I chose to turn away from the bustle of the world, from its falseness, its wounds and its vanity, to take refuge in a sanctuary built with my own hands

I chose to turn away from the bustle of the world, from its falseness, its wounds and its vanity, to take refuge in a sanctuary built with my own hands. Here, in this quiet haven where only nature and tenderness reign, I have found peace. The trees stretch their branches towards the sky, the flowers open in step with the seasons, and the animals roam freely, like members of one great family. Dogs, cats, sheep, ducks… there are so many that I lost count long ago. But it does not matter: each of them holds a special place in my heart. Their clear gaze, their sincerity and their loyalty give me incomparably more than all the masks and pretence of the human world. I feel infinitely closer to them than to my own kind. Their silent language, their quiet gratitude remind me every day of what matters most: to love without conditions and to protect without tiring. That is why I have devoted my life to the protection of animals. Not out of a sense of duty, not out of a wish to earn recognition, but simply because I cannot do otherwise: it is part of my nature, my inner instinct. I dream of the day when humanity will understand that any cruelty to an animal is a disgrace, a wound on the conscience of our entire civilisation. I believe in a world where true greatness is measured not by wealth and power, but by how we treat the most defenceless. And when the time comes to depart, I would wish to be remembered not for my victories or my mistakes, but for one thing alone: my unconditional love for animals. For there is nothing in this world purer, lovelier or more divine than this love.

Brigitte Bardot