Villavida is an animal welfare association located in a small village in the province of Jaen, in the south of Spain, where every year hundreds of hunting dogs are abandoned. Villavida is run by a group of volunteers committed to fighting against the abandonment and mistreatment of animals. Since 2019, Villavida has been rescuing dogs, mostly abandoned hunting dogs (greyhounds) and unwanted litters, the first link in a chain of associations that cooperate with each other to rescue and rehome abandoned animals. To date Villavida has rescued and rehomed over 400 dogs and cats. Alongside their essential rescue work, Villavida is also focused on: reducing the number of stray cats and unwanted litters through the TNR program (trap, neuter, return); delivering education talks to raise awareness among the young; and reporting animal abuse and mistreatment taking place in the village. During the pandemic Villavida has experienced a significant fall in donations and increase in the number of animals they have rescued. This has resulted in additional food and veterinary expenses, more animals having to be rehomed temporarily in private shelters, and for longer periods while waiting to be adopted.
Support from the Scheinberg Relief Fund has been directed towards addressing additional costs incurred because of the increase in number of animals needing to be rescued and rehomed since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Funds have been used for veterinary expenses, private kennel fees, and to increase the organisations fundraising and rehoming capabilities.
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