{"id":7904,"date":"2021-06-15T23:07:38","date_gmt":"2021-06-15T21:07:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.charleroi-metropole.be\/2021\/06\/15\/een-toevluchtsoord-voor-dieren-in-nood\/"},"modified":"2021-07-23T15:11:05","modified_gmt":"2021-07-23T13:11:05","slug":"the-shelter-rescuing-animals-from-suffering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charleroi-metropole.be\/en\/decouvrir\/the-shelter-rescuing-animals-from-suffering\/","title":{"rendered":"The shelter rescuing animals from suffering"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cImagining a two-and-a-half-year-old horse being sent to slaughter simply for having galloped instead of trotting during a trotting race was what got me involved in animal rights,\u201d explains Christelle Denamur, co-founder of the shelter Equi\u2019Chance<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

At the time, this animal rights activist was looking for a place to house \u2018reformed\u2019 horses (who didn\u2019t meet the standards required to compete). Whilst searching around the southern parts of the Metropolitan Area, she and her husband found an old farm surrounded by meadows, located in the vicinity of Romedenne (Philippeville).<\/p>\n

Very soon, in addition to the horses, the farm decided to take in other animals that were in danger. \u201cAfter watching a documentary, I learned that there was a shortage of places in shelters for mistreated animals. This was when we decided to take in small farm animals too,\u201d explains Christelle.<\/p>\n

Today, the shelter houses 20 horses, 2 cows, 50 sheep, 16 goats, 13 cockerels, 3 pigs and more.<\/p>\n

\"animaux-dans-un-refuge\"
Christelle knows the history of each and every animal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Animals that have been abandoned or seized by the police<\/h2>\n

The animals that arrive at the shelter are in a state of suffering. \u201cSome animals have been abandoned by their owners. For example, we have these small Asian black pigs. People adopt them when they\u2019re small. When the pigs grow, they become very large. This is when some owners decide to release them into the wild, because of the space they are taking up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other animals arrive under a police order. \u201cGenerally, neighbours contact the police to report animal abuse. Once we have a court ruling, we go in and save the animals. You see some appalling situations: animals are locked up, some of them haven\u2019t been fed or ever cared for\u2026 .\u201d<\/p>\n