Horses
10 animalsTen horses, spread across the land. Among them Amigo, the oldest, who spends his days quietly in his own meadow.
A forever home for animals without a home
Hearts for Animals is where horses, cats, dogs, chickens and roosters end up when they have nowhere else to go. Here they get food, space and care every day. Help us keep it going.
What we do
It started with the horses. Over the years Angelique took in more than 35 horses, animals neglected by the sport, discarded, or with nowhere else to go. Then came the cats, the dogs, the chickens and roosters. Every animal with its own name, its own story and its own place at the heart of the sanctuary.
Out of that growing family came the name Hearts for Animals. It had long since stopped being only about the horses.
In 2022 Angelique moved to France with all the animals, to the estate she named Domaine de Soleil, a place with enough land, calm and space to do it properly. The horses live there as a herd, the way it is meant to be, with access to walk-in shelters and free range across the land. Across the estate we plant trees to build a natural environment where the animals can graze, shelter and live the way nature intended.
Behind Hearts for Animals stands Stichting Hearts for Horses, founded by Angelique together with a board of dedicated people, and recognised as an ANBI charity. Every animal here is fed, cared for and given space, every day of the year, without exception.
That work continues thanks to the people around the foundation: volunteers who lend a hand, donors who make it possible and an involved local community. Every animal counts. So does every contribution.
25 yearstaking in animals
90+animals with a home
ANBI-registered foundation
Your donation is tax-deductible in the Netherlands under certain conditions.
From a handful of horses to a whole domain.
What began small has grown into Domaine de Soleil: a large stretch of land in France where more than ninety animals live. The horses as a herd, with access to walk-in shelters, alongside the cats, the dogs, the chickens and roosters. Cared for every day, all year round.
Who lives here
Each with their own name and their own story. A few of them:
Cats
30 animalsThirty cats, from the regular crew downstairs to the wild kitten family of mother Prinsesje and her six little ones.
Chickens and roosters
47 animalsTwenty-two roosters, twenty-four chickens, and Shihoendra, a turkey who is blind and simply walks along with the rest. And Tokkeltje, who our first campaign is named after.
Dogs
2 animalsHopi and Chicau, two dogs who are part of everything.
We choose not to show everything. For the calm of the animals and the safety of the sanctuary, we keep some things small.
News
Stories from the sanctuary, the animals and daily life.
Support a campaign
We work with small, concrete projects. Every campaign has a goal you can see and follow. You know exactly where your contribution goes.
Coming soonThe cats, a safe cattery
by Hearts for Animals
A place of their own where they can play outside freely.
Want to hear when a new campaign starts? Follow us on Instagram.
Support the foundation every month
Campaigns solve one thing at a time. But the foundation runs every single day. Feed, straw, the vet, tools, a fence that needs mending: those costs never stop. With a fixed amount each month you help us carry that base, all year round.
What a month of support does
€5 a month
Helps pay for the feed for the chickens and roosters.
€10 a month
Keeps the shelters stocked with fresh straw.
€25 a month
A solid contribution towards a visit from the vet.
You choose your own amount and you can stop at any time. Thanks to our ANBI charity status your contribution is tax deductible in the Netherlands under certain conditions.
They support the foundation every month
Every heart is someone who supports the foundation each month. Together they form the base under everything that happens here.
- Thierry
- Sharon
- Sinikka
- Tom
- Ralph
- John
Here everything grows for each other
Hearts for Animals is more than a shelter. It is a philosophy of living where nothing goes to waste. What one animal or the vegetable garden produces, feeds the next. Everything grows for each other. Local and good for the land itself.
- 1
Trees and shrubs
We plant trees and shrubs on the land. The horses eat from them, so we buy in less feed.
- 2
The horses
What the horses leave behind, the manure, keeps the soil fertile. That manure goes to the vegetable garden and helps the trees grow.
- 3
The vegetable garden
The garden feeds everyone who works and helps at the sanctuary.
- 4
The chickens
Kitchen scraps go to the chickens. And as they scratch and dig, they loosen and enrich the soil.
- 5
The eggs
The chickens lay eggs, which we share affordably with the neighbourhood.
This way everyone contributes. The animals, the land, the volunteers, the neighbourhood. And the trees we plant also do something for the climate.
Become a volunteer
There is always work to do. Feeding, building shelters, maintaining the land, the vegetable garden. An extra pair of hands makes a real difference.
If you come to help for longer, you can stay over. There is a French cottage set up for volunteers, with its own bathroom, kitchen, bedroom and living room.
You do not need experience. You need to enjoy being outside, with animals, and pitching in.
Sign up as a volunteerIn time we also want to offer spots for people who want to live here for a while and experience it. More on that later.
Meet our community
A small community has grown around the sanctuary. This year 10 people already came to help. They rolled up their sleeves, stayed over in the cottage or simply live nearby. Read a few of their stories.
I came to work with the animals, and it was every bit as good as I hoped. The morning rounds start early and do not stop, not even in the rain. That gave me more perseverance than any job ever did. This is a place that gives something back.
SharonVolunteer, 30 years oldI see up close how much work goes into this place every day. No days off, no team, and still the farm stands. Whenever I come to help, I understand again why it works. Every animal here has a name and a place, and that is the point.
ThierrySon and volunteerSince I retired I come every week. I thought I was the one helping, but really it pulls me out of the quiet at home. The chickens know me by now, the roosters too. A morning among the animals is the best start to my week.
Marlou DevriesVolunteer, every weekI stayed in the cottage for three weeks and barely turned my phone on. Planting trees, building shelters, working with your hands: I had not expected how good that feels. I arrived tired and left rested.
Daan HofmanStayed in the cottageI live further down in the village and come for the eggs, but I always stay a while. You can see here how everything connects, from the vegetable garden to the horses. Now I help out where I can. You want a place like this nearby.
Esther CaronNeighbour from the village
Fancy lending a hand yourself? There is always room for an extra pair of hands.
For companies: a team day that keeps growing
Looking for a company outing that actually means something? Bring your team to our sanctuary in France and plant trees together. Those trees capture CO2, and at our sanctuary they do something else as well: the horses eat from them. A day outdoors among the animals, and at the end something stays behind that keeps growing.
How it works
- 1
We put your day together
You get in touch and we arrange a fully organised team day, tailored and guided from start to finish. We set the fee based on the size of your company. With it, you also keep our animal shelter running.
- 2
Your team plants them
On the team day you plant the trees with your own hands, among the animals. Anyone who wants to can stay over. The trees get a sign with your name.
- 3
We care for them, you watch them grow
We look after the trees all year round. Every year you get an update with images and figures.
Why this works for your company
A team day that sticks
Your people build something real together. They remember that longer than any drinks reception.
Good for the climate, visible for you
The trees capture CO2. Your name stands beside them, so you show clients and your team that your company truly backs nature and climate.
A story that holds up
Real trees in a real place. No vague climate promise, but something you can back up with images and figures.
We tailor the exact setup per company, including if you want to go broader with other activities at the sanctuary or a quiet walk with the horses. You can book the day as a business expense, and thanks to our ANBI charity status your money goes straight to the animals and the land.
Follow daily life
The best proof that your contribution works is the sanctuary itself. We share the daily life of the animals on Instagram. For now mostly the chickens and roosters. Later we will expand, with an account for the horses.
Questions?
Have a question about the animals, volunteering, a campaign or working together as a company? Send us a message. We read everything ourselves and answer as soon as we can.
Reach out tocontact@heartsforhorses.nl