Princess Charlene of Monaco Makes Plea to Support Animal Shelters for New Patronage

Princess Charlene/Instagram

Princess Charlene of Monaco is supporting an important cause.

On Friday, the 44-year-old royal visited the Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA) of Monaco, just outside the principality in France, and recapped the outing on Instagram.

In the image, Charlene gently pets a black and white dog named Lizzie, one of the many dogs and cats currently available for adoption at Refuge l'Abri.

"Went to visit the Monaco SPA Please support a local SPA or animal shelter near you [sic] Thank you Merci," Charlene wrote. "With all my love ♥️"

According to her profile page, Lizzie is a 6-year-old Braque Français hunting dog looking for a loving home where she can be physically and mentally active, best suited to a family without any other pets.

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Eric Mathon/ Palais Princier/Facebook

"She was not socialized properly with her peers when she was young, even if she has made enormous progress and is totally controllable, it will always be necessary to anticipate," the shelter wrote.

Refuge l'Abri shared another shot of Princess Charlene with SPA staff and a Shar Pei on Facebook, saying that the princess visited to "get to know our residents, meet the team and bring many gifts for the animals."

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Prince Albert announced last month that his wife was stepping up to serve as the president of the Monaco SPA, a cause close to her heart.

"Very attached to the well-being and protection of animals, Princess Charlene has been committed for many years through Her Foundation, in particular for the safeguarding of Rhinoceroses but also by the actions carried out with the South African SPA, the Thanda Foundation and the Kevin Richardson Foundation," the Palace of Monaco said in a statement of the new patronage.

On Sept. 12, the royal couple laid the first stone at the site of the future SPA hub, currently under construction in Peille, a town between Monaco and France. The new space is set to open in 2023 "and will accommodate animals in distress in the best conditions," the palace added.

A dedicated animal advocate, Charlene has long been involved with animal protection efforts in South Africa, where she was raised, and even brought home a new pet following her six-month stay in the country last year. In November 2021, local papers reported that Charlene introduced Prince Albert and their 7-year-old twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, to the newest member of their royal family: a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy named Khan.