It was a pleasure to develop the new website for Twilight Chiens. This project allowed me to build a truly low-maintenance, self-updating website for a wonderful cause. I’d like to share a look at the organisation and the work we accomplished.
Twilight Chiens – The Retirement Home for Dogs (France / International)
Twilight Chiens is a very special retirement home for elderly, sick, disabled, and unwanted dogs. Established over twelve years ago and nestled in the verdant countryside of the French Perigord Vert, they have welcomed more than 400 dogs through their gates. The organisation focuses on one simple, beautiful mission:
- Providing love and tranquillity for old and sick dogs in their final years, months, or days
- Welcoming dogs that are no longer wanted elsewhere
- Inspiring people to adopt or foster old or disabled dogs
- Ensuring every dog has the best of life until the very moment of crossing the Rainbow Bridge
The retirement home is a family-run labour of love. The owner did not want a complicated website – she wanted a digital home that would practically run itself, so she could focus on the dogs, not on technology.
The Website Project
The website is built on WordPress using the OnePress theme. The primary goal was to create a low-maintenance, secure, and calm website that updates itself automatically while telling a powerful story of compassion.
A key achievement is the fully automated content system. When the owner adds a simple post (a new dog, a news article, an event, or a donation request), the website automatically places it in the correct location – the homepage, the dog galleries, the news section, or the events banner. She never has to update the same information twice.
For the design, I developed a custom plugin to simplify colour and font management. The plugin provides pre-defined colour scheme presets and font combinations (such as “Cozy Paws” or “Twilight Rainbow Light”) that I tailored to the organisation’s warm, peaceful identity. The owner can now easily change the entire website’s appearance by simply selecting a preset from the WordPress Customizer.
I also completely removed all comment functionality (no spam, no moderation) and chose not to use contact forms – visitors use simple email links that go directly to the owner’s inbox. Combined with automated daily backups and server-level security, the website requires almost no day-to-day maintenance.
The new website is now live at https://twilightchiens.com, serving as the peaceful digital home for Twilight Chiens and all the dogs they care for.
