A Suffolk couple who now run Spain’s only registered horse rescue charity, will feature in Channel 5’s Bargain-Loving Brits In The Sun television series this week.
Sue and Rod Weeding, from Long Melford, ran American Pine and Hardwood Furniture Company in Ipswich before retiring to the Costa Brava.
In 2008, when settled into their new sun-soaked home, they witnessed horse cruelty which spurred them on to launch Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre.
The couple say they are ‘thrilled’ to be appearing in the first episode of season three of the series that follows the lives of Britons who have given up the rat race to live a life in the sun on the cheap.
Film crews visited the Rojales rescue centre multiple times last year to try and capture the highs and lows of the Weedings’ life caring for more than 100 rescued horses, ponies and donkeys.
Sue said: “We are very excited to be on English TV. We’re hoping that people will see the programme, enjoy it and maybe understand a little bit of what we’re trying to do here.”
“It’s definitely not easy, but we will continue to move forward to create animal welfare in Spain. This is our long-term goal, to continue working with Spanish police to rescue abused, neglected and abandoned equines – and at some point get some sort of recognition from the government or councils.
“We are on call 24 hours a day now because we are providing a service to Spanish police. But unlike England, where charities enjoy a certain status and get help, here in Spain we have absolutely nothing. It’s just people like Rod and I doing it, using our own money.
“But we are giving it everything we’ve got. We must move animal welfare forward – and we are doing it with a passion.”
The Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre relies entirely on donations to fund its animal welfare work and has six charity shops across Alicante to help raise money.
The couple also open the rescue centre to the public on the first Sunday of every month between 1pm and 4pm and give people a free horse tour and refreshments and run a pick-up service for anyone who wants to donate to their charity shops.
Bargain-loving Brits In The Sun episode one airs next Thursday, January 25 at 8pm on Channel 5.
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