The sad facts about sanctuary life

Sadly, we have some neighbours who feel very threatened by the fact we can breathe without consuming other animals. They make it their life’s mission to try and rattle and poke us every day. When we don’t receive out and out vandalism and racial abuse, they are shifty and underhand. The local gendarmes must feel sick when these people go to complain and mention our names. From trying to lodge complaints to make the gendarmes ‘force us to eat meat’, to complaining about where we park. Apparently, our flowers go too far into the road, our property is a mess, we spread rubbish and we block the roads. We have the audacity to unload our car with food into our barn and stockroom, and we have children that play on their pushbikes in the village.

The day after our recent Open Day, which we applied for and permission had been granted, our sanctuary signs were destroyed. Signs erected with the go ahead and stamp of approval from the mayor of our commune. Beautiful, handcrafted on wood, natural and in keeping with the countryside. Hours of work; signs to point the way to our safe haven, our sanctuary. A place promoting kindness and compassion. The sanctuary faces weekly abuse and vandalism, because of the relentless nature of these attacks, it has almost become normal. To be sworn at, verbally abused, fences pulled down, water taps left open to drain water sources, gates opened, flowers pulled out... it's all part of the charm of living in the French countryside. But this, seems particularly vile. These signs were for other humans that were interested in kindness and compassion. Who wanted to join us for lovely food and help support the sanctuary. So not only are we abused, but now it seems that other humans don't have the right to find us and support us. We are weary of living within this spiteful mindset. We are so weary. We do not interfere with anyone else's property or life. But just our being here quietly caring for other earthlings that humans have abused and used, is enough.

You may have thought the sanctuary signs being smashed and stolen was a one-off, a flash in the pan. Since then we have had our café sign thrown across the road - twice, flowers continually pulled and tossed from our front garden. Someone aimed for Alba as she was walking behind me crossing the road. We had a visit from the SPA (French RSPCA), after an anonymous coward complained about the state of the animals here. The inspector arrived, said how clean everything was and how well all the animals looked. She said how ‘grim’ the mindset was around here and told us to carry on with everything we are doing. So thank you, to the person with double standards, for letting the SPA see how well we keep all of the garden folk, and giving us a ‘pat on the back’ despite your best efforts.

Then, we awoke to find two tyres slashed or more accurately poked with a screwdriver, and a failed attempt on a third. We have only just managed to get the vehicles back on the road, and these two tyres were the last ones replaced. So yet again we face a bill of 160plus euros. I understand that humans do not want to take responsibility for their own unkindness. This is how the people around here react when they have to think about whether the choices in their life are the right ones. Whether who they are eating or shooting at is the right thing to do. Far easier for them to turn on us than to face the truth of their own choices, their own cruelty. The more they continue, the clearer the picture becomes for anyone sitting on the fence about whether they should adopt a compassionate lifestyle.

Are we deserving of this spite, just because we are compassionate and kind? Are those carrying out the crimes showing a humane mindset, to turn on their own species just because they want to kill with guns and dogs and eat bodies, or rear sentient animals to then have them killed? Who would you want to be sharing your space with really? Who would you want caring for you when you are vulnerable? We are trying to fund a comprehensive CCTV system. It is unclear if the gendarmes will give a damn, but it may dissuade a few of the hobgoblins from shuffling around at night and drooling over their latest schemes. We know who the main ones are, but it would be nice to have their faces on film. If you would like to help with this, please send anything (except horrible messages) to bigvsanctuary@outlook.com via paypal.