A small animal charity in Portugal's eastern Algarve has found a neat way to fund emergency vet bills: art. ABLE — Animal Blue Light Emergency, based in Moncarapacho — is producing a 2027 wall calendar featuring donated pieces from local artists, and it goes on sale in early December for €10.
The charity fills a specific gap. When a cat or dog faces a sudden injury, illness or abandonment and the only thing standing between the animal and treatment is money, ABLE steps in to cover those initial emergency veterinary costs. The numbers so far tell the story of its first year: 77 emergency calls answered — 42 for cats, 35 for dogs — with 52 animals surviving, many of them only because treatment came quickly. For the 25 that couldn't be saved, the charity made sure a vet saw them and that they didn't suffer.
Each month of the calendar will carry a different artwork, with the artist's name and contact details printed alongside it — a bit of exposure for the contributors as well as a fundraiser. All profits go straight to emergency vet bills, and production costs have been covered by local business sponsors, so the €10 price tag works harder than it looks. Some of the original pieces may also be sold or auctioned after launch.
Where to buy: ViNTAGE, the charity's volunteer-run shop at Avenida Maria Lizarda Palermo No 15, Moncarapacho. That shop, alongside donations, is ABLE's entire income stream. Project lead Bekki Oliver has suggested a seasonal angle: skip the Christmas cards and gifts this year and give a calendar instead. Co-founder Lisa Jones credited the artists' generosity for making the project possible.
The timing doubles as a milestone — ABLE marks its first anniversary in December, having grown from a small idea into a registered charity with a fully volunteer-staffed shop.
Why should a traveller care? If you're spending winter in the Algarve, Moncarapacho makes an easy detour from Olhão or Tavira, and ViNTAGE is the kind of second-hand shop where a browse can turn into a purchase that actually matters. Buying a calendar, dropping off a donation or simply shopping there is a low-effort way for visitors to put something back into the place they're staying — and to support the stray and injured animals you'll inevitably see around town. Anyone further afield can order by contacting the charity directly, and businesses in the area can stock copies too.
For expats and snowbirds who base themselves in the eastern Algarve, ABLE is also worth knowing about in practical terms: it's the sort of local safety net that matters if you find an injured animal and don't know where to turn. Reach the charity by email, by phone on +351 961 972 245, or via its Facebook page.
Story via Portugal Resident.
