A free animal sanctuary is a place meant to host farm animals such as horses, donkeys, cows, pigs, goats, sheep, ducks, etc. It is managed by a non-profit organisation, and therefore has no commercial purpose, but is run by personal beliefs and the desire for a better world.
The sanctuary takes care of respecting the needs of each animal guest, allowing them to live as free as possible, healthy and fed, and providing them with the best possible life until their natural death.
The sanctuary is also a place open to the public. It should spread the stories of the guest animals who have to be considered as ambassadors of their species as they represent their less lucky brothers and sisters—so that visitors can become aware of their life choices.
The Free Animal Sanctuaries in Italy must comply
with a value statement, which you can find simplified here below*.
Art. 1 – The sanctuary managers must put into practice a nonviolent, anti-speciesist and vegan lifestyle. Everyone else is of course free to participate as a volunteer.
Art. 2 – Every shelter must ensure the highest life quality to its guests, taking care of their species-specific needs, providing them with wide spaces and healthy food, and trying, whenever possible, to have different species living together.
Art. 3 – In no case animals can be purchased by the shelters. Guests must be found, or they must come from rescues, closures of farm facilities, etc.
Art. 4 – Animals should not breed, and males must be castrated or, when this is not possible, kept separate from females. The purpose of the sanctuary is to stop existing in the future, and that all animals, including humans, could find their place in nature again.
Art. 5 – Each animal guest must be free to use its time without having to work for humans.
Art. 6 – The sanctuaries must be open to the public to spread stories and raise awareness about the living conditions of farm animals, and thus educate visitors.
Art. 7 – The sanctuaries are non-violent places where no discrimination will be tolerated, being it about species, gender, sexual orientation, colour, ethnicity, etc.
Art. 8 – The sanctuaries must make ethical choices in every field, including the choice of partners and suppliers, and they should use as much as possible the social economy network.
Art. 9 – The Network has a non-violent communication style and decisions must be taken collectively.