We cannot let these 396 dogs starve!

1. In Romania, Ferenc no longer has kibble to feed the shelter's 396 dogs, they will starve if no one helps!

"We have 396 dogs at the shelter and this number doesn't stop increasing as we take new rescue dogs in almost daily! There are more abandoned dogs in the streets than ever... It’s hard for us not to save these helpless souls, we feel the sadness and despair in their eyes, so we take them in, hoping they’ll have a chance to get a better life.

But our current situation is disastrous: the days are counted before we're fully out of kibble for the dogs. Besides, managing everything for the dogs, for the shelter, is impacting Maria and I at an emotional and physical level: our health has greatly declined, I broke my leg… Because of our poor conditions, we missed several food collections in town. It’s such a sad period, for the dogs and us…

With such an unfortunate turn of events, we can't get more kibble, so we had to start rationing the little we have left. The dogs don't have enough to eat! With the inflation, kibble prices have doubled and people have never donated so little… We can no longer cope, we’re very stressed and there's no choice: this campaign can't fail! For our dogs are our only family and we just can’t let them painfully die from hunger...”

2. Underfed, the dogs have already started fighting over food: the weakest ones won't survive without this kibble delivery!

"We started rationing the dogs' meals last week and their portions keep on dwindling each day. It clearly isn't nutritious enough: there are so many of them and they’re not eating their fill at all… It deeply affects their behaviour: their resource guarding instincts intensify and they become more aggressive towards one another.

Worse still, dog fights happen more often at the shelter, now that kibble is drastically rationed. These are very concerning, stressful situations, as it puts all the dogs in danger, more specifically the weakest ones, those with poor physical conditions, who are recovering, ageing or submissive… Now we fear the worst every time we hear some barking in the kennels!

The lack of kibble is definitely our biggest difficulty right now. The way it impacts the dogs’ health and behaviour also has huge psychological effects on us. Our stress level is off the charts, we rush at every bark we hear to check if the dogs aren’t killing each other! But now we’re in no shape at all to deal with such events… We permanently expect a tragic ending and if we don’t get this kibble delivery, dogs will die in those fights."

3. Lara is emaciated and an infection has fragilised her health: she needs kibble to gain weight and recover.

"When we rescued Lara, she was sick, extremely emaciated and her head was swollen due to a severe dental abscess that infected her jaw bone: her previous owner didn’t take care of her at all and refused to take her to the vet... We took her in and treated her, but she remains very weak and vulnerable. 

She needs to put on 20kg at least, to be healthier, because she’s a large breed! Our most fragile dogs, like Lara, rely on kibble the most in order to recover and improve their health. If this campaign fails, Lara’s survival is compromised: drip-feeding will not help her gain weight, she won't make it..." 

4. The shelter is severely impacted by the lack of donations and the inflation: Ferenc is too indebted, he can't buy kibble anymore!

"People used to donate bigger amounts of money and kibble, before the global economy declined with inflation, the war in Ukraine and the pandemic... Donations back then were substantial enough for us to hold on better. They are now almost nonexistent: people are impoverished and helping dogs isn’t their priority, as they’re financially insecure and struggling.

Every donation is crucial for the dogs and us, as we rely on it to fund all the shelter expenses, like the food… But the fundraisers we organise don’t allow us to raise enough money to cover most of it, considering we have almost 400 dogs under our care… Besides, our current state of health has prevented us from attending the kibble collections we do twice a week at the nearby supermarkets!

We don’t have enough to properly feed the dogs and can’t buy kibble either, the prices have skyrocketed. We have so many dogs, it’s impossible for us to buy the necessary quantities! We already have enormous debts that we must pay back if we want to keep on taking care of the dogs. Right now, we lack the resources and space to save more dogs, and the worst is yet to come if this campaign doesn’t succeed... It’s our only hope to feed the dogs…"

5. Ferenc is not asking for money, only kibble to prevent the dogs from starving!

"We dedicate our lives to the dogs in distress and this shelter, despite the harsh effects on our finances and health. Rescuing dogs may be a big source of stress, but it’s the best thing in life for us… We never had children but in the end, we consider all of these dogs as such! They only have us to bring them affection, to care for them, keep them healthy and fed… We have another employee to help us, but with Maria being sick and myself having a broken leg, it’s become impossible to manage such a workload! We lack manpower to face so many dogs… and their number is ever growing. We know we’re not able to take more dogs in, at almost 400 dogs, the shelter is already too crowded for its capacities and our resources… 

Yet it’s always so sad to think about these dogs who have to remain in the streets, facing all sorts of threats in our neighbourhoods… More people seem to abandon their dogs these days: it’s mostly due to a generalised lack of consideration towards pets and also economic reasons. But then, difficulties only add up: most dogs aren’t sterilised, so the strays’ population increases even more… It makes more of them we just can’t save! There’s a dog and her puppies, living in an disused factory, whom we still can’t take in, for example. The best we can do is to check on them every two days or so…"

6. If this campaign succeeds, Ferenc will not receive any money but 3000 kg of kibble, delivered from Animal Webaction's logistics platform in Romania.

Animal Webaction has a logistics platform in Romania which enables us to intervene quickly and deliver kibble.

7. The association's supporters have done their maximum to help, but donations are too low: this campaign is the only way to feed the dogs!

"We're struggling to reach a large audience of animal lovers, particularly at a local level… It’s such a pity. Our donors’ circle is very small, only a few people occasionally help us and their donations are scarcer and scarcer. The two organisations (one British, one French) that help us are facing their own problems, as they have limited means and are confronted to the global crisis, too… They mostly help us with adoptions, but these have decreased a lot as well, especially with the British border ban that includes all of Ukraine's neighbouring countries… Every Romanian dog adoption is put on hold.

People aren’t interested in the fate of abandoned, vulnerable dogs… The results of this tendency are unsuccessful collections and fundraisers, and dropping donations. But with such few adoptions happening, this is a terrible combination that impacts our actions for the dogs at every level. The situation has to reverse for the dogs’ sake. They deserve a happier life in loving families, more space in the kennels, better care and more kibble to eat. We have no other option but to call for your help to keep our dogs fed… Each donation will be precious!"

8. Campaigns launched on Animal Webaction often fail.

When a campaign fails, Animal Webaction cannot deliver the products. The beneficiary doesn't receive anything and the buyers are refunded. 

9. In Romania, it is difficult to find funds for kibble, there are no grants, no foundations. Many abandoned dogs die alone in the streets, in complete indifference...​

If you know of a foundation or NGO that could help Ferenc, please invite them to contact us so that we can put them in touch with each other.

If you represent a foundation or NGO for animal protection, please help Ferenc's dogs, contact us and we will put you in touch!

If you want to help Ferenc at the shelter or if you want to directly send kibble or a check, contact him via Facebook (note: direct help is done on your own responsibility).

10. If you make a purchase on Animal Webaction, it will be protected by our guarantees.