Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Finding sanctuary

The economic downturn may have you rethinking your holiday activities, but that’s not to say you shouldn’t have fun and feel great. Sarah Rodrigues looks at the options for throwing some animal action into your break, and all without a matador or zoo keeper in sight. This should give you paws for thought…

Travelling abroad, guidebook in hand, to gawp at ancient architecture and soak up the atmosphere is no longer enough for many travellers. It’s all about experiences, getting a buzz not only from where you’re going but from what you do while you’re there.

The problem is, thrills tend to cost money. Whether you’re into mountain biking, hang-gliding, scuba diving or horse trekking, once you’ve factored in the cost of equipment hire, training, and insurance, as well as the activity itself, your holiday may become as un-credit-crisis-friendly as it can be.

So why not opt for an experience that costs nothing and actually does some good into the bargain? And, let’s face it, something that costs you nothing is almost always a bargain.

What if the rush of adrenaline experienced from scarpering out of the way of a marauding bull was replaced by, say, the warm glow of worthiness that comes with volunteering to better the lives of animals?

Animal welfare continues to be a massive problem throughout most of the world. When species as elusive and magnificent as the tiger are endangered, it’s easy to pay a monthly contribution to a conservation fund and overlook the fact that more prosaic beasts, such as dogs and donkeys, also suffer ill treatment, abandonment and starvation in huge numbers.

Donkey work

Half an hour from Malaga, Nerja Donkey Sanctuary (nerjadonkeysanctuary.com) is a non-profit, volunteer-run organisation dedicated to the rescue and care of donkeys, mules and horses, although it also takes on many other animals, including dogs.

Visitors to the sanctuary can take a fairly hands-off approach, with food donations and a bit of a look around, or really get among it with walking, grooming and mucking out stables. There are also regular trips to rescue injured or endangered animals, giving even die-hard thrill-seekers something that’s sure to get the blood pumping.

For anyone quivering at the thought of doing something as unglamorous as working with animals, then take note: British chef Gordon Ramsay has visited the sanctuary, which was featured in his TV show Kitchen Nightmares. It doesn’t get much more glamorous than that.

“We’re open to visitors every single day of the year and we need all the help we can get,” says Rory Wallis, who »

Animal welfare continues to be a massive problem throughout most of the world organisation dedicated to the rescue and care of donkeys, mules and horses, although it also takes on many other animals, including dogs.

Visitors to the sanctuary can take a fairly hands-off approach, with food donations and a bit of a look around, or really get among it with walking, grooming and mucking out stables. There are also regular trips to rescue injured or endangered animals, giving even die-hard thrill-seekers something that’s sure to get the blood pumping.

For anyone quivering at the thought of doing something as unglamorous as working with animals, then take note: British chef Gordon Ramsay has visited the sanctuary, which was featured in his TV show Kitchen Nightmares. It doesn’t get much more glamorous than that.

“We’re open to visitors every single day of the year and we need all the help we can get,” says Rory Wallis, who runs the sanctuary. “Holidaymakers can just walk in and volunteer. Usually, they’ll be helping out within minutes.”

So why donkeys in particular? “In Spain, donkeys are for the most part seen as working animals and when they’re no longer able to work, many are simply discarded,” explains Wallis. “We aim to provide a safe retirement for them and to give the owners an alternative to abandoning their animals.”

Even for those owners who don’t mistreat their animals, the cost of their upkeep can become an issue. “We’ve worked hard to ensure farmers know the sanctuary exists and that we’re happy to care for their animals when they no longer can,” Wallis continues.

Caring for the volunteers themselves is also a priority – visitors are always warned of potential dangers, such as Derek, a rather temperamental donkey. “Lovely at the front end but best to give

him a wide berth at the back, unless you are good at dodging kicks,” says Wallis.

Not all visitors to the sanctuary are as solicitous of the welfare of the other volunteers, however – not even when the volunteer in question is a spouse.

“One chap decided to take two baby donkeys for a walk with his rather more reluctant wife. He took the stronger, more stubborn of the two and his wife took the more docile,” says Wallis. “An hour later, he returned without the donkeys – and without his wife, too.”

His explanation? “He said: ‘Oh, I got tired, so I went on ahead,’” says Wallis. “Sure enough, when another volunteer was dispatched to find his wife, she was some distance down the path, struggling with both donkeys…” prove to be the softer – although no less worthy – option.

Visiting the Friends of Animals shelter (friendsofanimals-nf.com) in Athens only requires an advance email to tell them your day and time of arrival. Full-time volunteers handle the mucky stuff, such as cage cleaning and administering of medicines, while visitors are asked to take care of walking and exercising the dogs.

Helen, a resident Canadian, is passionate about the treatment of dogs in Greece, where some of the main issues are lack of education and a failure to enforce animal rights laws, despite being a member of the EU. Sterilisation isn’t widely practised in the country, so stray animals are a huge problem, but volunteers wary of non-domesticated animals need not fear – walkers are matched with dogs to make sure they are suitable in terms of size, speed and temperament.

At Vienna Animal Shelter (wrtierschutzverein.org) volunteers are urgently needed. Despite the fact that care standards here are high (many animal shelters simply don’t have the funds or space to give the rescuees what they need; in Vienna, the enclosures and water are clean and food is plentiful), the fact remains that the animals need more exercise than the staff have time to provide.

