About

ARCH (The Andalusian Rescue Centre for Horses) has transformed the lives of countless horses, ponies and donkeys since it was founded in 2009. The charity is registered in Spain as Centro Andalusí de Rescate de Caballos (also the name of our Facebook page) though most people still know us as “ARCH”, both at the Rescue Centre and the Charity Shop.

Our mission is to rescue equines who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned – animals who have no one else to fight for their well-being. Most of our rescues come through SEPRONA (the animal welfare arm of the Guardia Civil), and abandoned animals are also brought in through the local police. Inevitably some of the older animals, or those with special needs, stay with us for a long time but the Centre is not a retirement home or a sanctuary, and we try to find suitable homes for all our rescue animals – the flow of deserving cases never stops, we have limited space, and it is hard to refuse our help.

Rescue is only part of the story. Once animals arrive at the Rescue Centre we work with SEPRONA, local equine vets and with our animals rights lawyer, Aritz Toribio, to take owners to court. This is a costly, frustrating and long-drawn-out process (cases can drag on for years and we rarely recoup anything like our costs). New animal cruelty legislation has been slow to filter through to judges and public prosecutors, but there have been some successful cases recently which give us hope that we may eventually win the fight for justice.

We rely heavily on donations to cover the costs of rescuing and transporting animals to the Centre, giving them veterinary care and proper feeding in rehabilitation, and helping us meet the legal costs involved in prosecuting abusive owners.

And, of course, we are deeply grateful to all of our donors, and our ever-growing team of volunteers of all ages and nationalities.
We could not exist without your support!

The ARCH Rescue Centre is a lovely tranquil space where you can relax and meet the current residents.

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ANDALUSIAN RESCUE CENTER FOR HORSES

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