FOUNDER & PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION
VIRGINIA MARKUS
Author and activist, Virginia is a licensed social worker and has worked for many years with adolescents and young adults at risk. Prior to her career as a coordinator of socio-professional integration measures, between 2012 and 2013 she was employed as assistant manager in a veterinary clinic in Qatar, where she was able to set up an adoption system for street animals.
After having given numerous conferences on the antispeciesist theme and participated in countless associative events, she published Industrie laitière, une plaie ouverte à suturer? at Éditions l'Âge d'Homme in 2017, after a year of citizen investigation on this sector. In parallel to this book, she broadcasts hidden camera images of a slaughterhouse and farms in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, thus beginning her militant commitment on a larger scale: mediatic and public. Using civil disobedience, but also conferences, radio or television debates, she seeks to make society react for the recognition of fundamental rights to animals. These actions earned her a trial in 2020 and a suspended sentence, coupled with an exemption from punishment for the hidden cameras at the slaughterhouse of Rolle.
In September 2018, she published a manifesto, Désobéir avec amour, by Labor et Fides. Her third book, around her life changing experiences with the animals, will be released in January 2024 by Bayard with the title "Ce que murmurent les animaux".
Since 2019, she has devoted herself full-time to the sanctuary and the association's missions, managing the entire site. In particular, she offers tailor-made training courses for people wishing to invest in an animal sanctuary project, and supports livestock professionals in their professional transition. She is regularly called upon to give talks and respond to media enquiries. At the same time, she works as an independent social worker and consultant for people experiencing difficulties cohabiting with animals they have adopted. In 2025, she obtained a degree in agriculture.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
TEAM
Sanctuary staff member
MÉLISSA TROTZIER-JACQUOT
Mélissa has been a regular volunteer at the association since 2023 and has completed a 5-day training course. At the same time, she has volunteered at several other shelters as part of a cycling tour of France. A trained nurse, she also works with humans in need.
She is now also employed part-time as a multi-skilled worker at the sanctuary and has joined our field team working alongside the animals!
Administrative assistant & merchandising manager
CORNEL MARKUS
Now retired, Cornel, Virginia Markus' father, supports the association's work by taking care of certain administrative tasks, such as sending out donation certificates. He is also in charge of orders for our online shop and merchandising stock.
After a career in car sales and always very sensitive to the animal cause, he is now committed to our association with his targeted skills.
Volunteer
RAOUL PERRENOUD
A volunteer since the very beginning of our association, Raoul has also been a comrade-in-arms in the fight for animal rights for many years.
Committed with both his heart and his mind, he has been present on the ground at key moments in the development of our sanctuary.
Volunteer
NOÉMIE BERSIER
Noémie has been volunteering at the sanctuary for many years. She is deeply committed and has built strong bonds of trust with the animals.
Once a week, she comes to help care for them, in addition to the public events she often attends to assist with the logistics.
Committee member
ATHÉNAÏS PYTHON
Athénaïs is an Rp journalist and active in a number of animal rights associations such as LSCV, and has joined the Co&xister committee as treasurer. After getting to know Virginia Markus by helping her edit videos of her investigations inside slaughterhouses and farms between 2016 and 2017, the two have continued to campaign together at numerous events in Switzerland and France.
Committee member
STÉPHANE BAUD
A former breeder of cattle, pigs and goats, Stéphane joined the association after retraining with Virginia Markus and placing his last two cows, Maya and Hippie, at the sanctuary.
Co-founder of the plant-based bakery Aux Pains Sans Peines, he is also a member of the Co&xister committee as secretary.