Animal sanctuary??

[Meg]

Today at a local fete there was a stall with a tiny goat a couple of piglets and a fluffy bunny. (Up on high 'display cases' almost) When i approached to see the animals a stall holder started talking to me and offered me a sweet. She said they were some sort of animal refuge or something (sorry my bad french here) and that i could buy the sweets to pay for the injections for the animals. €25 a tin or €15 for 3 boxes of these sweets, which were tucked away in a box, not out on display.

Was this a legitimate charity or a con?? Seemed a bit odd to me.

[Christine Animal]

Probably not.  I used to see them on the cark park at the supermarket going round trying to sell calendars saying it was for their animals.

 

[Gail Smith]

They are at Riberac market nearly every week.  Usually they have a tiny piglet, way too young to be away from its mum.  Of course all the soft Brits (me included) go up to it ohhing and ahhing over the piglet.  They then give you the spiel about buying the sweets for the animal sanctuary.

I was worried about it and thought it was a scam but the local Police who collect the payments from the stallholders didnt take any notice of them.  They must have paid their dues!

I dont know what you could do about it as it seems to be accepted but it is cruel to the piglet to say the least.

Trouble is here that the french have such a different attitude to animals, nearly every other stall has a tiny wire cage containing terrified rabbits crammed in for people to take home in a bag and kill for dinner.

Gail x

[Meg]

Cheers ladies, i thought as much. I shall keep my distance!

Do charities have to be registered here as in the UK?

[Christine Animal]

Oh yes, bien sûr.