Obviously, the ideal situation is for the dogs to go to loving homes but, in the meantime, there are legs to be stretched and sticks to be fetched. And when you consider that one of the longest residents of the shelter, a Jack Russell, has been there 15 years, the worthiness of volunteering as a walker becomes even more apparent.

Even those who claim: “I’m not an animal person, I much prefer to shop,” have no excuse not to help at this particular shelter, which holds a fundraising flea market every Sunday, crammed with bargains and oddities.

So whether you’re spending your time or money, you’re doing something worthy and being kind to your bank balance at the same time.

FR En quête de refuges

En cette période de crise, vous allez sans doute revoir vos plans de vacances à la baisse, mais pourquoi devriez-vous rogner sur le plaisir et le bien-être ? Sarah Rodrigues passe en revue des formules de séjours actifs centrés sur la sauvegarde des animaux, sans l’ombre d’un matador ni d’un gardien de zoo à l’horizon. Voici donc quelques idées pour adopter de nouveaux amis à quatre pattes…

À moins d’une demi-heure de Malága, le refuge des ânes Nerja est une organisation sans but lucratif, gérée par des volontaires dédiés à la sauvegarde et au soin des ânes, des mules et des chevaux – bien que d’autres créatures y soient également recueillies dont des chiens, des cochons et même des dindes. Les visiteurs peuvent séjourner et se promener librement dans le centre sans s’impliquer dans les tâches ordinaires, mais il leur est demandé de faire des dons de nourriture. S’ils le souhaitent, ils peuvent également mettre la main à la pâte et promener les animaux, les entretenir et nettoyer les écuries. Régulièrement, des sorties en 4×4 sont organisées pour aller récupérer des animaux blessés ou en danger, des expéditions qui peuvent parfois s’avérer fort palpitantes.

Si chuchoter à l’oreille des ânes ne vous convient pas vraiment, rabattez-vous sur la promenade avec des chiens : une activité plus tranquille mais pas moins intéressante. Une visite au refuge de Friends of Animals à Athènes peut s’organiser sur envoi d’un simple e-mail pour prévenir de votre arrivée.

Les volontaires permanents s’occupent des besognes de base comme le nettoyage des cages et l’administration des traitements médicaux, tandis que les voyageurs, eux, se chargent de la promenade et de l’exercice des chiens : les personnes et les animaux sont assortis par taille, par vitesse et par tempérament.

Le refuge pour animaux de Vienne a besoin urgemment de l’aide de volontaires. Malgré le fait que les soins soient une priorité élevée (en général, les centres pour animaux ne disposent pas des fonds indispensables ni de l’espace requis pour les bêtes rescapées ; à Vienne, les enclos et l’eau sont propres et la nourriture abondante), les animaux ont particulièrement besoin d’exercice, ce que le staff n’a pas le temps de leur procurer.

Quoique vous désiriez offrir, du temps ou de l’argent, vous ferez quelque chose d’utile tout en restant accommodant avec votre compte en banque.

NL Origineel asiel

De economische crisis mag dan wel je vakantieplannen beïnvloeden maar laat dat je vakantiepret niet bederven. Sarah Rodrigues zocht voor ons uit hoe je een geslaagde vakantie omtovert tot een ‘beestige’ vakantie zonder een bezoek aan stierengevechten of een dierentuin. Zet je beste … pootje voor!

Het Nerja Donkey Sanctuary, op minder dan een half uur van Malaga, is een non-profitorganisatie met vrijwilligers die ezels, muilezels en paarden opvangen en verzorgen – maar ook vele andere dieren vinden er een thuis: honden, varkens, zelfs kalkoenen. Bezoekers kunnen helpen via een voedselschenking en een rondleiding, maar ze kunnen ook echt de handen uit de mouwen steken door de dieren uit te laten, ze te wassen en te kammen, of stallen uit te mesten. Echte avonturiers kunnen zelfs mee met de 4×4 om gewonde of bedreigde dieren te gaan redden.

Als je een carrière als ezelfluisteraar een stapje te ver vindt, kan je misschien dogwalking overwegen. Het is minder intensief maar daarom niet minder eerzaam! Stuur een e-mail naar Friends of Animals, een asiel in Athene, om je komst aan te kondigen en je kunt er meteen een handje helpen. Voltijdse vrijwilligers nemen er de lastige en moeilijke karweitjes voor hun rekening, zoals kooien uitmesten en medicatie toedienen, en bezoekers mogen de honden uitlaten. Lustige wandelaars krijgen een hond ‘op maat’ wat grootte, snelheid en temperament betreft zodat het voor iedereen een plezierige ervaring blijft.

In het dierenasiel van Wenen zijn vrijwilligers meer dan welkom. De standaarden voor verzorging zijn er hoog (heel wat dierenasielen hebben onvoldoende budget of ruimte om de dieren de verzorging en aandacht te geven die ze nodig hebben maar in Wenen zijn de opvangplaatsen proper, is het water zuiver en krijgen de dieren genoeg voedsel), maar er is onvoldoende personeel om alle dieren regelmatig uit te laten.

Het maakt niet uit of je tijd of geld doneert, je doet er heel wat dieren én je bankrekening een groot plezier mee.

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