We can't let the stray dogs of North Macedonia starve to death!

1. In North Macedonia, Ivana will soon run out of kibble to feed the 200 dogs abandoned in the streets and public dumps: they will starve if no one intervenes!

"The number of dogs at the feeding sites has increased dramatically lately, I find new dogs abandoned in the dumps every day! We need to keep these dogs from reproducing but our progress in spaying and neutering has slowed. We don't have enough donations to spay and neuter them en masse...

Our number one difficulty is the supply of kibble. Right now I can only feed the strays once a week, which is obviously not enough... And if the street dogs are sometimes fed by the locals, the dogs of the dumpsites have to eat garbage, plastic, corpses, feces and other dogs to survive... it's a disaster!

I'm desperate, the landfill dogs have nothing and no one to rely on but us... I just wish people would realize how important food is for these dogs, who live in total destitution... without kibble, they cannot survive and we cannot continue our rescue mission either. One thing is for sure, without our help and without the success of this campaign, they will die..."

2. Bruno is in a critical condition, Ivana has to take him to the vet urgently but without kibble, she can't catch him!

"Bruno was born at the dump with his 2 siblings, he is about 1 year old. He is a very young dog and look at his condition... He has mange, he is probably full of parasites and other diseases. We have tried to catch him but it is very difficult, he is very afraid of people and keeps running away. He seems to be in critical condition and needs to be taken to the vet as soon as possible. We need kibble to gain his trust and take him to the vet. He won't survive otherwise!"

3. The 70 dogs living at Ivana's shelter are already not eating enough, they will not survive any longer without kibble!

"Winter is coming, and we don't have the right conditions to face it! We lack kibble, we have a lot of dogs in the shelter, they are exposed to the wind and cold... The dogs need to eat a lot to keep warm and each of them needs to gain weight to survive the winter. However, we can't feed them enough right now! 

For two weeks now, the dogs have been eating poor quality kibble and bread in insufficient portions. They are hungry, they want more food, but I can't give them any... I am really scared for my dogs! They are undergoing a drastic change in their diet at the worst possible time. They are in danger of losing weight, starving to death, and fights are likely to break out at any moment. If things continue the way they are going, I doubt they will survive the winter... Their health will get worse, they will lose weight and die..."

4. Amputated and unable to fight off other dogs for food, Pat desperately needs this kibble delivery to stay safe!

"Pat is a 1-year-old male, he was abandoned by his owners on the street. We found him after he got hit by a car... Unfortunately, his leg could not be saved, it had to be amputated. Pat has adapted to his new condition relatively well, we think that him being a young dog has worked in his favour. Unfortunately, most people tend to shy away from adopting disabled dogs so we know that there is a very low chance that Pat will ever leave our shelter. It really is a shame because he is a wonderful dog!

Food must be secured at all times for him, for his health of course, but also for his safety! He is a very submissive dog, he is unable to fight over food with other dogs... a kibble shortage means danger for him and it has lasted for a couple of weeks already! We must secure a new kibble stock to guarantee his safety."

5. Donations have been at their lowest for months, Ivana is doing her best to keep her action afloat, but she can no longer buy kibble.

"Our association has been going through a financial crisis for the past few months and with Christmas approaching, it is even harder to get donations; people are focused on their families and vacations! We contacted several local businesses and literally begged them to help us. We got 150 euros and some blankets for the dogs. Our donors helped us with about 300 euros for the month. These donations help us survive but they are not enough to cover all our expenses, starting with kibble!

Our impending kibble shortage is very risky, considering the number of dogs in our care, their health conditions and the problems caused by the difficult season ahead. Animal Webaction has been able to help us on several occasions this year and it would be a wonderful gift if this campaign could be successful again! It would allow our dogs to get through the winter peacefully and allow us to focus on other expenses necessary for their survival, such as veterinary care..."

6. Ivana isn't asking for money, only kibble to prevent the dogs from starving.

"Seeing so many stray dogs in my city is what motivated me to open this shelter. A dog is not an animal that should be abandoned and lonely, it should live with people, like a best friend and companion! My goal has always been to help as many dogs as possible. Unfortunately, the number of strays in Skopje far exceeds the capacity of our shelter, which means we have to prioritize the most endangered ones of them. We also do our best to sterilize as many strays as possible to help reduce the dog population.

Each dog in my care is like a human being to me, each one has its own personality, interests, behavior. Spending time with them, interacting, communicating... these are my favorite moments of the day! And of course, adoptions are the best reward ever! Even though sometimes it can be heartbreaking to say goodbye to a dog I've grown attached to... Adoptions make things come full circle, they make room for other dogs in need, and give us the strength to continue, despite all the difficulties we go through on a daily basis."

7. If this campaign succeeds, Ivana will not receive any money but 1800 kg of kibble, delivered from Animal Webaction's logistics platform in Macedonia.

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

8. Ivana is overwhelmed by the number of dogs in need and her supporters have already done their best to help, she can only count on this campaign to feed the dogs! 

“Our donations have dropped lately and it's a combination of things, the inflation, the holidays… The thing is, there is a huge amount of abandoned dogs to take care of, and only two of us with limited means… We don’t have enough resources to cover all of our expenses and it’s really hard to get help at the moment. A few organizations in the UK are helping us in regards to adoptions, but our needs unfortunately go far beyond that! 

Without more help, support, and collaborations, we can’t change the situation with stray dogs in North Macedonia much. And the fact that we’re struggling so much in providing food, which is the one thing our dogs cannot survive without, speaks volume. All the energy we are spending trying to gather food, is energy that isn’t being spent on the spot, providing care for the dogs... We need your help to experience some relief for a while, and keep fighting for the abandoned dogs of our region!”

9. 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. 

10. In Macedonia, neither the state nor the population wants to help the abandoned dogs. A lot of animals are left to die outside, there is no care for them.

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

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

If you want to come to Ivana's shelter to help her or if you want to send her directly some kibbles or a check, contact Ivana via Facebook (note: direct help is under your own responsibility).

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