the essential
Monday June 24, the Joseph Chaumié college in Agen organized the arrival of two volunteers from the Brax animal shelter. Following a sale of cookie kits made by 6th grade students, the shelter raised €303.
It’s a passion that never leaves them. Christine Salane, 75, and Nicole Bonadio, 71, are president and vice-president of the Brax animal shelter. They spend their lives with the 80 dogs and 45 cats in residence at the shelter. But the two women also carry out awareness-raising activities. Accompanied by Bobby, a Kangal from an illegal breeding, they came to meet the 6th grade students from the Joseph Chaumié college in Agen.
“Donations are the most important thing”
It all started from a project launched by four teachers around physical sciences and SVT. For several weeks, the 6th grade students embark on the creation of “SOS Cookies”, kits providing the ingredients and the recipe necessary to make the cakes. In total, 151 kits were sold within the college, raising €303 for the Brax shelter.
A substantial donation that will allow “the purchase of kitten food and maternity milk,” explains Nicole. This support comes at a crucial time for the shelter. Following recent floods, the association lost some of the food dedicated to the animals: “I had water up to my waist. We had to get the dogs out of their shelters as quickly as possible,” says Nicole. Collections are therefore essential in order to replenish stocks. The next one will take place on July 6 at the Intermarché du Passage.
Fight against abandonment and animal suffering
Active for 60 years, the shelter takes in abandoned dogs and cats. And the causes of abandonment are numerous: financial aspect, moving, separation, death of the owner, “pet animals are unfortunately the most abandoned” deplores Christine. Another point of annoyance among volunteers is people coming to the shelter to visit: “We are not a zoo. I don’t want children to think it’s normal to have animals in cages, because it’s not,” says Nicole.
The latter is committed to the shelter day and night. Living there, he sometimes sleeps with the dogs to reassure them. Between walks, treatments and meal distributions, Nicole walks up to 18 kilometers a day: “Suffice to say that you have to have your legs and your morale in good shape,” she says with a smile. She has cultivated this passion for many years: “I have traveled a lot, particularly in Africa. It was there that I started by creating a small animal infirmary at home. Then when I returned to France, and my children grew up, I devoted myself fully to animals.”
