The world of animal protection has been built with people who, out of spontaneous will and not out of obligation or duty, have provided help in the face of abandonment and abuse that they were witnessing around them, that is, with volunteers.
The first Law that frames the figure of volunteering in Spain dates back to 1996. Twenty years later, a new legal framework was necessary “that adequately responds to the configuration and dimensions of volunteering at the beginning of the 21st century.” This was Law 45/2015, which was an update that highlights the aspiration for open, participatory and intergenerational volunteering that can be promoted not only within the Third Sector, but also extends its action to companies, universities or Public Administrations. A new legal framework where all types of organizations and all types of volunteering are welcomed, regardless of their motivation and the scope of their commitment, “an important milestone in its recognition and promotion.”
The Law defines the concept of volunteering and relates it to activities of general interest carried out by natural persons, which are of a solidarity nature, freely carried out, without economic or material compensation. It is understood that these activities will contribute to improving the quality of life of people and society in general and to protect and conserve the environment. In the areas of volunteer action, art. 6. 1. c) Environmental volunteering, the protection of animals is contemplated, as well as valuing the different species.
In parallel, in the 21st century, the concept of global citizenshipthe fact of being aware of the environment in which we live and the search for solutions to transform it, where solidarity and commitment guide the steps to follow in a globalized world that is fairer for the entire planet. Because helping any living being is such a relevant fact that it transforms the world, including that of animals.
There are a series of premises that characterize the benefits of helping others. The first of them is the satisfaction it generates, providing states of joy that improve health. According to different studies, it reduces the probability of suffering from depression, consolidates self-esteem and increases the capacity for empathy – so there will be both physical and psychological benefits; a second will strengthen ties with the community by being in contact with people with the same values and motivations, avoiding the feeling of loneliness, generating a sense of belonging and creating bonds; Volunteer work will contribute to finding the purpose that gives meaning to life, developing personal growth; It is also a way of learning, qualities such as responsibility, commitment, personal sacrifice, new skills and knowledge will be developed that will reinforce confidence to overcome obstacles; and, among the most important premises, the satisfaction of contributing something to society without expecting anything in return.
A theory that idealizes hard work, of dedication to others, of hours and hours given to a cause, of frustrations found along the way when the goal is not achieved, of incomprehension on the part of family, partners and friends. A task, apparently, praised by society, but what happens when that help is not provided to another person but to an animal? Caring for others is one of the most generous acts of love that human beings can perform, however, in defending the animal cause there are a series of peculiarities that increase the exhaustion of volunteers. And the differences in recognition between helping -as a praiseworthy fact- and helping -as a banal fact- are not found in the fact itself, but in the final recipient of that care.
One of those singularities that distinguish this volunteering from many others is the lack of social sensitivity to the work of defending animal rights, with signs of rejection and incomprehension towards the work carried out, without forgetting the mockery and ridicule to which it subdues the people who do it; Also, the excessive participation of a few people in the care of the abandoned and abused, which is generating evident uneasiness and discouragement after many years of activism in which it is proven that the solution has not been reached, and society – which often converts the volunteer person supposedly responsible and not part of the solution to the problem – continues to turn his back on him; Another of the characteristics that weighs on the shoulders of this animal volunteering is the lack of support from public administrations, which lack or do not provide sufficient aid to solve the problem and which causes a significant economic loss when the volunteer – that person – has to face figure that does not receive financial contribution for its work – rescues, food, veterinary care and the search for a home to shelter the rescued animals, if not accumulating in their homes those that no one wants to shelter.
Even reaching economic ruin when they decide to found a shelter and the aid is not enough to cover the expenses caused by the growing number of inhabitants with the decreasing number of means to care for them. Of course, the innumerable demands of citizens are somewhat greater towards these volunteers than towards the public institutions that are truly responsible for this task. Disasters bring to light the work of these people as a solution to problems that no institution could solve in a timely manner. Something that people who have cared for animals for many decades suffer, that is, they face what the administration is not capable of caring for with its own means.
One of the pillars of helping others is reciprocity, the emotional reward that is expected from the peer being helped. In the animal world, seeing that the life of that living being has changed forever will be the compensation, but is that gratification enough when this dedication is daily, continuous and without rest? The frustration suffered by not achieving the objective of minimizing abandonment and abuse, together with social rejection and the lack of recognition of their work, the deterioration of the family economy, the increase in the animal family after each rescue, and the Lack of time to dedicate to self-care causes significant emotional exhaustion as they do not see a way out to continue protecting the beings they care about.
Nazaret Iglesias García, psychologist and director of Dana Psychology Centerexplains why self-care is important for people who care for others. “It is common that when playing the role of caregiver, he or she only attends to the needs of the person in charge, neglecting his or her own. This fact gives rise to physical, mental and/or social deterioration called caregiver fatigue, which significantly reduces their quality of life and can trigger anxiety, stress or depression. In the long term, the needs of the caregiver and the person being cared for are not covered.”
It was Richard Figley, doctor and director of the Traumatology Institute at Tulane University (New Orleans), who established the term ‘compassion fatigue’ as a consequence of prolonged exposure to compassion stress, a collateral damage of dedication to a cause, especially the animal one.
Society has contemplated this problem of exhaustion, stress and feeling of sadness and loneliness that caring for others causes, and programs are beginning to be provided to alleviate this basic and essential need in society. The Pere Tarrés Foundation has implemented a program of Emotional management for non-professional caregivers of people with dependencyin which they are trained to offer support and guidance to non-professional caregivers and generate a space for relationships and exchange of experiences. An essential tool for self-care for people who are dedicated to accompanying and caring for others throughout their lives, and necessary when verifying the exhaustion and stress that volunteers suffer when carrying out the work of caring for others.
The Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid, in the Chair of Animals and Society, whose objective is to develop and launch activities and/or research projects associated and framed in the field of dissemination of animal welfare principles, studying the effects of the bond between humans and other animals and developing health promotion programs, its training includes a solidarity seminar to make visible the compassion fatigue syndrome, common among animal caregivers and rescuers. It indicates that the condition can afflict people who have prolonged contact with the suffering of non-human animals, such as staff at veterinary clinics and volunteers at shelters or sanctuaries.
Psychology also contemplates solutions and Nazareth recommends a series of tips for self-care to be effective. “It is important that the caregiver ensures quality rest time, performs physical exercise, takes care of their diet and dedicates time to social interactions outside the care setting so as not to feel alone or isolated. It is also essential to learn to set limits and seek psychological help if it is considered necessary,” since self-care works. “If the caregiver guarantees well-being based on the guidelines given in the previous point, he will be able to take much better care of the person or animals in his charge without experiencing the physical and emotional exhaustion characteristic of this very demanding role, in addition to not having the feeling of being isolated and having care as the only vital objective.”
Pierpaolo Donati, Alma Mater Professor (PAM) of Sociology at the Department of Politics and Social Sciences at the University of Bologna, Italy, is the founder of relational theory which states that society does not include relationships between people, but consists of they. in his studio Caring for others as a social relationship, establishes that the essence of caring for those who need help consists of a certain relationship, of giving and receiving in a certain way, of creating a certain social relationship. He adds that what is missing in today’s society is not so much material and technological resources, but rather the relational skills to welcome, support and socially integrate people in difficulty. Caring for others is increasingly entrusted to new technologies and impersonal welfare mechanisms, while interpersonal social relationships become increasingly weak, liquid and inaccessible. The consequences are evident in the loss of social solidarity and human deterioration. It requires in its study a social change, above all cultural, that reveals, instead of hiding, the relational nature of human need and, correlatively, of the necessary response.
Source: www.eldiario.es
