We cannot let the 550 dogs at this pound starve!

1. In Romania, Nicoleta is running out of kibble to feed the 550 dogs at the pound: they will starve if no one intervenes!

“There are now 550 dogs at the pound and their number has been increasing lately; a new agreement allows the municipality to also catch stray dogs from the neighbouring cities (which are smaller and have no stray management policies)... This leads to a situation where no less than 15 new dogs can arrive at the pound in a single week!

With so many more dogs being brought to the pound, it is overcrowded and it's getting harder for us to care for all of them! But feeding them is by far our biggest issue: we're struggling more than ever to buy kibble and by tomorrow we won't have any left in stock... 

Kibble prices are ever growing with inflation and donations keep dwindling, so, we’re scared the situation will only get worse for the dogs. Our resources are just too meagre to cope with such an influx of dogs!  We’re at our wit’s end, we worry so much about the dogs’ survival. At this stage, only this campaign’s success will prevent them from dying!”  

2. The dogs are crammed in the pound, they are aggressive and aren't eating enough: Nicoleta fears the worst outcome for them, if the campaign fails... 

“Currently, the only thing we’re able to feed the dogs with is the cheapest kibble available… Since new dogs continuously arrive at the pound, we have to keep on rationing their portions more and more. As a result, the dogs aren't provided with the necessary amounts of nutrients, so they definitely don’t eat their fill… I worry so much and this kibble issue already has concerning side effects: the dogs are getting weaker and showing signs of aggression towards each other… 

At this stage, they’ll rapidly get sick and I’m so scared that their aggressiveness will turn into fights, the more they get hungry. We must avoid these terribly dangerous situations! In case a dog gets hurt, we won’t even be able to pay for their vet care because of our debts… It’s too overwhelming to see the dogs suffer like this, both physically and mentally. But the worst is yet to come for them, if the kibble issue isn’t solved: our agreement with the city only lies on our very ability to feed and care for the dogs. If this condition isn’t met, I'm afraid we might no longer ensure their safety, nor avoid their euthanisation…”

3. Vasi suffers from a parasitic skin infection: without kibble, her treatment may not work and she won’t recover…  

“Vasi is a seven-year-old female dog who was brought to the pound about three months ago… She was found wandering in the streets and was in pretty rough shape due to a concerning skin condition: she was infested with parasites that have infected her skin! She's a smaller breed and has a hard time fitting in with the other, bigger dogs. They sometimes pick on her, which makes her even more shy and scared!

I worry about her all the time because Vasi is very fragile and struggles to eat: she generally eats after all of the other dogs, and if we're not here to look after her meals, she'll starve very quickly! Besides, she needs to be treated for her infection, but it will only work if she has sufficient amounts of quality kibble to eat…” 

4. Donations have been at their lowest for months, Nicoleta and Florentina are struggling to feed the dogs at the pound: they can't buy kibble anymore!  

“The municipality covers around 30% of the kibble supply, the employees’ salaries, utilities and maintenance. Whereas with Florentina, the other volunteer, we pay for the remaining 70% of the kibble, but also, vet care, medicines and sterilisations through fundraising, calls for help... But I’m sad to say we definitely don’t get enough donations - the cost of living has increased too much for people to cope. So, we’re struggling to keep up with all the expenses we’re supposed to cover: we already have enormous debts to the vet clinics... We try our best to keep the dogs healthy but sadly, our financial situation has forced us to postpone several treatments… 

Our main focus is to ensure that the dogs are fed, therefore, kibble supply is our biggest cost item… but our lack of funds also makes it our biggest issue! We have approached several organisations for help, but we rarely receive any assistance… If only kibble were never an issue, we could focus on many other things that would improve the dogs’ lives and living conditions. Of course, I would say we need money, but not as much as we need kibble - we're committed to secure it for the dogs and our cooperation with the municipality would be compromised if we can't honour this duty...”

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

“I have been involved in animal protection for 12 years now. It all started when I first went to the pound… Upon seeing the dogs’ living conditions there, I was so moved I decided I was going to help them! Witnessing animal abuse and neglect affects me emotionally to my core: I cannot fathom how anyone could treat an animal badly, and it saddens and angers me at the same time. With Florentina, the other volunteer, we do our best for the dogs at the pound… If it weren’t for us, many of them would no longer be alive, while the rest of them would be starving, at this very moment! 

Despite our best efforts, there are still some people who do not understand that we simply lack the resources to offer better conditions to the dogs… It’s not easy to stay motivated and to keep going, but I know our actions are essential for so many abandoned dogs in the region. Still, we can’t  do everything by ourselves, if people don’t help, there’s only so much we can do with the little we have! We are desperate to keep these dogs alive and as healthy as we can, and we really need this campaign to succeed to ensure their wellbeing and lives…”

6. If this campaign is successful, Nicoleta will not receive any money but 4800 kg of kibble, delivered from Animal Webaction's logistics centre in Romania.

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

7. Nicoleta and Florentina do everything they can to get kibble, but even their supporters' help and the many appeals on social networks are no longer enough...  

“We do have some collaborations with other organisations, but they remain limited and the current state of the world economy doesn’t help... A German organisation helps us with adoptions occasionally, and a Finnish NGO covers about half of our sterilisations… We can only rely on donations to get kibble, and they’re falling!

We've also reached out to several other organisations for help with adoptions recently, but unfortunately, none were able to assist us… We've only had 5 adoptions in the past month, which is far from enough when you know that there are weeks where more than 15 new dogs arrive at the pound!

Our working relationship with the municipality and the pound are good, but it has its challenges! We must always make sure to provide the biggest part of the kibble supply to prevent them from euthanising dogs... So far, we've managed to avoid this outcome, but we will no longer be able to save their lives if we're out of solutions to keep them fed... We really need help not to let the dogs down!”

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 Nicoleta, please invite them to contact us so that we can put them in touch.

If you represent a Foundation or an NGO for animal protection, please help the dogs at the Valcea Pound, contact us and we will put you in touch!

If you would like to come to the Valcea pound and help the volunteers or if you would like to directly send them some kibble or a cheque, please contact Nicoleta via Facebook (note: direct help is made under your own responsibility).

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