We cannot let this shelter's 450 dogs starve !

1. In Romania, Ildiko is almost out of kibble to feed her shelter’s 450 dogs. They will starve if no one intervenes!

"I'm currently taking care of more than 450 dogs… All the kennels are cram-full, I’ve never had so many dogs and their number keeps increasing! In the last 6 months, the abandonment rate has definitely risen, people abandon much more than they used to… I also took and rescued 34 dogs from the local public kill shelter… It was a real horror show: dogs were hidden from the public, they were all starving, barely able to stand. Some were even dead in the kennels, being fed on by other dogs. It was a terrible nightmare...

With so many dogs, food seriously lacks at the shelter and it’s the biggest problem... I've been cutting back on kibble since last month and now, I only have enough for two more days… Times have been rough for the dogs and difficulties only add up! Inflation is testing my ability to care for and feed so many dogs - most of those I rescue are very sick, injured, underfed, mistreated… It’s a lot to deal with not only financially, but emotionally. It puts your faith and hope to the test daily!"

2. Sickness and fights rule over the overcrowded shelter: the most vulnerable dogs won't make it without kibble...  

“My dogs only get to eat very small portions of kibble… A nearby restaurant helps me compensate for this lack by donating some leftovers, but the quantities are barely enough; my dogs are hungry! I try to supplement their diet with old bread and rice, but it's neither nutritious, nor enough with my small resources - this food is so unfit some dogs even get diarrhoea! 

Besides, the lack of kibble also affects their behaviour: with so many dogs in such small spaces, they get agitated and fights happen daily, especially when they're hungry! My main concern is for the sick, weak and small ones, who are at risk of getting hurt… It’s really hard to supervise each one of them when they eat, they are so many!  

With such rainy days, the dogs are often soaked and it’s very muddy, so it’s hard to keep them calm, warm and clean! If I can't find any kibble, things will only get worse for them. Bread and rice aren’t healthy in the long term. The most fragile ones will be the first to suffer! It's a constant struggle to keep them all alive and well…”

3. Lica was cruelly mutilated: amputated and gaunt, his recovery and survival entirely depend on this kibble campaign!

“Lica is a 2-year-old greyhound who has been through a lot… In a nearby village, around New Year’s Eve, some people were mistreating him, throwing firecrackers at him. He was in a terrible shape when I rescued him, covered in wounds; some from being beaten, and some from the firecrackers. One of his legs was swollen and his tail was so infected it had to be amputated (hence the cone he’s wearing). He was severely malnourished, you could see every bone in his body!

After IV therapy, he's recovering but it's been a slow process… He remains skeletal and his wounds still need time to heal. Despite everything, Lica is a gentle and loving soul. But he's at risk if I can't provide him with kibble. He absolutely needs to put on weight, which will be hard if he only eats bread and rice! His immune system needs to strengthen but it's impossible without nutritious food like kibble. It's hard to see a dog that's been through so much, still struggling…”

4. With the drop in donations and heavy debts, Ildiko is financially struggling: she only has this campaign left to get kibble for the dogs...

“Kibble used to be funded with donations; in fact, in the beginning, the shelter mostly survived on donations! But now I have more dogs than ever and the economic situation in Romania is unstable: the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the inflation have deeply affected everyone’s finances. My recent appeals and pleas for donations have not been very successful. People have been quite unresponsive and, put aside the Christmas exception, where charity was a bit more in the air, there has been almost no donation lately…

Besides a restaurant which donates some leftovers and a bakery selling me old bread cheaper, I don’t have ongoing help from anyone in Romania. I have huge debts at the vet clinic and many dogs still need to be sterilised so the debts will keep on growing! I can't see any solution to get kibble, I need some extra help to get out of this kibble situation, so I can focus on other major aspects of the shelter’s life. There are just so many things that still need to be done to provide my dogs with a safer, warmer and drier environment…”

5. Ildiko is not asking for money, only kibble to keep the dogs from starving. 

“I started this shelter some time ago, with just a few dogs and now, it houses 450! It's been a lot of dedication on my part and my husband's, but I don't regret a thing, not even in the darkest days… I don’t go on vacation or have days off; when I’m not at work, I am here. It’s a lot of stress that impacts my health, but these dogs fill my life with more joy than any vacation or different lifestyle ever could! We try to spend time with them as much as we can, but with this many dogs, our responsibilities are bigger than ever.

We are the biggest shelter in the area and that means we can make the biggest impact. Socially, I hope that slowly but surely we are teaching people about the value and importance these animals have and what it says about a society when they treat their animals with respect and care… But some people take advantage of the existence of shelters like mine and continue to abandon their dogs knowing someone else will care for them. 

Lack of resources and funding is definitely a challenge, but the love these animals show us even after everything they've been through is what keeps me going! I know they're safe and loved, at the shelter… But I also know that this life is not easy for them! To do even more for my dogs, I need donations and people’s help. It's important for people to support our actions because we can't do it all on our own…”

6. If this campaign succeeds, Ildiko will not receive any money but 2400 kg of kibble, delivered from Animal Webaction's logistics platform in Romania.

Animal Webaction has a logistic platform in Romania, which allows us to intervene quickly and deliver kibble.

7. Ildiko's few supporters have done all they could to help her feed so many dogs: out of options, this campaign must not fail! 

"I don't receive any help from Romanian organisations or the municipality. Even though I communicate about the shelter and call for help on Facebook, it is very difficult to get any help. I’m lucky a German organisation is sometimes able to help me by sending a little bit of food, but it’s not nearly enough for so many dogs… Adoptions are not really happening either; although we've recently had 7 dogs adopted, 5 were returned to us! It’s like people don't really understand the realities of owning a dog and what it entails…

Ethical dilemmas arise when making decisions about which animals need to be helped or are in a more critical condition, because I simply do not have the funds nor the space to take all the dogs in! I cannot risk not being able to care for and feed so many dogs. That’s why this campaign is so important and I’ll be really grateful that it could help my dogs survive!"

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 aid, no grants, no foundation... Many abandoned dogs die alone in the streets, in complete indifference...

If you know of a foundation or NGO that could help Ildiko, 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 Ildiko's dogs, contact us and we will put you in touch!

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

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