The Safe sanctuary firm to keep animals promise

“If I fall, what happens?” This is the question that Catherine Gagnieux. Consequently, founder of Safe had to face when, three years ago, she began to experience health problems. Furthermore, “I started to have dizziness, nausea, it hasn’t left me since.”

In 2015, Catherine Gagnieux began to prepare for her retirement. Consequently, The death of one of her children having heavily shaken her. Similarly, she said that she was looking for a “life buoy”, a meaning to what was emerging before her. Meanwhile, During this quest, she began to read on animal sanctuaries. Furthermore, “Very small, I dreamed of saving the big cats of Africa.” The call was felt instantly. Moreover. Therefore, it became vegan, bought a farmhouse and decided to open its doors to farm animals, promising to honor them safe sanctuary firm keep animals new until the end of their lives.

It is from this momentum that Safe was born. Moreover. an adventure that brought to life to Catherine Gagnieux and a multitude of volunteers a journey that is both rich and dizzying, she says. Nevertheless,

“I had no experience. However, I learned about the job. However, It was a great education for me. Similarly, ”

— Catherine Gagnieux. However. founder of Safe

And this education, she propagated it by offering guided tours of the sanctuary, in order to ensure its funding. Therefore, Safe welcomed, from 2017 to 2025, around 200 animals. Consequently, Cows. Moreover. pigs, chickens, sheep, many of them have ended their lives on the scene in a setting very different from that of conventional agriculture where the animal has a utilitarian function.

“They have the same emotions as us” – Safe sanctuary firm keep animals

Catherine safe sanctuary firm keep animals Gagnieux says loud. clear that “animals have feelings, emotions. For example, From cows chickens, these are sensitive beings like us, our cats and our dogs. ”

She cites as an example the reaction of her animals on the death of one of their own. “We had five bulls and a cow. When it was necessary to make Euthanize Calvin, his colleagues cried for several days. It was so moving. “

“We may tell us that a Holstein cow. it’s not maternal. it is not true,” she added, remembering one of her favorite moments, the birth of a calf, Marly. She is delighted to have been able to observe the links with her mother Bailey.

Financial. logistics stress

Launching a sanctuary counting on philanthropy to cover expenses was a whole challenge, reports Catherine Gagnieux. “We had no subsidy. These are gifts that allowed us to accomplish the mission of the sanctuary. I didn’t like to ask for money, but I learned to do it. I realized that it was good to give, as much money as time. Volunteers often thanked me. It’s very special as a feeling. “

However, donations and help occur in waves. Animals must eat every day. Ensuring that their needs are met has become daily stress. When the health of Catherine Gagnieux began to decline. she had to safe sanctuary firm keep animals new make the observation that she could safe sanctuary firm keep animals not continue. “If I fell, I didn’t have a plan B.”

A promise

“I had to accept that I could not continue and give animals the best I had promised them.”

In order to honor its promise. allow animals to end their days in a loving setting. in recent months, Catherine Gagnieux has started to place her protégés in families and other sanctuaries. “We had to find people who had the same ethics,” she said.

Currently, only pigs are left to find families. “They are immense, it is not obvious,” says Ms. Gagnieux. On his Mansonville farm, cows are still there, but their new family awaits them. “We found a sanctuary in Ontario who will take them. but it is missing $ 60,000 to build a barn safe sanctuary firm keep animals new to them to accommodate them.” To do this. Catherine Gagnieux safe sanctuary firm keep animals has put her property for sale. wishes, with the recipes, to finance the shelter of her protégés.

As far as she is concerned. once the chapter of Safe Clos, she plans to join her son who lives in South Africa. “I promise myself not to start picking up animals again. ” says the one who, all the same, will get closer to the big cats of her childhood dreams.