Following the serious fires in Galicia, which have destroyed a large part of its forests and surrounding areas, many animal shelters have had to be evacuated.
Christian Oliva-Vélez, creator of the blog dogfriendlytraveler.com, has launched an initiative together with his dog Eros to raise €4,000 to donate to the Os Biosbardos Animal Shelter, which currently cares for 350 rescued animals in Galicia, mostly dogs and cats. For this new project, he has brought together different companies from various sectors that are offering unique experiences in exchange for a 100% charitable donation.
Christian is Argentine and Spanish and has lived in Spain for 27 years. His charitable spirit goes back to when he was a child: at the age of 7, he founded an animal shelter and carried out several community service projects. Through his blog, he fights against animal abandonment. #NoAlAbandono is his hashtag.
One way to participate in this campaign is through his Instagram account, @dog_friendly_traveler. Every day, he will upload a photo featuring a different experience. To enjoy it, you must be the first to leave a comment with the phrase “Dono con @dog_friendly_traveler a @protectorabiosbardos #NoAlAbandono #NuncaMais”. Then, within less than an hour, you must pay the amount for the chosen experience via PayPal or bank transfer to the shelter.
Once the shelter has received the payment, Christian will send you a private message via Instagram with all the details of the chosen experience. And then you can enjoy it! All the experiences will be repeated until the €4,000 goal for the shelter is reached. In addition, Taschen will give a book to everyone who makes a donation.
This project offers various experiences, including stays at dream hotels in Guadalajara, Alicante, or Menorca; dinners at Madrid’s newest trendy restaurants; treatment with a plastic surgeon; oriental massages; works of art and literature by renowned authors; interior design advice; and a piece by a prestigious interior designer. A total of 18 companies are taking part in this charitable initiative:
- Art: Dani Wilde, Felipao, Lulu Figueroa Domecq, Rebeca Khamlichiand Taschen
- Gastronomy: Dehesa El Milagro, El Canadiense and Raro- Rare
- Hotels: Almiranteand San Joan de Binissaida
- Interior design: Belén Pérez Martín Interiorismo, Gancedo and Serge Castella
- Literature: Mónica Rodríguez
- Pets: Tqel
- Health and beauty: Nazir Diuana M.D, Hotel Spa Niwaand The Organic Spa
Together, we can make the world a better place and find homes for all the helpless animals left without one by these terrible fires in Galicia.