The TARA Animal Respect Association, a registered Spanish animal charity headquartered in Gran Canaria, does sterling work for the welfare of animals on the island. Cats and dogs regularly receive medical treatment, preventative immunisations, humane sterilisation, and welfare care. Rescuing, reuniting, rehabilitating, and re-homing of lost, abandoned, and abused pets takes place almost daily. This is vital work especially in a time of economic crisis when people find it difficult to care for themselves, let alone their pets. Monetary and second-hand donations, along with the selfless work of volunteers, enable this charity to continue.

There are few greater joys than seeing a lonely, heartsick, abandoned pet given hope and the chance of a new and better life. I know the positive power of this experience as a personal witness. About a year back, my partner and I began donating time and energy to the TARA Animal Charity Shops and Car Boot Markets. The compassion and genuine lifesaving and caretaking of the cast-out pets moved us deeply. Ultimately, we found the courage to adopt two older, large dogs, who statistically stood little chance of being re-homed. Cute, cuddly puppies they were not. Well, suffice to say, our lives and the lives of our new lifetime animal companions have been enriched forever.

But TARA needs more help. We need more volunteers to work in our two Charity Shops in Arguineguin. The revenue from these second-hand stores is a crucial source of income for TARA. Saving animals is not cheap and NOT financially supported by the government. TARA pays for mountains of medical clinic and vet bills (immunisations, sterilisations, microchipping, emergency operations and treatment, pharmaceuticals, etc.); pays for the medical care and feeding of feral feline communities; pays for animal shelters; pays for overseas animal transportation to new kennels and new homes; and on and on. The numbers of desperate animals is greater than ever and TARA’s costs have increased dramatically.

New volunteers are essential, and we need more to come forward. We also need people who are prepared to foster dogs and cats until a permanent home can be found for them. Of course, we need folks who want to adopt an abandoned pet, in lieu of buying one in a puppy-kitten mill pet shop. And we need the energies of more folks with time and concern, who want to pitch-in and save the lives of helpless sentient beings. Have you been pondering what to do with your free time? TARA has a long list of opportunities for your consideration.

From a personal perspective, I know volunteer work for TARA is great fun and very rewarding. In addition to raising funds for needy animals, TARA volunteers belong to a friendly family of caring people. Whether you volunteer, or shop in TARA second-hand stores and car boot markets, or donate previously owned items, or set-up stalls in the car boot market, or foster, or adopt – whatever you do with TARA, you become a real part of something wonderful and part of the TARA social network of community advocates.

As volunteers we come from a variety of nations, speaking many languages, and representing different cultures. Working with TARA is a means to make contact with many other interesting people, developing and nurturing contacts and friends all working in one way or another for the benefit of our community. All this, plus you are helping to save animals that cannot help themselves.

Please think about this enriching opportunity to be a part of this worthy charity whilst reaching out to both animals and people on our beautiful island. Working together we can make Gran Canaria a Paradise for animals, too!