Our shelter’s commitment to animal welfare

Our commitment to animal welfare

Responsible adoption
We are committed to finding each animal a home suited to its needs, working with adopters and ensuring post-adoption follow-up to guarantee their welfare and prevent abandonment.

Rescue
We take in abandoned, abused or stray animals, working with the police and animal welfare inspectorates on sensitive missions that require our intervention.

Animal welfare
An animal’s welfare is defined as “the positive mental and physical state associated with the satisfaction of its physiological and behavioural needs and expectations. This state varies according to the animal’s perception of the situation”.
At Veeweyde, we are committed to caring for the animals in our care. They are fed, cared for and given attention by staff and volunteers, particularly through outings and stimulating play. That said, although we provide them with a secure shelter, this transitional stage is sometimes difficult for some of them. We do our best to meet their needs, but we cannot replace the warmth and stability of a real home.

Ethological respect
Our teams, trained in canine, feline and Nacs behaviour, ensure their well-being by understanding their needs and making their stay as stress-free as possible. They continue to follow training courses to expand their knowledge.

Expertise and modernised infrastructures
The majority of our animal carers have a diploma in animal care. Several members of our teams have undergone training and are behaviourists trained in canine and/or feline behaviour. What’s more, since 2024, our refurbished facilities have encouraged the physical, mental and emotional development of our animals.

Behavioural assessments and socialisation
We work with traumatised or fearful animals to help them regain their balance and sociability. Regular assessments help us to evaluate their well-being and progress, and identify when the animal is ready for adoption.

Respect for the environment
Located on three hectares of green space in Anderlecht, our facilities offer a natural setting conducive to the animals’ well-being. We encourage biodiversity with facilities that promote micro-habitats and endangered species.

Veterinary care
Our vets provide the necessary care for all the animals in the refuge, from dogs to NACs and farm animals.

Caring upbringing
We favour an upbringing based on caring, fostering a relationship of trust and respect between the animal and its future adopter.

Raising awareness
We work with schools, institutions and social networks to promote animal welfare, encourage adoption and inform people about good practice.

Sterilisation
We recommend sterilising animals to prevent disease, regulate their numbers and combat abandonment.

No euthanasia for convenience
We only carry out euthanasia in cases of absolute medical necessity, ensuring that every animal has the chance to find a home, however long it stays.

Our philosophy sums up in the protection of animals in all forms

This protection aims above all to protect animals from the abuses to which they are often victims at the hands of humans: abuse of power, abuse of authority, mistreatment, cruelty, abandonment or even exploitation for commercial purposes.

We are  opposed in the most formal way

  • The use of animals for games, jousting, lotteries and their use for advertising purposes and shows and all circumstances in which their dignity is violated
  • Exploitation of animals for their fur
  • To any breeding that exceeds a reasonable demand
  • Hunting and fishing as an activity of relaxation and entertainment or for any other reason not justified by the vital needs of man
  • The capture, importation, possession and sale of animals living in the wild and particularly exotic animals, known as NAC, New Companion Animals.
  • The capture and detention of any wild bird belonging to the European avifauna.
  • The unjustified destruction of biotopes endangering the survival of species living in the wild
  • Any experimentation on animals

We recommend :

  • The placement and adoption in the best possible conditions of all domestic animals and the control of placements.

We demand :

  • That strict regulations be applied to the breeding and sale of domestic animals in order to limit them to normal demand and to guarantee buyers the quality that goes hand in hand with strict selection
  • Veeweyde does not advocate vegetarianism but fights to ensure that the methods of industrial breeding, transport and slaughter as well as the collection of products provided by the animal do not cause them any suffering or stress.