Limburg (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Flemish Minister Ben Weyts has allocated €125,000 in funding to 14 animal shelters across Limburg, reinforcing Flanders’ commitment to animal welfare.
These include the animal refuge in Genk, Belgium; the Nature Aid Center in Oudsbergen; and the Ratopia Rat refuge in Meldert (Lummen).
The Flemish government has been providing financial assistance to animal shelters in Flanders since 2021. They can improve their operations thanks to this funding.
“This didn’t exist before,”
Says Flemish Minister of Animal Welfare Ben Weyts (N-VA).
“And yet the shelters do fantastic work. That’s why we’re now increasing that support by 30 percent.”
119 shelters in Flanders will receive a total of €806,000 in financial assistance. A total of €125,000 in subsidies will be given to 14 animal shelters in Limburg as a result of this budget. Shelters that also accept animals that have been seized will also get more assistance.
For the first time, the Ratopia rat shelter in Meldert has received this Flemish support.
“We’re thrilled with it,”
Says founder Hjördis Eykens.
“Any amount is welcome, because we can really use it to care for the rats.”
The shelter currently cares for around 70 rats.
“We receive many rats who have been abandoned or are in poor health. Think of tumors, abscesses, and respiratory problems. That’s why we visit the vet almost every week, but that comes with the associated costs. The money we receive from Flanders will therefore primarily go to the vet.”
Animals Love (Rekem), Animal Friends Sint-Truiden (Sint-Truiden), Purrito Cat Shelter (Paal), Cattaleya Shelter (Leopoldsburg), The Blue Cross Lommel (Lommel), Genk Animal Shelter (Genk), Bird and Mammal Rescue Centre (Heusden-Zolder), non-profit organisation Animals in Need (Ophoven), Villa Vagebond (Maaseik), Pink Paws Pet Rescue (Tessenderlo), Purrito Cat Shelter (Paal), Cattaleya Shelter (Leopoldsburg), and Rat Shelter Ratopia (Meldert).
Of the 14 shelters, 11 accept cats, making them the largest group. There are also two shelters for rats and four for dogs. Specialised shelters also provide shelter for amphibians, birds, reptiles, horses, and ponies.
Animal shelters must fulfil specific requirements in order to be eligible for financial assistance from the Flemish government.
“The support has been deliberately kept very accessible,”
Weyts adds.
“We’ve set a few conditions regarding professionalization. For example, we require that the animals be cared for by trained volunteers. Enthusiasm alone is no longer enough.”
How does this funding compare to previous years’ support for animal shelters in Limburg or Flanders?
The €125,000 financial support awarded by Flemish Minister of Animal Welfare Ben Weyts to 14 animal shelters in Limburg represents a more structured and significant form of government funding compared to earlier efforts in Flanders.
Historically, the Flemish government began providing more organised financial support to animal shelters around 2019, when it introduced a system to provide a one-time payment of €3,000 to each recognised shelter that registered animals on a central platform and used a management program for shelters.
This was intended as an initial step toward professionalising shelter operations with a planned broader budget of around €2 million to be distributed among shelters based on their needs over time.
