Animal welfare on the dream island of Mallorca: A personal account from the first two volunteers at Animal Police in January 2019

Beyond tourism and Ballermann

Although Mallorca is well known for Ballermann, the dreamlike beautiful landscape must not be forgotten. Beautiful coves with white sandy beaches and the subtropical climate attract over 20 million tourists to the island every year. Beyond these wonderful conditions, several hundred thousand animals live on the streets of this small island. Moreover, countless animals are mistreated and kept in poor living conditions. For this reason, we decided to support the animal welfare organization Animal Police. From the very beginning, we were able to actively participate, gather incredible impressions, and also achieve a great deal. And that's exactly what makes Animal Police stand out — actions, not words. From day one, Farah, the organization's director, welcomed us warmly and integrated us into her daily work. Her enormous heart for animals is unmistakable. Day and night, she is literally ready to fight for their wellbeing. This is nothing short of inspiring and impressive. She introduced us to several local projects where we could freely develop ourselves and lend a hand. All these projects pursue the same goal: to help the lovable animals of this island.

Hard work for the happiness of animals

Caring for the animals taken in at the shelters is an enormously time-intensive endeavor. Staff members do their best every day to give them a beautiful life and also to find them good homes. Besides neutering, vaccinations, and lots of cleaning work, the animals also need a great deal of affection. To manage all of this, they are grateful for every bit of support. The dogs show us their enthusiasm every time with joyful dances when we take them for a walk in the forest. The fresh air awakens their spirits and it's unmistakable how much they enjoy every second of this freedom. The cats rub their heads against us when we clean their spaces or refill their fresh water and food. Beyond 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, wire mesh fencing, and tools, we managed to renew a 20-meter fence within five hours. Stacey, the shelter owner, looked at the finished product overjoyed and was incredibly grateful for the help. Now the animals can safely stay outside again, play, and graze.

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Priceless experiences

We are extremely proud and grateful for this volunteer work at Animal Police. In this short time, we learned an enormous amount and certainly made our own contribution.
Every walk, every joyful bark from a dog and meow from a cat made it worthwhile to travel to this dream island of Mallorca and offer our time and labor here. Many thanks to Animal Police and especially Farah for these invaluable experiences!

Written by Joy and Kendra