There are occasions that aren’t just celebrated with cake and balloons. They are celebrated with scars that have become stories of resilience, with legs that can run again, with eyes that can trust once more.
Today, 17 July, the Bianca Association celebrates 24 years of existence… 24 years of struggle, hard work, laughter and tears…. It has been 24 years of daily struggle for the lives of those who have no voice.
It has not been an easy journey. There have been sleepless nights spent waiting for an animal to stabilise. There were calls in the early hours, rescues in the rain, some in the middle of landfill sites, on cliffs, and resources that never arrived in the quantities we needed. There have been 24 years of difficult goodbyes and 24 years of even more difficult new beginnings. The pain of those who care is also felt, and for 24 years here at the Bianca Association we have felt it, without ever giving up.
For every difficulty, there is a victory that makes it ALL worthwhile. There’s the first step taken by an animal we no longer believed could walk – Pedro or Mandiba… there have been so many! There’s the snout that seeks affection once more after so much fear. There’s the adoption that transforms the end of a story of fear and terror into a happy new beginning. It is these small yet enormous daily celebrations that drive us and remind us why we started.
And why did we start? Because a dog called Bianca, the first one we rescued, needed a helping hand, and here we are today, with those same hands, ready to help, ready to be a source of comfort and solace for those animals who need them.
But none of this would be possible without a network of volunteers spread across the globe: people from all corners of the world and all walks of life give up their time, their comfort and, often, a piece of their own hearts, so that another four-legged heart may continue to beat. With every gesture of kindness offered without asking for anything in return, the Bianca Association grows a little stronger.
Today we celebrate 24 years of resilience, unconditional love and unshakeable faith that every life matters. We celebrate all those who have passed through our care and now have a home. We celebrate all the volunteers, wherever they may be in the world, who make this mission their own life’s work. And we celebrate the journey that still lies ahead, knowing that, together, we will always be stronger than any challenge.
Thank you for believing in us.
Congratulations to us all, and here’s to many more years of saving lives. 🐾