Refuge milestones
Since its creation in 2000, Darwyn’s Refuge has come a long way in gaining recognition from its peers and various institutions.
On the road, we have of course welcomed many equines, sometimes during exceptional actions, such as the 39 Mivido horses collected in 2020.
February 17, 2000
Official creation of Darwyn’s Refuge, an association for abused horses.
February 2001
Move to Sézegnin.
2002
Le Refuge receives the Cuneo Prize from the Geneva SPA.
October 1, 2004
Le Refuge moves to Sézenove.
2006
Le Refuge receives the Geneva Veterinary Award.
2007
The Refuge has taken in19 horses and 13 donkeys.
2008
Wholesale rescue of 15 horses tied up in appalling conditions, without food for days and without water.
The Savoie Department of Veterinary Services lodged a complaint against the owner, and the Court ordered that the fifteen horses be sequestered and entrusted to the protection of Darwyn’s Refuge while the case was heard.
2009
The 15 horses sequestered in March 2008 were entrusted to the Refuge by the public prosecutor in April 2009.
In five months, 12 horses have been placed in new families.
2010
Darwyn’s Refuge is celebrating its 10th anniversary and is recognized as a section of the PSA (Swiss Animal Protection).
The 4-day celebrations to mark the Refuge’s 10th anniversary were a great success. Gala dinner with shows, entertainment for young and old, presentation of the horses, flat-screen presentation of the Refuge’s 10th anniversary… The Refuge’s mission is recognized!
Sequestration of 11 mares kept in a dark old cow shed, too small for 11 horses, and on 80 cm of manure. What’s more, they rarely went outside. We recovered these mares in a very poor psychological state. They had never been socialized.
2012
After 12 years of struggle, all the cantonal veterinarians in French-speaking Switzerland recognize the work of the Refuge and believe in its action.
The Refuge was called in by the relevant authorities for 2 major sequestrations following abuse. In 6 months, 17 horses were sequestered at the Refuge pending final removal or improvements to the facilities to return the animals to their owners, only 5 will be returned to the owner.
2013
Admissions explode: 40 horses taken in.
90% come from abuse problems, the rest from financial problems. Also, 9 horses were returned from foster care (3 will be rehomed in 2013).
2015
15 years of Le Refuge & Passe-moi les Jumelles
4 days of festivities, with a gala dinner-show for 180 guests,
3 shows by Jean-François Pignon, 2 full days of shows, demonstrations and presentation of the Refuge’s activities.
In all, some 3,500 people enjoyed our party, and we were also able to thank everyone who has supported us over the years, including our loyal donors and volunteers.
In terms of media coverage, our appearance on the RTS program “Passe-moi les jumelles” had an incredible impact nationwide. The show was a huge success, and viewers were touched and deeply affected. We saw an increase in membership in the months following the show.
2016
The motto of the year was “Prevention” for both owners and professionals.
To the latter, we remind you that it is their responsibility to ensure that the horse has a “dignified” life. Breeding must be carried out in a controlled manner, not on an amateur basis. Too many horses end their lives in dramatic conditions .
2017
More and more horses.
- 28 horses taken in by the Refuge, for a total of 420 horses in 17 years
- 17 horses returned from foster care
- 26 horses under contract to foster families joined our 270 horses in care
- 49 reports of abuse
2018
2018 is marked by collaboration with the Geneva police.
To set up its mounted brigade, the police worked in partnership with Darwyn’s Refuge, which provides the police with mounts. A big thank you from the authorities!
Le Refuge has launched its “bought, used, thrown away” prevention campaign to make riders aware of the responsibilities of owning a horse… over the long term.
2019
Prevention campaign.
19 years of action, determination, awareness and questioning to act in the field, but also to manage our structure professionally.
Darwyn’s Refuge is focusing its action on the prevention of abuse and is launching a campaign in partnership with World Horse Welfare: Too many horses being born means an increased risk of abuse – What to do?
2020
20 years of Le Refuge, health crisis and Mivido.
2020 was marked by the suspension of activities due to Covid19. The Refuge’s 20th anniversary party had to be scaled back. The priority was to focus all finances on protecting the horses.
39 Mivido horses taken in by Darwyn’s Refuge.
The Mivido association, set up in 1994, was founded with the aim of collecting worn-out riding horses that were due for retirement. Most of the horses came from the Lake Geneva region, and were boarded for retirement at various stables in Switzerland and France.
After months of trying to find a solution to prevent the worst from happening to these old but healthy horses, Darwyn’s Refuge is delighted to announce that these 39 horses will not be put to sleep, but can continue to live. The Refuge de Darwyn has agreed to take these 39 horses under its wing and to manage everything that goes with it. This “Mivido” activity will generate a certain amount of extra work, but with the help of Molly, who becomes Darwyn’s Mivido representative, we already have many examples of this collaboration working and are very happy that this story has such a happy ending.
Mivido’s horses
Good news to lift the spirits in these difficult times! Drama avoided….and only just!
For some time, the association had been experiencing serious cash flow problems. Molly, a member and volunteer who was concerned by the situation and saw the deterioration and urgency of the situation, came to Le Refuge for advice on how to find a solution.
After months of trying to find a solution to prevent the worst from happening to these old but healthy horses, Darwyn’s Refuge is delighted to announce that these 39 horses will not be put to sleep, but can continue to live. But Darwyn already has to take care of all its own. We have pledges of support, but we need you too!
School horses for many years, in Geneva, Vaud, Fribourg, Valais, or neighboring France, these horses have given their lives for you, so that you can learn, and today, they need a helping hand.
You can make a one-off donation or a sponsorship (which will enable you to receive photos of your godchild 3x a year).
Darwyn’s Refuge has agreed to take these 39 horses under its wing and manage everything that goes with it. This “Mivido” activity will generate a certain amount of extra work, but with the help of Molly, who becomes Darwyn’s Mivido representative, we already have many examples of this collaboration working and are very happy that this story has such a happy ending.
On the practical side, most of the horses will remain in their current boarding facilities. We would like to take this opportunity to thank these generous people, many of whom offered their services for months due to Mivido’s lack of funds.
A “MIVIDO” postal account has been opened to facilitate accounting:
CCP: 15-392425-0
IBAN: CH30 0900 0000 1539 2425 0
News of these 39 horses will be posted regularly on the Mivido website.
And a big thank you to all of you who have and continue to support Mivido’s horses!
And to you, the 39 commies, Welcome to Darwyn!
