- In Autumn 2002, the dog station on Porto Santo Island is totally overcrowded. There is not enough food and the dogs are only skins and bones. Only the strongest animals get some food.
- The mayor of Porto Santo stated that this situation would only enhance if about 50 dogs were killed. The veterinarian was instructed with the killing, the mayor went on vacation. ANIMA Hilfe für Tiere e.V. promised to take over 50 dogs and achieved an abandonment of the killing. It would have been the first official killing on Porto Santo Island.
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Two shabby dogs from Porto Santo
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The same two in Germany - well tended to
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After about one week, 10 small dogs arrived at our place in Germany. Those of them with longer fur needed to be shorn and, afterwards, looked like fragile little birds with no feathers. The editorial office of “Herrchen gesucht” of the broadcast station Hessisches Fernsehen, being one of the first informants of the killing on Porto Santo Island, had enabled us to introduce 5 dogs as a small pack on a broadcast.
"Julchen", a small half-shorn mongrel, which would have made a career as some sort of a doormat on Porto Santo Island, would have been one of the first dogs to be killed, if it weren’t for her physical weakness and her unshakeable kindness towards humans. She received some 46 calls of viewers, who were just charmed by her. All these people wanted to give Julchen a new home. Two days after the broadcast we gave up counting after call no. 79. All 5 dogs introduced at the broadcasting plus 3 more dogs found a wonderful new home.
The people interested in the dogs called from all over Germany and all mentioned to us that they were looking for such a dog for a long time.
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Julchen after her first bath in Eschborn/Ts.
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This proved to us that we were on the right track and encouraged us to go ahead!
Within 6 weeks, ANIMA Hilfe für Tiere e.V. was able to save 33 dogs by bringing them over to Germany. By the end of 2002, the number had increased to 50 animals. This success was only achieved with high financial efforts and the help of many dedicated people, offering their services as flight attendants and as so-called flight godfathers. Not to forget about the two frequent fliers, who donated us some of their miles&more bonuses.
There are still animals waiting for us and not all of them are just the same as Julchen, but they all are very much alike and just wonderful dogs.
Our executive committee and many of our members of Anima-Hilfe für Tiere e.V. ask themselves how despite the daily work on animal protection in Germany (finding new homes for „unwanted pets“) a placement of animals that are threatened to be killed can be organised. Ursula Rossa says: ‘It’s breaking my heart when seeing those many, many eyes, craving for love, their paws at the fences trying to hold on to a human being’, the eyes of the dogs that are threatened by killing and without a prospect for a new home. We want to help for as long as we can.
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