Monaco’s animal protection association Save, Protect, Support Animals (SpSA) is in need of a cash injection if it is to continue its work saving vulnerable, abused and abandoned animals. Here’s how you can help this important local association.

SpSA is a Monaco-based association whose mission is to find, protect and often save the lives of abused and abandoned animals. But with over €7,500 in unpaid vet bills, the association is facing potential disaster.

The volunteer organisation has therefore put out a call for people to donate to their cause to allow them to continue to help the helpless.

“Veterinary care is our main item of expenditure. In 2021 alone, this represented €22,000,” the SpSA’s Celine Gabrielli told Monaco Matin. “The more we are known, the more animals we take care of, the more the bills accumulate. We have emergency calls for rescues, we have abandoned, injured animals that we have to treat before finding them a foster family. We also have what are called retirement baskets.”

SpSA covers veterinary costs for all animals in their care and they never refuse to give treatment to an animal in need.

 “We came to the aid of an abandoned cat who was having litter after litter. During a difficult delivery, I had to take out the last kitten myself. Alone in nature, she would not have survived, nor would the little ones,” said Melyna, secretary of the association. “There were also eight kittens suffering from coryza and ringworm. They were placed in solitary confinement and treated for six weeks. They have since been adopted. We also took in Bambi, a dog whose owner died in her apartment. He was an unhappy dog, who had never known anything but the inside of a flat. He had double hip dysplasia. We took charge of the operation, which was expensive.”

The organisation is aiming to receive government subsidies, but this route is proving slow, and in the meantime, volunteer members are using their own personal funds to keep the association afloat. Since their first call for donations, the amount raised has come to €2,350, not nearly enough to cover the unpaid bills that are mounting. They now are running the risk of vets refusing treatment due to lack of payment.

In addition to funds, the SpSA is also asking for host families who would be willing to temporarily accommodate and care for animals whilst they wait to be adopted by their “forever family”. Spring is a particularly busy time for the association as kittens are being born in this period, making for a huge rise in the number of animals in need.

Foster families must meet some criteria before being allowed to take home an animal, such as having space to keep them separated from other animals in the house whilst they adjust, a secure balcony or terrace if the space has one, and the willingness and ability to purchase food. Vet costs are not the responsibility of the foster parents.

For those who wish to donate, there are three paths:

– Via Paypal at https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=JP4KH4BDMTQV8&fbclid=IwAR26P1AD2e74p1Dq9HYKz2LhVATDUU7lZ2L1_F8MvXjYy1D9ShcAlJlM2YA

– by credit card on www.apayer.fr/spsa1

– by check to SpSA – 49 Rue Plati – 98000 MONACO