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Karla Heras, a volunteer at the Gaia animal shelter in Spain, carries a goose before the scheduled deworming treatment.

Several days after her birth, the lamb Harmony suffered a serious injury. Her mother accidentally fell on top of her, fracturing the shin of one of the lamb's hind legs. They lived in northern Spain, at an equestrian center where they kept sheep for territory maintenance. Harmony's owners were unable to care for her. Instead of abandoning the little lamb, putting her to sleep, or sending her for slaughter, they reached out to the animal shelter Gaia, which has been rescuing domestic animals in the Catalonia region since2012.

Harmony, a lamb saved by the Gaiya shelter, had her broken leg wrapped in plaster. The Gaiya team, led by co-founder Coke Fernandes Abelha, went on a two-hour trip to pick up Harmony, whose name means "harmony" in English. Fernandes Abelha insisted that they also adopt Harmony's mother so the family could stay together. Then they went to get an x-ray.

Ana Palacios, a photojournalist from Madrid, traveled with the Gaya team and observed the development of events. She remembers how Harmony's mother cried in the van while she was getting an x-ray, and then immediately calmed down when Harmony returned. Palacios was also there when Fernandez Abella put a cast on Harmony and started teaching her to walk again. It was not easy. "She kept on falling," Palacios recalls. "She was only5 days old. She couldn't walk very well."

Gaia workers care for goats and sheep at a shelter in northern Spain. Jessica Badosa de la Torre, a Gaia volunteer, strokes Javi the pig.

But Armonia soon became another success story for Gaia, one of several Spanish shelters that Palacios has been able to document over the past few years. Gaia was the largest shelter Palacios visited, with about 500 animals, including pigs, cows, chickens, goats and donkeys. She also visited El Ogar Animal Home (The Animal Home), another large shelter in Catalonia with about 250 farm animals. These shelters take in animals that have been abused, abandoned or are being prepared for slaughter, providing them with medical care, food, shelter and the opportunity to live out their natural lives. "Some of them have never seen life outside of a cage. Or factory farms," Palacios said. "When they get into (shelters), it's crazy. They play with balls and toys. They interact with people so much. When I was there, they would come up to me to pet them. It's amazing how much they enjoy their freedom."

Olivia Gomez, a Gaia shelter worker, treats Paola, a pig that was abandoned outside the farm when the rest of the pigs were sent to slaughter. Paola had a broken spinal injury and couldn't move her hind legs, so it was impossible to load her into a truck. Gaia rescued her and rehabilitated her.

Esther Roca, a volunteer at the Eden shelter in Mallorca, cuddles Isabella the rabbit. Shelter founder Nicole Eden found Isabella in what she called a "house of horrors" where the animals were crammed into one place. She was able to rescue Isabella, two other rabbits and a pig.

Patry, a turkey with serious joint inflammation, rests in his crib at El Ogar Animal. The workers placed special pillows, cushions and blankets around him to prevent bedsores. Since he couldn't walk, they also made him a special swing so he could suspend himself and stretch his legs.

Veterinarian Coque Fernández Abella founded Gaia together with Ismael López Dobarganes. They got the same tattoo on their arms, an image of a cow and her calf, which became the shelter's logo and symbolizes their commitment to veganism. "In my opinion, being vegan is not a lifestyle or a philosophy, it's just a matter of morality," Fernandez Abella Palacios said. "Ethically, we have a duty to become vegan. I come from Leon, and when I was a kid I participated in the slaughter of pigs, which is a deeply rooted custom in the region. Now that I'm around pigs, I can't imagine how I could have done it, and I feel like I have to make it pay off and dedicate my life to helping them."

This philosophy is shared by many of the shelter workers Palacios met, and she was struck by their love and devotion - the way they treat and care for the animals, creating a strong bond.

Armonia, a lamb with a fractured hind leg, is being examined at the veterinary clinic after being rescued by Gaia Shelter. Paola, a pig with a fractured spine, arrived at Gaia and was unable to move her hind legs.

Gaia employee Martha Sampaio worked closely with the chickens after she created a bond with one named Estrella. "I took her into my room and took care of her every day," Sampaio said. "She liked to snuggle up to me while she slept. ... I didn't realize it, but (chickens) are very loving. Eventually, Estrella died. But from that moment on, I was determined to keep taking care of the chickens. They get sick very easily because of egg laying. They often have problems with their reproductive and respiratory systems."

Coque Fernández Abella and Ismael López Dobarganes founded Gaia Shelter in 2012. They shared the same tattoo of a cow and her calf. Jose Dominguez is one of many Gaia workers who, like the shelter's founders, have tattoos that show their commitment to veganism. “Sometimes it's a tattoo of the first animal they rescued,” said photographer Ana Palacios. “These people are so heartfelt about saving animals.” “I got the chameleon tattoo because I love David Bowie, who they call 'chameleon,'” said Gaia volunteer Ana Segura Lenyon. - “This is part of a set of animals that run along my left leg that I decided to fill with nature. I also have a pigeon, a sparrow, some butterflies, a dragonfly, a small mouse.”

When a shelter takes in a new animal, one of the first things they do is give it a name,” Palacios said. That's certainly useful for identifying and tracking each animal's progress. But here, it's much deeper and more symbolic. They're no longer just farm animals. They're part of a family, a sentient being with a unique personality and a basic right to life. Many animals are given names inspired by animal activists or famous people, such as actors known for their advocacy of animal rights. At El Ogar Animal, they named one pig River in honor of the late actor Rivera Phoenix. Palacios has also seen animals named after musicians Morrissey and Paul McCartney, as well as actress Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex.

Roca lets Reina the duck fly at the Eden shelter in Mallorca. “I feel at home here,” she said.

Daga and So and So are the oldest residents of Gaia's shelter. These two horses, mother and son, were on the homestead before Gaia leased 33 acres to create the refuge. The horses were already being used for riding and the orphanage decided to keep them. When Palacios photographed them, they were living freely in the woods inside the shelter.

Medical care can be quite expensive for animals, and the shelters that Palacios documents here - Gaia, El Ogar Animal and the Eden shelter in Mallorca - all rely on private funding. They do not receive any public funds. Gaia has hundreds of sponsors who help cover the shelter's overhead costs, which are about 30,000 euros ($31,643) a month,” Palacios said. El Ogar Animal, founded in 2008 by Elena Tova, has a lodge where ordinary people can pay to visit and share in the experience. Some people have also been known to leave money to shelters after their deaths. But ongoing funding is always needed.

Pedro, a cow, came to Gaia when he was 3 weeks old. He lived among the sheep for several years, formerly