Les Amis des Animaux is an association run entirely by volunteers. Our strength is our core team of individuals and a wider network of helpers and supporters, who are all passionate about making a difference to the lives of cats and dogs in our care.
Meet our Conseil headed by the Bureau – President Lynn Hull, Treasurer Louise Virnuls, Secretary Pauline Woodcock, and Vice President Ailichia Brookbank. – plus the rest of the core conseil team with some of our key helpers who keep the wheels turning behind the scenes.
Lynn Hull – President & Founder
In 2014 the refuge in Tarbes put out a plea for blankets. Lynn responded, decided to raise money and then to create a hub to help some of the dogs that were obviously struggling. And Les Amis des Animaux grew from there!
Lynn says, “I have to pinch myself every time I see the statistics – how can this be possible! I think it has happened because we have stuck to a philosophy of no force on anyone – volunteers, fosterers and adopters; no silly rigid rules but focusing on a good match between animal and family; a true respect for people who offer help and no recriminations when they need to pull away; and a fantastic team that has grown over the years, each one with “can do” written through them like a stick of rock”.
Lynn has shown, trained, worked, bred and judged curly-coated retrievers for over 30 years. In the photo with Lynn is Mandy, who is part-curly-coated retriever.
Louise Virnuls – Treasurer
Louise cannot remember a time when she has not been surrounded by dogs, many of them strays she found wandering along the side of the road! She has always been involved in raising money for charities, and it was at an event in 2015 that she met Lynn, who invited her to a Les Amis AGM. Louise was asked to be treasurer and the rest, as they say, is history!
The role of treasurer is far-reaching: it involves ensuring that the invoices and expenses are processed, and all incoming payments are recorded. As a fluent French-speaker, Louise also liaises with the vets when foster dogs and cats, and long-term foster dogs require special care and surgery.
Louise says that as her role is primarily administration, she loves being able to take an animal for specialist surgery or driving them to their forever homes. “We work great as a team, always being there to support each other”.
With Louise is her young dog, Jack.
Pauline Woodcock – Secretary & Administrator Supreme
Pauline first came across Les Amis when they adopted a dog and was so impressed by the patient support and advice that she volunteered to help with Les Amis administration. Her role involves maintaining the database of cats, dogs, adopters, fosterers and vets. She issues contracts and other paperwork to adopters and fosterers. In addition, she deals with the various paperwork demands that ensure we are compliant with French law as an animal welfare association.
Pauline lives far from dept 65, where Les Amis is based, so her work is mainly computer-based, apart from the occasional meeting with adopters, fosterers, vets and fundraising organisations that are local to her.
Pauline loves to read about our success stories. She says, “ The best time is when I read the follow-up of a dog or cat who had a very sad starts to their lives, but who has found such happiness in their new home and has brought so much happiness to the lives of their adopters or fosterers.”
Ailichia Brookbank – Vice President – Cat team and fosterer
Les Amis fell into our lives when we first arrived in Toulouse at the end of 2021.
We had been here a few days when a post for fostering kittens popped up. I got in touch with Val, within a matter of weeks we were lining up our first fosterlings and the rest as they say, is history.
Since then we have welcomed a constant flow of paws to team Brookbank, from petit to grand and have loved each and every one of them.
I am the main carer for for the fosterlings but I have my chief sidekick, my youngest daughter, who has a remarkable bond with the animals, & loves to help out.
I am now part of the cat team and a member of the association conseil and am absolutely honoured to be chosen for such roles within what I call the Les Amis family.
The support from the teams and the wider supporters of the association is second to none.
For every animal to feel love, compassion & safety is a mission I know we all strive for & being blessed to be able to help so many, nurturing them, watching them grow in so many ways and seeing them flourish in their forever homes is a feeling I will never get bored of.
Lianne Gentle – Chief Co-ordinator
Lianne (I’m just the driver) Gentle is Lynn’s right-hand woman. Lianne was the first Les Amis fosterer when she adopted Gentil, a beautiful setter, who is now the old lady in her pack of foster waifs and strays.
Lianne works tirelessly on assessing the applications, finding the right match for family and dog (and occasionally cats). She also sets up complex covoiturages, with multiple handovers, and spends hours behind the wheel of her car, transporting dogs and cats to new homes.
Lianne says, “I love being kept busy, enjoy the team effort and seeing updates from adopters and fosterers. That really does make it worthwhile.”
