June 2025

Dear Readers,

it's time again for a few lines that hopefully bring you mentally to us here at Finca Noah.

One Heart and One Soul

In summer 2023, we rescued two elderly dogs from the killing station at Natura Park. The emergency call came in at the last minute. As so often, it was: Farah, can you help? Otherwise they'll die!

Seeing two old dogs vegetating away in small cages in the summer heat breaks our hearts every single time. That's why we didn't hesitate for a moment—we said yes to getting them out of that hell. Oskar, 14 years old, and his best friend, little Otto, 16 years old. One heart and one soul. They had been together their whole lives, shared a home, shared a family. We don't know why they were surrendered to Natura Park, but what matters to us is that they were together there too, giving each other the support they needed to get through it all. Together we are strong—this applies in the animal kingdom too. When they arrived with us, the two were in poor condition. Many rotten teeth made eating a painful ordeal, eventually leading them to refuse food. They were just skin and bones. After dental surgery, both improved quickly. We lovingly nursed them back to health and soon discovered what brought them joy. Oskar, a German Shepherd-Husky mix, would join us on walks through the fields around the area, but he felt most at home on the farm. Instead of long walks, Oskar loved his morning routine—doing his exploration laps around the yard after breakfast. When his friend Otto wandered too far away, Oskar would immediately fetch him back. Oskar was a big brother, friend, and family member to Otto. He lived his protective instinct to the fullest. There were moments when you could see Oskar's age. But when children came to visit or when Oskar saw my son Juan, his heart would open right up. Suddenly you had the impression he was 10 years younger. It's so beautiful to see how animals can be happy. We always try to read the animals that have had an uncertain past. We give them what brings them joy so they can leave their bad experiences behind.

Oskar and Otto were with us for two years. Two beautiful years in which we could give them love, attention, and a sense of security. On June 6th, we had to rush Oskar to the vet as an emergency. He could no longer walk on his own; his hind legs simply wouldn't work anymore. Our suspicion that he had age-related arthritis was not confirmed. The diagnosis was much worse. A cancerous tumor had ruptured. If we hadn't recognized right away that it was serious, Oskar would have bled out internally. Nevertheless, the vet saw no chance of helping him with surgery or medication. After 16 years, Oskar had to close his eyes forever. Juan accompanied him on his final journey—that was an important gesture for both of them. We are certain that Oskar's last thoughts were with his friend Otto. And surely Oskar looks down from above every day to see how his friend is doing. As I write these lines from the depths of my heart, the tears come again. I think this story will touch many of you in a similar way. Otto doesn't understand the world anymore; he misses his friend Oskar. Now it's up to us to help him through this difficult time of loss and grief.

If you're on the island of Mallorca, come visit our animals and give them a little attention and a loving hand to pet them. You'll see—they're all grateful for such a simple gesture. It doesn't always take much to put a smile on an animal's face.

Overcrowded Cages in Son Reus

Through a post on social media, we became aware that all the small cages, 60×60 cm in Son Reus, in the second largest killing station, are full. In each of these small, loveless, filthy, and hot cages, cats wait 24 hours for the door to open and greet a gentle hand. Even worse, they practically scream at you: get me out of here! There are also cats that have already given up completely; they hide in the corner and sometimes refuse their food. We can't explain it any other way than this: that's why cats in killing stations are often reduced to skin and bones.

We bought out all the cats that had already been locked up for months and hadn't been allowed to lie in the sun or chase leaves blown by the wind anymore. I deliberately say "hadn't been allowed to," because they were put in cages and locked up without any fault of their own, senselessly.

Among all the rescued cats who now experience love again here at Finca Noah, there was one cat who had to be rushed to the vet as an emergency after just one night. Her kidney values were catastrophic. Walking was difficult for her because her paws were bent inward. She had barely any muscle to move on her own. Our vet urged us, based on her poor organ function, to let this poor little thing pass peacefully rather than try to delay kidney failure with medication. It breaks our hearts again and again. In this case, we comfort ourselves with the thought that we spared her a long period of suffering. Each of these cats from Son Reus has her own personal handicap. I believe that makes these little souls something special, but people don't see that specialness with their eyes. We look at the animals with our hearts, which is why we recognize the beauty in an animal even if it doesn't look perfect. A ginger tom with a blind eye. A tabby cat with a severe cold. A tabby tom with a curly little tail like a piglet's.

These special features would have made it nearly impossible for these cats to find a person who would give them a loving home and free them from the cages. It's a good thing there are animal protectors like Farah de Tomi who don't look away, who always try to help and, above all, try to give every animal a second chance at a new life. This path isn't always easy, but it's not impossible. Every one of you can support us in helping many more poor souls. With a donation toward veterinary costs or food (you can choose yourself what your donation should be used for), with a sponsorship, or with adoption.

Helping Hands

This month, the Animal Police team grew for a week. Dear Sandra and Urs were with us at the Finca to lend a hand. Urs had been with us several times before, and his fascination with working with the animals convinced his wife to help too. The two have a sponsored child—our donkey Pablo—whom they cared for so lovingly during that week. Pablo really enjoyed the attention. His wellness program in the morning, his watermelon, and the fun conversations….. The three really found each other! With joy in their hearts, both call every year and assure us that the sponsorship continues and that hay for Pablo is secured.

Urs is no stranger on the farm. Many animals are delighted every time he visits. Our sheep Angel was fed with a milk bottle by Urs. Angel was rescued as a baby and was still too small to eat on her own.

Urs knew our youngest German Shepherd, Hutch, when he was a puppy.

Urs got to witness the development of the horses—how they went from being shy and fearful creatures to bold and cheeky horses.

Farah and the animals impressed Urs so much that he is now a member of the Swiss Animal Protection Association Animal Police. He didn't just form an impression of animal protection on Mallorca through the media—no, he experienced everything firsthand on the ground and stands 100% behind what Animal Police fights for day in and day out: saving animals and giving them a second life.

Thank you Sandra, thank you Urs, for the wonderful week. You were fantastic.

The feedback from both of them about the week on the farm was positive, despite the hard work and the heat. They may be exhausted, but they're happy!

Nisha and Thorsten (association members) have also lent a helping hand. They are all an enrichment for both people and animals. We're proud to have such a wonderful team. Knowing that you have animal lovers who support you in difficult times is worth its weight in gold.

I sincerely thank you for your time, for reading, and wish you a wonderful summer.

The animals and we look forward to a visit if you've planned your summer vacation on the island of Mallorca this year.

Nadine de Tomi