Our Adriaan is flying today !!

 After 2 years of Refugio he's going to his golden basket !!

Chorizo and Biggles with their warm jackets on their way to winter in Belgium ....

In memoriam Kimba.

Today we had to say goodbye to our beloved Kimba, the grandmother of the refugio, our old 'grumpy' ... She was a special lady, with a character that took no prisoners, but she managed time and time again to steal the heart of every caretaker, student and volunteer who spent a bit of time with her! She thoroughly enjoyed her walks on the beach, and she could certainly taste the treats she received. Unfortunately, her age started to bother her the last few weeks ... The last thing we wanted was to say goodbye to one of our four-legged friends in the Refugio without her ever having enjoyed her own home ...

Kimba, we will never forget you!

WARM HOME WANTED FOR DARLING NEMO !!

A month ago, Nemo was able to come to the Netherlands. Unfortunately, the world of his adopters suddenly changed drastically, something the had nothing to do with Nemo,  but unfortunately it means that we have to look for new owners for him. Nemo is a sturdy boy, but with a heart of gold. In the short time that he has been in the Netherlands, he has already shown that he is clean, that he sleeps in a bench, that he can be home alone for a while, that he can go with you in the car and that he can play with a ball. He gets along with other dogs, although at first he may be somewhat dominant to other males. After a more extensive acquaintance, it is then okay. Nemo listens well already and sits on command. If you continue training him, he will undoubtedly learn more commands. Nemo is very human-oriented, the expectation is that he is also nice with children, but he has not met any so far. It is also not known how he reacts to cats. Nemo is a sporting dog, you can go jogging well and take him with you. He also needs that movement, although he also sleeps a lot at home. A nice companion, our Nemo and a dog we prefer to place with experienced people who know that you also have to be consistent.

For more information about beautiful Nemo, please click here.

Migo (ACE name Gago)

Migo (ACE Gago) has been with us for almost 7 months now. He was very shy in the beginning with people but he is now fully relaxed. He has already been on a trip and likes to take a walk in the Ardennes. He also goes once a week to the dogcreche when we are at work, this been an enormous help to him and he loves it.
Greetings from Migo

A woman of good will

A woman of good will : Fabienne Paques saves dogs in Spain

The Belgian Fabienne Paques migrated with her husband 27 years ago to Mijas Costa, near Malaga in southern Spain. 'One day, I happened to land at the local dog kill station. Neglected animals were killed as in a death camp. I decided to save them. "

'If I look the eyes of those dogs, I'm lost'  Fabienne Paques 

«In the winter of 1999 I ended up in the 'perrera' or the municipal asylum. I was sickened at what I saw: it was like a death camp where neglected and abused dogs were killed. Those terrible scenes touched me so deeply that I decided to do something about it: I set up Animal Care España (ACE). I asked the operator of the killing station if I could rent some cages in which I could keep the dogs alive. With the financial support of sympathizers we hired more and more, until in 2008 we had occupied the entire station. We were able to convince the owner to let us convert the killing station into a place where dogs were no longer killed but were saved.

»We make a video of every dog ​​that comes into our centre together with a profile that we post on our website. People in Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany and Denmark can adopt a dog. We visit all potential adopters, because we want to be sure that they know what they are doing. They must be aware that that dog is being flown in from Spain and that they can not just send it back. "

HUMO How many killing stations are there in Spain?
Paques «Every city has a perrera. That is typical Spanish and, like the bullfights, no longer of this time. Many Spaniards regard a dog as a disposable product. When they are tired of their pet, they take it to a killing station. That animal is then dispatched within ten days. That is legally so determined.

»Epiphany on 6 January is the biggest children's party in Spain. Traditionally, every child receives a puppy as a present. After a few years they get fed up with that animal and dump it in the perrera. The animal shelters are continuously overcrowded and every month hundreds of dogs are put to sleep.

»Every week I rescue dogs from a certain death. I also complain about these malpractices incessantly, but it remains an unequal struggle. Fortunately, the resistance is growing thanks to social media, but the government still does not take any measures. Nevertheless, I notice that the pressure from the rest of Europe is starting to weigh heavily. So hard that citizens can no longer just enter a killing station. Now I must first sign a paper declaring that I will not publish anything on the internet. If I do not like it, they will not let me in anymore. "

HUMO Are dogs gassed?
Paques «You can not write that anymore and you can not prove it either, because you are not welcome. Until 1999 the dogs of the perrera of Mijas Costa were gassed. Thanks to us, that has stopped. The mass killings in other perreras now take place behind the scenes. On paper they let dogs fall asleep, but because they are hundreds of animals at a time, they do not shun the easier option.

HUMO How many dogs are you in your care?
Paques «At the moment 550. That is pretty difficult, because we only live on donations. For an adoption we ask 300 euros and that money includes the care and transport. Every dog ​​we put on the plane has been sterilised, has cleanly polished teeth, has been vaccinated and has all its official documents. Dog adoptions have become very complicated by the increasing bureaucracy, but my association has grown so much that there is no way back. When I look into the eyes of those dogs, I am completely lost. So far we have found new owners for 18,000 Spanish dogs. "

HUMO What do your Spanish neighbors think of ACE?
Paques «They think us crazy (laughs). "What are these Belgians doing?" In the killing stations, I must always remain calm, polite and calm, while I sometimes feel like hitting their faces. But if I do not stay friendly and do not put money on the table, I will not get the dogs. "

Thank you, dear Loek.

Monday, February 26, 2018

Thank you

Dear Loek,

I would like to thank you in the name of all our dogs from ACE and all our staff, and my husband and I for the years of dedication to our dogs. It is unbelievable that we have worked so long together and had so little contact, sometimes it is very difficult to maintain that on this side.

We are busy with the dogs day and night, life by life, they have to be our first concern, they have to be taken care of, they must experience our love and support. You must organise it all, and so you do not always realise that there are so many other people who, just like us, are taking part, are  contributing and are with us helping saving every life, with us at every bump in the road, with every tear or laugh that flows from it ....

Thanks to you and your wife for the dedication, time and love you have given to our dogs. We want you to know that we greatly appreciate it, and hope that you may be together for a very long and happy time, you blessed age is something to be proud of, your help and commitment was a blessing to us every time,
Thank you,
Fabienne and Dirk, and all the people and dogs of ACE