Obituary Melissa 2
It is the anonymity of animal victims that deafens us to their cries.
— Luise Rinser, German writer
The vixen has forgiven the greedy humans
A fox dies every second for the sake of human luxury. In nineteen European countriesit has been banned, foxes on fur farms in order to kill them for the fur industry when the time comes. Numerous fashion designers and retailers are doing away with real furin their collections. In the last few years alone, Canada Goose, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, Gucci, Burberry, Versace, Chanel, Prada and other well-known brands have announced fur-freework.
Silver fox Melissa 2, one of six foxes bought free from a fur farm, was three years old when she was transported from a Czech fur farm to Gut Aiderbichl in Gänserndorf in 2015. We didn’t just get the foxes, we had to pay money for their freedom. A few days after their arrival, Melissa 2 gave birth to six puppies. Three of them survived.
Up to this point, Melissa’s life had taken place in an 80 x 80 cm cage. The foxes had never been allowed to experience a free life in the forest before. They stood with their four paws on the grid floor of the box, felt pain and had no chance to jump or climb. Where could they go? The box was cramped and left no room for movement. Their everyday life consisted of bars and tortured, sad fox faces in the neighbouring boxes. They were all animals who probably longed for the same thing: “Let’s get out of here!”.
And now Melissa 2 was free and came to Gut Aiderbichl in Gänserndorf. When the heavily pregnant vixen’s quarantine period was over and she was looking after her children with great care, all fear seemed to slowly evaporate from her young life. At last she could sniff the earth, walk on her paws, get good food and be a fox.
We accepted the hiding and retreat of the ransomed foxes with understanding. After all, it was man who had inflicted immeasurable suffering on the animals to satisfy his greed for luxury.
Melissa 2 knew very well that the people with the red Aiderbichl jackets were her helpers. The vixen lived to be twelve years old – she could never have reached this old age on the fur farm. Tired and satisfied with her life at Gut Aiderbichl in Gänserndorf, our fur girl decided to close her eyes forever a few weeks ago. The animal keepers found her lying in her enclosure one morning – completely peaceful, as if she had gone for one last walk the night before to say goodbye to the world. Melissa 2 is now at peace.
Inner peace is something other than contentment. Inner peace is the light that gives us a sense of an earth-embracing love in the midst of our misery and guilt.
– Luise Rinser
Dear Melissa,
we are grateful that you have accepted our love and care all these years at Gut Aiderbichl . Da trustwas for us. peoplenot a matter of course.
We will never stoppassing on a message:
The fur of an animal belongs on its body and is its dress.
Take care, dear Melissa. You were special and left a deep mark on our hearts. Enjoy the woods on the other side of your life.