We cannot let the 140 dogs living at Natalija and Snezana's shelter starve!

1. In Serbia, Natalija and Snezana are out of kibble to feed the 140 dogs in their shelter. They will starve if no one helps!

"The number of dogs under our care is rising all the time. Every time we manage to adopt a dog, another one comes to take its place. We constantly find dogs in poor condition on the freeway between Pirot and the Bulgarian border, where Natalija works. Rescuing dogs that are exhausted, run over by cars, starving... is unfortunately our daily lot.

Recently, we've also been rescuing a lot of puppies. Unfortunately, the free sterilizations that were financed by an association have ceased; we feel defeated. We fought so hard to defend and implement sterilization while it was free, that we had finally achieved a certain balance with stray dogs. And now we're back to square one...

We have practically no donations either; just a few euros here and there. People are afraid to help because of the uncertain future, inflation and the war. Kibble are more expensive than they've ever been, and we owe so much to the supplier that we can't afford to buy any more on credit. We feel terrible... Natalija and I have been through so much, dealt with so much over the years, and now it's all coming down on us at once. We're suffering, we love these dogs more than anything, but the sad reality is that we won't be able to feed them without your help..."

2. The dogs' health is threatened by the lack of kibble : Natalija and Snezana fear they'll have to release them if they don't find a solution...

"Supplying kibble has always been a problem, but with prices skyrocketing and donations lower than ever, we're literally unable to buy any. We've been completely out of kibble for weeks! At present, we're forced to beg the local butcher to give us leftover meat destined for the bin...  It's mainly ears, tails and a few bones.

Despite our efforts to salvage as much as possible, we often don't have enough to feed our dogs properly. They don't eat enough - you can tell just by looking at them! They're skinnier, more nervous and never in the mood to play or even socialize with each other. We're afraid they'll start attacking each other...

They are also more prone to illness, lacking all the basic vitamins that kibble provides. They have nail, skin and coat problems. We've tried and tried and asked for help in many places, but our efforts are in vain: we can't even afford to buy the most basic thing for our dogs! Our hearts are broken, and if this continues, we're afraid we'll have to release some of them. This eventuality is unbearable for us, and without this delivery, our dogs' survival is at stake..."

3. Vuckic suffers from extensive skin problems, which he can't heal from for lack of kibble. This delivery is the only way he'll get better!

"Vuckic is 1-year-old male, he was abandoned in front of our shelter around 6 months ago. He has severe immunity problems, his fur and his skin are in really bad shape. Unfortunately given the lack of nutrition at the shelter, his state isn't improving.... He is also a very scared dog who doesn't enjoy the company of other dogs or new people. Getting this kibble supply will be instrumental to his recovery, health and ability to flourish and start trusting people again."

4. Natalija and Snezana are suffering from inflation, debt and a lack of donations: this campaign is their only hope of feeding the dogs!

"Natalija owns a shop near the Bulgarian border, but since COVID-19, business has slowed down a lot; it's now impossible for her to finance the shelter as before. As for donations, they are of course very low, as everyone is suffering from increasing financial insecurity. When you add to that inflation and the costs of food, care and maintenance that 140 dogs entail, the math is pretty simple... We can't keep up anymore! We have to borrow money from a friend who gives us 60 to 70 euros a month, for which we're very grateful, but unfortunately it's not enough.

Our adoptions have also dropped significantly - we've only managed to adopt 15 dogs in the past year, and even when we do find them homes, all the expenses involved in preparing them for adoption are usually borne by us. Our debts to kibble suppliers and veterinary surgeries run into the thousands, so for medical treatment we now have to travel to Nis, which is 75 km from our shelter... Of course, our fuel costs are also rising accordingly.

The pressure to maintain the shelter is enormous and we are exhausted, financially, physically and mentally. We've been fighting for years, but we can't see any positive change... We don't know how to continue feeding and caring for our dogs without more help. The success of this campaign is our only lifeline!"

5. Natalija and Snezana aren't asking for money, only kibble to prevent the dogs from starving.

"Our involvement began with one dog, then 10, then 100... Over the years, our way of helping has changed and taken new paths, but the main objective has always remained the same: to help every dog we can, in whatever way we can. For all those dogs we've taken off the streets, rescued from car accidents or human abuse, our help makes a huge difference. If we hadn't been there, they would have ended up in the pound, piled on top of each other, with no chance of a decent life, or even adoption.

Unfortunately, even though we've rescued and sterilized hundreds of dogs since our beginnings, there are still many who need our help... The local population doesn't support us in our actions; in fact, they're indifferent to our cause. But if lack of support is something we can learn to live with, we'll never understand the need to abuse and neglect dogs. How can anyone mistreat a being that depends on them and has no voice or ability to defend itself? It boggles the mind... And yet, no matter how much our dogs have suffered in the past - often at the hands of humans - they continue to love people unconditionally! Their resilience is admirable, and it's for their sake that we try to find the strength to continue our fight..."

6. If this campaign succeeds, Natalija and Natalija will not receive any money but 1600 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. The association's supporters have already done their utmost to help: this campaign is the last chance to keep the dogs alive...

"We have partnerships with two organizations: AMOS Furrever Homes and Pfotchenretter mit Herz e. V., who help us with adoptions abroad. We are grateful to be able to work with partners, but in recent months it has become increasingly difficult to find homes for our dogs. It's very important for us to have more adoptions, as it's the only way we can welcome new dogs to the shelter.

There are only two of us to look after 140 souls, and the work that this entails on a daily basis is colossal: between veterinary visits, rescues, feeding, cleaning etc.... We have a Facebook page and people know how hard we work every day, but we don't get enough donations. Finding the time to have a strong online presence and be able to get donations to match our needs is mission impossible with so few hands!

We're tired and exhausted of running the shelter without enough support. We've tried everything: plan A, plan B, plan C... it has all failed, and that's why we are where we are. Every day is uncertain and our suffering is daily, when we know that our dogs are waiting to be fed and that we have no permanent solution at our disposal. The future terrifies us, and it's hard to describe exactly how we feel. We've never needed help as much as we do today..."

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 Serbia, street dogs are hunted by the State and ignored by the population, volunteers like Natalija and Snezana are their only hope!

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

If you would like to come to Natalija's and Snezana's shelter to help them, or if you would like to send them kibbles or a check directly, please contact them via the association's Facebook page (note: direct help is your own responsibility).

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