Pauline Baxter – Cat Team
Pauline first got involved with Les Amis after volunteering at the SPA at Tarbes to socialise cats. She started helping out at the Les Amis fêtes, and gradually worked more with Val West to re-home cats and kittens.
In addition to her work with cats, Pauline is Membership secretary, and has also created maps of France to show location of collaborative organisations, such as the hundreds of veterinary clinics we work with and people who have volunteered to help transport animals.
Pauline most enjoys playing a part in finding fosterers and forever homes for cats and kittens and helping to transport them to their new homes.
Lynda Armstrong – Cat Team member
Lynda says, “I first crossed paths with Les Amis at the end of 2016 when I was looking to adopt a Labrador as my previous dog had sadly passed away. Leo was featured on a Les Amis Facebook page, and I went to meet him where he was in foster, recuperating from a serious operation. That was it – love at first sight! Once Leo was fully recovered, I adopted him.” Since adopting Leo, Lynda has also adopted a 3-legged Cocker Spaniel, and a beautiful cat whose owner had sadly died.
“I have always been really impressed with how a relatively small organisation could make such a difference to so many dogs & cats lives,” says Lynda, “and from the beginning I wanted to help Les Amis in any way I could.” Initially, she became involved with covoiturage for dogs and cats being moved to forever or foster homes, and started finding items for the Auction Team to sell to raise funds. Recently, Lynda is delighted to have joined the Cat Team, where she focuses on Adoptions and Rehomes.
“I tell everyone about Les Amis and the stories of rescued dogs and cats as I hope it will inspire them to get involved and make a difference.”
Judith Schipper – Dog Training & Fundraising
Since adopting Parker in 2019, Judith has been involved with Les Amis as a dog trainer, behaviour consultant and conseil member.
Judith spends her time with classes, walks, 1-2-1 training and organising workshops and fun(d) mornings at Barkbuster Training and Treats. She is also constantly studying to learn more about dog behaviour, different training methods and dogs’ diet. And her doggy fish cakes and liver cakes are in high demand for treats.
Judith says, “I am delighted that I have a regular spot in the newsletter, giving useful training tips for new fosterers and adopters. Although it is training, I prefer to call it playing games!”
Zoe Shuttleworth – Web Design
Zoe first came across Les Amis when she adopted her first Les Amis dog, Philippe. When Lynn heard that she was a web designer, she wasted no time in bringing me on board!
Zoe designed and built the Les Amis website, which is constantly being updated. She also provides free web hosting, a number of premium software licenses, and her time in the form of ongoing technical maintenance, updates, and setting up new features and functionality, such as the shop and raffle.
Zoe says, “I’m always stunned when I update the figures on the website that show how much money is raised and spent and how many animals are helped as a result. It’s been great to work with some talented, experienced and organised people in the team. My work on the website can make a huge difference, but only with other people in the team who understand how to make use of it”.
Sue Worman – Les Amis Shop, Be My Friend lead, and serial Adopter
Sue came across Les Amis when she and her husband adopted a lovely Setter. Then a kitten, then another dog, then a cat and so on!
Sue says, “I enjoy helping with co-voiturage when possible, but living on the West Coast I am not always en route!” Sue helped set up the Les Amis Shop and is also involved in the Be My Friend project.
“I felt extremely honoured to have been asked to join the Les Amis Conseil and hope to continue helping wherever possible. I have always been an animal lover. We now have three dogs, four cats (was five but one went missing) and a horse …. that’s (probably) it for now!!”
Tytti Luukkainen – Fosterer, and admin support
Tytti was following the Les Amis Facebook page even before moving to France in 2017 and fostered her first Les Amis dog a year later. Her background is in horses; harness racing in Finland, Italy and Germany and also rescuing, re-homing and rehabilitating horses at two major animal charities in the UK.
Tytti’s passion for animal welfare has expanded to dogs which has now taken over her life! She is a self-confessed behaviour geek, holds canine behaviour and animal welfare qualifications and adores bull breeds. She has fostered a wide range of dogs since getting involved in Les Amis, from orphaned puppies to golden oldies, and full-of-life to critically ill.
Tytti says, “It’s surprising how emotionally invested one can become in the animals only following them on a computer screen! I am thrilled to be a little part of this brilliant, hardworking and passionate community.”
