Brigitte Bardot Foundation: the celebrity whose animals were all taken in a few years ago

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which has been working since 1986 to rescue animals, did not collapse with the death of the star. At 70 years old, Guyslaine Calmels-Bock actually claims to have received more donations and bequests than ever before. She proudly states, “It started like a bomb. It has slowed down a bit, but this month we are still 40% higher than last year… All these bequests can also be very modest but commit you for life. In the 1990s, an old lady sent a letter with a five-franc coin attached. That is not forgotten. The respect for all donors is sacred.” Recently, the teams saved nearly 130 chihuahuas from an illegal breeding operation.

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation not only saves animals from abuse, but the four shelters located throughout France also take in animals whose owners are unfortunately ill or deceased. This was the case for Brigitte Bardot’s four dogs: Bagheera, Charles, Patou, and Orca, who recently joined the refuge in Bazoches-sur-Guyonne. Proud of these initiatives, Guyslaine Calmels-Bock reveals that the refuge had also taken in the animals of another star a few years ago, including all the animals of Bernard Tapie when his property was seized by the justice system.

As for the presidency of the Foundation after Brigitte Bardot’s departure, it is her husband, Bernard d’Ormale, who was elected by the Board of Directors to continue her legacy and uphold the values of her animal rights activism. Regarding the inheritance, Guyslaine Calmels-Bock is not worried at all. Nicolas Jacques Charrier, Brigitte Bardot’s son, is set to inherit “50% of the entire value of the BB estate,” including La Madrague, which was bequeathed to the Foundation years ago. The director assures, “It won’t be like the Delons! We have a good relationship, experts are calculating, all inventories have been done, and everything is almost ready.”