Although Pippi Longstocking’s horse “Little Old Man” is nowhere in evidence, the scene that greets visitors to the barn is like something out of a picture book: a little calf called Felix is skipping happily around his mother, a cow named Viola, who is clearly enjoying herself. Felix is Viola’s eleventh baby and the first that has not been taken away from her. She is allowed to look after him herself at the sanctuary. The mother cow comes from a dairy farm that was closed down. Nobody wanted her because she was already pregnant. Bea Gutzwiller, an animal keeper and aspiring farmer, stepped in on Viola’s behalf and brought her to “Villa Kuhnterbunt”, where she gave birth to her calf Felix at the beginning of 2017. “Every animal we care for has its own life story or tale of suffering,” explains Bea Gutzwiller, who founded the “Villa Kuhnterbunt” charity in September 2015 in collaboration with a young farming couple called Simone and Lukas Hess, who set up the sanctuary on their farm, Hof Homberg. “The aim of the charity is to offer farm animals, especially cattle, a life beyond their usefulness to human beings, and it seeks to show that animals are much more than just providers of milk and meat. Another key focus is to promote good relations between people and animals, and encourage livestock husbandry that takes the ethical, ecological and health aspects into account.” Soon after the charity was founded, it became apparent how great a need there is for suitable places to keep animals. Requests poured in – not only from animal rescue charities. Thanks to the immense dedication of Bea Gutzwiller and her team, about 50 cattle, 34 sheep, 2 horses, 2 ponies and several rescue cats now live on the “Villa Kuhnterbunt” farm. However, this animal welfare work and the related activities depend on sponsorships and donations: much can be achieved with even a small amount. The AVR is pleased to be able to support “Villa Kuhnterbunt” by making a donation. |