The footballers joined the rescued dogs for an epic photoshoot
Loulé football team have recently expressed their desire to be more engaged with their surrounding communities and causes, and Animal Rescue Algarve was an obvious choice.
On the first photoshoot, ARA’s dogs joined the team on the pitch with stunning results, but this time around the production was moved into photographer Carlos Filipe’s studio, who perfectly captured the heart and soul of this partnership.
Stay tuned for more on this partnership, both on and off the pitch.
Quarteira parish council president visits ARA
Last month, Animal Rescue Algarve welcomed Quarteira parish council president Telmo Pinto to the shelter in Cabanita, Loulé.
The visit followed the launch of ARA’s ‘mega’ cat project, which aims to build up to 40 cat shelters and sterilise up to 1,500 feral cats per year, while managing a team of volunteers in charge of caring for cat colonies by providing food, water and shelter.
This was the first time Pinto had visited the shelter where the ARA team explained the model for running the facility.
ARA highlighted its staff-to-animal ratio as one of the most important aspects in making sure all animals get the care and attention they need and deserve.
From the average of 20 live-in volunteers and staff, most are international volunteers from the WorkAway platform, which also awarded ARA for the “excellence” of its work, as voted by the hundreds of people who have travelled to the shelter so far.
Local volunteers are also central. They show up to ensure that all animals are walked twice a day, which is an opportunity to clean their kennels.
The amount of care and attention the animals get means that a constant socialisation process is happening, allowing for both dogs and cats to be adopted and rehomed with greater ease.
Aside from the shelter, ARA has two volunteer-run charity shops (WOOFF), in Loulé and Almacil, offering second-life high-quality items at accessible prices, with the proceeds going towards caring for the animals at Cabanita.
But animal welfare does not stop with rescue and rehoming, and ARA is also working with schools to educate the next generation on the value and importance of ending animal suffering at all levels.
Pinto and his team acknowledged the importance and impact of ARA’s work, expressing their desire to partner with the association on the cat project.
