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Ana Palacios

Carla Heras, a volunteer at Santuario Gaia in Camprodon, Spain, cradles Laietana the duck. Laietana is one of 1,500 animals—most rescued from the streets and the farming industry—living at the center. Gaia is among a few dozen sanctuaries in Spain providing a home to animals that had been farmed for food. (From “In Spain, sanctuaries give forever homes to rescued farmed animals,” April 2021.)

Bichi, a blind and toothless cat, snuggles Elena Tova at El Hogar in September 2020. Bichi died a month later at the age of 22. On Tova’s back, below the word “vegan,” she has a tattoo of Felix. Attacked by dogs, he overcame severe injuries and spend the rest of his life at the sanctuary, before passing away last July. Tova views Bijou and Felix as symbols of the sanctuary.

Neo, a pitbull at El Hogar, was found sick and paralyzed in some bushes in 2016. Although he still has no sensation below the waist, intensive medical care and physiotherapy mean he now can run around easily on his front legs, exploring El Hogar’s 60 acres of land.

Patri, a turkey at El Hogar, rests in a crib, surrounded by pregnancy pillows and cushions to prevent pressure sores. Originally rescued from a dumpster outside of a turkey farm, he has an incurable joint disorder that leaves him unable to walk. He also spends time hanging from a custom-made swing, so that he can stretch his legs.

Every morning, Elena Tova gives treats to (clockwise from Tova) Sia (who is deaf), Woody (who has three legs), Gretel and Neo (who are both physically impaired), Soul, and Julieta, as a reward for good behavior. Tova originally rescued dogs before expanding El Hogar to include other species in 2007. The dogs receive constant love and attention from sanctuary workers and volunteers.

Staff and volunteers at El Hogar gather to eat a vegan meal and plan schedules. The group shares a common passion for animal rights and belief in veganism to reduce animal suffering. “It’s nice to share this philosophy of life with others and feel that I am being helpful,” says longtime volunteer Victoria Celedón. “Being here makes me happy.”

Fundación El Hogar is the only sanctuary in Spain that rescues fish, mainly from hotel aquariums and restaurants. Caring for rescued fish is no less complicated than any other species, says founder Elena Tova. Some have undergone extensive medical treatment, including one fish, Slovoda, who had successful surgery to remove a cancerous tumour.

Olivia Gómez treats a pig named Paola with electrotherapy. Santuario Gaia rescued Paola in November 2019, after she was abandoned outside of a farm when other pigs were taken to a slaughterhouse: She had a broken vertebrae and couldn’t walk onto the transport truck. Veterinarians at Gaia worked to heal her spine, and she can now stand and take a few steps.

Gary, an arthritic Awassi ram living at Fundación El Hogar in L’Esquirol, Spain, gets medication and twice-daily massages to his spine to stimulate circulation. He was surrendered as a malnourished baby to the sanctuary about eight years ago from a dairy farm, where male offspring are typically killed because they don’t produce milk.

Carla Heras, a volunteer at Santuario Gaia in Camprodon, Spain, cradles Laietana the duck. Laietana is one of 1,500 animals—most rescued from the streets and the farming industry—living at the sanctuary. Gaia is among a few dozen sanctuaries in Spain providing a home to animals previously farmed for food.