We cannot let these 93 dogs starve!

1. In Serbia, Zuzana is almost out of kibble to feed the 93 dogs in her shelter. They will starve if no one helps!

"The biggest problem we are facing right now is the lack of funds for kibble. Unfortunately, the price of literally everything has gone up: kibble of course, but also veterinary fees and daily expenses (gas, electricity, water...). To make matters worse, we have to do a lot of construction work at the shelter, following the last veterinary inspection. All this generates huge expenses, but the donations do not follow proportionally... We are in a very moving situation, and we have less and less funds for kibble!

We have 3 bags of kibble left right now; that will be enough for 2 or 3 days, at most. To be honest, it makes me very anxious... I stay up all night thinking about how I can get kibble. All the dogs at the shelter are vulnerable, whether they are puppies, aging, sick, injured... It takes a lot of time, care and effort to get them back on their feet and bring them back to health. The slightest rationing or change of diet can be very harmful to them, very quickly...

I could not bear to see my dogs in this situation... My main goal is the well-being of my dogs and my main concern is to feed them properly, and sufficiently. But right now, I can't do it without your help! Failure would completely wipe me out, and my dogs are too fragile to handle a kibble shortage anyway..."

2. The impending lack of kibble will put the dogs' health at major risk, Zuzana dreads terrible consequences...

"Even though we've had some adoptions lately with the arrival of spring, there are still many dogs under our association's care : 93 at the shelter and 21 in other volunteers' homes, to be exact. We are the only shelter in the area and kibble supply is the backbone of our actions and our dogs' well-being, yet it's the thing we struggle the most to provide...

Our kibble shortage is impeding and I dread the worst. I'm afraid my dogs will be hungry, weak, unhappy... I can’t let that happen, especially as there are a lot of recently rescued dogs under our care right now, that are either sick or malnourished, if not both... As they are getting better, the lack of kibble would downgrade all the progress they have had! If this campaign fails, I truly don't know how we'll be able to feed our dogs in the coming months. Our debt to the kibble supplier is growing, and I don't see any means of having a new supply without this delivery... My dogs will be in serious life threat without your help..."

3. Paul narrowly escaped an attack and suffers from heartworm disease: he has no chance of survival without kibble!

"We found Paul about a month ago, unresponsive on the side of the road, extremely thin and with open wounds all over his body... It seems that he was attacked by other dogs, although it is difficult to say for sure. The vet also diagnosed him with heartworm disease, a serious and potentially fatal parasitic disease... He is taking a treatment but considering the state of malnutrition and general weakening in which he is, he will not be able to recover without a good diet... He needs to gain weight because he is still very thin, and his wounds are not completely healed either. None of this will be possible without kibble!"

4. The shelter's expenses keep piling up but with inflation and such meagre funds, Zuzana cannot cope with kibble purchase.

"Currently, we have to build new facilities and kennels (quarantine, room dedicated to feeding the dogs, toilets, changing rooms, etc.). This requires a lot of money, which of course we do not have in our own funds... We have asked for donations from our supporters based abroad as well as from the city, but it is very tight, we can barely make ends meet! In this context, it goes without saying that buying kibble to feed a hundred dogs is also very complicated...

We have tried to contact other organizations, but due to the world situation (inflation, war, etc.), no one has responded favorably. To be able to do more, we would need substantial funding and have more volunteers to help us. But for the moment, this is wishful thinking... We have debts for the kibble; we have to pay them as soon as possible. And we had to delay surgeries, veterinary exams, vaccinations... due to lack of funds.

We do everything we can for the dogs, and we always try to find new ways to find resources: we have donation boxes all over the city, we hold fundraisers from time to time, but unfortunately, these initiatives are not always successful... This uncertainty of funding is one of the most difficult aspects of running an animal shelter. That, and knowing that if we fail, it will be our dogs who will pay the highest price..."

5. Zuzana isn't asking for money, only kibble to keep the dogs from starving!

"When I hear or see people neglecting dogs, beating them, putting them on a chain etc, it breaks my heart and it hurts my soul. A dog is the most faithful and kind companion there is, some people just don’t realize that, I’m afraid... In fact, most people in my region don't even understand why I do what I do, why I've dedicated my life to helping these animals, more than 20 years ago... It is slowly changing for the better, but individuals who are opposed to our actions will forever be present, sadly. This is how the world is.

I try to ignore them and continue forward, finding the resources, the people, the funds… It gets very difficult often, but at least I always know why I am doing what I am doing. Dogs are my closest friends and my priority in life! I just hope and pray every time I rescue a dog, to be able to find them the best home possible. A place where the owners would give them the attention and love they deserve. Because no matter how much we strive to make the shelter a comfortable place, this is not a suitable forever home for any of them... They deserve so much more!" 

6. If this campaign succeeds, Zuzana will not receive any money but 1200 kg of kibble, delivered from Animal Webaction's logistics platform in Serbia.

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

7. 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. 

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

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

If you would like to drop by Pongo's shelter to help Zuzana or if you would like to send her kibbles or a check directly, contact Zuzana via Facebook (note: direct help is your own responsibility).

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