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Who will protect the animals now?
It’s with a very heavy heart that, due to her age and ill health, Maria de Lourdes, founder of the «Quintinha Rescue Centre» – a sanctuary for abandoned and mistreated animals that has been working for almost a decade at Goldra, between Faro and Loulé – has decided to closedown in May 2010.
Bruno Filipe Pires, Edition 613 (11 Feb 2010), 
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Bruno Filipe Pires
Maria de Lourdes
The 3.500 square metre sanctuary, born from the sheer force of will of this British 71-year-old, currently shelters around 170 cats and 190 dogs and puppies. Over the last ten years, Lourdes has saved thousands of sick and abandoned animals from suffering and certain death.
But despite the efforts of many volunteers, people and institutions, the epilogue sadly could have been predicted as inevitable. In the last two years, the financial crisis has lead to an unprecedented increase in the number of animals arriving at the sanctuary.
The two charity shops in Quarteira and São Brás will continue to stay open - thus all donated items are still more than welcome.
But now, Lourdes has a final task ahead of her. She has to find homes for all the dogs and cats resident at her refuge. A picture gallery of the four-legged characters is being compiled, and can be seen on http://quintinha–animalcentre.org
It’s also possible to visit the «Quintinha» between 11am and 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays. To make an appointment, call 918 973 896 (Ingrid) or 96 256 0451 (Verna).
Meanwhile, from the western Algarve, we have some good news. The «Associação Cadela Carlota & Companhia», another animal protection organisation – founded a year ago and with around 50 members – recently signed (30/ 01) a protocol with the borough council of Lagos.
The objective is to create a promotional initiative and make locals aware of the need to adopt domestic animals taken into the borough’s kennels and cattery.
The day the agreement was signed, António Marreiros, councillor in charge of Lagos’ Veterinary Services, confirmed that “from this day on all dogs admitted to the new wing at the kennels will not be allowed to be put to sleep”.
And the town’s mayor announced that every week “the dog of the week will be published on the kennel’s website, and whoever decides to adopt him/ her will not pay anything”.
Lagos’ municipal kennels/ cattery is a collection centre and temporary refuge for dogs and cats. It has the capacity to shelter 40 dogs and six cats, and at the moment houses around 30 dogs.
The space is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to midday, and from 1pm to 4pm – and can be found on the land of the borough nurseries, near Moinho do Azeite, opposite the new cemetery.
On Sunday 14th February, the Carlota association will have a stand at the Flea market in Chinicato, just outside Lagos.
