Six-Day Fund Drive Reaches €75,000 Target
The small animal charity Ajuda a Alimentar Cães has gathered the full €75,000 it needed to buy its rented shelter, completing a fund drive that began just six days earlier. Ajuda a Alimentar Cães had rented the space since 2023 and faced the end of its lease in January 2026. When the owners offered to sell, the group turned to the public for help - and received it faster than expected.
Mariana Nóbrega, the group’s founder, announced the result on Saturday on Facebook. She wrote:
Maybe I should start with the most important thing, we got the amount we needed to buy our little corner. After so many years moving from place to place, for the first time we have our home. It’s ours. This shelter will be ours. And you are the ones who made this happen.
More Than 1,5000 People Donated to Save Ajuda a Alimentar Cães
A day before the goal was reached, the total raised stood at €64,392, leaving little more than €10,000 still to collect. Donations then crossed the line across several channels. Many donations were small, the group said, but in many ways it was these small donations that made the difference.
Late Bequest Completes Remaining €10,607.94 After Visitor Arrives
One final gift closed the gap. Ms. Nóbrega said a visitor brought a cheque for exactly the amount still missing. She explained in her post: “That cheque came from someone who recently passed away and who, exactly one year ago, decided to change his will to give a percentage of his money to Ajuda a Alimentar Cães.” She named the donor as Carlos.
She also shared a personal note: “I have tattooed on my back the phrase ‘everything happens for a reason,’ and I truly believe that.” The bequest arrived on the last day of the drive.
Since 2014, Group Reports 1,450 Rescues and 1,450 Adoptions
The charity describes itself as modest in size but busy in work. Over 11 years, it says, the shelter has saved more than 1,450 lives.
It's worth highlighting that "despite its modest size, this little corner has already saved more than 1,450 lives" in the Association's 11 years of existence. They also point out that "in this space alone, we facilitated 358 adoptions in 2023, 670 in 2024, and so far in 2025, we've facilitated 422 adoptions
The campaign began to keep that work going beyond 2026, when the rent would have ended. Buying the building secures the base of operations - a rare outcome for a group that feared losing the space. “To be honest, I was ashamed to start this fund drive,” Ms. Nóbrega wrote. “I never believed it would be possible to buy the place.” The public, she said, proved otherwise.
Thank you all for contributing, sharing the word and donating. It shows, that together, people can make a difference and create the change they believe in!
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