Lennik (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ark van Pollare in Lennik rescued 10 goats in Deinze, 170 neglected animals. Spokesperson Ellen Van Assche appealed for urgent feed and financial support.
As VRT News reported, the Ark van Pollare animal shelter in Lennik, in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, has issued an urgent call for support, asking the public to donate hay and chicken feed after an intense day of rescues. On Tuesday morning, Sep 2, 2025, shelter workers traveled to Deinze to rescue around 10 goats.
The animals required immediate assistance, which added additional pressure to the already strained resources of the shelter. Later that same day, the team was once again deployed as another call for assistance was received from Sint-Katelijne-Waver, where dozens of abused animals were left to be seized.
What can Lennik’s Ark van Pollare do to save 170 neglected animals amid resource strain?
A team of rescuers saved mostly chickens and ducks in Sint-Katelijne-Waver, spokesperson Ellen Van Assche, also mentioned that the team was able to save a number of geese and even a turkey too. Staff also found more neglect at a property nearby with 3 more goats and 26 chickens who were left without food, clean water, or sheltered from weather.
The Ark van Pollare shelter in Lennik says the recent rescues have serious consequences for their daily work.
“Our planning has been completely disrupted,”
explained spokesperson Ellen Van Assche.
“Our food supply was not ready for this sudden demand. We could place extra orders, but the cost is enormous and difficult to manage.”
The shelter reports that both feed supplies and overall capacity are under immediate strain.
To keep operations running, Ark van Pollare is urgently asking the public for support. The shelter stresses that financial contributions are vital, but that direct donations of poultry feed and goat feed are equally welcome. The shelter is notifying that they will not take appointments tomorrow. Regular visitation is ceased for the time being, but the emergency line will always remain available for urgent cases.
The Ark van Pollare was founded in 1992 in Lennik and has grown into a trusted partner in animal welfare across Flanders. Over the past 3 decades, the shelter has been involved in many high-profile rescues, including large-scale seizures of neglected farm animals in 2008 and 2015. In recent years, it has handled an increasing number of emergency interventions, with several major cases reported in 2020 and 2022.
