Aunts and Animal Welfare

I’ve been thinking about Aunts and Animal Welfare recently. Let me explain.

Donkeys

I was working as a  steward for Oxfam at the River Cottage Festival in Devon. The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth is only a few miles away so I just had to pay them a visit. I was interested in finding out about some of the great work they do. They rescue donkeys from appalling working and living conditions. I also had an ulterior motive.

My husband’s Aunt Eileen died a few years ago and when we were clearing her home I found dozens and dozens of donation receipts and letters from the Donkey Sanctuary. She had mentioned their animal welfare work to me several times and it was clearly a cause close to her heart. I wanted to see for myself and leave a donation in her memory.

Of course I also took the opportunity to get some new research material for my animal paintings. This one is shown in its early stages, as a work in progress.

If you’re in the area, do go and visit. Admission is free and there are lots of exhibits and paddocks with hundreds of donkeys, staff talks and grooming demonstrations. There’s also a good cafe for a cuppa once you’ve walked round.

Rare Breeds

One of my own Aunts died recently, and she too had been interested in animal welfare issues, and left a sizeable legacy to the South of England Rare Breeds Centre. I haven’t been there yet, but it’s on my list…

These two lovely ladies have set me thinking about supporting animal welfare charities.

Support Animal Welfare

There are lots of ways to support animal welfare charities. I volunteered for several years at my local RSPCA cattery, until they closed it. They did some impressive work to improve animal welfare and its closure was a huge loss to the staff and volunteers. My own two cats were rescued by them, along with hundreds of animals each year, and the closure was a huge blow.

Practical support isn’t always a realistic option.  However, sales of animal art and homeware gifts from this website support wildlife conservation projects. See details in my shop pages. My animal art prices are affordable and the donations come from my profits, not inflated prices.

Will you be most interested in my colourful wildlife art, cute farm animal paintings and prints, or perhaps a unique chopping board? Take a look at my website and order your favourite colourful animal art products for your home or as a gift for an animal lover. Click here to get a discount on your purchase of animal art and gifts.

And look after your Aunts.