About Axarquia Animal Rescue

I joined AAR back in 2012 after finding two tiny puppies in the bins and hand raising them. I rehomed them to someone already involved with AAR. Back in the UK I worked as an HR Manager and Project Manager. I’ve been in Spain now for 10 years and live with my two dogs, two cats and a husband who is allergic to animals! Volunteering with AAR enables me to help so many animals as I can’t adopt them all (although I would love to!).

I was elected President of AAR in March 2015 and am so proud of the team I work with. Our Committee are so dedicated and we have the most wonderful supporters and volunteers who do everything from case working to running our shop, vet trips and even baking cakes! What makes AAR so successful is the incredible people that work with us and support us. I could not be more proud of the Charity.

In my previous life I worked in Border Controls which has given me the lead in to my AAR Transport Manager role. I have the extremely rewarding job of organising the road and air transport which sends our lucky adopted animals to their forever homes. Forever homes are not just in the UK but all over Europe too, including Holland, Germany, France, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar and of course all over Spain too. I have to ensure that all our animals meet specific requirements for each destination country and also ensure that they travel safely and legally.

We have a great Travel Team and I am always looking for more volunteers with a penchant for logistics! We have a wealth of knowledge and experience and have built up plenty of information archives at our fingertips. Please come and join us.

I have lived in Spain for 8 years now and seem to have collected 4 spanish stray dogs of my own along the way. Sometimes I have 5 when I volunteer foster! I also volunteer every Friday at our AAR Charity shop in Torre Del Mar. Its great fun and has a unique atmosphere which keeps the customers coming back time and again. If you enjoy rummaging, chatting and prettying things up whilst being able to keep your eye on the figures, then this is the place for you. We are always looking for volunteers to join our small team.

I absolutely love my role in this wonderful charity and our results I think you will agree are truly amazing.

I joined AAR as a Market Volunteer in January 2013 and helped out with fundraising events and rehoming. I joined the Committee in August 2013 and became Treasurer in August 2014. My main role is in keeping accurate accounts, making sure the bills are paid and buying equipment and supplies. The hardest part of my role is when I have to say we have “no more room at the inn” but I would never let an animal suffer and we take on as many as we possibly can.

I also help with fundraising, organize the monthly quiz and co-ordinate our growing number of weekly markets. I moved to Spain 4 years ago to chill and relax which I do with the rescue cats and dogs I have re homed to myself.

I joined AAR in 2014, thinking that I would just volunteer for an hour or so a week, but it quickly became much more than that. I then became Secretary in early 2019. I do enjoy volunteering, as the work is very varied, and I have made some lovely friends along the way.

I joined AAR in February 2014. Looking back, my life was never as full as it is now! We, as in my husband David and I, left England where I owned a successful cleaning company over 20 years ago. We moved to Germany with David´s work and I became involved in welfare for the military. We left there after 4 years, moving to Spain to retire.

Then I became involved with AAR! I started by fostering and as I have three dogs of my own, I thought it might have been too much of a handful but from the first foster I knew I wanted to do more. I was actually a “Failed Fosterer” as I adopted the first pup, "Tiny Tim".

I was involved from the start of setting up our first Charity Shop and soon found myself as Manager. I am responsible for keeping the volunteer staff and our customers happy, while securing a very successful and much needed income stream for AAR. I also take time to take an active part in organising the regular fundraising trips and events that we run jointly with the Royal British Legion.

I joined AAR as a Committee member in September 2012. I am responsible for Vet Liaison. I discuss treatments and procedures with the vets and authorise vaccination packages and treatment plans for all our animals.

I helped AAR to obtain legal status as a charity in Spain and dealt with the communications with the Junta de Andalucía. I also dealt with the paperwork for the opening of our shop and continue to communicate with the town halls with the aim of getting them onboard with our TNR campaigns.

I also purchase the equipment needed to carry out our work: crates, leads, puppy and kitten milk, special food, etc. As well as working full time, I am also a Case Worker for some of our animals waiting to be adopted.