Animal welfare on the dream island of Mallorca: a personal experience report from the first two volunteers at Animal Police in January 2019

Besides tourism and Ballermann

Although Mallorca is very well known for the Ballermann, the beautiful landscape should not be forgotten. Beautiful bays with white sandy beaches and the subtropical climate attract over 20 million tourists to the island every year. Besides these beautiful conditions, several hundred thousand animals live on the streets of this small island. In addition, countless animals are mistreated and kept in poor living conditions. For this reason we decided to support the animal protection organization Animal Police. From the very beginning we were able to actively participate, gather unbelievable impressions and also achieve a lot. And that's what Animal Police is all about - action instead of words. From the very first day, Farah, the head of the organization, welcomed us warmly and integrated us into her everyday life. Her big heart for animals is unmistakable. Day and night she is literally ready to work for their welfare. This is nothing but inspiring and impressive. She has introduced us to several local projects where we have been free to get involved and lend a hand. All of these projects have the same goal: to help the adorable animals of this island.

Hard work for the happiness of animals

The care of the animals taken in at the rescue centres is an enormously intensive time commitment. Every day, employees do their best to give them a good life and to place them in good homes. Besides castrations, vaccinations and a lot of cleaning work, the animals also need a lot of affection. To cope with all this, they are grateful for any support. The dogs show us their enthusiasm every time we take them for a walk in the forest. The fresh air awakens their spirits and it is obvious how they enjoy every second of this freedom. The cats rub their heads against us when we clean their places or fill them up with fresh drinking water and food. In addition to these recurring care tasks, Animal Police also responds to spontaneous calls for help. For example, we repaired a broken fence that was endangering the lives of the animals grazing there.
Equipped with stakes, a wire mesh fence and tools, we managed to replace a 20-meter fence within five hours. The owner of the sanctuary, Stacey, looked at the final product overjoyed and was incredibly grateful for the help. Now the animals can once again stay outside in safety, play and graze.

Priceless experiences

We are extremely proud and grateful for this volunteer assignment at Animal Police. In this short time we have learned an enormous amount and have certainly been able to make our own contribution.
Every walk, every happy dog bark and cat meow was worth travelling to this dream island of Mallorca and offering our time and labour. Many thanks to Animal Police and especially Farah for this valuable experience!

Written by Joy and Kendra