Animal Rescue Charity ACE-SHIN Launches Autumn Fundraising Drive Across Coast Costa del Sol animal welfare organisation ACE-SHIN launches autumn fundraisers across local venues to support rescued dogs and cats ahead of the winter season. A Familiar Cause Returns With Renewed Urgency The volunteers behind ACE-SHIN know the pattern by now. As the holiday crowds thin out along the coast between Mijas and Fuengirola, the shelters the charity runs in the hills behind these towns start filling up with animals that tourists leave behind, or that locals can no longer afford to feed. This week the organisation launched its autumn fundraising drive, a campaign that has become something of a fixture on the local charity calendar, and one that carries extra weight this year as running costs continue to climb. ACE-SHIN has operated in the Mijas and Fuengirola hinterlands for decades, long enough that several generations of rescued dogs and cats have passed through its gates and out into new homes. The charity relies almost entirely on donations and volunteer labour, and autumn has traditionally been its hardest stretch. Summer visitors who might otherwise drop coins into a collection tin or buy a raffle ticket at a beach bar have gone home, while the animals still need feeding, vaccinating and housing through the colder, wetter months ahead. Why Autumn Hits Shelters Hardest Veterinary bills do not take a seasonal break. Sterilisation programmes, microchipping, routine check-ups and emergency surgeries all continue regardless of how many tourists are on the beaches, and these costs sit at the heart of what the autumn appeal is trying to cover. Abandoned and injured animals arriving at the shelters need immediate medical attention before they can even be considered for rehoming, and that work is expensive and constant. What makes the timing particularly tricky is the mismatch between need and income. Tourist footfall, which brings a steady trickle of casual donations and curious volunteers, drops sharply once September turns into October. That leaves the charity leaning more heavily on its base of long-term expatriate residents and local Spanish supporters to keep the lights on and the kennels stocked with food and blankets. Fundraising Events With a Social Edge Rather than simply asking for cheques, ACE-SHIN has built its campaign around a series of community events hosted at popular hospitality venues across the coast. These gatherings double as social occasions and fundraising auctions, pulling in long-term expats, Spanish residents and local business owners who sponsor prizes or donate their venues for the evening. Restaurants, golf resorts and service providers across the region have contributed raffle prizes, giving attendees a reason to turn up beyond charity alone. Live acoustic sets from coastal entertainers have become part of the formula too, giving the events a relaxed, pub-night feel rather than a formal gala atmosphere. Volunteers use the occasions to share stories of rescue animals that have found new homes, including several that ended up with expat families who relocated back to Belgium and the Netherlands after their time on the coast. Those stories matter for fundraising because they put a face, or a paw, to where the money actually goes. What It Means for Residents and Visitors For homeowners and long-term residents across Mijas, Fuengirola and the wider Costa del Sol, the appeal is as much about community involvement as it is about money. The charity is actively encouraging people to sponsor a rescue pen, commit to a monthly fostering arrangement, or simply drop off spare blankets as the weather turns. None of this requires deep pockets, and for many expats who have settled permanently in the area, it offers a tangible way to put down roots in the local community rather than remaining on its fringes. The sanctuary in La Cala de Mijas runs daily walking teams and maintenance shifts, and volunteers say newcomers are welcome to turn up and give an hour of their time without any long-term commitment required. For visitors or part-time residents who only spend part of the year on the coast, even a single afternoon spent walking dogs or helping tidy enclosures makes a difference when permanent staff numbers are stretched thin. Looking Ahead to Winter Admissions across shelters in the province remain high, a pattern that has held steady for years and shows little sign of easing. For ACE-SHIN, the autumn campaign is less a one-off push than a necessary bridge to get through the winter months, when both income and temperatures drop at the same time. Whether through buying a raffle ticket at a beach bar, fostering a dog over the colder months, or turning up for a weekend shift at the La Cala shelter, the charity's message this autumn is straightforward: the animals cannot wait until spring, and neither can the fundraising.