the donkey island in Turkey, or the dog pound at Kostrzyn in Poland.
- … Through an intensive spay/neuter programme.
- … Through a veterinary care programme
- … Through a very successful project for chain dogs in Northern Poland.
- … By passing on our know-how in planning, implementing and logistics of animal welfare facilities.
History of Pro Animale
1985 Germany::
First animal refuge in Uetzing, the “nucleus” of Pro Animale, for about 40 dogs.
1985 Italy:
Start of animal welfare activities by taking relief supplies to Italy and bringing so-called “canile” dogs to Germany.
1989 Spain:
Ransoming of dogs from the Malaga gas chamber.
1989 Germany:
Opening of the first open-air animal refuge in Hornberg/Black Forest for around 80 dogs and 40 cats. The refuge was closed in 2008.
1989 Spain:
1st emergency centre in Benalmadena. Well over 6,000 animals had been saved by 2012, when the centre was closed down.
1991 Poland:
Start of long term support for the animal shelter in Krakow and responsibility for all its dogs.
1993 Russia
Construction of the first spay/neuter clinic in Moscow. By 2011, when this neutering programme ended, over 44,000 surgeries had been performed.
1993 Russia:
Construction of three animal refuges. These were closed in 2004 for political reasons and all the animals brought to Germany.
1994 Poland:
Construction of Fallada for about 60 horses saved en route to the slaughterhouse.
1994 Irland
Construction of an emergency room for about 10 Greyhounds.
1994 Turkey:
Beginning of our involvement with the mega dog pound in Ayvalik.
1996 Poland:
Beginning of the programme for Polish chain dogs. To date, 726 individual refuges have been built. We care for 370 dogs in 287 refuges on a daily basis.
1997 Italy:
Purchase of a 27-hectare (67-acre) valley in Assisi; opening of the animal refuge Sorriso di San Francesco d’Assisi for about 50 dogs and 40 large animals.
1997 Poland:
Construction of Spartacus for about 40 horses rescued from slaughter.
1998 Ireland:
Opening of Avalon, the first and only sanctuary so far for about 80 greyhounds.
1998 Poland:
Construction of another centre for horses rescued from slaughter: Samaria I.
1999 Poland:
Construction of an alternative cat sanctuary and a 3rd horse sanctuary: Sussita Kumi.
1999 Poland:
Construction of another rescue centre for horses rescued from slaughter: Samaria II.
1999 Spain:
Opening of El Dorado, a refuge for about 90 elderly dogs in Cala di Mijas.
2000 Turkey:
Acquisition of Esek Adasi, the donkey island and Turkish National Park, with about 80 donkeys
2001 Poland:
Opening of the Karpno boarding centre for around 60 horses rescued en route to the slaughterhouse.
2001 Germany:
Construction of Rendezvous mit Tieren for about 80 dogs and 70 large animals.
2004 Austria:
Construction of an animal refuge in St. Radegund (Upper Austria) called Pastorale. Since 2010, Pastorale has cared for around 70 cats and 130 large animals.
2004 Germany:
Opening of “Dietas Nest” for about 30 greyhounds.
2004 Poland:
Commitment to pay all the costs of the municipal animal pound near Kostrzyn with around 180 dogs and species-specific restructuring in Kolebka Słońca.
2008 Switzerland:
Takeover of the Fellenberg Animal Welfare Foundation (Tierschutzstiftung Fellenberg), now known as the Pro Animale Switzerland Foundation (Stiftung Pro Animale Schweiz).
2008 Italy:
Takeover of the “Anna-Maria Ernst” animal centre on the island of Ischia.
2008 Turkey:
Opening of the spay/neuter clinic in Altinoluk. Over 27,000 operations by 2019.
2009 Ireland:
Opening of the Lifeline for Irish Horses for 120 horses by the Pro Animale Switzerland Foundation.
2010 Turkey :
Opening of the Yasam Vadisi for around 300 dogs and 450 large animals
2012 Poland:
Inauguration of Dog Planet Copernika for around 180 dogs.
2013 Germany:
Opening of Fellosophie for about 40 dogs
2013 Poland:
Cooperation begins with Zuzanna Lewandowska in “Zuzannas Gospoda” for 30 cattle, 40 pigs, 30 sheep and 18 feathered creatures.
2013 Poland:
Opening of Delicia Natural for around 60 cattle and 30 horses.
2015 Polen:
Opening of the Doris Zinn Herberge for about 50 senior dogs.
2015 Poland:
Opening of MEMENTO, the only memorial in the world to animal suffering.
2018 Poland:
Opening of our sheep farm for about 30 sheep.
2019 Germany:
Opening of Dietas Neues Nest, a greyhound refuge for around 30-40 dogs.
2019 Germany:
Opening of the Fellosophie Charity Shop in Worms.
