Kibble for SOS 103 chiens Serbie

SOS! In Serbia, Ivana has almost no kibble left to feed the street dogs she cares for and those at her shelter: they are going to starve!

1. In Serbia, Ivana is nearly out of kibble to feed the 60 street dogs who depend on her. They will starve if no one helps! 

“Right now, I've got 60 strays depending on me. There are more abandoned dogs every day, even whole litters of puppies, and I can't find them homes fast enough: the paperwork is a nightmare and there's always some glitch holding us up! Life in the streets is full of dangers, living conditions are terrible and most people just want the dogs gone by any, awful possible way! 

So, I'm doing everything I can to keep these poor dogs safe, healthy and fed, but it's really hard. There are more and more dogs and I'm running out of resources… Financially, things are tough: donations have dwindled, partly due to inflation and the global crisis. And with the cost of everything going up, it’s a real struggle for me to get kibble… 

Now the kibble I have left will only last another 3 days, at best! Yet, I already started to cut down their portions 2 weeks ago... If I don't get more kibble soon, the dogs will starve and I'm really scared of what might happen to them; they’d start scavenging or fighting to survive, so the locals might report them to dogcatchers: if they’re taken to the pound, these dogs are doomed!”

2. Haki has been traumatised by humans, who harassed and threatened her: Ivana needs kibble to ensure her survival and earn her trust! 

“Haki is a one-year-old female street dog… Like too many dogs in Serbia, she was left in the streets as a puppy and somehow managed to survive in these harsh conditions ever since. Her previous living situation had been damaging for her: people were very mean and cruel to her, often threatening to poison her and chasing her away from their premises…

Recently, Haki's managed to find a somewhat safer refuge in a new neighbourhood... She's cautious, avoids adult humans, but shows a heart-warming trust towards children. Still, I don’t know how long she can remain safe there… This may be temporary, and the future remains uncertain for her, as long as people remain mean with dogs!

As a loner, building trust with Haki is essential, and kibble plays a vital role in this! Each time I visit her, I carry some kibble, not only to keep her from starvation and malnourishment, but also to show her that not all humans are threats! I must ensure her safety for the time being, until I can find a more permanent solution and hopefully a home for Haki!”

3. At her shelter, Ivana also has 43 vulnerable dogs under her care: they are threatened by the lack of kibble, too!   

“I currently have 43 dogs at my shelter and most arrived in very poor health, either sick, parasitised or injured… Their number is increasing: every time a dog gets adopted, more new rescues arrive! I've also been taking in lots of abandoned puppies lately, as they would never survive alone outside! But they eat specific, adapted food, which is costly and adds to my expenses…

Feeding my dogs has never been so difficult, as I also have to ensure kibble supply and cover the needs of 20 other rescue dogs that are staying at my friends’... But the kibble is too expensive now and it's a struggle to keep up with everything the dogs need at the shelter. My debts to the pet store and the vet are growing, I’m unable to cope anymore! 

Since donations have dried up, I’m out of solutions to get kibble… Without this Animal Webaction campaign, I'd be lost… I really need it to succeed, I’m so scared to run out of kibble! I’ll soon have to reduce their portions and things will get worse if the campaign fails: their health would deteriorate rapidly and that's a nightmare I don't want to live! My dogs count on me…”

4. Matilda has a severe knee condition due to an accident: without kibble, she won't have the necessary strength to undergo surgery and recover...

“Matilda is around one year old and she’s been at the shelter for 2 months. I found her by a busy road near a petrol station, abandoned and in a terrible shape: no hair on her body, feeling very unwell… After her skin was treated, I noticed her back legs had some issues. Examinations revealed that both her knees were damaged, and she needed two surgeries to fix them. I reckon this injury came from a car hitting her…

So far, the lack of funds has prevented me from having her operated at the vet, and it’s really stressful! She’s a playful dog who loves humans, but her knee condition is a constant threat to her well-being… Thanks to this campaign’s success, I could focus on Matilda’s health. Keeping her well-fed is crucial for her upcoming vet visits and surgery! Without kibble, her condition will deteriorate rapidly and she won’t be able to recover…”

5. Ivana can no longer cope, with piling debts, lack of means and donations: she can't buy kibble anymore!

“Feeding a total of 123 dogs daily is no small feat! Prices are going through the roof, while wages stay the same… The same money now gets me less than half the kibble I could get before the inflation. I'm just barely scraping by, using my salary to cover what I can. Alas, I keep getting myself indebted for vet care and kibble… 

And sadly, I've even had to postpone a needed surgery for one of the dogs due to lack of funds. The whole thing is just so costly I can't manage that now, it’s so depressing… I could do more for my dogs, with enough donations, but I’m not the only one who’s been hit hard by the economic situation, everyone else has, including donors.

Here, people either can't afford to help or just won't, since abandoned dogs aren’t a priority to many… I have a partner organisation helping me a lot with adoptions, as they also cover most costs for the adopted dogs that will leave. But when it comes to kibble, only this campaign will help me secure the kibble issue and feed the many dogs in my care for some time!”

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

“Recently, I've been finding an alarming number of abandoned puppy litters, most of them infected with Parvovirus. Their survival is never certain and treatments are heavy… But seeing them recover is what keeps me going! It's these moments of survival, and then of finding them loving homes where they receive the care they need, that truly light up my world!

Yet, the reality of rescue work is often bleak: I frequently encounter abandoned, injured dogs that are beyond help. Sometimes, they die in my arms and I can’t get used to this, it never gets easier! Still, I know that there are so many dogs and puppies in need that count on me and my shelter to survive. They wouldn't stand a chance of surviving, otherwise.

Dogs are mostly despised and mistreated, at a local level: many are chained to trees, or left to fend for themselves outside. They have untreated diseases, injuries and are ill-fed… Yet many people only wish to harm and poison them, it’s disastrous! The authorities don’t support my actions, so I'm fighting alone… If only people realised how their help could change these dogs' lives!”

7. If this campaign succeeds, Ivana will not receive any money, but 1600 kg of kibble, delivered from the Animal Webaction logistics centre in Serbia.

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

8. Ivana's out of options to get kibble: her supporters did all they could and her online auctions aren't working out... 

“It’s nearly impossible to get support from organisations within Serbia. I feel blessed to work closely with an English organisation, Balkan Underdogs: they’re consistently assisting with international dog adoptions. Once one of our dogs is adopted through them, they take care of most needs until the dog leaves for their new home… This support is immeasurable!

Recently, I've been reaching out for help left, right and centre, but to no avail… Many organisations that used to help have now redirected their support towards dogs in need in Ukraine. As for local authorities, it's the same old story - my pleas fall on deaf ears! They've chosen to ignore my cries for help and nothing changes…

My latest fundraising attempts have been modest, at best. We've been running Facebook auctions with friends. We simply auction off items we no longer need to the highest bidder. The bids are low and the funds raised aren't substantial - everything collected goes towards the shelter and street dogs, but it’s not enough to get kibble for so many mouths to feed!” 

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 Serbia, street dogs are hunted by the state and ignored by the population, volunteers like Ivana are their only hope.

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 welfare 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, or if you would like to directly send her some kibble or a cheque, 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.