{"id":20163,"date":"2023-06-01T15:49:19","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T15:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/?p=20163"},"modified":"2024-09-11T13:37:06","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T13:37:06","slug":"a-visit-to-the-papillon-farm-interview-with-founder-olivier-bieli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/a-visit-to-the-papillon-farm-interview-with-founder-olivier-bieli\/","title":{"rendered":"A visit to the Papillon farm – Interview with founder Olivier Bieli"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Since 2012, Oliver and Rebecca Bieli have been running the Papillon sanctuary in Alsace<\/b>, as well as the Swiss Dog and Cat Rescue SHKR<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

During our visit, Oliver told us how they came to open the sanctuary in France, how they deal with handicap animals<\/b>, and the impact working with the animals has on omnivorous people. <\/span><\/p>\n

Together with photographer Saskia Reichenbach<\/a>, as well as artist Carina Schmidt<\/a> and her son, and yours truly (Yannick)<\/i>, we made our way to Munchhouse to see for ourselves how well the animals are doing here. Spoiler:<\/strong> Very good!<\/span><\/p>\n

Oliver tells us in this interview very emotionally and honestly what he and his team do every day for the welfare of the animals and has impressed us deeply.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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How did you come to open a grace farm?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Olivier Bieli:<\/strong> My wife Rebecca and I have been fighting against the unspeakable suffering of street animals for a very long time. Many years ago we founded the Swiss Dog and Cat Rescue SHKR to assist homeless, injured and unwanted street cats and dogs in Spain, France, Germany, Romania and Switzerland.
We organized castration programs and during this work we were repeatedly approached about horses, chickens and other animals that needed our help.
So it came about that we founded a sanctuary to be able to offer lifelong protection to these animals as well. In this phase we also developed ourselves and our understanding of animal welfare: We renounced to eat animals, clothes made of leather, wool
and other animal materials, launched campaigns against the keeping and exploitation of animals in circuses, carnivals, zoos or laboratories. In addition to rescuing and caring for distressed animals, our work today has also become educating people.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\"In addition to rescuing and caring for distressed animals, our work today has become educating people.\"\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOlivier Bieli<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"Gnadenhof_Papillon<\/figure><\/div>
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The Papillon sanctuary is located in France - are there any cross-border differences here as far as animal welfare is concerned?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Olivier Bieli:<\/strong> Yes, these differences exist and are sometimes enormous. Thus, dogs may still be kept on short chains here. Fish and chickens are offered for sale in tiny glass containers in garden centers, for example. There are cruel fur farms in the country and for the sake of tradition even cock and bull fights are still allowed, although this would be clearly forbidden according to the current animal protection law. Clear animal quality products, such as duck and goose foie gras, are also still produced here. But that’s exactly why it’s important to live here and do animal welfare: Namely, where there is animal suffering, you can get to work to prevent it. Animal suffering exists on a large scale in every country.
A lot needs to be done there in principle. Fortunately, there are also many French animal welfare activists who are doing a good job.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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What species of animals have found homes with you to date and how do they usually come to you?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Olivier Bieli:<\/strong> We have horses, pigs, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, turtles, guinea pigs, rabbits, hens, roosters, ducks, geese, pigeons, mice and numerous animals living in the wild here at the Papillon sanctuary. Some of our animals, e.g. our three cows, live on other animal welfare farms because we currently have no room for them here. The fates are unfortunately very diverse, as well as the abuse that we humans, the animals do. We have old, disabled, sick animals with us. Animals from the animal testing laboratory, from the street, abandoned and severely mistreated animals. Confiscated, neglected and unwanted animals. Actually, the whole range of tragedy. We humans take the right to subjugate animals, to torture them, to exploit them, to take children from them and to kill them. We do everything that would be punishable towards other people. And since the animals cannot defend themselves, we stand in between and fight against the prevailing injustice. <\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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How much freedom do the animals have with you and how do you define this?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Olivier Bieli:<\/strong> None of the animals we have acquired, bred or caught ourselves. Other people have done that and eventually the victims have come to us. Outside our farm, most of our residents would have no chance to survive – the dangers from people and the environment would be too great. And man has made the animals dependent on him. This is perfidious, if one then simply abandons animals or otherwise wants to get rid of them. Although we have to keep our prot\u00e9g\u00e9s in captivity, we try to offer them the best possible life every day. This can be achieved with plenty of space, numerous employment opportunities, high quality food, veterinary care, attention, love and a sense of responsibility. Social animals, such as horses, sheep, goats and poultry must be allowed to live in groups, the keeping of running animals such as horses in boxes we strictly reject our pigeons do not live in an aviary, but completely free. <\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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