About us…. Well, Lets introduce myself first! And tell the tale of how it all began.
I am Stacey van Tichelt, a dutchy from 36 year old who founded Rancho Fino Mallorca rescue about 9 years ago per ‘accident’.
I know that will sound very strange to some of you but that is literally what happened.
I came to Mallorca for a whole different reason and quite soon i found myself rescuing my first horse. A severely malnourished horse who’s eyes where glazing, staring into the nothing, not shiny anymore, he clearly gave up on life, waiting for salvation. When i had to re-home him sadly because I had literally nothing, and was recovering from my last hip- replacements, I died a little bit inside.
So when he came back to me after less than two months, i knew this was the start of something. I moved to the country side where I could rent the land of a beautiful Finca owned by a very good friend of mine.
My horsey was back with me and I promised him he would stay with me for the rest of his days. Shortly after that it just ‘broke loose’. I have had opened my eyes for the neglect, abuse and horrible situations animals are still going through on this island of wealth and luxury, every single day, still.
I started to take on more animals, especially horses, ponies and donkeys as the big animals are ‘hard to throw over the fence’ and suffer a lot when people are unable to look proper after them or simply fail them. I had opened my eyes… But that it would get so ‘out of control’ and so quickly, nobody would have thought.
As I was growing fast, it was time to move on and I moved to another house. As I worked an insane amount of hours to keep up with all the cost on my own, plus having had many, many hip surgeries in the past of which 4 hip replacements and artrose in my low spine I crashed myself into the hospital. My worst nightmare became reality…
…It is now 8 years ago i lied in the hospital in Mallorca for the first time. There, back then… I’ve lost my mobility once again, as many times before in my life but now also lost the roof over my head and basically everything I had/ owned (not the animals). It was rough, raw, hard, adventurous and difficult. But also an amazing turn of events that made me take the next step and change everything for the better (looking back at it now).
I had nothing but my Ford KA and the animals. I came across an option to move into a ruin in costitx. No windows, water, electricity, nothing… but space/ land and a forest. I got green light to bring all my rescue animals. At that very moment i screamed in all excitement ‘its perfect! I take it!!’…
A huge project lied ahead of me. The struggle in agony, in wet, cold, mouldy, bad, basic living conditions having literally nothing but the huge responsibility for a big amount of rescued animals had begun. I had a sofa-bed someone gave me, some plates, a tea-mug and a paella burner with a gass- bottle connected to it. This was my light, my heating and my stove/ cooker, all in once.
I used to always make a pot of soup on it and eat out of the pot although the day. Making many fires outside and inviting many animals onto the bed in the night was the way to stay warm under some old donated army- blankets.
With the right mindset, positivity, humor and the willpower to crack on, very much and hard, hard work, support and help of amazing friends bit by bit Rancho Fino Rescue was build up slowly from scratch. A huge transformation… a project, a process. We literally build doors, fencing, gates, enclosures, animal housing, a bathroom, a kitchen, over time a little bar outside and many, many other things. We are still completely off-grid, but have a solar system set up and a pump in the water deposit to get water out of the taps…
… What a journey. I always compare it with an airplane having to take off… and believe me, my plane taxied a very long and seemingly endless runway! Working literally day and night, all over the island to earn money try and make ends meet every month again. Cleaning, cooking on location, catering, changeovers at hollidayrentals, paintjobs, dayjobs on yachts, sandblasting and painting boats, house- maintenance, garden and pool maintenance, little construction projects, babysitting in the evenings and nights to make the clock go round for a tenner an hour cash in hand. To drive with that straight to the gasstation to fill up my car to get to the next job again. To come home in between the many jobs at different places to feed, medicate, rescue and pay everything and everyone who was waiting for that on the Rancho Fino Rescue- side.
Years and years i spend in this circle of doing this hard physical work my body actually cant do, building up nothing but a safe heaven for the neglected, unwanted, abused, handicapped and forgotten animals of Mallorca.
The first 4 years of constant working 70 or more hours ‘outside the gate’ and on top of that my animals which resulted in years and years of maximum 3 hours of sleep a night. Until I would crash again.
I learned so incredibly much, became good in so many things, would end up in the hospital every now and then which was incredibly hard. What an intense lifestyle I lived… and i still do, until today the day.
Non stop working, day and night, inside and outside the gates. but with a full heart of love and a clear mission…
…I am so proud to have build up such a huge network over the years, or better a communtiy/ a Rancho Fino family you can say. This family is a group of committed people who are believing and supporting Rancho Fino Rescue where and however they can. The love and support we receive is incredibly heartwarming and deeply touching.
Looking back so far I would have never even dared to think about anything like this would happen and unfold the way it did. Not in my wildest dreams as in the end, it was never my goal, it was never pre-planned or a long desired dream to become an animal rescuer, let alone founding my own rescue centre and sanctuary… Finding my purpose and calling in life.
…Creating my own little ‘Utopia’, a beautiful place, with its own community and constituency, a safe heaven for animals, but also for friends and people to come together on our open days, our ‘Rancho Fino get- togethers’, and share the love for animals. To stand up… For those, without a voice.
Less would I ever dare to dream that all would be completed with the man and love of my life. Sten Albert Bendsen. All got lifted again to a whole other level the moment he moved in with us and changed our lives for the better. Together we are the beating heart of Rancho Fino Mallorca Rescue and establish a stable base from where we reach out to rescue and protect the animals in need of help.
Having that said, I think you should just have a scroll around the website, clicking on the tabs and get to know us, the animals and the history of Rancho Fino more and more. Please check out our ‘Mission and Vision’ and ‘Why support us’.
Love, Stacey and Sten
