THE SECRET WORLD OF AN ANIMAL PROTECTION SOCIETY (SPA) SHELTER | Le Monde Secret | M6

If an animal is man’s best friend… then the Marseille SPA is certainly the animals’ best friend! It’s one of the biggest shelters in France: over 10 acres. And no less than 12,000 animals: stray dogs, like Mauser, whose owners are being sought for an emotional reunion, or those hoping to be adopted, like Farina… But also wild pigs, like Pumba, discovered in the middle of town, a rat, the last survivor of a family of several hundred, a sparrowhawk with a broken wing, but still a fearsome bird of prey, etc. And taking care of them all is a tight-knit, dedicated team. Under the leadership of Xavier, the colourful manager, never stinting in good humour, some forty staff and around a hundred volunteers tend to our animal friends. Amongst these devoted men and women: Dorian, the big-hearted carer,  Vito, the catcher, who is more than willing to work nights, Céline, the vet, who will have to save the sparrowhawk’s wing, Adam and his wife¾dog groomers and spare-time animal psychologists¾not to forget Meghane in reception, who deals with both those who abandon their animals and the families looking for a new pet, and who sometimes even points the finger at animal traffickers. The place is buzzing with life and stories every one more incredible than the next… Welcome to the Marseilles Animal Protection Society.