We cannot let the 148 dogs in Svjetlana's shelter starve !

1. In Bosnia, Svjetlana is almost out of kibble to feed the 148 dogs in her shelter. They will starve if no one steps in to help!

“Right now, I’m caring for 148 dogs at the shelter. In just a few months, around thirty more have arrived, mostly puppies. Here, many people still refuse to spay or neuter their dogs, even when it’s free, so they abandon the litters, dump them out in the countryside, or worse. The result is always the same: more dogs, more mouths to feed, and fewer and fewer resources to manage.

For now, I’m still making sure every dog gets something to eat, but it’s getting harder every day. Kibble is essential, it’s what provides vitamins and minerals, especially in winter. Because there isn’t enough, I’m forced to stretch it with bread, leftovers, and meat we salvage that’s already starting to spoil. It’s not what I want to feed them, but without help, I don’t have any other choice.

And winter is here: cold, damp air, wind blowing through open pens. We pack the doghouses with straw to insulate them as best we can, but when the dogs go out in rain or snow, they come back soaked and shivering. We don’t have heated buildings or proper facilities. In these conditions, kibble isn’t a comfort, it’s their only defense against the cold and disease!”

2. Diarrhea, weakened immunity, illness taking hold: without kibble, the damage will be irreversible.

“Because we don’t have the means, I have to feed my dogs food that’s nowhere near ideal: stale bread that molds quickly in the damp, meat scraps that are already half turned and that we try to boil to make usable again, food waste with almost no nutritional value. You won’t see skeletal dogs here, but that doesn’t mean everything is fine. The problem is invisible, slow, and silent.

I’m already starting to see the effects: diarrhea, weaker immunity, especially in the most fragile ones. Older dogs, sick dogs, and very young dogs have no reserves. Combine cold, damp, poor food, and almost no medicine, and you get a dangerous mix. A simple cough can turn into pneumonia. A small weakness can become fatal.

If I can’t secure kibble now, I know exactly what will happen: more illness, more suffering, and deaths that could have been prevented. The strongest might hold on, but the old and the sick won’t make it. I’ve been running this shelter for 21 years. I’ve seen enough winters to recognize when we’re nearing the breaking point. This year, we’re getting there...”

3. Luki’s tumor is getting worse and he’s losing strength: without kibble, he’s living on borrowed time.

“Luki is 10 years old. He arrived here when he was just a month old, abandoned at the shelter gate like something someone threw away. He grew up here without ever knowing a real home. For him, this place is the only safety he has ever had.

Two years ago, he was diagnosed with a tumor in his eye socket. Surgery is extremely complex and very expensive, and it would only be possible at a clinic abroad. So for now, I’m stuck: I watch him fight, knowing he needs surgery, but I don’t have the means to give him that chance. And in the meantime, the tumor keeps growing. It’s deforming his skull, his eye has changed color, and he’s almost certainly blind.

So yes, we’re talking about kibble, because that’s the foundation. While we don’t know whether surgery will ever be possible, I at least have to make sure he eats enough and eats well. A dog like Luki can’t make it on bread and scraps. His body needs nutrients to hold on, keep his strength, get through winter, and cope with illness. If I can’t even give him proper food anymore, then it’s hopeless, even if surgery became an option.”

4. No more municipal support, mounting debt, reduced care: this campaign will determine whether the shelter and its dogs survive.

“Financially, the situation is extremely serious. We no longer receive any municipal support, even though the authorities are legally required to provide it. Before, that small monthly amount, around €500, at least helped patch a few holes. Today, those holes have turned into gaping chasms. Debts keep piling up: food, veterinary bills, maintenance for the vehicle the shelter depends on. It feels like trying to empty a bucket full of holes.

Individual donations do exist, but they’re rare and small. Our only regular support comes from a Dutch organization, without which the shelter would already have closed. But it’s no longer enough given the scale of the needs and expenses, with 148 dogs to feed and care for every single day.

I’ve tried to find other support, to cooperate, to bring in new partners, but everyone is fighting to survive with almost nothing. And because there’s no money, I’ve already had to reduce veterinary care to the bare minimum. I can’t ‘save everyone’ anymore. I have to choose who gets treated and who I can only keep comfortable. This kibble campaign isn’t a bonus, it’s what the shelter’s survival depends on...”

5. Svjetlana isn’t asking for money, only kibble, so the dogs don’t starve.

“I’ve been running this shelter, ‘Last Oasis,’ for 21 years. Hundreds of dogs have passed through here. Many have left for better lives in European countries, some have been adopted locally, and far too many have died while waiting for happiness that never came. I keep going first and foremost out of love for them, but also out of defiance: against indifference, against cruelty, against a system that abandons them. Their suffering affects me deeply, and I simply can’t look away.

Over the years, there have been a few moments of recognition that helped me keep going. For the shelter’s anniversary, friends, our vet, and a few curious visitors came by. They were surprised by how well organized the shelter is, how the dogs, despite their numbers, are vaccinated, identified, shy but friendly, and in good condition. The vet congratulated us publicly, pointing out that we’d avoided serious outbreaks despite the density of dogs. Moments like that give you a lift, but they don’t pay the bills or fill empty bowls.

I’m exhausted, and I can’t carry all of this alone anymore. I’m not a one-person army, even if I’ve tried to be for two decades. Your support, your donation of kibble, can mean the difference between life and death for many dogs here. What may feel like ‘not much’ to you can mean everything to them: a full bowl, a stronger body, one more winter survived, and maybe, one day, a real family. I can’t change their fate without you.”

6. By taking action now, you can help Svjetlana receive 2400 kilos of kibble for her dogs.

Animal Webaction has a logistics centre in Bosnia which allows 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 Bosnia, stray dogs are tortured and killed illegally without anyone looking...

If you know of a foundation or NGO that could help Svjetlana, please invite them to contact us so we can put them in touch.

If you represent a Foundation or an NGO for animal protection, please help Svjetlana's dogs, contact us and we will put you in touch!

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

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